No Agenda Episode 1364 - "Freedom Phoney"

  No Agenda Episode 1364 - "Freedom Phoney"
    "Freedom Phoney"
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  Credits
    Freedom Phoney
    Executive Producers:
      Brian Travis
      Jim Parker
      James Hellems
      Comic Strip Blogger
      Anonymous
      Rick B
    Associate Executive Producers:
      Brian Dennison
      Sir Man of the Center
      Christopher Howell
      Sir Aighead
      Sir Scatman Seeding Person Extraordinaire of SWFL
      Emmy Caldwell
      Dave Ocker
      Sir Fakeologist of Candanavia
    Become a member of the 1365 Club, support the show here
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    Knights & Dames
      Carlos Martinez -> Sir Carlos Knight of the Shallow Waters
      Fake-ologist -> Sir Fakeologist of Candanavia
    Art By: Korrekt D Rekard
    End of Show Mixes: Neal Jones - Danny Loos
    Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry
      Mark van Dijk - Systems Master
      Ryan Bemrose - Program Director
    Back Office Aric Mackey
    Chapters: Dreb Scott
    Clip Custodian: Neal Jones
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  Cover Art
    Art By: Darren O'Neill
    Art By: Korrekt D Rekard
  Shownotes
    Delta
      Pfizer Israel Data
        It was revealed later that day that Pfizer’s emergency booster request was initiated following some catastrophic data from Israel.
      Hundreds of climate scientists demand immediate end to Bill Gates’ genocidal “solar dimming” project
      New Variants Seen as Too Contagious for Hotel Quarantines
        Australia and China are building new facilities to house international travelers that experts say will be more effective at stopping the virus from leaking out
      Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine data 'open the floodgates' for mRNA in infectious disease
        The entire scientific community is cheering on Pfizer and BioNTech’s early COVID-19 vaccine data. Beyond the obvious boon for fighting the pandemic, the 90% efficacy result showed mRNA shots really can work.
        For an entirely new technology that hasn’t seen a single approved product, that's a big deal; the coronavirus showing proved it can be quickly pivoted for a pandemic pathogen. But its usefulness in other diseases? That could be a different story, two industry watchers figure.
        The early success of a COVID vaccine is going to “open the floodgates” of mRNA application especially in infectious disease, SVB Leerink analyst Daina Graybosch, who covers BioNTech, said in an interview.
        Link
      ‘I feel like I’m half vaccinated’: Some Illinois residents who got Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are seeking booster shots as delta variant spreads
    iQOS BOTG
    Climate Change
      EU climate plan unveiled: ‘All of us will have to adapt’
        The so-called “Fit for 55” package, named for the EU’s legal commitment to cut emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, is a crucial piece of the bloc’s ambitions to overhaul its economy in the coming decades.
        “Our current fossil fuel economy has reached its limits,” said European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. “We have to move on to a new model, one that is powered by innovation, that has clean energy, that is moving towards a circular economy.”
        “When it comes to climate change, doing less, or doing nothing, literally means changing everything. And the hurricanes we’ve seen over the last few weeks are only a very small window into what our future could look like.”
        The EU’s climate chief Frans Timmermans said that renewable energy had become the cheapest option in many places, and that shifting to a green economy would create jobs, growth, and trade.
        “There is no time to waste. People are dying in northwest Canada because it’s 50 degrees Celsius,” Mr Timmermans said.
        Link
      Hundreds of climate scientists demand immediate end to Bill Gates’ genocidal “solar dimming” project
    The Purge
      Google Jigsaw Project
    BLM
      U.S. State Department invites U.N. racism investigators to visit U.S.
    Credit Karma
      Congress considers credit-reporting overhaul, including putting government in charge of scores
      Citi Unveils Sneak Preview of The Citi Plex Account by Google Pay
      Credit Karma | Launched a Card
    Incentives
      CNN Vaccinate or get Infected!
    Supply Chains
      Union Pacific suspends inbound international container shipments to Chicago for a week
        OMAHA, Neb. – In the latest pandemic-related disruption, Union Pacific has told customers it will halt all shipments of international containers from West Coast ports to its Global IV terminal in Chicago for up to a week.
        The embargo, scheduled to begin on Sunday night, will help the railroad clear a container backlog at Global IV. The terminal is clogged largely due to reasons beyond the railroad’s control. Labor shortages and pandemic-related restrictions have slowed unloading and loading of containers at customer facilities. That has led to a shortage of chassis and drayage capacity during a period of high demand.
        Other railroads, including BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern, also have taken steps at various times this year to limit inbound volume at congested terminals in Memphis, Chicago, and elsewhere on their systems.
        Link
      Rubber car parts unavailable
        Getting my car worked on and the mechanics are saying that oil filters and gaskets are in short supply. There are some oil filters that haven't been in supply for the past three months. The gaskets use rubber so this confirms the rubber shortage mentioned on the previous show.
        Tyfyc,
        Thomas
      Smugglers Caught With 256 Intel CPUs Strapped To Body
    Hearing Aids
      OTC Hearing Aid Regulations
      OTC Hearing Aids: Not Consumer Friendly, Not Medically Sound
    Lockowns
      Spain's top court has ruled that last year's strict coronavirus lockdown was unconstitutional.
      DHS Training Program Prepares For Rural Lockdowns, Mass Quarantines Against Unvaccinated
    Trains Good
      High-Speed Rail Gets Boost From New Coalition
        As Congress considers making the greatest single investment in passenger rail in U.S. history, a coalition of high-speed rail boosters is readying a response: Go faster, and spend more.
        Led by a bipartisan group of three former transportation secretaries, the U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition is trying to mobilize support for a $205 billion infusion of funding for new high-speed rail projects around the country.
        The group, with backing from labor unions, construction and passenger rail companies and progressive activists, is launching a campaign Thursday aimed at getting Congress to include the funding in the roughly $3.5 trillion budget-reconciliation bill that Democrats hope to bring to a vote this fall.
        “We can either fill the last generation’s potholes, or we can build the next generation’s high speed rail,” said Rep. Seth Moulton (D., Mass.).
        Mr. Moulton is a member of the coalition, which wants Congress to create a major new high-speed rail fund, over and above the tens of billions that the Biden administration has proposed for Amtrak and the states to upgrade regular passenger-rail service.
        The U.S. lags behind Europe and Asia in high-speed rail. Amtrak’s Acela express service hits 150 miles an hour in just a few sections of its Washington to Boston route. A long-delayed high-speed system is under construction in California’s Central Valley, and other proposals are in earlier stages of development, including a proposed link between Dallas and Houston.
        Supporters say that providing more true high-speed lines would allow meaningful competition with highways and airlines for traveling between cities up to several hundred miles apart.
        Link
    ESG
      LGBTQ Bank hiring practice
    OTG
      Facebook and its advertisers are 'panicking' as the majority of iPhone users opt out of tracking
      FreedomPhone is aliexpress pos phone
    Freedom Passports
      Macron — The un-Vaccinated officially become second class citizens
        ‘The unvaccinated will bear the brunt of the restrictions rather than everyone. From the beginning of august, the vax pass will be needed for coffee shops, restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals, trains, buses.’
      Boris Johnson urges use of Covid vaccine passports
    Dr patients tells of no coal
      one of my patients is an employee at one of only two remaining coal burning
      power stations in pennsylvania. i was sharing about the repeated power outages we’ve had here this
      week with storms coming through and how our infrastructure is falling apart. he commented that i
      should be grateful we have power at all, because at his plant they now have one day’s worth of coal
      left at any given time. he’s worked there 15 years and they have typically had months to years’
      worth of coal on hand for generating electricity, but that for the last year or so they’ve had
      about a day’s worth with small shipments arriving daily to replenish the next day’s needs. i asked
      him if this was a result of mines being closed due to covid, or liberal politicians trying to
      eradicate all coal-burning ventures, and he said no, they are mining as much as they always have,
      but that it is all being shipped to china.
      maybe you’ve heard / covered this already and i just missed it. sorry if it’s a repeat. seems we’re
      a vassal state…
    BBB
      MIT's 1972 prediction of society collapsing could happen by 2040
    Whatever happened to the 'bounce' command in email?
    Brazil's President Bolsonaro Is Hospitalized With Intestinal Blockage
    BTC
      Fed Chairman Suggests That Bitcoin Could Become Obsolete If U.S. Digital Currency Existed
    Congratulations on predicting Italy to win Euro 2020. However, sadly, you missed the sign. Italy was on a 33 game unbeaten streak going into the final.
    No Agenda mentioned in Mirror article about Weezer
      Co-founding Weezer member Patrick Wilson, 52, also fronts his own band, The Special Goodness.
      But his talents do not just lie in music - he is also known for performing funny stunts on skateboards, scooters and bikes, which he posts online.
      Patrick has also recorded drums for The Rentals first record, but he did not tour with them.
      Alongside his Weezer bandmate Brian, Patrick created a cover of the Velvet Underground song Heroin for the 2006 film Factory Girl, in which he also played John Cale.
      Patrick has also been an Executive Producer for the No Agenda podcast, a political show fronted by former VJ Adam Curry and columnist John C. Dvorak.
      "Roberto Mancini’s team are on a 33-game unbeaten streak"
      Link to Mirror article
    'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic's 22-year prison sentence for attempted murder is vacated by appeals court on a technicality
    Gypsy Moths offended by their name, it's an ethnic slur #GypsyMoth
    Pilots Vaxxed
      SWA Pilot on Drinking Attendants
        ITM Adam,
        I’m catching up on Sunday’s show and as a Southwest pilot, I feel compelled to comment on the statement by the “drinking flight attendants” claiming that last month’s rash of cancellations was do to “all the pilots being vaccinated”. Despite CEO Gary Kelly hinting at a vaccine requirement early on, no such mandate was attempted and SWAPA (the pilots union) has stated numerous times that they will defend every pilot’s individual right to choose. Our pilot group as a majority is very conservative/libertarian minded and I would find it hard to believe that even 50% of us have taken the jab. While most of those cascading cancellations were indeed related to 1) problem with our one and only FAA approved weather vendor (foolish not to have an approved backup) followed by 2) an internal data communication breakdown (seems to be an annual event for us as Dudes named Ben come here to get a little experience and then move on to better paying gigs), there was also another contributing factor. Every June Southwest deals with an abnormally high amount a flight attendant sick calls as they ditch work to attend PRIDE celebrations. This year got so bad that they issued Emergency Sick Call procedures, requiring any flight attendant that called out sick to visit a company approved doctor and obtain a form stating that they were truly ill. Over the course of the month we repositioned many empty airplanes after flight cancellations due to no flight attendants being available. The morale of the story....... NEVER TRUST WHAT A DRINKING FLIGHT ATTENDANT SAYS!!!!!🤣
        -Steve
      BA Pilot on Drinking Attendants
        Just a few comments based on your recent mentioning of BA pilots. I’m a Captain on the 787 and as of today there are 3899 pilots.
        The very shocking loss of 4 of our number was a big blow - only one was a COVID death , one suicide , one killed in a bike accident and the fourth remains unknown.
        I have not had the vaccine but am definitely in a minority , there have been no reports to my knowledge of blood clot issues.
        Best regards
        Mark
      SWA FA also thinks its bunk
        ITM Adam,
        Re-listening to the podcast on my early morning drive into work this morning, I find there are a
        couple of holes in the SWA pilot hypothesis. As an actual SWA FA, I know the vaccine isn’t mandated
        for our employees. I can also tell you that 50%, if not greater of our pilots are of the NA mindset
        and most likely aren’t getting the shots. And they certainly wouldn’t all get them at the same
        time. In fact the only person beside my husband I've successfully hit in the mouth is a SWA pilot
        (who as far as I can tell, is still a douchebag).
        Lastly, anyone who is good friends with a SWA FA would never call one of us a stewardess (it just
        isn’t done). Even my mother who is of a certain age corrects people when they call me a stewardess.
        Although I don’t care what you call me.
        I’m not saying my fellow producer is making up the story. It just doesn’t make much sense. I would
        say the cancelations were due to a general ineptitude by our company leaders in dealing with the
        frenzied return of the flying public after the pandemic. Adding too many flights, not enough
        employees available, and yes - bad software.
        So as to save my job, please leave me anonymous in relating this story if you choose to do so.
        TYFYC
    They changed the definition of 'Bigot'
    Doughnit Economics explained short video
    Saudi sovereign wealth fund scopes banks for ESG framework
    Rodents chow down on Teslas, causing thousands in damage
    Meet Bjorn Kuipers, the 'world's richest referee' and the man in charge of England vs Italy
    The Lego set was still unassembled in the box
    Covid vaxxed lists in UK
      I have some information that may be of interest for you from England.
      My wife works for the NHS in the Major Incident Team for the County we live in. As you can you imagine she has been very busy these past 18 months.
      She recently told me our local council had made a formal request from all the local GP's in the area to provide them with the names of all people who have not had the jab yet so they could go to and discuss getting the jab with the person and help them to get it.
      The request was denied but I am sure other councils have made these requests and it only be a matter of time before they are granted.
      Feel free to use this information in the show but can you leave out where my wife works and my name. This is not supposed to be public knowledge and I would hate for it to get her in trouble.
      Thank you to the both of you for everything. You really have and are helping me get through this.
      Nigel.
    More on Millennial Jealousy
      Hello Adam,
      I agree with a lot of what has already been suggested about the millennial jealously issue, but I think there might be another piece.
      Since schools have placed such an emphasis on following the rules and handed out participation trophies, I think many in my generation have developed an expectation that just showing up and going through the motions should result in disproportionate results. Fast forward to the real world, when a peer accomplishes something positive, it's seen as unfair. I've followed the rules- gone to college, worked a job- why should they get the better job/ house/etc if I can't? I think that in addition to the jealously is an anger at what feels like a broken promise to people who feel like they've held up their end of the "deal".
      I think this could contribute to the nihilism, as well as the idea that we should pursue our dreams and that we can change the world. Pursuing our dreams has been encouraged, without a corresponding encouragement to assess the realities of each path. You can change the world was pushed so hard that it almost became an expectation for many, instead of a possibility. Once again, my peers find themselves living a very different life than expected and are baffled and disappointed by it.
      I myself struggled with some of this until I decided to be happy that some of my peers had found a way to elude the same struggles I faced. It also pushed me to learn and find ways to take responsibility and action to fix my life myself.
      I appreciate all you do!
      Brittany
    South Africa oil
    Another vax wet dream
      I almost dropped my phone while I was listening to Sunday’s show and heard the story of that man’s
      nighttime emission after hanging out with his vaxed friend.
      I recently started a job where I work in a very small office and kiosk. All my coworkers have taken
      a COVID vaccine but I have not (I got COVID back in February). Since arriving at my job I have had
      very vivid dreams every night and sometimes they are sex dreams. Three times in the last month and
      a half I have woken up with my boxers wet from nighttime emission. I’m 34 years old and this hasn’t
      happened to me since I was a teenager. I had been searching the internet for why this was happening
      but couldn’t find any real reason for this other than possible stress from my new job. After
      hearing that story from the show I believe this is being caused by working with my vaccinated
      coworkers all day in close quarters. Just thought I’d share this with you and the show - strange
      times!
      tyfyc
    Dog DNA tests: putrid dog poo strews the world’s streets. Does Tel Aviv have the answer?
