Today's News: May 16, 2018

World News

North Korea Threatens to Scrap Trump Meeting on Nuclear Demands
Bloomberg – North Korea threatened to walk away from its meeting with President Donald Trump next month if the U.S. made a “one-sided demand” for the regime to surrender its nuclear weapons.

Trump to meet with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev amid human rights concerns
CBS – President Donald Trump is expected to encourage Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to embrace human rights reforms and freedom of the press during their first meeting at the White House on Wednesday.

Hundreds In Israel And Beyond Protest Killings Of Palestinians On Gaza Border
Yahoo – Hundreds took to the streets in Tel Aviv, Israel, and other cities worldwide

Guatemala opens embassy in Jerusalem, two days after U.S. move
Reuters – Guatemala opened an embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday, two days after the United States inaugurated its new site in the contested city in a move that infuriated Palestinians and drew international condemnation.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Senate Panel Releases Interview Transcripts With Trump Jr.
Newsmax – The committee on Wednesday released more than 1,800 pages of transcripts of interviews with Trump’s son and others who met with a Russian attorney at Trump Tower ahead of the 2016 election.

Judge pulls plug on California’s assisted-suicide law
WND – A judge in California has pulled the plug on the state’s assisted-suicide law, and while Attorney General Xavier Becerra is expected to continue to fight for the provisions that can be used to take people’s’ lives, the decision offers a reprieve from that process for now.

U.S. identifies suspect in major CIA leak
Mercury News – The U.S. government has identified a suspect in the leak last year of a large portion of the CIA’s computer hacking arsenal, the cyber tools the agency had used to conduct espionage operations overseas, according to interviews and public documents.
But despite months of investigation, prosecutors have been unable to bring charges against the man, who is a former CIA employee currently being held in a Manhattan jail on unrelated charges.
Joshua Adam Schulte, who worked for a CIA group that designs computer code to spy on foreign adversaries, is believed to have provided the agency’s top-secret information to WikiLeaks, federal prosecutors acknowledged in a hearing in January. The anti-secrecy group published the code under the label “Vault 7” in March 2017. It was one of the most significant and potentially damaging leaks in the CIA’s history, exposing secret cyber weapons and spying techniques that also might be used against the United States, according to current and former intelligence officials.

Justice Department and F.B.I. Are Investigating Cambridge Analytica
New York Times – The Justice Department and the F.B.I. are investigating Cambridge Analytica, the now-defunct political data firm, and have sought to question former employees and banks that handled its business, according to an American official and other people familiar with the inquiry.

Michigan State Settles With Nassar Victims for $500 Million
Newsmax – Michigan State University on Wednesday announced a $500 million settlement with more than 300 women and girls who said they were assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar in the worst sex-abuse case in sports history.

North Carolina teachers staging rallies to protest low pay
Yahoo – The recent wave of teacher activism sweeping through conservative, tax-cutting states has washed into North Carolina, where educators have pledged to fill the streets and bring their demands for better pay and school resources to legislators’ doorstep.

Economy & Business

Seattle votes in favor of tax on businesses to help combat homelessness…
Seattle Times – After a weekend of high-stakes negotiations between Seattle City Council members and Mayor Jenny Durkan, the council voted unanimously Monday to tax the city’s largest employers to help address homelessness.
Starting next year, the tax will be $275 per employee, per year on for-profit companies that gross at least $20 million per year in the city — down from a $500-per-head proposal that Durkan threatened to veto.
The city declared a homelessness state of emergency in late 2015. A point-in-time count last year tallied more than 11,600 homeless people in King County and one in 16 Seattle Public Schools students is homeless.

Energy & Environment

Hawaii volcano sends ash 12,000 feet high
Daily Mail – Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano could have a major devastating eruption at ‘any time’, the US Geographical Survey has said.
The volcano has been erupting for 10 days, and more than 2000 residents have already been evacuated.
‘At any time, activity may become more explosive, increasing the intensity of ash production and producing ballistic projectiles near the vent,’ the USGS said on Tuesday afternoon.
The USGS also raised the volcano aviation alert level at Hawaii’s Kilauea to red – the highest level – which indicates a ‘major volcanic eruption is imminent, underway, or suspected with hazardous activity both on the ground and in the air.’

California scientists get $213,000 to study cow farts
New York Post – A team of California scientists has been given $213,000 to study . . . cow farts.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture awarded the grant to the California Dairy Research Foundation to examine methane emissions — a major environmental threat — at the state’s dairies.

Science & Technology

‘Christian Internet’ vows to make users ‘safe, strong and blessed’
WND – A plan for a new social-media network and a search engine to meet the needs of Christians fed up with censorship by Facebook, Google and Twitter is attracting members, according to the founder.
People are “signing up fast for USA.Life social network and 1776Free search engine,” said Steven Andrew, a Silicon Valley technology expert who founded USA.Life.
“Individuals and businesses want to speak freely about traditional values, family and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is why people have a great feeling of hope when they hear about about www.USA.Life and www.1776Free.com,” he said.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Lawmakers Introduce Farm Bill Amendment to Prohibit Federal Government Interference in Raw Milk Sales
Activist Post – A bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced an amendment to the House Farm Bill designed to make it easier for consumers to access raw milk.
As part of the ongoing debate of the so called “Farm Bill,” three representatives have introduced an amendment to prohibit the federal government from intervening in state laws which allow for the sale of raw milk. The House Rules Committee will debate a number of amendments on Tuesday and Wednesday before a potential floor vote later this week.

Health

Probiotics Can Lower Blood Pressure and Protect Your Liver
Mercola – Your intestinal bacteria are part of your immune system and researchers have discovered that microbes of all kinds play instrumental roles in countless areas of your health. Beneficial bacteria also control the growth of disease-causing bacteria by competing for nutrition and attachment sites in your colon.
While a lot of research has focused on the influence gut bacteria have on your gastrointestinal health, recent research presented at the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego reveals probiotics also impact your liver function. This study focused primarily on a probiotic called lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), which is found in many commercial probiotic supplements.
Other recent findings suggest regularly consuming probiotics can help relieve hypertension (high blood pressure). One previous analysis2 of nine studies that scrutinized associations between probiotics and blood pressure found that people who consume probiotics on a regular basis (in the form of yogurt, kefir or supplements, for example) tended to have lower blood pressure than those who did not consume probiotics.

Matcha Green Tea: A Potent Tea With Amazing Health Benefits
Mercoal – What Is Matcha Green Tea?
Known for its vibrant green color, rich grassy taste and numerous health benefits, matcha is the powdered form of green tea that’s traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. Zen monasteries favored matcha because of its ability to help enhance mental alertness and presence of mind, while promoting a calm, meditative state at the same time.2
It’s said that the best organic matcha green tea powder comes from southern regions of Japan, particularly Uji, Nishio, Shizuoka and Kyushu.3 Similar to other tea varieties, matcha green tea is also made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which is native to Southwest China.
The unique cultivation and production of matcha are not just responsible for its rich flavor and vibrant coloring, but also for its nutritional value.
Here are some of the health benefits of matcha green tea:
-Enhances cognitive function and concentration
-Provides a calming effect
-Detoxifies the body
-Strengthens the immune system
-Provides a significant amount of antioxidant
-Boosts energy levels and endurance
-Aids in weight loss
-Improves eye health