Today's News: May 31, 2019

World News
Bilderberg 2019 Meeting Site Revealed
AFP – The Bilderberg group’s anonymous press office has finally released the dates and location of the 67th Bilderberg conference in 65 years. It will be held May 30-June 2 at the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace on the shores of Lake Geneva in Montreux, Switzerland. Also released were the official lists of topics and attendees, which includes what appears to be the largest contingent of American government-affiliated attendees in recent memory and, quite possibly, in the history of Bilderberg.
Of note, this year’s attendees list includes President Donald Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner among the 130 people from 23 nations who are attending by invitation only. There have been rumors of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attending, though his name does not appear on the official list.
Among the list of attendees are a cross-section of people with military and strategic duties: James H. Baker and Matthew Daniels from the DOD, Matthew Pottinger and Matthew Turpin from the NSC, and James O. Ellis from the National Space Council.
The participation of Baker and his fellow travelers from the defense and strategy realm makes sense, given that five of Bilderberg’s 11 topics this year deal with strategic matters: A Stable Strategic Order; China; Russia; the Importance of Space; and Cyber-Threats. The Weaponization of Social Media and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence topics also fit into the strategic mold.
The remaining four topics this year are: What Next for Europe?, Climate Change and Sustainability, the Future of Capitalism, and Brexit.
Tit-for-tat: Beijing to draft ‘blacklist’ of foreign companies harming interests of Chinese firms
RT – The Commerce Ministry of China has pledged to create a list of foreign individuals, corporations and institutions that are considered “unreliable” or that violate the interests of Chinese businesses, state media reports.
The measure has been proposed amid the recent scandal that has erupted around the US blacklisting of Chinese telecoms major Huawei, along with other Chinese corporations, on the direct order of US President Donald Trump.
That decree bars American businesses from supplying Huawei with spare parts or technology solutions. The measure was introduced after the White House accused Chinese companies of espionage against the US on behalf of Beijing.
Expressing ‘Patriotism’ Could Be Sign of Far-Right Extremism, Says British Army
Breitbart – Soldiers describing themselves as “patriots” or using words such as “Islamofascism” or “traitors” could be a sign they are right-wing extremists, according to a leaked document from the British army.
Originally written in 2017, the leaflet “Extreme Right Wing (XRW) Indicators & Warnings” was sent to senior defence staff to “educate Chains of Command on the indicators and warnings of personnel who may harbour extremist views”.
Amongst the two-dozen thoughts and expressions listed, the leaflet advised recipients to “look out” for soldiers who: “Describe themselves as ‘patriots’”; “Add ‘istan’ to British place names”; “Use the term ‘Islamofascism’”; “Involve colleagues in closed social media groups”; “Refer to Political Correctness as some kind of left wing or Communist plot”; or who “Make inaccurate generalisations about ‘the Left’ or Government”.
North Korea executes nuclear envoy to U.S. after failed Trump summit: report
USA Today – North Korea executed its special nuclear envoy to the United States as part of a purge of senior officials over the failed summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper claimed Friday.
Kim Hyok Chol was executed by firing squad in March along with four other foreign ministry officials, the paper reported, citing an unidentified North Korean source.
North Korea neither confirmed nor denied the report. South Korea’s government was not able to confirm the claim. Previous media reports about the fate of North Korean officials who have fallen afoul of Pyongyang’s leader have proven to be false.
Bolton: Trump Hopes to Negotiate Trade Deal With ‘A Fully Independent Britain’
CNS News – Ahead of President Trump’s first state visit to the United Kingdom, National Security Advisor John Bolton said Thursday the president looks forward to negotiating a trade agreement with “a fully independent Britain.” He also raised the possibility of a three-day deal with Canada.
“He’s been a strong supporter of Brexit and I think he really does look forward to the opportunity to negotiate with a fully independent Britain, outside the European Union,” Bolton told Sky News in London.
Bolton said the state visit will “underline the strength of the bilateral relationship.”
Iran, Syria on agenda as Mike Pompeo meets Germany’s Merkel
Al Jazeera – German chancellor says brief talks with the US Secretary of State has Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya on the agenda.
Julian Assange subjected to psychological torture, UN expert says
BBC – Julian Assange has suffered “prolonged exposure to psychological torture”, the UN’s torture expert has said.
Nils Melzer urged Britain not to extradite the Wikileaks founder, warning that his human rights would be violated and that he is not fit to stand trial.
He also accused “several democratic states” of a “concerted effort to break [Assange’s] will”.
The UK government said it “disagreed with a number of his observations”.
A justice ministry spokesperson said the UK did not participate in torture. Judges were independent of the government and anyone convicted had the right to appeal, the spokesman added.
Assange, 47, is fighting extradition to the US over charges related to leaking government secrets.