    The ESG Threat
    ECB to launch digital euro project | Reuters
    JP Morgan warns hedge funds to expect intraday margin calls
    Made Zerohedge with ESG comments
    The FBI Allegedly Used At Least 12 Informants In The Michigan Kidnapping Case
    The Hip-Hop Song That's Driving Cuba's Unprecedented Protests
    July 19: Boris Johnson offers freedom day with health warning
    Johan de Witt Eaten by protestors
      Dutch statesman and a major political figure in the Dutch Republic in the mid-17th century, when its flourishing sea trade in a period of globalization made the republic a leading European trading and seafaring power – now commonly referred to as the Dutch Golden Age. De Witt controlled the Dutch political system from around 1650 until shortly before his death by a pro-monarch mob in 1672 that consumed parts of his corpse. Working with various factions from nearly all the major cities, especially his hometown, Dordrecht, and the hometown of his wife, Amsterdam.
    Archive of all clips and stories
      VIDEO - Multiple REvil ransomware sites are down on the dark web
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 14:19
        Dark web sites linked to the REvil ransomware gang were not operating Tuesday morning, CNBC has confirmed.
        It is not clear what led to the websites of the ransomware-as-service group going down Tuesday. Visitors to the sites, which had recently been active, were greeted with messages saying, "A server with the specified hostname could not be found."
        The disappearance of the public-facing sites affiliated with Russia-linked REvil, also known as Sodinokibi, comes on the heels of an international ransomware outbreak on July 2 that the group had taken credit for.
        A National Security Council official declined to comment to CNBC on Tuesday morning.
        On Friday, President Joe Biden was asked by a reporter if it "makes sense" for the United States to attack the computer servers that have hosted ransomware attacks.
        "Yes," Biden answered.
        A National Security Council official later that same day told reporters that U.S. authorities expected to take action against ransomware groups soon.
        "We're not going to telegraph what those actions will be precisely," that official said.
        "Some of them will be manifest and visible, some of them may not be. But we expect them to take place in the days and weeks ahead."
        John Hultquist of Mandiant Threat Intelligence told CNBC on Tuesday, "The situation is still unfolding, but evidence suggests REvil has suffered a planned, concurrent takedown of their infrastructure, either by the operators themselves or via industry or law enforcement action."
        "If this was a disruption operation of some kind, full details may never come to light," Hultquist added in an email.
        He also said an analysis shows that "known websites associated with the REvil ransomware RaaS are offline or non-responsive."
        "REvil's darknet (.onion) and clearnet (decoder.re) websites are offline, and although we have no visibility into exactly how their darknet sites have been taken down their clearnet site's domain has simply ceased resolving to an IP address and its dedicated name servers are still online," Hultquist said.
        In addition to the July 2 attack, the REvil group also is believed to have recently attacked computers belonging to JBS, forcing the world's largest meatpacking company to shut down operations in the United States for one day in June, and also disrupted operations in Australia.
        JBS paid the equivalent of $11 million in ransom to get the gang to undo the attack.
        Bleeping Computer's Lawrence Abrams had tweeted earlier Tuesday that REvil sites were down.
        Several cybersecurity officials later confirmed that report to CNBC.
        Ransomware attacks involve malware that encrypts files on a device or network that results in the system becoming inoperable. Criminals behind these types of cyberattacks typically demand a payment in exchange for the release of data.
        The FBI has previously warned victims of ransomware attacks that paying a ransom could encourage further malicious activity.
        The latest ransomware attack, disclosed earlier this month by Florida-based software provider Kaseya, spread to at least six European countries and breached the networks of thousands across the United States.
        In May, a hacking group known as DarkSide with suspected ties to Russian criminals launched a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, forcing the U.S. company to shut down approximately 5,500 miles of pipeline.
        It led to a disruption of nearly half of the East Coast's fuel supply and caused gasoline shortages in the Southeast and airline disruptions. Colonial Pipeline paid $5 million in ransom to the cybercriminals in order to restart operations.
        A few weeks after the attack, U.S. law enforcement officials were able to recover $2.3 million in bitcoin from the hacker group.
      VIDEO - Federal Reserve Chair Testifies on Monetary Policy | C-SPAN.org
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 14:13
        July 15, 2021 2021-07-15T09:29:26-04:00 https://images.c-span.org/Files/5ce/20210715094436003_hd.jpg Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified on monetary policy and the economy before the Senate Banking Committee.Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified on monetary policy and the economy before the Senate Banking Committee.
        Report Video Issue"; // $('div#video-embed').html(cookieMsg); // return; // } // });
        *This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.
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        July 11, 2019 Federal Reserve Chair Powell on State of the Economy' Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on U.S. monetary'...
      VIDEO - Faze Clan Kay Pressures YouTubers To Pull Damning Scam Vids
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:44
        Weeks after getting caught pushing a dubious crypto currency scheme on fans and being dropped from the popular gaming influencer group FaZe Clan as a result , former member Frazier ''Kay'' Khattri is back trying to get the YouTube videos detailing the scam removed with a legal cease and desist order. Surely that will stop the weeks old truth from getting out.
        ''Kay sent me a cease and desist letter yesterday for my SaveTheKids video,'' YouTuber Coffeezilla, known for making popular videos that profess to uncover internet scams, wrote on Twitter last night . ''He says I caused him to lose 'millions in revenue' and that if I don't delete my videos, he's going to sue me.'' The tweet was also accompanied by a new YouTube video that pours over the cease and desist letter at length. One of the things it accuses Coffeezilla of is ''extortion'' for asking Kay to comment on his and other YouTubers' findings. Asking for comment is a standard journalistic practice.
        ''You well know that Mr. Khattri was not the bad actor here'--and, in fact, was a victim. Nevertheless, you made the following, among other, attention-grabbing false and defamatory statements about Mr. Khattri,'' part of the letter reads . Those ''false and defamatory statements'' include things like saying Kay ''dumped all of his kids [sic] tokens immediately'' and ''He's just selling everything as fast as humanly possible.''
        Coffeezilla, FaZe Clan, Kay, and Kay's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
        This all started last month when Coffeezilla and YouTuber SomeOrdinaryGamers released videos looking into a new crypto currency called SaveTheKids that would allegedly donate some of the proceeds to charity. When it was revealed, it was being pushed by Kay and others on their social media platforms to help encourage other people to invest in it. Alternatives to more established blockchain currency like Bitcoin have been sprouting up all over the place in recent months, often fueled by memes as well as actual billionaire businessmen like Elon Musk .
        G/O Media may get a commission
        Sometimes the tokens go up in value. More often than not they remain stagnant or plummet. The latter is what happened to SaveTheKids. After Kay and others encouraged fans to invest in it, the cryptocurrency eventually dropped from being worth one penny to about one tenth of a penny'--but not before the pre-sale buyers of the token profited massively from it. Some fans revolted. YouTube videos about the mess started pouring out. And eventually FaZe Clan kicked Kay from its roster and suspended a number of others.
        ''Please, please do not believe what you're hearing online,'' Kay said in his latest YouTube video posted July 9. ''We've uncovered significant evidence that a dishonest person abused his trust with me to scam everybody.'' In the video he goes on to say that he can't explain more for legal reasons, but that he's currently working with ''authorities'' to try and catch the person responsible for the scam.
        Others, like Coffeezilla and SomeOrdiaryGamers, aren't buying Kay's attempt to paint himself as a naive victim who got played like everyone else. The latter released a new video yesterday digging further into SaveTheKids crypto push , while the former said he has a new video coming as well. In response, Kay seems willing to take his apology tour to court, where I'm sure things will go great.
      VIDEO - 'Tell all your TikTok buddies to get vaccinated': Fauci finds a new way to fight Covid-19 - CNNPolitics
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:33
        Washington (CNN)There's a new TikTok star, and his name is Dr. Anthony Fauci.
        "Tell all of your TikTok buddies to get vaccinated," Fauci said this week in a
        video posted on TikTok by Nia Sioux, the social media and former "Dance Moms" star.
        "I will, I'll tell all my besties," Sioux replied.
        In the latest push from the White House and the US Department of Health and Human Services to boost youth vaccination rates, Fauci -- who has become a household name during the Covid-19 pandemic through his role as the nation's top infectious diseases expert -- this week joined a number of TikTok personalities for a series of conversations about the importance of the Covid-19 vaccine.
        TikTok -- the short-form video app used by many young Americans -- soared in popularity during the early days of the pandemic, and influencers on the platform have amassed major audiences.
        By chatting with a group of TikTokers -- who had between 794,000 and 24.1 million followers -- Fauci went directly to young Americans across the country via their phone screens to answer questions and dispel common myths about the vaccine.
        "There are multiple myths going on out there, from anything from aliens taking over your body to becoming magnetic to get[ting] a chip injected in you. It's all nonsense, so please help us debunk that stuff," Fauci said in a
        conversation with Mia Finney, who is 22 years old and a recent graduate of the University of Southern California.
        For her part, Finney -- who has 6.4 million followers on TikTok -- said talking to Fauci was "kind of a surreal experience."
        Finney said she wanted to talk to Fauci because she knows a lot of young people who are hesitant to get the vaccine or don't know if they should get vaccinated because they already had Covid-19.
        "If you get Covid, recover and then get vaccinated, your level of protection will be extremely high. The (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) still recommends that even though you've been infected that you should get vaccinated for the extra degree of protection," Fauci told her.
        "I think it was important for me to give people that information," Finney said. "At the end of the day, it's everyone's right to get the vaccine or not, but the fact that I was able to provide information for them I think was the greatest impact that I had."
        Kevin Munoz, a White House spokesperson, said the White House along with HHS helped connect Fauci to influencers with large youth audiences in an attempt at reaching that demographic.
        The push on the social media platform comes after the White House last week
        acknowledged the US would fall short of President Joe Biden's July Fourth Covid-19 vaccination goals, saying the country has more work to do to get younger Americans vaccinated. The President had aimed to get 70% of US adults at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot by Independence Day. According to the CDC, as of Friday before the holiday weekend, 67% of US adults had had at least one shot.
        Vaccine coverage among young adults has been lower and is increasing more slowly than in other age groups in the United States, and the intent to be vaccinated is lower among younger adults, according to studies published last month by the CDC.
        If the weekly pace of vaccinations continues at the same rate as the week of May 22, only 57.5% of adults under age 30 will have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of August.
        From the White House Covid-19 College Vaccine Challenge -- an initiative to get colleges involved in the push to vaccinate young Americans -- to a partnership with
        Snapchat and incentives such as
        free bagels, burritos and meditations for those who have been vaccinated, the Biden administration has taken a number of steps to reach young Americans with information about the importance of getting the vaccine.
        The White House also
        built a Covid-19 student community corps to equip young people with tools to go into their communities and talk about getting vaccinated.
        "The goal of the student community corps is to one, recognize the power that young people have to not only get vaccinated, but to help their peers get vaccinated. And it's also to recognize that inherent in that power is the fact that young people often want to hear from other young people," Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said last month.
        Like the students involved in the corps, TikTokers have the ability to share information with their followers.
        Abby Howard, who along with her husband, Matt, has gained traction for couples content on TikTok, said the couple's main goal in
        posting a video with Fauci was to relay accurate information about the vaccine.
        "There's so much misinformation, and we just want to be a part of sharing good information. People can do with that information what they will, but that was our approach in doing so. Hopefully many will see, and the information will lead to more younger people getting vaccinated," she said.
        CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Kate Sullivan and Betsy Klein contributed to this report.
      VIDEO - I Am Not A Number on Twitter: "@townhallcom @ConspiracyWATCH @adamcurry" / Twitter
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        I Am Not A Number : @townhallcom @ConspiracyWATCH @adamcurry
        Wed Jul 14 23:50:17 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - Candace Owens on Twitter: "I just did a live on Instagram taking everyone through the new FREEDOM PHONE which is now trending! So excited that I partnered with a SOLUTION against Apple and Google. Use code: CANDACE for 10% off your new phone Watch
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        Candace Owens : I just did a live on Instagram taking everyone through the new FREEDOM PHONE which is now trending! So excited th'... https://t.co/cpcOpewS79
        Wed Jul 14 21:44:13 +0000 2021
        Scott Anderson : @RealCandaceO #ScamAlert https://t.co/2yIk8HVUJ9
        Wed Jul 14 21:59:57 +0000 2021
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        Wed Jul 14 21:59:04 +0000 2021
        Andrew Witte : @RealCandaceO The ONLY phone I know of that has zero spy-ware in it is "Librem-5". A GNU-Linux phone. Android-Linux'... https://t.co/rc01pqAMUL
        Wed Jul 14 21:59:01 +0000 2021
        Kat : @RealCandaceO You are on fire with the laughs today BIG O!!
        Wed Jul 14 21:58:55 +0000 2021
        TomMurphy : @RealCandaceO No.
        Wed Jul 14 21:58:35 +0000 2021
        Tony Macaroni : @RealCandaceO You tweeted this from iPhone. People, Candace is a scammer and a grifter.
        Wed Jul 14 21:57:52 +0000 2021
        Charlene : @RealCandaceO **when things get bad here, they are going to fake a ''cyber pandemic'' so we cannot communicate with e'... https://t.co/1rAE5LBqhI
        Wed Jul 14 21:57:42 +0000 2021
        Robert Innes : @RealCandaceO Sorry didn't hear a word , you are a beautiful woman ðŸ
        Wed Jul 14 21:57:34 +0000 2021
        Ramenti Veritas : @RealCandaceO Slow down, girl. You talk a mile a minute and slur through words. Have you been hanging out with Don Jr lately?
        Wed Jul 14 21:57:21 +0000 2021
        Joe Swamp Dawg Henry : @RealCandaceO https://t.co/kmCNR3HXPi
        Wed Jul 14 21:57:18 +0000 2021
        Tony Macaroni : @RealCandaceO Is this another scam like BLEXIT?
        Wed Jul 14 21:56:48 +0000 2021
        Bully, Coward & Victim - Specter of Roy Cohn : @RealCandaceO Idiotware..spyware..let's count the ways.
        Wed Jul 14 21:56:33 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - Libs of Tik Tok on Twitter: "What? https://t.co/1FKS7oUOzk" / Twitter
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        Libs of Tik Tok : What? https://t.co/1FKS7oUOzk
        Wed Jul 14 20:13:44 +0000 2021
        Oliver J shizzle : @libsoftiktok @AP4Liberty Or restrict access to dick. Women should have to pass a federal background check and take'... https://t.co/jdvhMWTLmm
        Wed Jul 14 21:49:46 +0000 2021
        Boris Watanabe : @libsoftiktok ''Visectomy''
        Wed Jul 14 21:38:42 +0000 2021
        Clash Of The Horns 0-0 : @libsoftiktok @AP4Liberty Not gonna lie i actually think thats a good idea, a bunch of dudes be having kids and can'... https://t.co/u1FRWUhPwy
        Wed Jul 14 21:28:08 +0000 2021
        Chris Lipscomb : @libsoftiktok Does she work at Disney World ?
