Today's News: May 23, 2018

World News

China Disinvited From Major International Naval Exercise..
USNI News – The U.S. military has disinvited China from participating in the upcoming Rim of the Pacific exercise in Hawaii, a Defense Department spokesman announced.
Citing actions in the South China Sea that run counter to international norms and a pursuit of free and open seas, Department of Defense spokesman Marine Lt. Col. Christopher Logan said the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) would not be participating in the exercise despite its participation in submarine safety and other non-warfighting components of the exercise in previous years.

Egypt Widens Security Crackdown as Concerns of Unrest Grow
WSJ – Egypt’s government has intensified a crackdown on political opponents, arresting a series of high-profile dissidents in raids on their homes in recent weeks as President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi prepares to begin a new term next month.
Those detained in the current sweep are among the country’s most prominent non-Islamist activists, including three human rights advocates, a satirist, and a well-known labor lawyer.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

New policy requires on-field players, personnel to stand for anthem
NFL – NFL owners have unanimously approved a new national anthem policy that requires players to stand if they are on the field during the performance but gives them the option to remain in the locker room if they prefer, it was announced Wednesday.The policy subjects teams to a fine if a player or any other team personnel do not show respect for the anthem. That includes any attempt to sit or kneel, as dozens of players have done during the past two seasons. Those teams will also have the option to fine any team personnel, including players, for the infraction.

Air Force trainer jet crashes in Mississippi
Yahoo News – A U.S. Air Force training jet crashed Wednesday in northeast Mississippi with both pilots ejecting safely.
The T-38C Talon II crashed about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Columbus Air Force Base officials said in a statement.
The plane went down near the base, north of the city of Columbus. Both pilots were taken to a hospital to be evaluated, although officials couldn’t immediately say Wednesday morning if they had suffered any significant injuries.

Pitcher Accused Of Writing ‘Bush Did 9/11’ On Mound
Sports Illustrated – Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer responded to the controversy that he appeared to carve “BD 911” into the mound as a reference to a conspiracy theory about September 11.
Bauer denied the allegations, saying he carved “BD 91.1” on the mound instead of “BD 911.” Many people were assuming “BD 911” was a reference to the “Bush Did 9/11” theory.

Democrats Split Over Trump’s Prison Pitch
The Atlantic – The party is torn over a reform bill that just passed the House with the president’s support: Should it back modest changes to the criminal-justice system or hold out for more?

Manafort to ask federal judge to exclude evidence from FBI raids
The Hill – President TrumpDonald John TrumpCNN’s Zucker: Trump ‘secretly watching CNN’ all day and night GOP candidate behind ‘Deportation Bus’ loses in gubernatorial bid Penn to Hewitt: Mueller probe born out of ‘hysteria’ MORE‘s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort will ask a judge on Wednesday to suppress evidence gathered by FBI agents in the case against him as he faces charges of money laundering and tax fraud.
Reuters reports that Manafort is requesting that the court toss out evidence gathered during last year’s FBI raid of his Virginia home, and specifically documents from his consulting business stored in a locker that was unlocked by a lower-level staffer during the raid.

‘SPYGATE’: Trump blasts ‘Criminal Deep State’
Fox – President Trump blasted the “Criminal Deep State” early Wednesday, suggesting things have “turned around” in “SPYGATE,” following revelations of a reported FBI informant snooping on the Trump campaign.
“Look how things have turned around on the Criminal Deep State. They go after Phony Collusion with Russia, a made up Scam, and end up getting caught in a major SPY scandal the likes of which this country may never have seen before! What goes around, comes around!” Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.