Report: NKorea Executes Top Official Over Failed US Nuke Talks
Newsmax – A South Korean newspaper reported Friday that North Korea executed a senior envoy involved in nuclear negotiations with the U.S. as well as four other high-level officials. But as ever with North Korea, a country that closely guards its secrets, there are reasons to be cautious about the purported purge.
While North Korea hasn’t used its propaganda services to comment, the report in the conservative Chosun Ilbo daily could be true. North Korea has previously executed scapegoats to atone for high-profile political flops, and the most recent summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump ended in failure, leaving Kim embarrassed on the world stage.
But it’s important to note that both South Korean media and the government in Seoul have a history of reporting scoops about the inner workings of North Korea that turn out to be wrong. Supposedly executed officials have later appeared trotting alongside Kim on state TV after their reported demise.
U.S. News, Politics & Government
DOJ Watchdog: High-Level FBI Official Had Unauthorized Media Contacts, Leaked, Accepted Gift
Breitbart – Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz announced Wednesday that a former high-level FBI official engaged in misconduct by having unauthorized contacts with the media, leaking sensitive information and accepting a gift from a member of the media.
Specifically, the IG said a former FBI Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) leaked to the media the existence of information that had been filed under seal in federal court; leaked “FBI law enforcement sensitive information to reporters on multiple occasions; and had “dozens” of unauthorized official contacts with the media in violation of FBI policy.
The announcement said the former DAD also accepted a ticket valued at approximately $225 to attend a media-sponsored dinner as a gift from a member of the media in violation of federal regulations and FBI policy.
Barr: Mueller, DOJ Disagreed on Legal Analysis on Trump
Newsmax – The Department of Justice disagreed with special counsel Robert Mueller about “a lot” of the legal analysis in his report on whether President Donald Trump committed obstruction, and Mueller wasn’t going to make a “determination one way or the other,” Attorney General William Barr said in an interview airing Friday.
“We analyzed the law and the facts and a group of us spent a lot of time doing that and determined that both as a matter of law, many of the instances would not amount to obstruction,” Barr told CBS News chief legal correspondent in an interview airing Friday on “CBS This Morning.”
Cory Booker Is All In On A National Gun Licensing Program
Off The Grid News – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) proposes national gun licensing as part of his presidential campaign. In essence, Booker wants all Americans to get a federal license to buy a gun.
Specifically, you will need to pass a background check and take a firearms safety course to buy a gun under Booker’s proposal, The New York Times reports. In addition, Booker wants to ban “bump stocks,” limit bulk purchases of firearms, and make it illegal for people on the terrorist watch list to buy guns.
“My plan to address gun violence is simple — we will make it harder for people who should not have a gun to get one,” Booker says in a press release. However, Booker does not clearly identify the people who should not have guns.
Economy & Business
Trump vows rapid, high tariffs on Mexico unless illegal immigration ends
Reuters – U.S. President Donald Trump, responding to a surge of illegal immigrants across the southern border, vowed on Thursday to impose a tariff on all goods coming from Mexico, starting at 5% and ratcheting much higher until the flow of people ceases.
Wall Street takes a nosedive after Trump announces Mexico tariffs
NBC – Wall Street opened sharply lower Friday morning, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down as much as 312 points as traders balanced the impact of President Donald Trump’s sudden imposition of a 5 percent tariff on all goods from Mexico.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices also fell, with a decline of 1.2 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively.
Brands with the greatest exposure to Mexico also took a hit Friday, notably General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, which were both down more than 5 percent. Shares of Nissan also fell: 45 percent of the Japanese automaker’s North American production is in Mexico. Corona’s parent company Constellation Brands was down almost 7 percent.
“On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,” Trump tweeted late on Thursday, marking an escalation in his fight to build a border wall and stem the flow of asylum seekers.
Russia’s gold & foreign exchange reserves will soon top $500 billion – Central Bank boss
RT – The Central Bank of Russia expects reserves to reach half-a-trillion dollars soon, according to the regulator’s boss, Elvira Nabiullina, who says further accumulation of holdings is part of the national policy.
Science & Technology
iPhones Harvest and Transmit Massive Amounts of Data While You Sleep
Activist Post – iPhones are surprisingly active in the middle of the night, according to a report by Washington Post Technology writer, Geoffrey Fowler.
Fowler tracked his iPhone’s activity recently, finding that dozens of companies were receiving information at all hours.
On a recent Monday night, a dozen marketing companies, research firms and other personal data guzzlers got reports from my iPhone. At 11:43 p.m., a company called Amplitude learned my phone number, email and exact location. At 3:58 a.m., another called Appboy got a digital fingerprint of my phone. At 6:25 a.m., a tracker called Demdex received a way to identify my phone and sent back a list of other trackers to pair up with.