        Wed Jul 14 21:27:59 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - Nat on Twitter: "I know the MSM in this country won't show you but people are protesting ALL OVER France today. Small towns & big cities. The french hashtag is actually perfect: #PassDeLaHonte = Pass of Shame This is Annecy against the vax p
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        Nat : I know the MSM in this country won't show you but people are protesting ALL OVER France today. Small towns & big ci'... https://t.co/4AAZDFhsPH
        Wed Jul 14 16:24:26 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - Watch: Jill Biden Appears on Sesame Street to Peddle 'Racial Literacy' to Little Kids
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        Commentary Garion Frankel July 14, 2021 at 10:28am When I was a small child, I was distraught by the rumors that popular kids' television show Sesame Street's Cookie Monster was going to be turned into the Veggie Monster. Little did I know that this would be only the first of the show's many forays into wokeness.
        However, first lady Dr. Jill Biden is helping the show precipitate its most blatant attempt at promoting critical race theory yet.
        On Monday, Sesame Workshop, the ''educational'' organization behind Sesame Street, announced (with the help of the United Services Automobile Association) the creation of new resources meant to ''help military and veteran families tap into the rich diversity of the military community to start important conversations about race with young children.''
        ''Part of Sesame Workshop's ongoing Coming Together initiative for racial literacy, these new resources cover building a positive sense of identity and being an upstander,'' the organization revealed.
        In addition, according to the International Business Times, the turquoise, Mexican-American puppet Rosita '-- who comes from a military family '-- appeared with the first lady to talk about what makes her ''unique,'' as well as what makes her an ''upstander.''
        A clip of the conversation can be seen below:
        Our friends Rosita and @FLOTUS have a special message for military families: we can all be upstanders, together! #ComingTogether pic.twitter.com/zgFcmcA3Ba
        '-- Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) July 12, 2021
        ''There's another thing that I'm very proud of, Dr. Biden '-- actually I just learned that '-- and it's that I am an upstander. That means that I use kind words and actions to stand up for myself and my friends,'' Rosita said, immediately following a tirade of identity politics straight out of a university classroom.
        Are children's shows becoming more left-leaning?
        Yes: 100% (24 Votes)
        No: 0% (0 Votes)
        ''Military and veteran families practice service in everything they do, and they live their lives with purpose '-- values that help them confront injustices like racism,'' Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, the senior vice president of U.S. Social Impact, Sesame Workshop, said in a statement.
        ''In a military kid's world, it's common to see people of all races and backgrounds living, working, and playing together. Military parents and caregivers can help their children become good citizens of the world by using that unique opportunity to talk openly about racism and celebrate who they are inside and out.''
        Again, this is just another escapade in identity politics, and all the honeyed words are a mask for the more nefarious political intentions within. That's par for the course for the left, but seeing it thrown at children so frequently is sickening.
        However, that video clip is upsetting to me for much more personal reasons.
        I am of Mexican descent. My maternal ancestors lived in the areas nudging the southern border for four centuries. They founded the cities of Monterrey and Saltillo in northeastern Mexico.
        My grandmother immigrated (legally) to the United States as an adult, though she (legally) lived in the Houston area for a few years as a child. Her brothers and cousins were and are proud Americans. My mother and I were both born and raised in America.
        In addition, many of our family members gladly and gallantly served in the U.S. military.
        Though the character was first introduced in 1991, I can't remember ever seeing Rosita on Sesame Street. I'm glad '-- the character (especially her accent, which is an exaggerated stereotype) is nothing more than a pathetic caricature of my family and its story. The show and the first lady are insulting us all.
        The U.S. is a melting pot, which has been enormously beneficial from a cultural and historical perspective. Every wave of (legal) immigration brings waves of change that make our country healthier and more dynamic. In the end, we are all Americans.
        Sewing the seeds of identity politics, which is exactly what Sesame Street and the first lady are doing, is counterproductive to that effort, and they must be stopped.
        SummaryMore Biographical Information Recent Posts ContactGarion Frankel is the senior policy advisor for the Texas Federation of College Republicans. He enjoys and has published articles and academic works on public policy, philosophy and political theory.
        Garion Frankel is the senior policy advisor for the Texas Federation of College Republicans. He enjoys and has published articles and academic works on public policy, philosophy and political theory.
        Languages Spoken
        English, some Spanish
      VIDEO - (23) Health Canada tracking menstrual changes after vaccination - YouTube
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      VIDEO - Gayle King Banning Unvaccinated Family From Thanksgiving
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        CBS' Gayle King told Dr. Anthony Fauci that she will ban family members from her house on Thanksgiving if they don't get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
        The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director joined CBS This Morning on Monday to talk about the threat of the coronavirus' Delta variant, plus the challenges of encouraging more of the country to get inoculated from Covid. As Fauci boosted President Joe Biden's push for door-to-door community efforts to promote vaccines, King told him about members of her own family who are reluctant to get the shot.
        That's when King said she won't allow her unvaccinated family members to come over for Turkey Day:
        I don't know many more times you can say to people 'Listen, it will save your life.' I have this problem with some members of my own family, which I'm now going to ban for Thanksgiving vacation. That's how strongly I'm taking what you're saying.
        Watch above, via CBS.
        Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
      VIDEO - Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases Investigated In Provincetown - YouTube
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      VIDEO - (22) 'It's An Ethnic Slur': Insect Society Wants To Rename Gypsy Moths - YouTube
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      VIDEO - (22) Mobile vaccine bus providing vaccines in Chicopee and Springfield - YouTube
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      VIDEO - (22) Elderly Sydney woman dies of COVID-19 hours after testing positive | Coronavirus | 9 News Australia - YouTube
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      VIDEO - Kamala Harris Compares Texas Dems Who Fled Election Integrity Bill Vote to Soldiers Who Died Fighting for Right to Vote - Becker News
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        Vice President Kamala Harris had a message of support for Texas Democrats who fled the state rather than vote on a new election integrity bill.
        ''I do want to first start by making a statement about the legislators in Texas who are showing extraordinary courage and commitment,'' Harris said. ''I met with them when many of them traveled to Washington D.C., we sat down and had an extensive conversation in the Roosevelt room in the White House and I applaud them standing for the rights of all Americans and all Texans to express their voice through their vote unencumbered.''
        ''They are leaders who are marching in the path that so many others before did it, when they fought and many died for the right to vote,'' Harris added.
        The ''leaders'' whom Harris is referring to are Texas Democrats who refuse to accept the results of a ''democratic'' election and are dodging a vote on new election integrity laws. The ''commitment'' the vice president mentioned refers to grabbing a case of beer and ''flee-a-bustering'' the state to avoid a quorum.
        Hey @juliejohnsonTX. Why did you delete this pic? pic.twitter.com/0P33DY7pJW
        '-- Jewish Deplorable (@TrumpJew2) July 12, 2021
        Beer-fueled road trips are now 'just like fighting and dying for the right to give all Americans to vote,' according to the propagandists in the Biden administration.
        But that would be something the Union soldiers did for black Americans who were slaves during the Civil War. On Monday, Jen Psaki also couldn't resist going to the Civil War card to smear election integrity laws.
        ''He'll lay out the moral case for why denying the right to vote is a form of suppression and a form of silencing,'' Jen Psaki said about a forthcoming Biden speech. ''He will redouble his commitment to using every tool at his disposal to continue to fight to protect the fundamental right of Americans to vote against the onslaught of voter suppression laws based on a dangerous and discredited conspiracy theory that culminated in assault on our Capitol.''
        ''He'll call out the greatest irony of the big lie is that no election in our history has met such high standard with over 80 judges, including those appointed by his predecessor, throwing out all challenges,'' she continued. ''He'll also decry efforts to strip the right to vote as authoritarian and anti-American and stand up against the notion that politicians should be allowed to choose their voters or to subvert our system by replacing independent election authorities with partisan ones.''
        ''And he will highlight the work of the administration against this, the necessity of passing the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and how we need to work together with civil rights organizations to build as broad a turnout and voter education system to overcome the worst challenge to our democracy since the Civil War,'' she added.
        The Democrats are ratcheting up their rhetoric. One has to wonder that a party that 'won' by such a massive margin in the 2020 elections are so desperate to prevent basic election integrity laws from going into effect.
        NOW READ:
        Chilling: Biden Allies Now Prepared to Censor Americans' Text Messages for 'Disinformation' on COVID Vaccines
      VIDEO - (22) Freedom Phone:with the first free speech based operating system & completely uncensored app store! - YouTube
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      VIDEO - Deleted in 12hrs by YouTube because of Good News?
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        Rumble '-- Good news about Sars-COV-2 virusNew peer-reviewed studies have come out to help overcome the fear and to help us understand better
      VIDEO - Viva La pajama trader on Twitter: "@adamcurry @NoAgendaNation https://t.co/pZa3mh35KI" / Twitter
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        Viva La pajama trader : @adamcurry @NoAgendaNation https://t.co/B6DgW9V9Y9 https://t.co/pZa3mh35KI
        Wed Jul 14 19:08:19 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - Federal government expected to declare first-ever water shortage at Lake Mead - YouTube
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      VIDEO - BBC media editor Amol Rajan criticised over Sundar Pichai interview | Daily Mail Online
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        The BBC was today accused of airing a 'misleading and inaccurate' interview by media editor Amol Rajan with Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and failing to challenge his claim to want a 'free and open internet'.
        The search giant is facing criticism over its controversial next generation digital advertising systems that competition watchdogs fear will stifle diversity of opinion on the internet and deny independent news publishers fair returns.
        Mr Rajan's interview on the News At Ten on Monday was criticised by Marketers for an Open Web - a group of online publishers, advertisers, tech and data firms - which said he did not challenge Mr Pichai's claim to 'stand up' for a free and open internet.
        Tim Cowen of Preiskel and Co, legal advisor to MOW, told MailOnline today: 'Rajan's interview was misleading and inaccurate.
        'Google claimed to be a champion of the Open Web when it is building a 'walled garden', trying to enclose the web to make even bigger profits.'
        Google is planning to replace so-called third party cookies with a new 'Privacy Sandbox' next year, which will group users together according to their interests.
        Analytics data already shows that the BBC website is consistently favoured in Google search results, followed closely by The Guardian website.
        The Sandbox would mean that instead of traditional third-party cookies, which see advertisers track individuals across sites they visit, users will be split into cohorts.
        Britain's Competition and Markets Authority has warned that the system could stifle competition among independent publishers.
        Rather than a person's browser history being sent to a location, their own computer will work out what they like and assign them to a group with similar interests.
        Online ads will still be personalised under the system, but Google claims it will afford users greater privacy. However, rivals and regulators worry that the move could strengthen Google's stranglehold on the market for online advertising.
        MOW labelled the interview as a 'piece of corporate advertising' and 'unbalanced' reporting, saying that the BBC had run a 'Ten O'Clock News advert for Google'.
        The clips were taken from an hour-long chat shown beforehand on BBC Two, which the corporation had billed as a 'hard-hitting and personally revealing encounter'.
        BBC media editor Amol Rajan (pictured) spoke to Mr Pichai at his Silicon Valley headquarters
        They were introduced 20 minutes into the News At Ten by presenter Sophie Raworth, who said: 'The boss of the search engine Google says the model of a free and open internet is under attack.
        'Sundar Pichai says many countries are restricting the flow of information and the western model free from political censorship is often taken for granted.'
        Full transcript of BBC News At Ten broadcast BBC News at Ten - July 12, 2021
        Sophie Raworth : 'The boss of the search engine Google says the model of a free and open internet is under attack. Sundar Pichai says many countries are restricting the flow of information and the western model free from political censorship is often taken for granted. Google is under huge pressure from regulators around the world for its approach to privacy, data and tax. Our media editor Amol Rajan reports from Silicon Valley in California.'
        Amol Rajan (voiceover) : 'For the past two decades one Californian company more than any other has designed and built the internet with a dominance in digital advertising. Now Google is journeying into the unknown with two big bets. Unimaginably powerful quantum computers - and, above all, artificial intelligence.'
        Sundar Pichai : 'I viewed it as the most profound technology that humanity will ever develop and work on. And we have to make sure we do it in a way that we can harness it to society's benefit.'
        AR : 'Sundar Pichai is the man leading Google into this new era.'
        SP : 'Be it healthcare, be it education, be it how we manufacture things and how we consume information. If we think about fire or electricity or the internet - it's like that, but I think even more profound.'
        AR (voiceover) : 'Born of humble roots in Tamal Nardu in South East India, Sundar Pichai trained as an engineer. He moved to the US to pursue his dream and joined Google's founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin when the company was just six years old in 2004. Now he's the boss of both Google and its parent company Alphabet, which includes YouTube. And he faces unrelenting scrutiny - from US lawmakers to most recently at the G7 and G20 summits where tax was in focus.'
        AM : 'Historically, has Google paid enough tax in the right places?'
        SP : 'We're one of the world's largest taxpayers. If you look at on an average over the past decade we have paid over 20 per cent in taxes. We do pay the majority of our share of taxes in the US, where we originate and where our products are developed. I think there are good conversations and we support the global OECD conversations figuring out what is the right way to allocate taxes, and this is beyond a single company to solve.'
        AR : 'You've two teenagers, I understand. What's your policy on screen time for kids?'
        SP : 'I think this generation needs to learn to adapt to technology. It's going to be a big part of their lives. So I've encouraged them to develop boundaries on their own. But I've approached it as a journey of personal responsibility.'
        AR : 'How worried are you that today the internet seems to be splitting into different domains, where we have a kind of Californian internet, and increasingly a Chinese one - and the Chinese one might be in the ascendant.'
        SP : 'The free and open internet has been a tremendous force for good and I think we take it for granted a bit. But I do think the model is being attacked and so I think it is something we take for granted. But I hope we can stand up, particularly in countries with strong democratic traditions and values.'
        AR (voiceover) : 'Sundar Pichai is clear. It is up to democracies as much as any tech giant to shape our digital futures. Amol Rajan, BBC News, in Silicon Valley.'
        Asked by Mr Rajan about developments in quantum computing and artificial intelligence, Mr Pichai said: 'I viewed it as the most profound technology that humanity will ever develop and work on. And we have to make sure we do it in a way that we can harness it to society's benefit.
        'Be it healthcare, be it education, be it how we manufacture things. How we consume information. If we think about fire or electricity or the internet. It's like that but even more profound...'
        Mr Rajan continued: 'How worried are you that today the internet seems to be splitting into different domains, where we have a kind of Californian internet, and increasingly a Chinese one - and the Chinese one might be in the ascendant?'
        Mr Pichai replied: 'The free and open internet has been a tremendous force for good and I think we take it for granted a bit.
        'But I do think the model is being attacked and so I think it is something we take for granted. But I hope we can stand up, particularly in countries with strong democratic traditions and values.'
