March 29, 2024

The Power Hour

Knowledge is Power

Today's News: November 14, 2018

Top Headlines
 
Caravan migrants scaling U.S. border fence
WND – Some of the people seen on a video climbing a border fence near San Diego are part of the caravan that began in Honduras, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.
The Fox affiliate in San Diego reported that after part of the caravan arrived in Tijuana, people on the Mexican side of the border could be seen Tuesday climbing the fence near Friendship Park, a half-acre binational park.
A few people who made it over the fence or through openings onto U.S. soil quickly ran back as Border Patrol agents approached, the station said.
The Fox affiliate quoted a man on the U.S. side of the border, Greg Boldner, saying he was “very surprised how many people are here and how many different officials are here.”
“It seems like there’s something going on; it’s not normal to have this many resources tied up,” he said.
Breitbart News reported an estimated 400 migrants with the caravan were escorted through the northern border state of Sonora as the busloads of Central Americans head to the U.S.-Mexico border.
More than 5,000 U.S. military personnel have been deployed by President Trump to assist the Border Patrol.
 
President Trump to announce support for criminal justice reform
Fox – President Donald Trump is planning to support the first major rewrite of the nation’s criminal justice sentencing laws in a generation.
That’s according to a senior White House official familiar with the president’s plans who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Lawmakers reached agreement this week on legislation that would boost rehabilitation efforts for federal prisoners and give judges more discretion when sentencing nonviolent offenders, particularly for drug offenses.
 
Fox News Backing CNN’s Lawsuit Against White House
Breitbart – Fox News Channel announced Wednesday it will support CNN’s lawsuit against the White House over the temporary suspension of White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s “hard pass” press credential, revealing the company will file an amicus brief in defense of the partisan network.
Fox News issued a statement accusing the White House of “weaponizing” Secret Service passes for reporters:
FOX News supports CNN in its legal effort to regain its White House reporter’s press credential. We intend to file an amicus brief with the U.S. District Court. Secret Service passes for working White House journalists should never be weaponized. While we don’t condone the growing antagonistic tone by both the President and the press at recent media avails, we do support a free press, access and open exchanges for the American people.
In a brief statement shared to Twitter, CNN thanked Fox News for backing its lawsuit against the White House.
 
Abortions By Mail Now Available In The U.S.
Off The Grid News – Abortions by mail are now available in the United States. As a result, women can easily evade anti-abortion laws and court with mail-order abortions.
A group called Aid Access is shipping pills that end pregnancies to American women for $95, The Atlantic reports. So, abortions by mail are now a reality in America.
Moreover, Aid Access provides free abortions by mail to women who cannot afford $95. The abortions by mail consist of three pills that will terminate 97% of pregnancies within the first trimester. Yet, the mail-order abortions will be less effective after 90 days.
How Abortions By Mail Work
Rebecca Gomperts, a Dutch physician who heads Aid Access and Women on Web, is offering the abortions by mail.
Notably, Women on Web has been shipping abortion pills for years. However, it could not ship abortion pills to America until now.
To get a mail-order abortion, all a woman has to do is contact Gomperts through Aid Access. Gomperts gets the pills by filling prescriptions with pharmacies in India. Then, the pharmacy ships the pills to American women.
The abortion by mail kits come with pills and instructions for use. Nevertheless, Dr. Daniel Grossman claims the pills are not safe.
Grossman estimates three percent of women suffer serious complications from mail-order abortion pills. Significantly, Grossman is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California San Francisco. UC San Francisco is one of America’s top medical schools.
 
World News
 
Theresa May says Britain’s Cabinet has backed her draft Brexit plan
BBC – Britain’s Cabinet has backed Theresa May’s EU withdrawal agreement, the prime minister has confirmed.
 
Palestinians sceptical Gaza ceasefire will hold
Al Jazeera – As relative calm sets in, residents in besieged enclave say they have little faith in Egyptian-brokered ceasefire deal.
 