And all night long, there was some startling behavior by a household name: Yelp. It was receiving a message that included my IP address -— once every five minutes. – WaPo
Also not lost on Fowler was the irony of a January Apple advertisement which claimed “What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone.”
Scientists Genetically Modify Fungus To Kill Mosquitoes That Spread Malaria
Kera News – In the hope of finding a new way to fight malaria, scientists have used a spider gene to genetically engineer a fungus to produce a venom that can quickly kill mosquitoes.
The modified fungus was a highly effective mosquito killer in the first tests mimicking conditions in sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria remains a major public health problem, researchers reported Thursday in the journal Science.
“We’re very excited,” says Raymond St. Leger, a professor of entomology at the University of Maryland who led the research. “The results are very good. This could save many lives.”
Entertainment
Corporate Tyranny: Netflix, Disney Threaten Georgia Over Abortion Ban [Update: Major Studios Pile On]
Information Liberation – Netflix this week threatened to pull out of Georgia over their newly-passed anti-abortion law and said they’re going to “work with the ACLU and others” to “fight” the law in court.
From CNN:
So far actors and production companies have been the most vocal about a controversial Georgia anti-abortion law, but now Netflix has entered the conversation.
In an exclusive statement to Variety, Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, said “We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law.”
“It’s why we will work with the ACLU and others to fight it in court. Given the legislation has not yet been implemented, we’ll continue to film there, while also supporting partners and artists who choose not to,” Sarandos said. “Should it ever come into effect, we’d rethink our entire investment in Georgia.”
Health
Top 5 supplements for natural liver health
NaturalNews – As the organ responsible for filtering your blood and detoxifying your body of chemicals, you want to keep your liver in top shape so it can carry out its important work. When your liver isn’t working properly, it can’t rid your body of toxins, leaving them to accumulate in your body and cause damage instead. Here is a look at five supplements that can enhance your liver health naturally.
Milk thistle
Milk thistle is one of the most popular liver supplements on the market today by far, and that makes sense because it is also one of the botanical ingredients that has been studied the most in terms of its liver effects.
Dandelion
Milk thistle might be the leader in liver supplements right now, but dandelion could give it a run for its money as its extract has demonstrated great benefits for liver health. In folk medicine, the root of the plant has long been considered a liver tonic, and its polysaccharides have been shown in studies to enhance liver function.
Choline
Choline is an essential nutrient that your liver makes in small amounts, but most of it must come through your diet. It’s not a vitamin or mineral, although it does bear some similarities to vitamin B. A deficiency in choline can cause liver disease, and studies have shown that women with the highest choline intakes have a 28 percent lower risk of developing liver disease than those with the lowest intakes.
Alpha lipoic acid
This organosulfur compound that is produced naturally by your body neutralizes harmful free radicals and regenerates antioxidants that protect your liver, like glutathione, coQ10, and vitamins E and C.
Glutathione
This antioxidant is gaining attention for its liver health benefits given the important role it plays in liver detoxification. It is found in every cell of your body and is composed of amino acids. One recent study found that it can be used to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and it can also help reduce oxidative stress.
Liver problems are more common than you might think. In fact, the most common liver ailment in the U.S., non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, affects between 80 and 100 million people right now, and the rise in type 2 diabetes and obesity is only expected to make these numbers rise. Consider these natural liver health boosters to keep this vital organ running smoothly.
The Ancient Superfood That Lowers Cholesterol, And Improves Digestion
Off Grid News – They may be little but they are quite powerful. Flax seeds have been around for thousands of years and are still topping the charts as a delicious and nutritious superfood. Sometimes referred to as linseeds, these little brown gems contain the richest sources of plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids (sometimes called alpha-linolenic acid – ALA) on the planet.
The nutritional profile of flax seeds is nothing short of amazing. Here is a snapshot of what 1 ounce (3 tablespoons) of flax seeds contains:

3 mg Omega-3
8g fiber
6g protein
31 percent RDA vitamin B1
35 percent RDA manganese
30 percent RDA magnesium
19 percent RDA phosphorus
10 percent RDA selenium

Here are just a few reasons why you should consider consuming flax seeds daily.

Promotes weight loss
Flax Seed Improves digestion
Reduces menopausal symptoms
Flax Seed Reduces cholesterol
Encourages healthy skin and hair

Don’t Forget to Grind Them
Many people ask if they can use flax seeds in their whole form. The issue with this is that when you consume whole flax, the body can’t digest the hard outer casing and break apart all of the goodness inside. Grind whole flax seeds in your blender or coffee grinder, store them in a cool dark place, and enjoy!