Today's News: October 15, 2019

World News

Kurdish forces backed by US strike deal with Syria’s Assad, in major shift in 8-year war
CNN – Abandoned by the United States and facing a deepening Turkish military offensive, Kurdish forces near the northern Syrian border have struck a deal with the Syrian government, marking a major shift in the country’s eight-year war.
On Monday, Syrian troops were reportedly advancing north towards the border to confront Turkish forces, returning for the first time in years to a region where the Kurds had established relative autonomy, and further solidifying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s grip on the country.
The agreement between Damascus and the Kurds comes as US President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of all remaining American forces out of northern Syria. The move signals a departure from long-standing US counter-terrorism strategy in Syria, which hinged on a close partnership with Kurdish-led forces to combat ISIS.
In discontinuing that approach, the Trump administration has effectively ceded influence in northern Syria to Assad and his allies and raised the specter of a resurgent ISIS. Over recent days, Kurdish authorities have reported the escape of hundreds of ISIS family members from a camp in northern Syria, and warned that ISIS militants held in prisons could be next to go if fighting with Turkish forces continues to escalate.
US-led coalition in Syria confirms it has left Manbij
RT – The US-led coalition in Syria confirmed on Tuesday that it had pulled all of its troops out of the city of Manbij, which is now controlled by government forces. “Coalition forces are executing a deliberate withdrawal from northeast Syria. We are out of Manbij,” a US military spokesman said.
The American troops left the town of Manbij as part of their withdrawal from northeast Syria, according to Col. Myles B. Caggins.
His tweet came hours after Syrian state media reported that government forces have moved into the center of Manbij where they raised the national flag, AP said.
Trump authorizes sanctions against Turkey amid Syria incursion, calls for end to its ‘destabilizing actions’
Fox – President Trump announced Monday afternoon that he will soon issue an executive order imposing sanctions against Turkey for its “destabilizing” offensive in Syria, amid a bipartisan outcry over the president’s troop pullback earlier this month that endangered U.S.-aligned Kurdish forces.
The sanctions followed the president’s Oct. 7 threat, when he warned that “if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!).”
Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence told reporters that Trump had communicated on a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he wanted Turkey to implement an immediate ceasefire. Trump also offered to mediate an arbitration, the vice president said, and directed Pence and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien to lead a delegation to Turkey to begin negotiations immediately.
Hong Kong protesters plead for American protection as police crackdown intensifies
Washington Post – Protesters gathered in the tens of thousands in central Hong Kong on Monday night, pleading with American lawmakers for the second time to pass legislation that supports the territory’s democratic aspirations and punishes those who try to curtail it.
The demonstration, the first approved by authorities since the imposition of an anti-mask ban at all public gatherings, was marked by the sense of anguish that has gripped the movement after months of protesting. Instead of offering any further concessions, the government has instead expanded police powers and imposed more restrictions.
As the crackdown on protests intensifies — with the arrest of more than 2,500, including 201 arrested in smaller-scale protests over the weekend — some see foreign pressure as the best hope for securing a democratic future for Hong Kong.
Air Canada to stop announcing ‘ladies and gentlemen’ in recognition of gender fluidity
Washington Examiner – Employees aboard Air Canada flights will no longer greet guests by referring to them as “ladies and gentlemen” or “mesdames et messieurs,” which has been typical protocol for years, in an effort to be conscious of gender fluidity.
Flight attendants and other staff will not use the language in boarding announcements, and the company instead plans to replace the standard greetings with neutral words, such as “everybody” or “tout le monde.”
“We will be amending our onboard announcements to modernize them and remove specific references to gender,” a media spokesperson for the company said, also noting that Air Canada was named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2019. “We work hard to make sure all employees feel like valued members of the Air Canada family, while ensuring our customers are comfortable and respected when they choose to travel with us.”
Canada has taken steps to recognize and protect its citizens who don’t identify as either male or female or identify as “non-binary.” In the country, gender identity and expression are protected under criminal code, and crimes motivated by such characteristics could constitute hate crimes. It is also illegal in Canada to discriminate against someone based on their gender identity.
My Socialist Hell: 20 Years of Decay in Venezuela
Breitbart – ARACAS – Venezuela, my home country, has it all: beautiful and breathtaking landscapes, abundant resources, even unique wonders of nature like the Angel Falls or the Catatumbo Lightning.
Yet if you’ve heard our name in the news recently, it’s as the subject of tragedy: toilet paper shortages, desperate people scavenging through garbage to find food for their families, bread lines, a systemic failure of our public utilities, dogs flayed in broad daylight for meat, corruption, lack of proper medicine and health access, weighing stacks of cash, and so much more.
It saddens me to say that it’s true, all of it, a product of 20 years of socialism.
I was barely eleven years old when Hugo Chávez began his first term in 1999. When this “Bolivarian Revolution” started to change the constitution and morph our laws I was just an introverted child that had just moved to the capital of the country, fascinated by video games, cartoons, and Power Rangers and with an overactive imagination.
This perpetual revolution has laid down a status quo in the country that often forces you to lose your personal aspirations, to cast away your future, hopes, and dreams; it changes you in many ways until you’re no longer a citizen — you’re merely a survivor.
Today, here I stand, more or less that same introverted kid — but with 20 years of ever-increasing hardships upon my shoulders; a lesser version of what I could’ve been, clinging to those memories where everything was simpler and all of it made sense.