        Mr Rajan concluded: 'Sundar Pichai is clear. It is up to democracies as much as any tech giant to shape our digital futures.'
        However Mr Cowen criticised Mr Rajan for asking no questions about moves by governments and regulators around the world to limit Google's dominance of the internet and encourage fair competition.
        Mr Cowen said: 'Pichai's statements were not tested. It was a piece of corporate advertising, contrary to the BBC's principles.
        'Why did it appear on the BBC Ten O'Clock News, when it contained no news? It was an unbalanced piece of reporting.'
        MOW said that on the excerpt on the News at Ten, Mr Rajan did not raise with Mr Pichai the numerous anti-trust actions taken by multiple US states against Google for breaching US laws.
        It said there was also no mention of any of the Digital Markets legislation being proposed in the UK, EU and USA.
        Nor was there a reference to the moves by regulators worldwide to push back against Google's creation of its 'walled garden' of software and technology to enclose the web for its own ends and greater profits, according to MOW.
        Mr Cowen said Mr Pichai was 'allowed to state that Google was protecting the Open Web when that is the exact opposite.'
        And Mr Cowen called on the BBC to report the other side of the argument, to counter Google's claims.
        Meanwhile MOW is considering a formal complaint to the BBC about the interview.
        It comes as data revealed that Google consistently favours the BBC and Guardian websites in search results, according to a 'visibility index' which shows both of them far above the likes of MailOnline, The Sun Online and Express and Mirror websites.
        Mr Rajan did ask Mr Pichai about tax, saying during the excerpt that Mr Pichai 'faces unrelenting scrutiny - from US lawmakers to most recently at the G7 and G20 summits where tax was in focus'.
        He was then filmed asking Mr Pichai: 'Historically, has Google paid enough tax in the right places?'
        Mr Pichai replied: 'We're one of the world's largest taxpayers. If you look at on an average over the past decade we have paid over 20 per cent in taxes.
        'We do pay the majority of our share of taxes in the US, where we originate and where our products are developed.
        'I think there are good conversations and we support the global OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) conversations figuring out what is the right way to allocate taxes, and this is beyond a single company to solve.'
        There were 420,000 viewers for the full interview on BBC Two, according to ratings supplied by Overnights.TV, while the News at Ten had eight times that amount with an audience of 3.35million.
        Google consistently favours the BBC and Guardian websites in search results, according to a 'visibility index' which shows both of them far above the likes of MailOnline and The Sun Online
        It emerged last month that Google's next generation of its controversial digital advertising systems must be developed under the supervision of Britain's competition regulator to ensure genuine competition and fair returns for news publishers.
        Google promised it will not discriminate against rivals when implementing its new way to target advertising that the CMA fears may harm the market. It pledged that it will not favour its own advertising and advertising technology businesses when designing and operating a new system which will be a major overhaul of how ads work on the Chrome browser.
        Google is planning to replace so-called third party cookies with a new 'Privacy Sandbox' at some point next year, and it is already running trials.
        A BBC spokesman was contacted for comment by MailOnline this afternoon.
        The interview was broadcast less than a fortnight after the OECD revealed a total of 130 countries have agreed a global tax reform ensuring that multinationals pay their fair share wherever they operate.
        The OECD said that global companies including Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple would be taxed at a rate of at least 15 per cent.
        But EU low-tax countries Ireland and Hungary declined to sign up to the agreement reached in the OECD framework, highlighting divisions on global taxation.
        Both countries are part of a group of EU nations also including Luxembourg that have relied on low tax rates to attract multinationals and build their economies.
        Ireland believes the new rules could see it lose 20 per cent of corporate revenue, although the new tax regime is set to add £110billion to government coffers globally.
        Last month it was revealed Apple and Google's app stores, operating systems and browsers will be investigated by Britain's competition regulator over concerns they have too much power.
        Google chief executive Sundar Pichai (pictured) was interviewed by Amol Rajan for the BBC
        The clips were taken from an hour-long interview shown on BBC Two on Monday evening
        Amol Rajan travelled to Google's headquarters in California to interview the Google boss
        The CMA said it will study the US tech giants and their services to assess whether their size means competition is being stifled.
        The two firms have an effective duopoly across various key areas, with Apple's iOS and Google's Android being the world's two dominant mobile operating systems.
        The Apple App Store and Google Play Store are the main gateways to downloading apps, while Google Chrome and Apple Safari are the two most used web browsers.
        The CMA said this study would be broader than some of the other competition probes it already has into Apple's App Store and Google's Privacy Sandbox.
        The regulator is already investigating Apple over its control of the App Store and developer access to it.
        It is also looking into Google's plans around changes in Chrome - specifically, a new way to target advertising that the CMA fears may harm the advertising market.
      VIDEO - (20) Russian cybergang REvil seems to have gone dark - YouTube
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      VIDEO - Vax Squad to the rescue? North Carolina town first to roll out controversial 'Doses to Doors' vaccine delivery program '-- RT USA News
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        A newly minted program intended to deliver the Covid-19 vaccine directly to people's doors in a North Carolina town has sent chills down the spines of some residents, while others welcomed it as helpful service for the infirm.
        The program, called ''Doses to Doors,'' is designed to target ZIP codes with low vaccine uptake and ''dispel rumors'' about the Covid-19 jab that may be circulating in those communities.
        The program launched officially on Monday at the South Side Homes apartment complex in Charlotte, North Carolina, where volunteers from the nonprofit group Action NC distributed flyers with information about the shot.
        ''We're not confrontational, it's not like you have to get the shot,'' member Robert Dawkins told local outlet WBTV. ''We get people that will say 'Yes, I will get the shot,' but the follow-up has always been the issue,'' Dawkins said. ''Will they go? How can we get people to go out and go? So now that the health department is out with us, we miss that middle step now.''
        One man reportedly even ''jumped at the chance'' to get the one-off Johnson & Johnson shot right on his porch, according to WBTV. The man said that he was too busy taking care of his grandkids to go to the pharmacy, claiming he would tell his family members he had been vaccinated in the hope of convincing them to follow suit.
        Local healthcare personnel are said to be especially concerned as the Delta variant of the virus, reportedly the most contagious yet, sweeps the country. There is no evidence the variant is deadlier than previous mutations, however.
        Despite the program's self-declared success, neighboring Republican South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has urged his state health department to outright ban similar outreach efforts, noting that ''enticing, coercing, intimidating, mandating, or pressuring anyone to take the vaccine is a bad policy which will deteriorate the public's trust and confidence in the state's vaccination efforts.''
        Also on rt.com Biden admin official: 'Absolutely the government's business' to know whether you have been vaccinated Charlotte's approach falls in line with the Biden administration's avowed ''door-to-door'' tactics, which were recently floated by the president himself. Responding to McMaster's criticism, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki accused South Carolina of ''literally killing people'' with ''the failure to provide accurate public health information,'' including on the effectiveness of the Covid-19 shots and their accessibility.
        Biden officials have pulled no punches for Republican opponents of the new vaccine campaign. On Thursday, White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeff Zients accused critics of trying ''to mischaracterize this type of trusted-messenger work'' and ''doing a disservice to the country.''
        Some have voiced a different set of concerns, warning that scammers might pose as health professionals and attempt to take advantage of locals, while others argued their taxes were being ''wasted'' on such a project.
        Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
      VIDEO - (18) Welcoming Remarks. Klaus Schwab - YouTube
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      VIDEO - NASA predicts a "wobble" in the moon's orbit may lead to record flooding on Earth - CBS News
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        Every coast in the U.S. is facing rapidly increasing high tide floods thanks to a "wobble" in the moon's orbit working in tandem with climate change-fueled rising sea levels .
        A new study from NASA and the University of Hawaii, published recently in the journal Nature Climate Change, warns that upcoming changes in the moon's orbit could lead to record flooding on Earth in the next decade.
        Through mapping the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) sea-level rise scenarios, flooding thresholds and astronomical cycles, researchers found flooding in American coastal cities could be several multiples worse in the 2030s, when the next moon "wobble" is expected to begin. They expect the flooding to significantly damage infrastructure and displace communities .
        While the study highlights the dire situation facing coastal cities, the lunar wobble is actually a natural occurrence, first reported in 1728. The moon's orbit is responsible for periods of both higher and lower tides about every 18.6 years, and they aren't dangerous in their own right.
        "In half of the Moon's 18.6-year cycle, Earth's regular daily tides are suppressed: High tides are lower than normal, and low tides are higher than normal," NASA explains. "In the other half of the cycle, tides are amplified: High tides get higher, and low tides get lower. Global sea-level rise pushes high tides in only one direction '' higher. So half of the 18.6-year lunar cycle counteracts the effect of sea-level rise on high tides, and the other half increases the effect."
        But this time around, scientists are more concerned. With sea-level rise due to climate change, the next high tide floods are expected to be more intense and more frequent than ever before, exacerbating already grim predictions.
        Climate refugees and havens from extreme weat... 06:57 In 2019, NOAA reported more than 600 such floods. Scientists expect three to four times that amount in the mid-2030s, after sea-level rise has another decade to progress.
        More According to the study, these floods will exceed flooding thresholds around the country more often, and can also occur in clusters lasting more than a month, depending on the positions of the moon, Earth and sun. During certain alignments, floods could happen as frequently as every day or every other day.
        "Low-lying areas near sea level are increasingly at risk and suffering due to the increased flooding, and it will only get worse," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "The combination of the Moon's gravitational pull, rising sea levels, and climate change will continue to exacerbate coastal flooding on our coastlines and across the world."
        Almost all U.S. mainland coastlines, Hawaii and Guam are expected to face these effects. Sea-level rise is already expected to make hundreds of thousands of square miles of coastline uninhabitable and potentially displace over 100 million people worldwide by the end of the century.
        Researchers are hoping their findings will lead to more dedicated efforts to prevent as much damage as possible, both to the environment and people's livelihoods, before it's too late. While high tide floods don't involve as large an amount of water as hurricanes, the real danger lies in their frequency.
        "It's the accumulated effect over time that will have an impact," said lead author Phil Thompson. "If it floods 10 or 15 times a month, a business can't keep operating with its parking lot under water. People lose their jobs because they can't get to work. Seeping cesspools become a public health issue."
      VIDEO - Bloomberg Quicktake on Twitter: "''No ifs, no buts, no exemptions and no excuses.'' Boris Johnson announces plans to ban football fans from attending matches if they are identified sending racist abuse to players online https://t.co/tFKwgAvOGH h
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        Bloomberg Quicktake : ''No ifs, no buts, no exemptions and no excuses.''Boris Johnson announces plans to ban football fans from attending'... https://t.co/iEJonhmVtq
        Wed Jul 14 14:53:01 +0000 2021
        RebelWithBillsToPay : @Quicktake OMG. "Social Credit" implemented in the UK. Orwell turns in his grave. @Snowden @doctorow
        Wed Jul 14 14:55:10 +0000 2021
        Bloomberg Quicktake : ''Still no contrition. Still no apology.''The SNP's Ian Blackford challenges Boris Johnson's previous remarks as th'... https://t.co/iXUrHVQht3
        Wed Jul 14 14:54:51 +0000 2021
        Alasdair Inglis : @Quicktake Impossible to implement effectively due to fake profiles. #lipservice
        Wed Jul 14 14:54:34 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - ð'‡ð'ð'ð'‰8 ð'ð'‰ð'ð'‰ on Twitter: "NSW ðŸ‡­ðŸ‡² Listen To Kerry (Roger Ramjet) Chant, as she has another Freudian Slip of the Tongue. "EVEN ONE DOSE OF THE WAXXINE INCREASES YOUR LIKELIHOOD OF HOSPITALISATION" LMFAO ðŸ¤£ðŸ'¥ðŸ‘Š https
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        ð'‡ð'ð'ð'‰8 ð'ð'‰ð'ð'‰ : NSW ðŸ‡­ðŸ‡² Listen To Kerry (Roger Ramjet) Chant, as she has another Freudian Slip of the Tongue. "EVEN ONE DOSE OF THE'... https://t.co/ObIXB62c16
        Wed Jul 14 01:59:52 +0000 2021
        Lindy Botha : @ATLEASTDIETRYN How many jabbed people are getting sicking, ending up in hospital... we don't get the real info/numbers.
        Wed Jul 14 03:24:17 +0000 2021
        SATURN : @ATLEASTDIETRYN @VNP8476 Freudian slip?
        Wed Jul 14 02:46:02 +0000 2021
        Reijo-fusenikðŸ‡ðŸ‡®ðŸ‡®ðŸ‡¹ðŸ‡¨ðŸ‡... : @ATLEASTDIETRYN man she's flying high ðŸ‚
        Wed Jul 14 02:32:14 +0000 2021
        Laura G : @ATLEASTDIETRYN Wow she's really struggling these days & always looking rather stressed or angry.
        Wed Jul 14 02:27:42 +0000 2021
        TEMPLE OF COIN : @ATLEASTDIETRYN she still has pinkeye from using her manky mask to wipe her eyes...ffs
        Wed Jul 14 02:26:32 +0000 2021
        zeetubes : @ATLEASTDIETRYN @AusAntiLeft A fraudian slip of the tongue.
        Wed Jul 14 02:19:16 +0000 2021
        X : @ATLEASTDIETRYN Karen like the others have a habit of thinking out loud
        Wed Jul 14 02:16:57 +0000 2021
        adam raverty : @ATLEASTDIETRYN atleast she aint lieingðŸ¤£ðŸ¤£
        Wed Jul 14 02:14:05 +0000 2021
        ðŸ‡...ðŸ‡ºPopcornðŸ : @ATLEASTDIETRYN @AusAntiLeft Take 1 dose and end up in hospital is what she is saying!! Go ahead, get it done, we n'... https://t.co/85VFVsJmsA
        Wed Jul 14 02:09:18 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - JP Morgan warns hedge funds to expect intraday margin calls - Risk.net
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        US bank may demand variation margin 'up to seven' times a day after Archegos default
        JP Morgan is warning hedge fund clients that it will demand they post more cash at any time during the day if their trades lose value.
        The biggest US bank by assets called clients of its prime brokerage division in the aftermath of the collapse of Archegos Capital Management, according to three people familiar with the matter. JP Morgan told the hedge funds and family offices that they would have to post more collateral on their single-name equity swap positions if they lost value intraday.
        Ba
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      VIDEO - Marty Bent on Twitter: "''We are the only source of Truth. Don't listen to anyone else, serf. We will tell you how to think.'' https://t.co/FKakvAyCyT" / Twitter
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        Marty Bent : ''We are the only source of Truth. Don't listen to anyone else, serf. We will tell you how to think.'' https://t.co/FKakvAyCyT
        Tue Jul 13 20:20:42 +0000 2021
        Melchizadek : @MartyBent The ministry of truth. Disregard information from any other source? What? Is this a Monty Python sketch?
        Tue Jul 13 21:52:01 +0000 2021
        '‚i Bim B'‚"p ðŸ‡¬ðŸ‡§ðŸ‡¨ðŸ‡²ðŸ'ŽðŸŒðŸ : @MartyBent We don't trust, we verify!
