Today's News: May 21, 2018

World News

Video: Scott Bennett in Iran speaking at the New Horizons conference
Scott Bennett presents a letter that the Iranian Diplomats should send to the Trump Administration for enhancement of relations and resurrection of the JCPOA, through communicating the crimes of the Obama-Clinton Administration, and the Trump handling of these acts.

China to end birth limits as soon as this year?
Bloomberg – China is planning to scrap all limits on the number of children a family can have, according to people familiar with the matter, in what would be a historic end to a policy that spurred countless human-rights abuses and left the world’s second-largest economy short of workers.
The State Council, China’s cabinet, has commissioned research on the repercussions of ending the country’s roughly four-decade-old policy and intends to enact the change nationwide, said the people, who asked not to be named while discussing government deliberations. The leadership wants to reduce the pace of aging in China’s population and remove a source of international criticism, one of the people said.

U.S. won’t recognize Venezuela-election result
Reuters – The United States will not recognize the result of Venezuela’s presidential election on Sunday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan told journalists.
The United States is actively considering oil sanctions on Venezuela and Sullivan said a response to Sunday’s vote would be discussed at a G20 meeting in Buenos Aires on Monday.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Dem senator backs ‘real’ 2nd Amendment, not ‘imaginary’ one
The Hill – Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) declared on Saturday that he backs the “real” Second Amendment, rather than an “imaginary” version of the provision that he says is touted by gun rights advocates.
“I support the real 2nd Amendment, not the imaginary 2nd Amendment,” Murphy tweeted. “And the real #2A isn’t absolute. It allows Congress to wake up to reality and ban these assault rifles that are designed for one purpose only – to kill as many people as fast as possible.”

Rosenstein asks IG to review ‘Obama spying’ on Trump campaign
WND – Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has asked Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz to review a claim reported last week by the New York Times that the Obama administration placed an FBI informant inside the Trump campaign in 2016.
“If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action,” Rosenstein said in a statement Sunday.

Bishop praises ‘life-giving intent’ of Iowa’s fetal heartbeat bill
Catholic News Agency – An Iowa bishop said that a bill banning abortions after detection of a fetal heartbeat “affirms the life-giving intent” of the state’s pro-life efforts.
Known as the “fetal heartbeat” bill, the measure was attached to state. legislation banning the sale and transfer of fetal remains. The bill was passed by the state’s legislature this week.
Bishop Walker Nickless of Sioux City, Iowa, told CNA he supports the legislation’s aims.

N.J. principal apologizes to black students for 1776 prom theme
Philly Voice – Cherry Hill East Principal Dennis Perry called the decision ‘insensitive and irresponsible’
A New Jersey principal has apologized for offending some students with the language used on their prom tickets.
Principal Dennis Perry wrote that he was particularly sorry to black students for the tickets in a letter to the Cherry Hill High School East community Friday. The tickets told students to “party like it’s 1776.”
“It was insensitive and irresponsible not to appreciate that not all communities can celebrate what life was like in 1776,” Perry wrote. “I especially apologize to our African American students, whom I have let down by not initially recognizing the inappropriateness of this wording.”
According to the Courier Post, the reference to the year the United States declared independence from England was included because the school’s prom is being held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on May 31.
Perry’s letter didn’t mention slavery specifically, but as the Courier Post noted, African Americans remained enslaved in New Jersey into the 19th century.

Schools across America move to four-day week…
Drudge – Increasingly, school districts across the country are banking on the short week to save money and alleviate the worsening teacher shortage. Three-day weekends are a nice recruiting tool.

U.S. 7th-graders told to declare submission to Allah
WND – Seventh-graders at a West Virginia public school were asked to write the Islamic declaration of faith in Arabic calligraphy in a social-studies class, drawing outrage from a Christian parent.
Parent Rich Penkoski contacted Principal Ron Branch at Mountain Ridge Middle School in Gerrardstown about the assignment, which was part of a world-religions unit, the Christian Post reported.

New York City Suburb Weighs Raising Smoking Age to 21
Newsmax – A wealthy northern suburb of New York City may raise the age to smoke and vape from 18 to 21.

Police Officer Who Shot Texas School Shooter Gets Ovation at Graduation
Newsmax- Police officer Mark Dallas, who wounded and arrested a gunman at Dixon High School in Illinois, received a standing ovation, along with the school’s seniors at the graduation ceremonies.

Professor Calls NRA “Terrorist Organization” After Texas Massacre
Campus Reform – Almost immediately after the Santa Fe High School shooting, a professor at Virginia Tech tweeted that the National Rifle Association (NRA) is a “terrorist organization.”