This is a personal account of what has my life become after twenty years of Bolivarian Revolution— 20 years that comprise two-thirds of my life.
Boris Johnson ‘close to Brexit deal’ after border concessions
The Guardian – Boris Johnson appears to be on the brink of reaching a Brexit deal after making major concessions to EU demands over the Irish border.
A draft treaty could now be published on Wednesday morning, according to senior British and EU sources.
It is understood that the negotiating teams have agreed in principle that there will be a customs border down the Irish Sea. The arrangement was rejected by Theresa May as a deal that no British prime minister could accept.
Johnson will still have to win over parliament – including the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) and the hardline Tory Brexiters, the European Research Group – on the basis that, under the deal, Northern Ireland will still legally be within the UK’s customs territory.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Hunter Biden Says China, Ukraine Business Ties ‘Poor Judgment’; Denies Impropriety, Ethical Lapse
Breitbart – During a much-anticipated appearance on ABC, Hunter Biden, the son of 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful former Vice President Joe Biden denied any wrongdoing regarding his business dealings with companies in Ukraine and China.
However, Biden told ABC’s Amy Robach on Tuesday it was poor judgment for him to have those associations.
“In retrospect, look, I think that it was poor judgment on my part,” the younger Biden said. “Is that I think that it was poor judgment because I don’t believe now when I look back on it — I know that there was — did nothing wrong at all. However, was it poor judgment to be in the middle of something that is a swamp in—in—in many ways? Yeah.”
“So I take full responsibility for that,” he continued. “Did I do anything improper? No, not in any way. Not in any way whatsoever. Did I make a mistake based upon some ethical lapse? Absolutely not.”
Biden acknowledged he would “probably not” have gotten the board position Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma if he were not the son of the vice president. However, he denied impropriety or any ethical lapse.
Former ABC Anchor Sam Donaldson Says Trump Supporters Have Fixation for ‘White Christian Country’
Infowars – Veteran fake newser Sam Donaldson emerged from obscurity Sunday to preach about how Trump supporters are racist.
During an appearance on CNN’s Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter, Donaldson imparted he believed Trump supporters “don’t want diversity.”
All the things he says, all the vicious, mean things he says, they love it,” Donaldson told Stelter, adding “There are these people in this country, they’re good Americans otherwise.”
“They’ll probably give you the shirt off their back, they’ll help you if you need, but they have this fixation. They want to return this country to the white Christian country that they believe it should be again.”
“They don’t want the diversity, and they follow him for this, but they’re not the country. We are a diverse people,” Donaldson continued.
The former ABC News White House correspondent also predicted Trump could be impeached by the Republican-led Senate if they are pressured by the American people.
“I’m telling you something, if public opinion is strongly for the impeachment and the conviction of President Trump, he will be convicted in the Senate with the Republican help,” Donaldson speculated.
323 SPS students excluded from school due to vaccine rules
KREM – A total of 323 Spokane Public Schools students were not allowed to come to school on Monday because they either claimed a personal exemption for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine or they didn’t have the proper paperwork.
A Washington law that went into effect in July no longer allows for personal exemptions for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. It requires students to either get vaccinated or claim a religious or medical exemption in order to attend public schools and day cares.
BREAKING: Texas Cop Arrested, Charged With Murder of Atatiana Jefferson
Free Thought Project – The Fort Worth police officer who shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson has been arrested and charged with murder, the department announced Monday.
Aaron Dean shot and killed Jefferson in her mother’s home Saturday and resigned Monday, according to the Fort Worth police department.
Body camera footage released over the weekend showed an officer surveying the area around the house after seeing an open front door. The officer opened the backyard gate, noticed movement in the window and shouted, “Put your hands up, show me your hands.” The officer then fired through the window, killing Jefferson, police said. Jefferson’s 8-year-old nephew was in the room at the time, police said.
Fur Is Officially Banned in California
The Cut – A year after Los Angeles became the largest city in the country to ban the sale of animal fur, the entire state of California has followed suit. On October 11, Governor Gavin Newsom approved bill AB44, which makes it illegal to sell, donate, or manufacture new fur products in the state.
The new law will apply to clothing, handbags, shoes, hats, slippers, or key chains that contain animal fur. However, the law does exempt leather, cowhide, and shearling as well the use of fur for religious purposes, taxidermy products, and used fur. The law will take some time to go into effect — January 1, 2023, to be exact.
Governor Newsom also signed bills focusing on animal cruelty, including the ban on using animals such as monkeys, elephants, and tigers in circuses, legislation that prohibits the killing of bobcats, and another law that protects wild and domestic horses from slaughter.
“California is a leader when it comes to animal welfare and today that leadership includes banning the sale of fur,” Governor Newsom said in a statement. “But we are doing more than that. We are making a statement to the world that beautiful wild animals like bears and tigers have no place on trapeze wires or jumping through flames. Just YouTube the videos showing the cruel way these animals — often stripped from their mothers as babies — are trained to do dangerous tricks. It’s deeply disturbing.”
Other states may soon follow in California’s footsteps. As CBS News points out, Hawaii and New York have introduced their own fur-ban legislation. If enacted, the new laws will be more in line with the fur-ban trend that has been seen more often in the fashion industry. In recent years, brands such as Armani, Prada, Coach, and Burberry have all vowed to stop using fur in their collections.