China’s Communist Party Expands Control Under Xi
Washington Free Beacon – China’s Communist Party under Xi Jinping is expanding control over the Chinese government while increasing the use of covert action influence operations, according to a forthcoming congressional report.
The annual report of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission will reveal that communist control over China’s 1.4 billion people has increased and notes the “Party-ification” of the Chinese government.
Xi also has expanded personal power by adding his brand of communism to the Chinese constitution—he is the first Chinese communist leader to do so by name—and through purging thousands of top military and civilian officials.
“In one of the most significant developments of 2018, the [Chinese Communist Party] solidified its control over policy in China through what it called the ‘deepen[ing] reform of party and state institutions,'” a late draft of the forthcoming annual report says.
The report is due to be made public in the next several weeks. A copy of the draft, dated Oct. 26, was obtained by the Washington Free Beacon under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
 
A third of all food worldwide is wasted before it reaches the plate, says study
Telegraph – third of the world’s food is lost before it ever reaches anyone’s plate, a panel of global experts has warned as it called for a war on waste to improve worldwide diets.
Waste and spoilage in harvesting, storage, transport and shops accounts for an estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food a year and squanders huge amounts of resources.
At the same time, poor diet is now more of a threat to public health than infectious diseases like malaria and measles, the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition said.
Food rich in nutrients vital for a healthy diet, such as fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, dairy products, and seeds and nuts is particularly prone to going off, or being wasted.
The panel led by the UK’s former chief scientific adviser, Sir John Beddington, estimated the value of wasted food reaches $ 1 trillion each year.
 
U.S. News, Politics & Government
 
Trump vs. media: MSM fires back after White House says no journalist has ‘right’ to enter
RT – The Trump administration has said that no journalist has a “first amendment right” to enter the White House and argued that it has “broad discretion” to decide who gets given a press pass.
 
Trump nominates John Abizaid as new ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Al Jazeera – Appointment of former army general John Abizaid comes after nearly two years of US ambassadorial absence in Riyadh.
 
George Conway Launches Anti-Trump Group for Conservative Attorneys
Breitbart – Lawyer George Conway, the husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, is launching a group aimed at encouraging right-leaning attorneys to “speak out” against President Donald Trump.
“We believe in the rule of law, the power of truth, the independence of the criminal justice system, the imperative of individual rights and the necessity of civil discourse,” the mission statement of the recently formed group “Check and Balances” reads. “We believe these principles apply regardless of the party or persons in power.”
Over a dozen conservative attorneys, including former acting Attorney General Pete D. Keisler and ex-Gov. Tom Ridge (R-PA) are signees of the group’s founding document.
In an interview with the New York Times, Conway said he wants the group to act as a counter-balance to the Federalist Society, a group he says he has long respected but claims the “perception out there that conservative lawyers have essentially sold their souls for judges and regulatory reform.”
“We just want to be a voice speaking out, and to encourage others to speak out,” Conway told the Times.
According to Keisler, the group was created with the goal of stirring debate concerning President Trump’s agenda.
“It’s important that people from across the political spectrum speak out about the country’s commitment to the rule of law and the core values underlying it — that the criminal justice system should be nonpartisan and independent, that a free press and public criticism should be encouraged and not attacked,” Keisler, who worked under former President George W. Bush, said.
Conway, a frequent critic of the president, recently co-wrote a Times opinion-editorial in which he argued that appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting Attorney General is “unconstitutional” and “illegal.” President Trump dismissed the op-ed, saying Conway is “just trying to get publicity for himself.”
 
Acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker will consult with DOJ ethics officials about whether he should recuse himself from the Russia probe
Business Insider – Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker will consult with ethics officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) about whether a recusal from overseeing the Russia investigation is warranted, according to a DOJ spokesperson.
“Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker is fully committed to following all appropriate processes and procedures at the Department of Justice, including consulting with senior ethics officials on his oversight responsibilities and matters that may warrant recusal,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
 
Economy & Business
 
A handgun for Christmas: Wisconsin company decides to buy firearms for every employee this holiday season
Post Crescent – A local business that produces glassware embedded with bullets recently decided to give every employee a handgun as a Christmas present.
Ben Wolfgram, who co-owns Hortonville-based BenShot, said the decision to give employees handguns as a gift was made as part of an effort to promote personal safety and team building.
The business has 16 full-time employees, including several military veterans. But the business also had employees who had never fired a gun before, Wolfgram said.
This is the first time the business has done anything like this, Wolfgram said. The business was started in a small garage workshop in 2015.
Most employees were excited at the prospect of receiving their handgun, Wolfgram said. Chelsea Priest, an employee, said she felt empowered by the gift, which she believes will help keep her safe.
 