Economy & Business

New effort to police cryptocurrency investment schemes
NBC – Regulators in the U.S. and Canada are launching a widespread crackdown on some cryptocurrency investment schemes, members of the North American Securities Administrators Association said Monday.
More than 40 state and provincial watchdogs are participating in “Operation Crypto-Sweep,” which has triggered at least 70 investigations so far. The coordinated effort, first reported by The Washington Post, focuses on a cryptocurrency fundraising process known as initial coin offerings, as well as other “investment schemes.”

Average price of gas jumps to $3 a gallon
AP – The average price of regular-grade gasoline in the U.S. jumped 10 cents a gallon over the past two weeks to $3.00.

Supreme Court Crushes Unions By Limiting Collective Action Bargaining
ZeroHedge – In what will likely be remembered as an epic middle finger to America’s unions, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Monday – in a decision split along ideological lines – that businesses can force employees into individual arbitration to resolve disputes, virtually eliminating the threat of a class-action lawsuit.
The Washington Post described the ruling as “an important outcome for business interests.”
The decision could make life much harder for unions fighting for better conditions and wages.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called the decision “egregiously wrong”. She argued that individual complaints can be very small in dollar terms, or “scarcely of a size warranting the expense of seeking redress alone.” The justice read a summary of her dissent aloud in the court.

Coming To NETFLIX: Barack and Michelle Sign Deal…
Variety – Coming to Netflix: The Obamas Sign Deal to Produce ShowsImae Former President Barack Obama is expected to announce on Monday a production deal with Netflix for himself and the former first lady, Michelle Obama.

Energy & Environment

Arizona preps for California exodus if major quake
NBC – Government agencies, businesses and other organizations in Arizona plan to participate in an exercise to practice how the state would respond to a migration of 400,000 people following a catastrophic earthquake in Southern California.
The Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs says participants in the National Mass Care Exercise in the coming week will tackle how to organize operations such as providing food, shelter and medical services.
The department says its planning for the exercise has been underway for nearly a year.

Hawaii Volcano ALERT: Toxic Gas, MORE Eruptions Expected, Lava Blocks Escape Routes
SHFTPlan – The Hawaiian volcano, Kilauea, is still erupting and lava is now blocking escape routes. More eruptions are still expected as toxic gas plumes envelop parts of the island.
People in Hawaii are facing new warnings over toxic fumes produced when molten rock flows into the ocean, as the state continues to battle eruptions from the Kilauea volcano. Officials say two lava flows have reached the Pacific, creating thick hazardous clouds known as “laze.”
The clouds contain hydrochloric acid and glass particles which can cause irritation and breathing difficulties, reported the BBC. The US Geological Survey describes laze as a “hot, corrosive, gas mixture.”

Health
EXPERIMENTAL Ebola Vaccine Will Be Administered In Congo As Ebola Death Toll Climbs
SHFTPlan – An experimental Ebola vaccine is being rolled out in Congo as the death toll from the infectious disease continues to climb. The vaccination campaign will begin today.
“The vaccination campaign begins tomorrow, Monday, in Mbandaka, capital of the province,” Minister of Health Oly Ilunga told The Associated Press as reported by 9 News Australia. “It will target, first, the health staff, the contacts of the sick and the contacts of the contacts.” The World Health Organization has been warning about the “Ebola situation” in Congo, and it appears their only solution is an experimental vaccine.
>>Related Article: “We Now Have Urban Ebola” In Congo, WHO Warns Of “Potentially Explosive Increase” In Cases

Doctors in California Are Now Prescribing Food as Medicine, Here’s Why
Real Simple – If you needed a very specific diet to survive, would you be able to get the right foods? Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t have the luxury of being selective while food shopping. Low-income constraints mean whatever’s most affordable sometimes becomes the only option.
An often overlooked element of healthcare is how patients will actually obtain the foods recommended by their doctors. It’s one thing for healthy people to try to maintain a diet with all the right nutrients, but it’s a completely different beast to tackle trying to eat properly and follow specific dietary guidelines when you have a chronic illness.
Last Friday, California became the first state to pilot a new program, Food Is Medicine, to treat high-risk, low-income patients with congestive heart failure through a medically-tailored meal service, with the goal of reducing overall medical costs caused by patients not getting the necessary nutrition.

Yucca Root Benefits Immunity, Skin, Joints & More
Dr. Axe – Rich in calories, carbohydrates and vitamin C, plus highly versatile and full of flavor, yucca root is an important dietary component for millions around the world. It can be mashed, boiled, baked or fried and swapped in for potatoes in just about any recipe. It’s also used to make a variety of gluten-free flours and food thickeners, such as arrowroot, tapioca and cassava flour.
With its wide range of micronutrients and antioxidants, adding yucca root into your diet can come with a long list of potential health benefits. Here’s what you need to know about this tasty root vegetable and how it can impact your health.