Economy & Business

The Fed Plans to Inject $60 Billion per Month Into the Economy
Bitcoin.com – On October 11, the U.S. Federal Reserve explained that it would inject more easing into the economy by purchasing Treasury bills at an initial $60 billion per month for the next two months. The purchasing rate could decrease or increase, but the central bank expects the easing plan to last until at least Q2 2020. Further, Fed chair Jerome Powell and his partners have also stressed they don’t want the media to call the purchasing plan another QE.
The Fed told the press on Friday that it plans to continue to buy vast sums of securities in order to stimulate the U.S. economy. The move follows the two interest rate cuts and the printing of $128 billion when the Fed repurchased Treasury securities from specific repo agents last month. The new printing scheme involves another $60 billion per month from now until the end of November, but the buying will not stop until the second quarter of 2020. The central bank explained that the number of purchases planned for after November will be announced on the ninth of every month. The $60 billion a month put toward Treasury bills will be occurring alongside large scale repurchase agreements. The New York branch of the Fed has been in charge of the repos and claims repos will continue until the end of 2019. The Fed hasn’t purchased Treasury securities in this manner since 2012, when it printed roughly $85 billion per month.
Could China be holding 20,000 tons of gold?
RT – China has become one of the world’s biggest buyers of gold, adding more than 100 tons of bullion to its coffers this year amid the trade war with the United States.
According to Alasdair Macleod of Goldmoney.com, China already pretty much controls the world’s physical gold market. He suggests that much of those holdings are not declared as monetary reserves.
Macleod says if America continues its attack, China could declare the proper level of its reserves which could stand at “as much as 20,000 tons.”
The World Loses $400 Billion of Food Before It Reaches Stores
Bloomberg – The world loses about $400 billion of food before it even gets delivered to stores, according to the United Nations.
Some 14% of all food produced is lost annually, with central and southern Asia, North America and Europe accounting for the biggest shares, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report, citing the latest data as of 2016. Better cold storage and infrastructure would help reduce losses, but more detailed data on the supply chain is needed to tackle the problem, it said.
Food wastage is drawing increased scrutiny because of the contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and as more than 820 million people are estimated to go hungry each day. World leaders have pledged to try to halve global food waste at retail and consumer levels by 2030 and reduce food production losses. Companies are also trying to improve efficiency in the food industry.

Science & Technology

911 Dispatchers To Monitor 30+ Million CCTV Cameras In Real-Time
Activist Post – 911 dispatchers are about to join the ranks of District Attorneys (DA) using CCTV cameras to monitor the public.
The district attorney for Pennsylvania’s second-most-populous county, Stephen Zappala Jr. has assembled a network of advanced surveillance cameras in and around Pittsburgh and has enlisted colleagues in four surrounding counties to extend its reach into their jurisdictions.
Last week, CentralSquare Technologies announced that they are working with Genetec, Inc. to turn 911 dispatchers into an arm of the surveillance state by giving them real-time access to more than 30 million CCTV cameras.
There are more than 30 million cameras across the United States that generate 4 billion hours of footage a week. Unfortunately, the footage from these cameras and other sensors such as gunshot detection systems is captured by various systems and is often unavailable to first responders who can use that real-time data and video to save lives.
How can these two companies allow Big Brother to monitor more citizens? By letting them surveil citizens in real-time of course.
This new partnership between CentralSquare and Genetec delivers proven technology for police officers and emergency responders so that they can make effective decisions, based on real-time data, when and where it is most needed.
Genetec is infamous for turning New Orleans into “America’s largest spying network.”