Energy & Environment
 
California wildfire survivors leave notes for missing relatives
Al Jazeera – The search for remains of victims in the charred ruins of the northern California town of Paradise was set to expand on Wednesday, while firefighters stepped up efforts to contain the state’s deadliest-ever wildfire.
The death toll from the northern blaze, dubbed “Camp Fire”, climbed to 48 late on Tuesday after six more bodies were recovered from homes in the town. That brings the statewide death toll from all the fires burning in California to at least 50.
More than 220 people remained missing in the northern California fire but, on Tuesday night, local county Sheriff Kor Honea said those numbers were highly fluid as some individuals could have just fallen out of touch with relatives and friends during the chaotic evacuations.
 
Science & Technology
 
Reaching for the stars: China creates nuke-powered fake sun that burns hotter than the real deal
RT – Chinese researchers pushing to find a major clean energy source have created an incredible artificial sun that can reach temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius – a heat so intense it makes the real sun seem merely lukewarm.
The earth-based solar simulator has reached mind-bending temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius, the research team announced Tuesday. Now, that’s hot. For comparison, the real sun’s core is about 15 million degrees Celsius.
The Institute of Plasma Physics, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it has been testing an “artificial sun,” known as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The sci-fi-sounding contraption has been designed to replicate the way in which the star at the center of our solar system generates its colossal energy.
EAST is a large, donut-shaped machine set inside a round box. Located on Science Island in Eastern China’s Anhui Province, the project is using nuclear fusion to create immense heat; it costs a massive $15,000 a day just to turn on the machine.
The goal of the EAST is to understand nuclear fusion and to one day use it as an alternative source of power on Earth. This could pave the way for using clean energy – currently, nuclear energy created through fission leaves a long-lasting toxic waste.
 
‘Dark matter hurricane’ blowing at 310 miles per SECOND is on a collision course with Earth
Daily Mail – A high-speed hurricane of dark matter is currently hurtling through the Milky Way – and it’s heading straight for Earth.
The invisible mass is travelling at a breakneck 310 miles per second (500 km per second), but shouldn’t cause our planet any damage.
Scientists say the storm of particles may provide our best look yet at dark matter, a hypothetical substance said to make up more than a quarter of the known universe.
The enigmatic material is invisible because it does not reflect light, and has never been directly observed by scientists.
Uncovering its secrets would vastly expand our understanding of the fabric of the universe, and the origins of life as we know it.
The stream, made up of around 30,000 stars, is whipping through the Milky Way and will shortly hit Earth, triggering a huge ripple in the dark matter around our planet.
Earth will experience the additional dark matter as moving at speeds far faster than that of ‘conventional’ dark matter.
Dark matter detectors spread across the globe could track these changes, giving scientists fresh insight into the mysterious material.
Researchers said that detectors currently available to scientists are unlikely to pick up S1’s weakly-interacting massive particles (WIMPs), hypothetical objects that some scientists believe make up dark matter.
 
US Warned: Govt Purchase of Chinese Tech Threatens Infrastructure
Newsmax – A congressional advisory panel says the purchase of internet-linked devices manufactured in China leaves the United States vulnerable to security breaches that could put critical infrastructure at risk.
 
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading
 
Here’s Why You Should NEVER Rake Up Leaves
Off The Grid News – In preparation for winter, many homeowners go through the grueling task of raking and bagging leaves. Maybe it isn’t a big deal for those with very small yards in the city, but it can be quite the workout in large yards or around rural homes.
Well, as it turns out, raking your leaves can lead to a more attractive yard but may not be the best idea. Why? Keeping leaves in your yard not only helps the creatures around the tree, but also boosts the health of your lawn, too. Read on to find out how to do it.
The Problem with Raking
Raking leaves and bagging them destroys the homes these many creatures need. All homeowners should do their best to work with nature and support their local ecosystem. Not only is it part of being a steward of the land, but it also improves the lawn. Homesteaders will benefit from healthier beneficial insect and animal populations come spring, which will improve their gardens, woodlots, ponds, etc.