        Tue Jul 13 21:41:57 +0000 2021
        ClanHODL : @MartyBent Normies watch this and believe it all.
        Tue Jul 13 21:15:39 +0000 2021
        'šThe Awakening ðŸ...ðŸš : @MartyBent We are being herded by a bunch of psychopaths.DO NOT COPMPLY !!!I you do things are going to get worse !!!
        Tue Jul 13 21:14:51 +0000 2021
        borabora : @MartyBent "We will continue to be your SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH" https://t.co/VscQNZx5UA
        Tue Jul 13 21:14:23 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - Nat on Twitter: "''The unvaccinated will bear the brunt of the restrictions rather than everyone...from the beginning of august, the vax pass will be needed for coffee shops, restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals, trains, buses etc...'' NO WORDS.
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        Nat : ''The unvaccinated will bear the brunt of the restrictions rather than everyone...from the beginning of august, the'... https://t.co/2uuDQIX0YN
        Tue Jul 13 00:29:04 +0000 2021
        superpowered : @Arwenstar ðŸ¤®
        Tue Jul 13 18:09:52 +0000 2021
        à¤¤à¤®à¤¾à¤²à¤• ðŸ‡®ðŸ‡" : @Arwenstar Brilliant move to deal with looney left vaccine hesitant loonies!
        Tue Jul 13 18:09:46 +0000 2021
        Andyman : @Arwenstar Ok just starve them to death. What a great idea. ðŸ–•ðŸ¤
        Tue Jul 13 18:08:42 +0000 2021
        Cosmicjojo : @Arwenstar Full on fascism.
        Tue Jul 13 18:06:57 +0000 2021
        cryptorelief : @Arwenstar @johnlee25893955 I'll give you one.... P4WNED.
        Tue Jul 13 18:06:08 +0000 2021
        Gaffot : @Arwenstar https://t.co/XAc7x564np
        Tue Jul 13 18:03:46 +0000 2021
        FreshBaked$$ : @Arwenstar Oh neat, a caste system.
        Tue Jul 13 18:03:38 +0000 2021
        Elenita ðŸ'šðŸ'šðŸ'š : @Arwenstar This is not legal, Mr Macron. It goes against HUMAN RIGHTS. You have no chance to win here.
        Tue Jul 13 18:03:31 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - France's anti-trust authority fines Google '‚¬500 million in news copyright row
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        / Business Issued on: 13/07/2021 - 10:16
        The Google logo displayed on a building at La Defense business and financial district in Courbevoie near Paris, France, on September 1, 2020. (C) Charles Platiau, Reuters/File France's competition regulator on Tuesday slapped Google with a 500-million-euro ($593-million) fine for failing to negotiate ''in good faith'' with media companies over the use of their content under EU copyright rules.
        It is ''the biggest ever fine'' imposed by the Competition Authority for a company's failure to adhere to one of its rulings, the agency's chief Isabelle De Silva told reporters.
        In a ruling published on its website, the Competition Authority also ordered the US internet giant to present media publishers with ''an offer of remuneration for the current use of their copyrighted content'', or risk paying additional damages of up to 900,000 euros a day.
        A Google spokesperson said in a statement to AFP that the company was ''very disappointed'' by the decision.
        ''We have acted in good faith during the entire negotiation period. This fine does not reflect the efforts put in place, nor the reality of the use of news content on our platform,'' the company insisted.
        ''This decision is mainly about negotiations that took place between May and September 2020. Since then, we have continued to work with publishers and news agencies to find common ground.''
        The long-running legal battle has centred on claims that Google has been showing articles, pictures and videos produced by media groups when displaying search results without adequate compensation, despite the seismic shift of advertising revenue online.
        In April 2020, the French competition authority ordered Google to negotiate ''in good faith'' with media groups after it refused to comply with a new EU law governing digital copyright.
        The so-called ''neighbouring rights'' aim to ensure that news publishers are compensated when their work is shown on websites, search engines and social media platforms.
        But last September, news publishers including Agence France-Presse (AFP) filed a complaint with regulators, saying Google was refusing to move forward on paying to display content in web searches.
        In particular, the Competition Authority rebuked Google for having failed to ''have a specific discussion'' with media companies about neighbouring rights while negotiating over the launch of its Google Showcase news service, which launched late last year.
        News outlets struggling with dwindling print subscriptions have long seethed at Google's refusal to give them a cut of the millions of euros it makes from ads displayed alongside news search results.
        The search giant counters that it encourages millions of people to click through to media sites, and it has also invested heavily in supporting media groups in other ways, including emergency funding during the Covid-19 crisis.
        Google announced in November that it had signed ''some individual agreements'' on copyright payments with French newspapers and magazines, including top dailies Le Monde and Le Figaro.
        (AFP)
      VIDEO - 9News Australia on Twitter: "NSW recorded 112 locally acquired COVID cases yesterday, with thirty-four of them spending time in the community while infectious. @MarkWBurrows #9News https://t.co/sZaJN6Yll7" / Twitter
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        9News Australia : NSW recorded 112 locally acquired COVID cases yesterday, with thirty-four of them spending time in the community wh'... https://t.co/NebIBaxrXO
        Mon Jul 12 08:10:34 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - Sell the halving on Twitter: "@Breaking911 @adamcurry add it to the list." / Twitter
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        Sell the halving : @Breaking911 @adamcurry add it to the list.
        Tue Jul 13 00:23:36 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - Face The Nation on Twitter: "Dr. Fauci says declining U.S. vaccination rate is ''very, very frustrating situation'': ''We have more vaccines in this country than we know what to do with - everybody & anybody can get vaccinated. And we have
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        Face The Nation : Dr. Fauci says declining U.S. vaccination rate is ''very, very frustrating situation'': ''We have more vaccines in thi'... https://t.co/NDbGubobMm
        Sun Jul 11 16:51:35 +0000 2021
        ¯\_(ãƒ)_/¯ : @FaceTheNation Great. Send the vaccines around the world, then.
        Tue Jul 13 02:23:13 +0000 2021
        Ken Nichols : @FaceTheNation Time to consider putting someone else in charge. At this point, Fauci is a lightening rod and we ne'... https://t.co/zvMoea54PU
        Tue Jul 13 01:53:20 +0000 2021
        Stigs ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡² : @FaceTheNation Good, I'm not getting the vaccine. Why? Because I choose not to. I have got everything but the Rona vax.
        Tue Jul 13 01:31:00 +0000 2021
        TuiteroMostWanted : @FaceTheNation Y gente que har­a cualquier cosa por reducir la poblaci"n mundial, controlarla y dirigirla hacia su'... https://t.co/syerx9QAnv
        Tue Jul 13 01:30:46 +0000 2021
        Jeff McDaniel : @FaceTheNation It's almost as if the past 18 months of building distrust is hurting his cause. ðŸ¤--
        Tue Jul 13 01:09:12 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - (11) Pelosi & DOD Just Activated Mass Domestic Military Grade 'Undetectable Army' Accountable To No One! - YouTube
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      VIDEO - High potency weed linked to psychotic episodes, mysterious vomiting illness in young users
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 20:22
        BOULDER, Colo. '-- One day in fall 2018, Bo Gribbon began to vomit and couldn't stop. He threw up multiple times an hour from morning to night before his mother drove him to the hospital near their home here.
        ''It felt like Edward Scissorhands was trying to grab my intestines and pull them out,'' said Gribbon, then 17.
        Over the next nine months, Gribbon went to the emergency room 11 times for the same problem: severe vomiting and screaming at the same time that lasted for hours. When a physician assistant told him the likely cause, Gribbon didn't believe it at first. He had never heard of marijuana producing a side effect like that.
        Bo Gribbon, 20, went to the ER 11 times in 9 months for a condition that caused bouts of nonstop vomiting and screaming. Medical professionals told him it was from chronic cannabis use but he didn't believe it until stopping cannabis finally made the vomiting stop. Robin Noble''The only thing that convinced me was that it stopped when I stopped smoking,'' said Gribbon, now 20.
        Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012. Several years later, doctors in Colorado and other states are expressing alarm over the increasing potency of cannabis and the health risks it may pose for young users '-- from psychiatric issues, including violent psychotic episodes, to the mysterious condition that plagued Gribbon.
        The condition '-- officially called "cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome" but now known to health care workers as "scromiting," a mashup of "screaming" and "vomiting" '-- has popped up with increasing frequency at hospitals in Colorado, doctors say.
        The ER at Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo saw only five scromiting cases in 2009. By 2018, the number had risen to more than 120, according to data compiled by Dr. Brad Roberts, an emergency room physician at the hospital.
        Reports of the syndrome doubled in two different ERs in the state shortly after legalization, according to one study.
        Roberts said the presence of these patients strains hospital resources. When faced with people suffering from bouts of nonstop vomiting, doctors often order up an array of diagnostic tests to rule out other underlying causes.
        ''We use up a lot of medical resources to see if there is anything more seriously wrong with them,'' Roberts said.
        A 2018 national research review called the syndrome ''an increasingly prevalent and complicated problem for health care providers and patients.''
        Cannabis has been consumed by humans for thousands of years, but relatively little is known about cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
        The condition was first reported in scientific literature in 2004. The available research since then indicates that it stems from chronic use of especially powerful marijuana.
        A 2017 review of studies found that 97 percent of people who developed the condition reported using marijuana at least once a week. About 75 percent said they consumed cannabis regularly for over a year.
        ''These patients often undergo expensive medical testing, may require hospital admission for symptom management, and often experience significant delays in diagnosis,'' the authors wrote.
        The authors noted that it's not yet known why some marijuana users develop cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome and others don't. The fact that marijuana is used by many people to suppress nausea adds to the mystery.
        People who've had the syndrome say it can be alleviated with hot showers or baths, but the episodes often continue until the patient stops using marijuana altogether.
        Scromiting cases have increased as pot has become far more powerful, according to doctors. Experts say the marijuana consumed 20 years ago had levels of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient, of 2 percent to 3 percent, but cannabis products now sold in markets like Colorado can have THC levels as high as 90 percent.
        Dr. Timothy Meyers, the chair of the emergency department at Boulder Community Health, said when he first arrived at the hospital 18 years ago, it was a condition he never saw.
        ''Now I see it practically every day,'' he said.
        Psychiatric issuesFour Colorado doctors interviewed by NBC News said they've also seen an increase in the number of patients with psychiatric issues after consuming powerful marijuana. A 2019 study found that consuming cannabis with THC levels exceeding 10 percent increased the odds of a psychotic episode.
        ''Almost every day I see a patient in the ER who is having a psychotic break after taking high-potency THC,'' Roberts said.
        Dr. Karen Randall worked in emergency rooms in Detroit for 19 years but she said she never saw anything like the acute violent psychotic reactions from high potency THC cannabis that she is seeing now in her emergency room in Pueblo, Colo. Dr. Karen RandallDr. Karen Randall, who works in the Parkview Medical Center emergency room with Roberts, said she spent 19 years working in a downtown Detroit emergency room, but that didn't prepare her for what she characterized as the high volume of ''acutely violent psychotic patients'' in Colorado.
        ''I never saw anything like this,'' Randall said.
        Marijuana has long been considered a nonaddictive drug that causes few, if any, serious side effects. It's still not clear if it causes more serious mental health problems, but a growing body of research suggests it can have damaging effects on adolescent brains.
        An increasing share of Colorado's $2 billion cannabis market is made up of concentrates or other products with high levels of THC, according to Tim Ruybal Jr., who founded Dyspense, a company that tracks inventory for the industry. Ruybal said concentrates made up 43 percent of the market share in 2020, up from 32 percent in 2019.
        ''Evidence for how cannabis, especially in higher concentrations, impacts mental health is growing and stronger, especially on how it relates to psychosis and schizophrenia-like symptoms,'' said Dr. G. Sam Wang, an emergency room doctor and toxicologist at Children's Hospital Colorado in Denver.
        ''These impacts are seen more with higher-concentrated products and with more frequent use,'' Wang said.
        Lawmakers take actionRandall and Roberts were among a group of Colorado doctors who threw their support behind a state bill designed to close a loophole that allowed young people between the ages of 18 and 20 to get their hands on large quantities of high-potency pot.
        Cannabis is not legal in Colorado for people under 21, but prior to the bill's passage in late May, 18-year-olds could get state medical cards after a brief call with a doctor, allowing them to buy up to 400 doses per day shopping from store to store.
        The new legislation requires those under 21 to visit two separate doctors in person to get a medical marijuana card and limits the amount they can buy from an individual store. It also restricts the amount of marijuana concentrates that people over 21 can purchase at medical dispensaries and mandates the creation of a tracking system to prevent people from going shop to shop to amass large quantities of pot.
        People stand in freshly painted circles, six-feet-apart, as they wait in a two-hour line to buy marijuana products from Good Chemistry on March 23, 2020 in Denver. Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images fileRep. Judy Amabile, a state lawmaker who represents Boulder, supported the bill and gave an impassioned speech on the House floor linking her own son's experience with schizophrenia to cannabis.
        ''Everywhere he went, this product was available and in greater and greater concentrations and potency,'' she said.
        ''It's too late for him,'' she added. ''Let's talk instead about your children.''
        In an interview with NBC News, Amabile said she was surprised the bill passed with such wide margins.
        ''To me that is a sea change, and I credit this group of activist moms who testified, who really put in the work to educate legislators,'' she said.
        'My life was falling apart'The bill is directed at young people like Will Brown, 17.
        Brown told NBC News his mother would sometimes find him on his bedroom floor unable to speak after he inhaled concentrated cannabis oil vapors in a process called dabbing.
        ''I knew I couldn't stop,'' Brown said. ''My life was falling apart around me.''
        Jasmine Block, 18, said she got high-potency cannabis from dealers who obtained medical cards fraudulently.
        ''They wanted to profit off of these younger kids, who don't have access to this,'' she said.
        ''I am an advocate for stricter marijuana policies and stricter doctor-to-patient relationships and the qualifications you need to meet in order to get a medical marijuana card,'' Block said. ''Because [from] experience, it is so easy to get your hands on.''
        Both Block and Brown are now sober and attend 5280 High School, a Denver charter school for teens with substance issues. They said they're alarmed to meet kids in their recovery groups who dabbed in middle school.
        ''It's kind of terrifying to just watch,'' Brown said.
        Colorado's cannabis industry supported the new legislation. Truman Bradley, executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group, said the trade association believes young people ''should never use cannabis unless under the strict supervision of a medical professional."
        Truman Bradley is the Executive Director of Colorado's Marijuana Industry Group (MIG) that ultimately supported new regulations designed to reduce the amount of high potency cannabis someone can buy in Colorado. NBC News"MIG has worked with a broad base of Colorado stakeholders for over a decade to provide young people with evidence based information in order to make good decisions," he added.
        But Bradley said he doesn't see the need for additional regulation on marijuana potency.
        ''I guess I don't see the correlation between a potency change and kids illegally consuming cannabis,'' Bradley said. ''It shouldn't happen, whether it's 60 percent, 50 percent, 40 percent. The issue is how is it getting there? And I feel like we took a major step to get there.''