Health

New drug-pricing data shows stunning hikes—one whopping 667% increase
Ars Technica – Pharmaceutical companies continue to raise prices on hundreds of drugs at rates well over that of inflation, according to a newly released report on drug-pricing data.
The data was made public thanks to a mandate from a California transparency law passed in 2017. Under the law, drug makers are required to report their price increases quarterly. This is the first report from the law and includes data on drugs that had price increases of 16% or more over their January 2017 prices.
The hikes in these cases are to the wholesale acquisition cost, which is the list price for wholesalers—they may not reflect how much patients will pay out of pocket. Still, they can add to overall healthcare spending and drive up the costs of insurance.
Under the 2017 law, drug makers are also required to provide reasons as to why they’re driving up costs.
Between 2017 and the first quarter of 2019, drug makers reported hundreds of price hikes. The report focuses on trends for a little over a thousand drugs. The median price increase overall was 25.8%. Generic drugs, specifically, had higher increases, with a median rise of 37.6%.
But some drugs stood out for having exorbitant hikes, as Kaiser Health News pointed out. A liquid version of generic Prozac (fluoxetine) went from $9 to $69 just in the first quarter of 2019—a 667% increase. The reason given was new production costs.
Likewise, a generic medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) called guanfacine, went from about $29 to $87 in the first quarter of 2019, a more than 200% increase.
Guanfacine’s maker, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, also listed production costs as a reason for the hike, as well as “market conditions.”
The data shows that “even at a time when there is a microscope on this industry, [drug makers are] going ahead with drug price increases for hundreds of drugs well above the rate of inflation,” Anthony Wright told KHN. Wright is the executive director of the California advocacy group Health Access.
This Flowering Legume Has Wide-Ranging Health Benefits
Mercola – Astragalus, a perennial flowering legume widely used in China, is able to protect your mitochondria and may help treat chronic diseases.
Astragalus may help prevent the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy and diabetic retinopathy, associated with metabolic memory.
Some research indicates astragalus may be useful in treating leukemia and liver, bladder, lung, nasopharyngeal and gastric cancers.
Astragalus has shown positive results in treating acute respiratory infection in children, chronic fatigue syndrome, post-stroke fatigue and estrogen-related bone and hearing loss.
The role of astragalus in enhancing chemotherapy is now also under investigation, due to its anticancer properties.
You can easily grow your own astragalus at home
Can green tea and carrots restore working memory in dementia patients?
NaturalNews – Researchers from the University of Southern California found a promising way to restore working memory in people with dementia. In their study, which was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, they found that compounds in green tea and carrots might reverse Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.
For the study, the researchers examined the effect of green tea and carrot compounds on mice with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. They specifically looked at two compounds: epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is found in green tea, and ferulic acid, which is found in carrots, oats, rice, tomatoes, and wheat.
They randomly divided the mice into four groups: One group received both EGCG and ferulic acid; two groups received either EGCG or ferulic acid; and the fourth group received a placebo. The dosage was 30 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) – this dosage can be well-tolerated by humans and easily taken as part of a healthy, plant-based diet or in supplement form. At the beginning and the end of the study, the researchers assessed the thinking and memory performance of the mice.
After three months of treatment, the researchers found that mice treated with both EGCG and ferulic acid experienced complete restoration of their working memory. This group performed just as well as the healthy mice.
Senior author Terrence Town explained that the neuroprotective effect of EGCG and ferulic acid may be attributed to their ability to inhibit amyloid precursor proteins from breaking up into the smaller proteins called amyloid-beta that build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, the substances appeared to fight inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain – both of which are key factors of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in humans.

Entertainment

LeBron James: Daryl Morey was ‘misinformed’ before sending tweet about China and Hong Kong
ESPN – LeBron James believes Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey “wasn’t educated” before he sent the tweet in support of antigovernment protesters in Hong Kong that damaged relations between China and the NBA.Speaking to the media for the first time since Morey’s tweet on Oct. 4 set off a firestorm, James declined to comment about the politically tense situation between China and the NBA but did talk about Morey’s tweet and how it has jeopardized the relationship between China and the league, owners, teams and players.
LeBron under fire after blaming China row on ‘misinformed’ Rockets GM
Yahoo Sports – Los Angeles (AFP) – Basketball superstar LeBron James was accused of turning a blind eye to Chinese repression on Tuesday after he criticized a Houston Rockets executive for angering China with a “misinformed” tweet supporting protesters in Hong Kong.
James told reporters that Rockets general manager Daryl Morey “wasn’t educated” on Hong Kong and should have kept his mouth shut, as the outspoken Lakers forward waded into a charged debate that other high-profile NBA figures have shied away from.
“So many people could have been harmed not only financially but physically, emotionally and spiritually. So just be careful with what we tweet, and we say, and we do,” James told reporters when asked for comment in Los Angeles after returning from the NBA’s annual China tour.
His remarks drew praise from Chinese social media users, who have savaged Morey for butting into the country’s affairs, but the US reaction on Twitter was swift and harsh.