What to Do Instead of Raking

So if you don’t rake your leaves, what do you do? There are a few options. Some people don’t rake their leaves at all, or just wait until spring arrives before raking them away to a new location. Here are other options:

  • Rake up leaves and move to the outskirts of your lawn or just somewhere else on your property where it doesn’t bother you.
  • Rake up leaves and put them over your garden beds for protection.
  • Rake up leaves and leave them around the base of trees in your woodlot as mulch.
  • Mulch the leaves with your mower. Some homeowners use a mulch mower or a special mulch attachment, but neither are necessary. Most mowers will mulch leaves simply by driving over them.

This year, don’t think of fallen leaves as an annoyance, but rather an amazing way nature protects vulnerable critters in winter – and fertilizes your lawn.
 
Health
 
How to Eat Your Way to a Hydrated Body
Care 2 – Thirsty? Eat something. Many people struggle with drinking enough water every day, but not all of your fluid intake has to come from liquids. In fact, roughly 20 percent to 30 percent of a person’s total water intake is from food. And certain foods can help you meet your hydration goals much better than others. Here are 15 of the most hydrating foods your body will drink right up.

  1. Iceberg lettuce – Water content: 95.64 percent
  2. Celery – Water content: 95.43 percent
  3. Radishes – Water content: 95.27 percent
  4. Cucumbers – Water content: 95.23 percent
  5. Zucchini – Water content: 94.79 percent
  6. Tomatoes – Water content: 94.52 percent
  7. Green peppers – Water content: 93.89 percent
  8. Cauliflower – Water content: 92.07 percent
  9. Watermelon – Water content: 91.45 percent
  10. Spinach – Water content: 91.4 percent
  11. Strawberries – Water content: 90.95 percent
  12. Baby carrots – Water content: 90.35 percent
  13. Cantaloupe – Water content: 90.15 percent
  14. Grapefruit – Water content: 90 percent

 
Healthiest Cooking Oils: 7 Oils to Use & 7 to Avoid
Global Healing Center – When it comes to the cooking oil in your cupboard, plant-based oils made from fruit, seeds, nuts, and grains are the way to go. They are a healthier choice than animal fats which have all the health disadvantages of meat. From familiar olive oil to exotic macadamia oil, plant-based oils can be rich and flavorful or light and neutral. You can use them for sautéing, frying, baking, roasting, and drizzling on salad.
However, not all cooking oils are created equal. They all offer different benefits (or detractions) to your health. And, depending on your intended use, some work better for high heat cooking while others are better for low-temperature baking or salad dressings. Here is what you need to know to make the best choices for your health.
The Healthiest Cooking Oils   
Most cooking oils contain all three types of fat, or at least two, but sometimes people classify them by the type they contain the most of. Here are some of the top oils I recommend for your pantry.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) comes from olives and contains mostly monounsaturated fat. “Extra virgin” means it’s an unrefined oil in a natural state, not treated with chemicals or heated. EVOO has a rich, distinctive flavor and a smoke point of 375 degrees Fahrenheit. While you can cook with it on the stovetop, other oils may be a better choice for frying or high-heat cooking
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is a monounsaturated fat extracted from the fruit of the avocado tree. It has a mild, buttery taste and a smoke point of 520 degrees Fahrenheit. Studies suggest avocado oil may help prevent diabetes and obesity.[3] Recent research also found that adding it to a meal can boost absorption of antioxidants called carotenoids in food.[4] The low-carbohydrate FODMAP diet, which helps reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), makes extensive use of avocado oil.
Peanut Oil
Extracted from peanuts, this oil is commonly used in Chinese and South Asian cuisine. It has a mildly nutty flavor and a smoke point of either 320 (unrefined) or 450 (refined) degrees Fahrenheit. Peanut oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, and it’s also high in polyunsaturated fatty acids and oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid. It’s a good source of vitamin E — one tablespoon contains 11 percent of your daily requirement. One study found that when people got half their fat intake from peanut oil, their cholesterol levels improved compared with people who ate the standard American diet.[5] Because peanut oil has higher omega-6 fatty acid content, use it in moderation and look for organic varieties.
Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oil comes from the seeds of the flax plant. It is a neutral-tasting oil with a smoke point of only 225 degrees Fahrenheit, which means you should not use it for high-temperature cooking. Flaxseed oil has the highest alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) omega-3 content of all oils, plus some fiber and potassium. Studies have shown the omega-3s in flaxseed oil are associated with nearly a 10 percent lower risk of fatal heart attacks.[6]
Sesame Oil
Made from sesame seeds, this oil has equal amounts of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Its nutty, fragrant flavor best complements South Asian, Middle Eastern, and African cuisine. It has a smoke point of 350 (unrefined) or 450 (refined) degrees Fahrenheit. Sesame oil has an extremely high antioxidant capacity, meaning it’s good at fighting free radicals. Although it has anti-inflammatory properties, it’s also higher omega-6 content than some other oils, so use it in moderation.
Walnut Oil
Pressed from walnuts, this oil has a rich, nutty taste. Its smoke point is 320 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s high in the essential fatty acid ALA and boasts an antioxidant called ellagic acid, which research suggests may be an important nutrient in the fight against cancer.[7] As a good source of important nutrients, including B vitamins, vitamin E, selenium, iron, and calcium, walnut oil may even help stabilize hormone levels.
Coconut Oil
An integral part of tropical cuisine, coconut oil is extracted from coconut flesh. You can buy unrefined extra virgin coconut oil or refined coconut oil for a more neutral flavor. Its smoke point is 350 (unrefined) and 450 (refined) degrees Fahrenheit. Studies have found that, despite being 92 percent saturated fat, this oil has excellent health properties. For starters, it boosts your body’s “good” HDL cholesterol, and is rich in lauric acid — a medium-length long-chain fatty acid that resists harmful organisms, boosts metabolism, and protects brain health. Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which make it easier to digest than other types of oil. On the other hand, coconut oil does raise “bad” LDL cholesterol more than unsaturated oils but less than butter.
 