        He said eliminating certain products altogether would encourage the black market. ''Teenagers are going to do what teenagers are going to do,'' he said.
        Bo Gribbon is now sober and headed to college this fall to study electronic music.
        He said he's clear-eyed that what happened to him was a result of his own decisions, but he said the industry should also be held accountable.
        ''I don't know if anyone needs to go to jail, but I think they need to be sued,'' he said.
        Gribbon's mother, Robin Noble, said pot may work for some people, but ''for my son, it stole his curiosity and interest in life.''
        Now that he has stopped, she said, ''his general joy is back.''
      VIDEO - (11) What is Doughnut Economics? - with Kate Raworth - YouTube
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      VIDEO - Doughnut | Kate Raworth
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 19:20
        Humanity's 21st century challenge is to meet the needs of all within the means of the planet. In other words, to ensure that no one falls short on life's essentials (from food and housing to healthcare and political voice), while ensuring that collectively we do not overshoot our pressure on Earth's life-supporting systems, on which we fundamentally depend '' such as a stable climate, fertile soils, and a protective ozone layer. The Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries is a playfully serious approach to framing that challenge, and it acts as a compass for human progress this century.
        The Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries (2017)
        The environmental ceiling consists of nine planetary boundaries, as set out by Rockstrom et al, beyond which lie unacceptable environmental degradation and potential tipping points in Earth systems. The twelve dimensions of the social foundation are derived from internationally agreed minimum social standards, as identified by the world's governments in the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Between social and planetary boundaries lies an environmentally safe and socially just space in which humanity can thrive.
        If you want to look deeper into the Doughnut, and Doughnut Economics, join us at Doughnut Economics Action Lab where we dive into much more detail on what it means for transforming our economies.
        See you in the Action Lab!
      VIDEO - Fauci: 'Horrifying' to hear CPAC crowd cheering anti-vaccination remarks | TheHill
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        Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that he was horrified to hear the crowd at a conservative gathering this weekend cheering anti-vaccination comments.
        "It's horrifying. I mean, they are cheering about someone saying that it's a good thing for people not to try and save their lives," Fauci told host Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union," referring to the audience's reaction to remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas.
        Fauci also said that it was "almost frightening" for people to say that they don't want health officials to save their lives.
        "I mean, if you just unpack that for a second, Jake, it's almost frightening to say, 'Hey, guess what, we don't want you to do something to save your life,'" Fauci said.
        "Yay. Everybody starts screaming and clapping. I just don't get that," he added. "I don't think that anybody who is thinking clearly can get that. What is that all about? I don't understand that, Jake."
        Fauci was responding to a clip of conservative author Alex Berenson, who spoke at CPAC on Saturday.
        "The government was hoping that they could sort of sucker 90 percent of the population into getting vaccinated," Berenson told the crowd.
        "And it isn't happening," he added to applause.
        Tapper also asked Fauci about former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wanting schools and businesses to mandate COVID-19 vaccines.
        Fauci said that he's in favor of that idea, adding that he anticipates more demand for the vaccines once they are formally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
        "So these vaccines are as good as officially approved with all the i's dotted and the t's crossed. It hasn't been done yet because the FDA has to do certain things, but it's as good as done," Fauci said. "So people should really understand that. But they are waiting now until you get an official approval before. And I think when you do see the official approval, Jake, you are going to see a lot more mandates."
        The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in guidance on Friday encouraged schools nationwide to open for in-person learning this fall.
      VIDEO - Sky News on Twitter: "What do doughnuts and climate change have in common? ðŸ(C) On this week's #ClimateCast, host @AnnaJonesSky gets to grips with Doughnut Economics - the theory that has won approval from the likes of David Attenborough and The P
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        Sky News : What do doughnuts and climate change have in common? ðŸ(C)On this week's #ClimateCast, host @AnnaJonesSky gets to gri'... https://t.co/SdADnkILue
        Mon Jul 12 19:05:00 +0000 2021
        SmoggyThorpes : @SkyNews @AnnaJonesSky Stop retweeting this @SkyNews I've seen it multiple times now!
        Mon Jul 12 19:16:40 +0000 2021
      AKG LYRA
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        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 17:40
        ULTRA-HD MULTIMODE USB MICROPHONESimply plug AKG Lyra into your computer, phone or tablet and it's easy to get Ultra HD sound for podcasts, YouTube videos, music, gaming and more.
        About AKG Sound Compatibility Simplicity Design Software Shop Now The center of your Creative UniverseLegendary AKG Sound AKG Lyra is perfect for creating podcasts, YouTube videos, music and more with 4k-compatible, Ultra HD audio quality. Featuring cutting-edge AKG Internal Element Overload Prevention, an internal shockmount and built-in sound diffuser, Lyra automatically reduces noise and improves signal levels for optimal performance. The four-capsule AKG Adaptive Array offers versatile capture modes that eliminate guesswork, so you can quickly get professional sound.
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      Union Pacific suspends inbound international container shipments to Chicago for a week - Trains
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 13:25
        Embargo will allow railroad to address backlog at Global IV facility
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        A Chicago-bound Union Pacific train passes through La Fox, Ill., on April 16, 2021. UP is halting container traffic from the West Coast to address a backlog at its Chicago intermodal facility. (Trains: David Lassen)OMAHA, Neb. '' In the latest pandemic-related disruption, Union Pacific has told customers it will halt all shipments of international containers from West Coast ports to its Global IV terminal in Chicago for up to a week.
        The embargo, scheduled to begin on Sunday night, will help the railroad clear a container backlog at Global IV. The terminal is clogged largely due to reasons beyond the railroad's control. Labor shortages and pandemic-related restrictions have slowed unloading and loading of containers at customer facilities. That has led to a shortage of chassis and drayage capacity during a period of high demand.
        Other railroads, including BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern, also have taken steps at various times this year to limit inbound volume at congested terminals in Memphis, Chicago, and elsewhere on their systems.
        Intermodal analyst Larry Gross says UP's move will create massive backups at West Coast ports, which are already busy as retailers are looking to keep up with consumer demand and aim to restock depleted inventories at their warehouses and store shelves.
        As many as 40,000 twenty-foot equivalent units '-- or TEUs, the standard measure of international containers '-- will be stuck at West Coast ports over the next week due to the UP embargo, Gross says. That's equivalent to 50 double-stack trains, each with 200 wells and a capacity for 800 TEU.
        ''The biggest issue seems to be a shortage of pool chassis to support normal operations at this wheeled terminal,'' Gross says of the congestion at Global IV. ''But I'm told that if a drayman shows up at Global IV with their own chassis to pick up a grounded box, they can't get the box loaded.''
        In a service advisory issued today, steamship line HMM told customers to expect delays to containers that are on ships or already on docks at West Coast ports. ''There will be some restrictions on new bookings from Asia to Chicago destinations in order to clean up any already in-transit cargoes,'' the HMM advisory says.
        ''As the U.S. intermodal supply chain continues to be stressed with U.S. West Coast terminal congestion, we will continue to closely monitor the circumstances of other inland rail ramps, as well,'' HMM says.
        UP, in a service advisory two weeks ago, adjusted its container storage charges amid parking congestion at the terminal.
        ''The international intermodal supply chain continues to experience congestion related to high demand and constrained capacity, particularly drayage and warehouse operations in major markets,'' UP said in a July 1 advisory. ''Union Pacific has strived to maximize container shipments between ports and inland ramps, but available parking space at Chicago's Global 4 ramp has been consumed due to slow outbound drayage processing.''
      Congress considers credit-reporting overhaul, including putting government in charge of scores
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 13:22
        Amid all of this week's news, one potentially game-changing piece of legislation seemed to slip under the radar: the idea of dramatically overhauling the U.S. credit reporting industry.
        "Good credit is a gateway to wealth," said House Committee on Financial Services chair Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said Tuesday. "Yet, for far too long, our credit reporting system has kept people of color and low-income persons from access to capital to start a small business; access to mortgage loans to become homeowners; and access to credit to meet financial emergencies."
        Waters added that the House passed two bills out of the committee before the pandemic '' the Comprehensive CREDIT Act and the Protecting Your Credit Score Act of 2021'' which "provide long overdue reforms to our credit reporting system."
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        Both bills are now back under consideration.
        During Tuesday's hearing, Waters and her committee heard from consumer-protection advocates like Chi Chi Wu of the National Consumer Law Center, who proposed replacing the privately-run three-credit bureau system with a public credit registry. It would operate under the umbrella of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which guards consumers against unfair or abusive practices.
        "While public agencies are not perfect, at least they would not have profit-making as their top priority," Wu told the House Committee on Financial Services during her testimony. "They would be responsive to public pressure and government oversight. They could also be charged with developing credit scoring models to reduce the yawning racial and economic inequality in this country."
        Wu added, "The fact that these are private, profit-seeking companies explains why the credit bureaus are constantly expanding their products into uses, such as employment, insurance, and tenant screening, that ultimately harm Americans and contribute to the massive inequality in our nation."
        Waters noted that creating a credit reporting agency that is consumer-oriented "would be a major upgrade over today's broken, biased credit reporting system."
        In addition to the single credit bureau idea, Wu also proposed several other policies, that, if implemented, could improve the financial lives of Americans struggling to improve their credit scores and financial lives:
        Prohibiting the use of credit score information for purposes unrelated to credit decisions. This means most employers could no longer use credit reports in their candidate screening process. Reduce the amount of time negative information remains on your credit report. Information like missed payments and collections would fall after 4 years instead of 7. Bankruptcies would continue to stay on for 7 years. Limit the reporting of medical debt. They would prohibit the reporting of medical debt for medically necessary services and delay the reporting of unpaid medical bills for one year to give you time to resolve issues with hospitals and insurance carriers. Protect economic victims of COVID-19. The lawmakers hope to put a moratorium on the reporting of negative information incurred during the pandemic and other disasters.To illustrate the impact of COVID on consumer credit, Waters shared a story:
        Last week, I received a letter from a gentleman in Ohio. In this letter, he explained how he had lost his job because of the pandemic. Without his salary, and with no help from any of his creditors, he couldn't afford to cover all of his bills. Though he had never before missed a credit card payment, his credit score has suffered so badly, he wrote '' and I quote '' 'I couldn't get credit now if I paid someone to give me credit.'. He closed his letter by asking what this Committee was doing to protect consumers like him.
        How things work nowCurrently, Americans have multiple scores from each of the three major reporting bureaus. Scoring models vary in how which factors are weighted more heavily but all credit scores are used to evaluate a person's ability to manage credit and debt. They're used to decide who gets a car or home loan, credit cards, apartment.
        These factors include:
        Payment history (Are you consistently on time or late paying your bills?) Credit utilization (How much of your total credit are you currently using?) Length of credit history (How long have your credit cards and loans been open and are they in good standing?) New credit (Have you been frequently applying for credit lately?) Credit mix (Do you have a variety of credit, such as loans and credit cards?) The goal: Eliminate errors, ensure fair practices, end confusionFixing mistakes on a credit report (let alone, all 3 versions) can be a byzantine system of filling out forms and phone calls.
        "The fact that their customers are creditors and other users of information explains the unacceptable error rates and bias against consumers who complain about errors," Wu argued, adding that, "if consumers are not able to obtain legal redress for FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) violations, a key means of enforcement disappears, making the broken credit reporting system much, much harder to fix. A public credit registry would replace or provide an alternative to this broken system."
        Both Wu and Waters referenced a recent Supreme Court decision, which narrowed the case brought by an Arizona man who had successfully sued Transunion for relief after a car dealership's credit check incorrectly flagged him as being on a terrorist watchlist.
        But even smaller errors can cost you over the long haul in the form of higher interest rates on mortgages and car loans '' or possibly getting a mortgage or rent application denied, even if you satisfy the income requirements.
        Crucial FICO scores in need of updatesIn order to help consumes protect their credit during the pandemic, the bureaus have extended the availability of free credit reports until 2022. However, these reports usually do not include your FICO scores. Those you usually have to pay the credit bureaus for '' especially if you want to see the ones that will be used when you go to buy that house or car and get an idea of which rate your qualify for.
        Another problem related to mortgages: Although both FICO and Vantage scores have been recalibrated to reduce the impact of medical debt, those aren't the ones used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the mortgage-underwriting process. So to streamline the process, many lenders use the same less-forgiving FICO 5 (Equifax), 4 (Transunion) and 2 (Experian) scores and often take your middle score. And again, these are scores that consumers usually have to pay to see. They're also used to evaluate rental applications.
        Your credit score also impacts your auto insurance payment, determining whether you can afford to drive that car to work. It might even factor into whether you get that job.
        "It's essentially the report card for a consumer's financial life," Wu said. "Yet for such an important record, credit reports and scores suffer from profound problems and abuses."
        This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Congress considers credit-reporting overhaul, including putting government in charge of scores
      A Catastrophe Unveils Itself '-- Gilad Atzmon thoughts and music
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 13:10
        On July 9, we learned that Pfizer'¯planned to ask U.S. and European regulators to authorize an urgent booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine, ''based on evidence of greater risk of infection six months after inoculation and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.''
        On the same day we also learned that the FDA and CDC weren't very enthusiastic about the idea. In a joint statement both institutions announced that ''Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster COVID-19 shot at this time.''
        The European Medicines Agency (EMA) also said that ''it was too early to determine whether more than the two shots that are currently required would be called for, saying it was confident for now that the established regimen was sufficient.''
        It was revealed later that day that Pfizer's emergency booster request was initiated following some catastrophic data from Israel.'¯
        Searching for a clue in Hebrew media sources, I came across a spectacular revelation dated 6 July that showed around 85% of new COVID Delta infections in Israel are fully vaccinated.'¯'¯
        The above data suggests that while in the youngest age group'¯(20-29) the vaccinated were about 2.3 over-represented amongst COVID infection cases. In some of the older age group (50-59 for instance), the vaccinated were overrepresented by even more than 15-fold. We should take into consideration that in Israel most senior citizens are fully vaccinated. And yet, since in Israel only 57% of the population is fully vaccinated, one would expect the balance between Delta cases in Israel to be shared by a rate that doesn't exceed beyond'¯a 6:4 ratio between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.'¯ Clearly this is not the case. On average, according to the data above the vaccinated are more likely to catch delta by a ratio of 5:1 on average.'¯
        Being slightly suspicious of the above data and its origin, I asked my Israeli partners to trace'¯an official government document that could confirm the above numbers. Within a few minutes the Israeli'¯ Health Ministry announcement for July 6'¯ '¯surfaced in my email inbox and it validates the above finding.
        The most significant information is produced by the following table.
        '¯The above study reveals that while in February 2021'¯(31/1-27/2) the unvaccinated dominated the COVID cases by a ratio of 20:1, six months later in June 2021 (6/6-3/7) it is actually the vaccinated who are prone to be infected by a ratio of 5:1. It is the vaccinated who happen to develop symptoms by a ratio of 5:1. It is the vaccinated who are more likely to be hospitalized and develop critical illness. If Israel was a 'world experiment,' as Benjamin Netanyahu presented it at one stage, this experiment is now turning into a disaster (at least for the vaccinated). In Israel,'¯the vaccinated are becoming infected at a growing rate and as such are spreading the virus rather than stopping it. We also have a good reason to believe that'¯the rest of the Western world will witness a similar pattern as it has followed the Israeli vaccine doctrine.