Economy & Business

A Democratic congressman is taking the first shot at a repeal of Trump’s tax law
Business Insider – As the new tax cuts ushered in solely by Republicans begin to take effect, one Democratic congressman is unveiling a repeal plan, signaling that President Donald Trump’s primary opposition is serious about reversing his signature legislative achievement.
Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado plans to introduce the Students Over Special Interests Act on Wednesday. The legislation, according to a summary viewed by Business Insider ahead of its introduction, would repeal the new tax law and redirect the taxpayer dollars toward erasing the $1.4 trillion in student-loan debt and investing in Pell grants. It will be the first piece of legislation aimed at unraveling the new tax law.

Energy & Environment

Forecasters up odds for tropical system in Gulf
Miami Herald – National Hurricane Center forecasters upped the odds for a tropical system developing in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday morning to 60 percent.
In an 8 a.m. advisory, forecasters said conditions remain more favorable for the sloppy storm to become better organized in five days as it moves north from the coast of Belize and into the Gulf. Whether or not it forms, it’s still expected to dump heavy rain across soggy South Florida, which in some places is already in danger of breaking monthly rainfall records.
Science & Technology

JUDGE: President CANNOT Block TWITTER Followers…
CNBC – President Donald Trump cannot block users on his Twitter feed, a federal judge in New York City ruled Wednesday.
udge Naomi Reice Buchwald said in her ruling that Trump is violating the U.S. Constitution by preventing certain Americans from viewing his tweets on @realDonaldTrump.
The social media platform, Buchwald said, is a “designated public forum” from which Trump cannot exclude individual plaintiffs. She rejected an argument by the Justice Department that the president had a right to block Twitter followers because of his “associational freedoms.”

Uber shutting down self-driving operations in Arizona after fatal crash
AZ Central – Uber is shutting down its self-driving car tests in Arizona, where one of the cars was involved in a fatal crash with a pedestrian in March, the company said Wednesday.
The company notified about 300 Arizona workers in the self-driving program that they were being terminated just before 9 a.m. Wednesday. The shutdown should take several weeks.

Health

Banned Pregnancy Drug Tied to ADHD Generations Later
Newsmax – A pregnancy drug banned decades ago may have side effects that linger for generations. Grandchildren of women who took it have an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study suggests.

Myrrh Oil: Benefits of This Holy Oil
Mercola – You may have heard of myrrh from Biblical stories, as it’s one of the precious gifts (together with gold and frankincense) offered by the three wise men to the newborn Jesus. This valuable element actually has a long history of use, especially in ancient civilizations. Today, myrrh is most commonly known — and used — as an essential oil.
Benefits of Myrrh Oil
Myrrh oil’s benefits can be attributed to its powerful antioxidant, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, expectorant and antispasmodic properties. According to the book “The Essential Oils Complete Reference Guide,” it can help with many health conditions, such as:20

Respiratory problems: Myrrh oil works well against coughs, colds and sore throat. It also helps relieve congestion and expel phlegm.
Digestive ailments: It promotes digestive health and helps ease stomach upset, dyspepsia, diarrhea, indigestion, hemorrhoids and flatulence.
Gum and mouth diseases: It helps relieve toothache, gingivitis and mouth ulcers, and also freshens your breath. Myrrh oil is even used as a natural ingredient in mouthwashes and toothpaste.
Immune system health: A 2010 study published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal found that an emulsion made from myrrh may help protect against lead-induced hepatotoxicity, oxidative stress and immunotoxicity among animal test subjects.21

A study conducted by Chinese researchers, published in the April 2011 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, also found that extracts made from myrrh resin may be effective against human gynecologic cancer cells

Pet News

Highly contagious dog flu spreads in NYC
Fox 5 – Sick as a dog” is an expression we hear all too often. But now, our pups are giving it a new meaning.
Two highly contagious strains of canine influenza are making their way around the United States. The H3N2 strain has landed in Brooklyn. So far, at least 14 dogs have tested positive.
“There were a lot of cases this year, close to 500 in California and Nevada already, so it was just a matter of time before it got here,” said Dr. Yasmine Mortsakis, who runs New York Veterinary Practice. She said this outbreak isn’t going anywhere because the strains are fairly new.