Cooking Oils to Avoid
The following oils should never find their way into your shopping cart.
Soybean Oil
Most soybean oil is made from genetically modified (GMO) soybeans. GMO soybean oil is rife in packaged foods — which is another reason to avoid those. Soybean oil also messes with your metabolism: A recent study suggests that, compared with coconut oil and sugar, soybean oil caused more obesity and diabetes in mice.[8]
Corn Oil
More than half of corn oil is polyunsaturated fat, and it also contains a high proportion of omega-6 fatty acids. Most corn oil is extracted with hexane, a toxic chemical solvent that may end up in the final product. Last but not least, most corn oil comes from genetically modified corn, which you should avoid altogether.
Canola Oil
Although it is polyunsaturated, most canola oil is genetically modified. Not only that, canola is heavily processed and extracted with hexane, which may contaminate the cooking oil. High heat is used during processing, which turns polyunsaturated fats rancid — or into dangerous trans fats. One study found that 0.5 to 4 percent of the oil in soybean and canola oil being sold had turned to trans fats.[9]
Palm Kernel Oil   
This oil is as bad for you as it is for the tropical forests, which are being cut down for palm plantations. Not only does it have more grams of fat per serving than other oils (22 grams vs. 14 grams), but it also consists almost entirely of saturated fat. Like soybean oil, palm oil is found extensively in packaged foods.
Cottonseed Oil
 
Made from seeds of the cotton plant, which aren’t edible, this polyunsaturated oil can contain residue of chemical fertilizers and pesticides used to grow the cotton. More than half of the fatty acids it contains are omega-6, and it’s higher in saturated fat than most polyunsaturated oils.
Grapeseed Oil   
Not to be confused with rapeseed, which is what canola is made from, grapeseed comes from the seeds left over from wine-making. Although it is polyunsaturated, grapeseed oil also contains high levels of omega-6 fatty acids and is extracted with hexane that can leach into the oil.[10]
“Vegetable Oil”
You might also see products simply labeled as vegetable oil. These contain a mixture of different oils, usually soybean, canola, corn, cottonseed, and other oils that are high in omega-6 fatty acids. While it may be cheaper, avoid anything labeled as vegetable oil because it is, inevitably, processed with toxic solvents like hexane and is not a healthy choice.
 

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