        People like to fiddle with statistics and draw the conclusions that suit them. If only 11 out of the 1271 vaccinated cases develop critical illness, we are dealing with slightly less than 1% of the vaccinated developing critical illness. At the same time more than 2% of the unvaccinated develop critical illness. Yet, since Delta cases are 5 times more common amongst the vaccinated as time passes by, I may suggest that we are facing a possible emerging disaster as far as the Pfizer-vaccinated are concerned.'¯
        I guess that Pfizer scientists understand all of this'¯very well and this is why they asked for an immediate booster approval.
        Update 14.7.2021 15:40. Minutes after publishing the this article this new data came in from Israel. It suggests that when it comes to Delta cases, the Vaccine has no impact whatsoever as the percentage of vaccinated Delta cases is pretty much identical with their representation in society.
      DHS Training Program Prepares For Rural Lockdowns, Mass Quarantines Against Unvaccinated | Coronavirus News
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:52
        Above chart source: Bloomberg News
        An official training subcontractor for the DHS and FEMA has put up a bulletin on a training program entitled ''ISOLATION & QUARANTINE FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES.'' The Biden administration has decried the low COVID vaccination rates in southern and rural America.
        The course description reads:
        ''This 8.0-hour, instructor-led course is designed to provide the knowledge necessary to begin planning for situations requiring the isolation and quarantine (I&Q) of a large portion of a local, rural population. This training will provide public- and private-sector emergency managers, community policy makers, public health, and public safety personnel with the general knowledge necessary to begin planning for situations requiring the isolation and quarantine of a large portion of a local, rural population.''
        ''Public safety'' personnel is generally taken to mean police. The training provider is the Center for Rural Development based in Somerset, KY.
        The description continues:
        ''A rural community's ability to collectively respond to an emergency requiring isolation and quarantine is not only essential to minimizing the negative impacts to the community at risk, but also to minimizing the long-term negative economic and health effects on the American public as a whole'...''
        Meanwhile, most state legislatures, where laws can be passed to block such egregious violations of rights, sit on their hands, although one Florida state representative has said he will file legislation to have vaccine door-knockers arrested.
        The announcement takes place as the Biden administration announces plans to go door-to-door in order to ''encourage'' people to take experimental COVID injections, which still have until late 2022 and late 2023 in their clinical trial protocols filed with the FDA. Nevertheless, a leak obtained by the Army Times indicates that Biden plans to authorize the shots for general, non-emergency use this September.
        Many believe that this will be the signal for a wave of employer and other mandates for the COVID drugs, regardless of voluminous safety concerns, lack of long-term safety data, and individual judgements of personal risk. This will inevitably be followed by an increasingly sophisticated system of centralized digital ID in the name of public health.
        [Pfizer clinical trials protocol submitted to FDA, last into 2022] [Moderna clinical trials protocol submitted to FDA, last into 2023]
        Below: Image from DHS/FEMA training course website
        Below: Normal human clinical trials duration before FDA approval, tutorial from Pfizer website, absolute minimum 2+ years, does not include typical 3 to 6 years animal trials (source: Pfizer)
        The Department of Homeland Security announcement comes as:
        '-- The Indian Bar Association (IBA) has sued WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, accusing her in a 71-point brief of causing the deaths of Indian citizens by lying to them about Ivermectin. Like Anthony Fauci and the FDA, Swaminathan said, oversaw, or implied strongly that Ivermectin was ineffective. However, a review of the 62 known studies on the efficacy of Ivermectin, 37 of them peer-reviewed, showed a 64% decease in mortality for early interventions.
        If a trial in India finds Dr. Swaminathan guilty, then the WHO Scientist could be sentenced to death or life in prison. See: ''The Criminal Case Against Fauci, Indian Court Could Sentence WHO Chief Scientist to Death for Ivermectin Lies''
        The official NIH position on Ivermectin is: ''The COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel recommends against the use of Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19, except in a clinical trial.''
        A doctors' organization reports that In Mexico, recent widespread giveaways of Ivermectin by the government in Chiapas has resulted in COVID deaths all but disappearing, including ''variants.'' A peer-reviewed study published in the American Journal of Therapeutics found that ''Moderate-certainty evidence finds that large reductions in COVID-19 deaths are possible using ivermectin.''
        '-- Deaths reported to the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting system, VAERS, which were possibly caused by the Pfizer/Moderna injections, have gone over 9,000, with debilitating injuries possibly in the millions, or almost 1% of injections, depending on which under-reporting factor is accepted. One Harvard-Pilgrim study estimates only 1% of adverse events are reported. The number of reported possible COVID vaccine deaths is now over the number of deaths reported for all other vaccines combined, over 20 years of reporting . (Possibly-linked COVID vaccine deaths through April 2021, number now higher.)
        '-- In the Wall Street Journal, two eminent scientists wrote that COVID vaccine risks now include heart inflammation (possible long-term,) thrombosis (blood clots,) and ''death.'' In their Wall Street Journal article, doctors Ladapo and Risch, the latter an eminent Yale epidemiologist, link to a petition and studies citing ''concerns'' over ''reduced fertility, miscarriages, and preterm births.''
        '-- The banning of masks in Canada with graphene in them, also worn in the US, due to cellular lung damage over the long term, as US health authorities remain indifferent, proves that health is not the rationale behind US government policies.
        '-- US Senator Ron Johnson has highlighted censored vaccine injuries and deaths, in a panel convened last month. Many are bizarre and horrific. Many seem neurological, and are debilitating. A woman says that her skin, over her whole body, feels numb, tingling, and like fire. ''This is my life 24/7'' she said tearfully. See: ''Horrific Injuries Described by Pfizer/Moderna Trials Volunteers, as Biden to Make Shots Mandatory for Military''
        Below: Serious Vaccine Injury Testimony, Panel Held by US Senator Ron Johnson, June 22 (view at Bitchute)
        ''- One-third of deaths reported to CDC after COVID injections occurred within 48 hours, in one large sample.
        '-- The inventor of the mRNA technology has said, on the Tucker Carlson Show, that he now believes that, for young adults, the risks of the shots outweigh the benefits. Dr. Robert Malone has also said that a grave mistake was made by cutting short animal trials from the normal three to six years, and that due to unexpected behavior of the drugs revealed in a recent Japanese study, people who have taken drugs are in long-term ''danger.''
        Summary of Dr. Malone June 2021 Interview by Discernable (view at Bitchute)
        Inventor of mRNA Dr. Robert Malone, Full Interview (view at Bitchute)
        '-- A former Chief Science Officer and VP for Pfizer, Dr. Mike Yeadon, has highlighted what many doctors and scientists are saying, that governments and the medical establishment are telling ''demonstrable'' lies, on subjects such as Ivermectin, variants, vaccines, remedies, herd immunity, and the origin of COVID.
        This year, the entire major media and medical establishment was exposed after a year-long attack on scientists who said COVID was man-made in China, some saying with the help of funding approved by Tony Fauci at the NIH. Publications with the stature of Scientific American were enlisted in the smear campaign, which never addressed science but merely put forth that believers of this theory were somehow psychologically lacking.
        The thuggish, unscientific nature of the opponents of the man-made theory was shown when former CDC Director Robert Redfield, after looking hard at science, supported the man-made theory. He promptly received deaths threats from other scientists, according to an interview in The Hill.
        In the same article, Scientific American also attacked as ''myths'' that COVID's death rate was similar to flu, which has long been confirmed and even suggested by Anthony Fauci, that masks don't work, and the crazy notion that ''wealthy elites are using the virus to profit from vaccines.''
        On variants, Dr. Yeadon, who headed the respiratory illnesses research division at Pfizer, says:
        ''based on all of the variants that are in the public domain, 4000 or so of them, none of them are going to'...[become more dangerous]'...Nevertheless, politicians and health advisers (to loads of governments) are saying that they are. They're lying. Well, why would you do that?''
        Puzzled by what he says is a relentless campaign of lies, Dr. Yeadon says he can only conclude that governments are bent on ''mass murder.''
        Below: Former Chief Science Officer and VP at Pfizer, Dr. Mike Yeadon, says present COVID shots are ''mass murder'' (view at Bitchute)
        '-- Doctors and scientist express outrage at what they say are repeated falsehoods about herd immunity, such as Dr. Fauci's claim that 90% of the population would need to receive the mRNA injections in order to attain herd immunity. But even according to mainstream Newsweek, significant herd immunity begins at 40% of the population infected and recovered, or vaccinated.
        Estimated R0 and HITs (herd immunity threshold) of well-known infectious diseases (Source)
        Dr. Marty Makary, a professor and surgeon at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, believes America has reached herd immunity because about half of the population have gotten ''natural immunity due to prior infection'...'' Dr. Makary believes that about 85% of the American population are now immune to COVID-19.
        Censored COVID ''Vaccine'' Adverse Events Facebook Page, Posts (view at Bitchute)
        Crippling COVID Experimental Vaccine Reactions '' Video (View at Bitchute)
        '-- In December, British health officials warned people with food allergies not to take the Pfizer experimental vaccine injection. The advice applied to ''any person with a history of a significant allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicines or food.'' The health authority warned of ''anaphylactoid reactions.''
        '-- In December, Dr. Yeadon and a German physician, Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg, called for a halt to all mass vaccinations and human clinical trials of the Pfizer and Moderna injections, based on safety concerns.
        '-- Multiple groups of doctors and scientists have also called for a halt to the human experimentation, which based on short-term human trials last year, is being called ''safe and effective.'' The average time for bringing any new drug or vaccine to market is 10 years, including 3 to 6 years of animal trials. (Links to doctors' calls for halts, partial list: 1, 2, 3, 4.)
        '-- A meticulously sourced documentary which shows the depths of corruption in the medical and science establishment, which depends on Big Pharma for grants, is '''The Illusion of Evidence-Based Medicine'' (below.)
        Who Are ''They?'' Other Stunning CoincidencesAs the Biden administration now prepares an official DHS training course in mass round-ups, two other questions must be asked: Who is behind it, and how do we stop it? To take the second question first, assuming the US Congress is hopelessly corrupt, power lies in state legislatures, which can oppose the federal government under our federalist system.
        In Florida state representative and U.S. House candidate Anthony Sabatini (R) has said he will file legislation banning door-to-door invasions of medical privacy, which are governed by HIPAA laws. Sabatini says he will seek to have such workers arrested.
        National Health Freedom Action has made it easy to write to your state legislators in any state, with a convenient online tool. The citizens' organization Right to Refuse tracks anti-coerced COVID vaccine legislation and makes it easy for citizens to get involved.
        As for the ''whys'' of the relentless campaign of lies and assaults on liberties, some facts bear deeper investigation:
        Tony Fauci has already, in years past, sung the praises of a vaccine as safe and effective with side effects which are ''very, very, very rare,'' before the drug was found to have the serious side-effect of miscarriages. In 2010 Fauci pushed the vaccine for the H1N1 flu. Now the science website Statnews.com reports that:''women who had a miscarriage were twice as likely to have been vaccinated within the previous 28 days as women with full-term pregnancies. An additional analysis showed that women who had a miscarriage were almost eight times more likely to have been vaccinated with H1N1-containing vaccines'....''
        In April Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook deleted a 120,000 member group devoted to discussing COVID injection adverse events. For a partial list of news reports on possible vaccine-related injuries or deaths go here.Drug trials in humans are usually halted upon 25 to 50 unexplained deaths, such as the swine flu vaccine program in 1976 in the US, which was administered to 40 million Americans, 25% of the population. It was halted after 25 possibly related deaths, even without causal links being shown. Bill Gates, who is heavily invested in digital ID technology, i.e. ''vaccine passports,'' which he has said will someday be needed, is the richest and most powerful pusher of a regular, never-ending universal vaccination system, at least for the masses, who do not travel on private jets or frequent private clubs. To help run his GAVI Alliance, in 2010 Gates tapped Anthony Fauci, an expert in suppressing safe, cheap remedies for diseases while far more profitable vaccines can be developed and made mandatory.Coincidentally, behind the most well-known ''fact check'' websites such as PolitiFact.com and FactCheck.org, is Bill Gates money, through their parent organizations such as the Poynter Institute, and the Annenberg Foundation, respectively.Also coincidentally, Gates is behind the Imperial College professor who invented the ''lockdown'' theory, which has been thoroughly discredited as there is no correlation between the presence or severity of lockdwns and COVID death rates. The professor, Neil Ferguson, released the paper last in March 2020 entitled ''Report 9 '' Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand.'' Gates gave Ferguson and his MCR Centre for Global and Infectious Diseases $8 million last March and April. The FDA, which declares when vaccines are ''safe,'' owes half its annual budget to the pharmaceuticals industry. The World Health Organization, which guides pandemic response from policy on remedies such as Ivermectin to COVID testing, receives 10% to 13% of its funding, as much as the entire US donation, from one man, Bill Gates. More studies continue to emerge that hydroxychloroquine has been badly maligned by the medical establishment, and could have cut COVID mortality rates by up to 70% (see sources at this blog.)After over 100 million Americans have been vaccinated, the CDC has quietly lowered the sensitivity of COVID tests to detects fewer ''cases,'' this reducing the number of ''breakthrough'' cases showing the injections are ineffective.Two investment companies, Vanguard Group and Blackrock, own most of the major media in the US, and are controlled by a small number of families including the Rockfellers, the Bushes, and Lynn Rothschild. The major media has played an indispensable role in driving the present pro-lockdown-and-mask, no remedies, pro-experimental vaccine, vaccine passport COVID narrative.Worldwide, data shows there have been no ''excess deaths'' overall on global terms, that is, any more deaths than would have been expected in ordinary times. That does not mean there were no excess deaths anywhere. With only 4% of the world's population, the US, with one of the most advanced medical infrastructures in the world, suffered 16% of the deaths attributed to COVID as of June 2021. About 20% of those, according to a University of Virginia-Yale study, can be attributed to the effects of lockdowns, such as deferred medical care and ''deaths of despair'' such as opioid overdoses and suicides. Many more can be attributed to the suppression of the safe use of Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.The ''Great Reset?'' Or the Great Rejection of the Great Reset?Former presidential candidate and US Congressman Dr. Ron Paul and many other observers have warned that the ultra-wealthy elite means no good to the ordinary person with changes planned.
        Dr. Paul wrote on January 4th in ''Oppression'... The 'Great Reset' is about Expanding Government Power and Suppressing Liberty,''
        ''World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab has proposed using the overreaction to coronavirus to launch a worldwide ''Great Reset.'' This Great Reset is about expanding government power and suppressing liberty worldwide'...The Great Reset will dramatically expand the surveillance state via real-time tracking. It will also mandate that people receive digital certificates in order to travel and even technology implanted in their bodies to monitor them.''
        Gates Seems to Have Knowledge of a Coming GenocideLike Fauci, Bill Gates, who is not a scientist and did not graduate from college, has a knack for predicting pandemics, saying in 2018, '' if history has taught us anything, it's that there will be another deadly global pandemic.'' In 2017 Fauci said with great certainty that there was ''No doubt'' Trump would face a surprise infectious disease outbreak.
        Given the near certainty now that the virus was man-made, and that Fauci played no small part in funding the gain-of-function research which makes viruses more transmittable, it might behoove the world to ask Fauci if his prescience was informed by inside knowledge, on a witness stand.
        Gates for his part keeps making predictions, and in December spoke as if COVID was just a dress rehearsal. Gates said, with a smirk, that there will be another pandemic, which ''this time,'' ''WILL get attention.''
        Bill Gates in documentary: The next pandemic ''WILL get attention.'' (View Clip on Bitchute) (Full documentary on Gates)
        TAKE ACTION: SEND LETTERS TO BAN VACCINE PASSPORTS TO ALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES IN 30 SECONDS! (FREE, ALL STATES)Please Read NextIvermectin obliterates 97% of Delhi cases, India Could Sentence WHO Scientist to Death for Lying About IvermectinCensored COVID Experimental ''Vaccine'' Adverse Events Facebook Page, Posts (VIDEO)The Criminal Case Against Fauci, Indian Court Could Sentence WHO Chief Scientist to Death for Ivermectin LiesHorrific Injuries Described by Pfizer/Moderna Trials Volunteers, as Biden to Make Shots Mandatory for MilitaryNow In Wall Street Journal: Covid Vaccine ''Concerns'' Include Heart Inflammation, Thrombosis, DeathInventor of Mrna Vaccines On Tucker: Risks Outweigh Benefits, Especially For Young Adults And ChildrenTwo-year-old baby dies week after 2nd shot in COVID Pfizer trials, no cause given, CDC pulls report
      Victoria Covid updates: Melbourne to go into snap lockdown as 'active, aggressive' outbreak grows
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:24
        Melbourne will go into its fifth coronavirus lockdown tonight '-- its third lockdown this year '-- as health authorities work to contain two separate Delta strain clusters and a rapidly expanding list of exposure sites.
        Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the ''hard lockdown'' on Thursday afternoon.
        ''(If) we don't drive these numbers down '... they will ultimately get away from us. That is why with a heavy heart but absolute necessity and determination to beat this, this Delta strain as we did a few weeks ago, that the chief health officer and public health team have recommended me and my colleagues that we lock down from 11:59pm tonight until 11:59pm next Tuesday night,'' he said.
        ''We've got to do this, otherwise it will get away with us and we, as more than any other part of our nation know, we don't want this getting away from us and being locked down for months.
        ''We want to deal with this with a short, sharp lockdown, decisive action, not waiting, not dawdling, now is our time.
        ''This will be a hard lockdown similar to, or identical to, what we did a couple of weeks ago. ''If you are authorised to work then, you will be authorised to work now. If you were closed then, you will be closed now.
        ''It is essentially a repeat of the successful strategy from a couple of weeks ago.''
        RELATED: Victoria lockdown to begin at midnight
        RELATED: Victoria's Covid-19 outbreak grows to 18
        Lockdown rules explained
        The lockdown will mean Melburnians can only leave their home for five essential reasons.
        ''So it's the four reasons from last year, plus going and getting your jab, going and being vaccinated as part of the Commonwealth government's program, they are the five reasons,'' Mr Andrews said.
        ''One person per household for the things you need when you need them '' shopping and things of that nature. No need to panic buy, no need to do any of that. We've proven there is no need to do that.
        ''You can't go outside the 5km radius. You can go and exercise, you know, we've got the time limits and all the usual things that have applied over time.''
        The five reasons to leave home along with other restrictions include:
        ' Only one person can leave the house for food and supplies
        ' Exercise for up to two hours
        ' Care or caregiving
        ' Work or education
        ' To get vaccinated
        ' Masks must be worn both indoors and outdoors
        ' Five kilometre travel limit
        ' Single person bubble is back
        ' Ten people at funerals and weddings
        Mr Andrews also made a point of banning non-essential shopping.
        ''People who are working in authorised industries can go to work, people who are not authorised cannot go to work, so just for clarity sake, like, retail is shut. It's not open,'' he said.
        ''There will be no browsing, it's click and collect. That's what it has to be. That's what is safe. That's what has worked before in Melbourne and it is what will work again.''
        The restrictions will apply for both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, but regional Victoria may be able to come out of the lockdown earlier depending on the situation.
        The new restrictions come after mask rules were tightened overnight, with face coverings again required in all indoor settings.
        Financial support
        Treasurer Josh Frydenberg earlier told reporters the federal government was ''making support available to Victoria and the Prime Minister will have more to say about those details later today''.
        The federal government announced expanded coronavirus support for NSW earlier this week, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian announcing an extended lockdown a day later.
        Mr Frydenberg said support for Victoria was discussed at today's National Security Committee meeting and with Expenditure Review Committee members.
        ''We are obviously very conscious of the need '... to provide the economic support that is required to Australian businesses and Australian households that are in need. But I will leave further comments to the Prime Minister later today,'' he said.
        Mr Frydenberg said the committee had a ''specific discussion today'' about economic support.
        ''Obviously Victoria's not yet in a lockdown and so, I will leave those decisions about what happens here in Victoria on the health front to those health officials,'' he said.
        The Victorian capital recorded 10 new local infections yesterday, with cases linked to infected removalists from NSW, who failed to wear their masks while working, and other cases linked to a family who breached isolation rules.
        Two further cases were identified this morning '-- patrons who were at the MCG the same time as the earlier announced positive case.
        Victoria's coronavirus testing commander Jeroen Weimar said authorities were rapidly working to mop up the two chains of transmission.
        ''You will appreciate we're dealing with a very dynamic situation here, a very rapidly moving situation here. What we've got is two separate incursions into Victoria over the last three or four days, two chains of transmission, at least one is moving very actively and very aggressively across the state,'' Mr Weimar said.
        Mr Weimar said the state's contact tracers were moving at a rate likely the fastest in ''this hemisphere''.
        RELATED: Follow our coronavirus blog for live updates
        Contact tracers are already on their seventh ring of tracking where coronavirus might've spread across the state.
        ''The first ring was the removalists that were here at the end of last week, we identified them late on Sunday night into Monday morning,'' Mr Weimar explained.
        ''The second ring was the families, the people they moved into the state and the places where they picked up their furniture.
        ''The third ring was the neighbours, the residents in the apartment building, at Ariele.
        ''The fourth ring is friends of those residents and ask neighbours, at least one of whom has turned positive.
        ''The fifth ring is families of the friends of the people in the area, and we have at least two positive cases in the family ring.
        ''The sixth ring is the primary close contacts of those cases, we are testing those people today.
        ''And the seventh ring is their secondary close contacts, who are all locked down in isolation.''
        Mr Weimar said he suspected the outbreak was ''moving more quickly than we have ever seen in Victoria, or I suspect anywhere else in Australia''
        There are 16 cases linked to the two chains of transmission, with 75 exposure sites and more than 2000 close contacts.
        ''Some of them very large and complex locations,'' Mr Weimar said.
        Victoria emerged from its fourth coronavirus lockdown last month.
        In response to the new cases, health authorities immediately brought back masks with Melburnians required to wear them indoors and outside, when social distancing is not possible.
        This means masks are required in workplaces such as offices and factories.
        Masks were previously not mandatory if employees did not deal with the public.
        Speaking this morning, Professor James Trauer, from Monash University in Melbourne, said he believed a snap lockdown was inevitable for the city.
        ''It seems likely. We have seen increasing cases over the last few days, more exposure sites every day and we know that if we go early with lockdowns, the earlier we go, the shorter they need to be,'' he told Sunrise.
        ''We need to get on top of this and we still don't really understand the scale of the number of cases that have been created at the moment.''
        Dr Robert Grenfell, the CSIRO Health and Biosecurity Director, said the Delta strain had changed the way authorities dealt with outbreaks.
        ''I don't think Victoria will take any chances with this one. The virus only respects tough, hard lockdowns and obviously vaccinations,'' he told Today.
        ''At the moment the cases they have announced all fit into a chain of infections, coming mainly out of the housing complex. If there are other cases that appear, that don't necessarily have direct links to those, that's a concern that the virus is now spreading through the community.''
      MIT's 1972 prediction of the collapse of society is on track to happen by 2040, study reveals | Daily Mail Online
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        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:23
        In 1972, a team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) predicted that humanity's pursuit of economic growth without regard for environmental and society costs would lead to society collapsing by the mid 21st century '' a new study finds this may become a reality.
        Gaya Herrington, Sustainability and Dynamic System Analysis Lead at KPMG, undertook the task of proving or disproving MIT's claims and used a world simulation model that analyzed how our world has progressed from 1972.
        Herrington looked at 10 key variables, such as population, industrial output and persistent pollution, and determined our business-as-usual mentality will spark a decline of economic growth within the next decade.
        However, the data revealed an even bleaker future '' our world could experience a total societal collapse by 2040.
        A total societal collapse would mean an abrupt decline in quality of life, food production, industrial output and ultimately the human population.
        Scroll down for video
        The new study looked at 10 key variables, such as population, industrial output and persistent pollution, and determined our business-as-usual mentality will spark a decline of economic growth within the next decade
        MIT made their prediction using a computer program called World1 and looked back as far as 1900 and all the way up to 2060.
        The data was produced on long sheets of white paper and appeared as graph lines.
        In a video of the 1972 findings, MIT's Jerry Foster, who developed World1, revealed his innovation to the world and used MIT's work to do so.
        Foster showed how population has increased from the 1900 to the turn of the century.
        However, the data revealed an even bleaker future '' our world could experience a total societal collapse by 2040. A total societal collapse would mean an abrupt decline in quality of life, food production, industrial output and ultimately the human population
        The line starts out low and then keeps climbing until a few years after 2000 where it then petered out.
        Another examples he used was quality of life, which increased rapidly up until the 1940s and then diminished until 2020 when it sees another uptick.
        However, the model also identified 2020 as a tipping point for civilization.
        'At around 2020, the condition of the planet becomes highly critical. If we do nothing about it, the quality of life goes down to zero,' Foster said in a 1973 ABC segment.
        'Pollution becomes so seriously it will start to kill people, which in turn will cause the population to diminish, lower than it was in the 1900. At this stage, around 2040 to 2050, civilized life as we know it on this planet will cease to exist.'
        Herrington used the same model, but the third version of the simulation called World3, and looked at 10 key variables: population, fertility rates, mortality rates, industrial output, food production, services, non-renewable resources, persistent pollution, human welfare, and ecological footprint, as first reported on by VICE.
        The researcher found the data from the world simulation program aligns with two particular scenarios, 'BAU2' (business-as-usual) and 'CT' (comprehensive technology). 'BAU2 and CT scenarios show a halt in growth within a decade or so from now,' reads the study
        She found that the latest data most closely aligns with two particular scenarios, 'BAU2' (business-as-usual) and 'CT' (comprehensive technology).
        'BAU2 and CT scenarios show a halt in growth within a decade or so from now,' concludes the study published in in the Yale Journal of Industrial Ecology.
        'Both scenarios thus indicate that continuing business as usual, that is, pursuing continuous growth, is not possible.
        'Even when paired with unprecedented technological development and adoption, business as usual as modelled by LtG [Limits of Growth, the MIT book based on its study] would inevitably lead to declines in industrial capital, agricultural output, and welfare levels within this century.'
        Although the 1972 simulation suggests society doomed, Herrington's study adds that technological progress and investing more in public services could shift us away from collapsing.
        However, humanity will have to put in a strong effort in the next decade to change the bleak future.
        'At this point therefore, the data most aligns with the CT and BAU2 scenarios which indicate a slowdown and eventual halt in growth within the next decade or so, but World3 leaves open whether the subsequent decline will constitute a collapse,' the study concludes.
        'Although the 'stabilized world' scenario 'tracks least closely, a deliberate trajectory change brought about by society turning toward another goal than growth is still possible. The LtG work implies that this window of opportunity is closing fast.'
      Spotify Stock Drops as Analysts Critique Podcasts | Billboard
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        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 11:19
        The data is not encouraging, says Bernstein. The problem is podcast year-over-year growth has stalled and even declined. Global podcast listening for the top 10 publishers jumped from 26.7% year-over-year growth in March 2020 to 51.5%, 52.2% 63.6% and 72.3% in the following four months, according to Podtrac data. But annual growth decreased to 1.7% in February 2021 and fell into negative territory in March and June, when year-over-year listening sank 16.5%.
        At the same time, streaming companies' acquisitions of podcast companies has made the market increasingly crowded. Spotify, Amazon, Apple, iHeartMedia and Pandora have poured well over $1 billion into podcast companies in the last three years alone.
        Taken together, Bernstein argues, these factors suggest a heightened risk-versus-return imbalance is not baked into the current share price.
        But the Guardian Fund, a Spotify investor, praised the company in its mid-year report for giving creators tool that will expand podcasting's reach and advertising potential. ''It has become a no-brainer for creators to use Spotify,'' the report says. ''Moreover, by becoming an open platform Spotify is moving away from the walled garden strategy that Facebook and Apple pursue. In fact, Spotify is doing things that are hard for Apple to copy as its business model is invested in controlling the garden.''
        The main question is how podcast listening will grow following the increases during the pandemic. As pandemic restrictions fade and people commute more often, podcasting will compete with increases in in-car listening to radio and music.
        The podcasting long tail could explain some of the decline in Podtrac's data for the top 10 publishers. The number of new podcasts per year grew roughly 650% from 119,000 in 2016 to 885,000 in 2020, according to data from Chartable. That number is certain to grow more as Spotify's 2019 purchase of the Anchor app gives people a simple tool for podcast creation and publishing on its platform.
        Spotify's market capitalization has grown more than $20 billion since the company announced its exclusive licensing deal for The Joe Rogan Experience in May 2020. That's all the more reason to expect Spotify's podcast efforts to generate enough cash flow or become a valuable customer retention tool, Bernstein argues.
      OTC Hearing Aid Regulations Likely Delayed Until Q1 2020
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        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 05:19
        Updated November 18, 2019
        Editor's note: Since this post was last updated, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pressing it over its ''lack of action on writing rules to allow the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids.'' Click here for details.
        The proposed regulations for a new class of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids'--which had previously been slated for release by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month'--are now likely to be released sometime in the first quarter of 2020, according to industry sources and market analyst Niels Leth of Carnegie Research. And, it might even be later, potentially causing them to bump up against the FDA's August 18, 2020 deadline.
        As previously reported in this blog, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for a ''category of hearing aids to promote the availability of additional kinds of devices that address age-related hearing loss'' was cited as having an action date of sometime in November (11/00/19) by the FDA. However, this Unified Agenda publishing date is widely regarded as a soft ''target date.'' According to industry sources, the document has not yet been sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)'--which usually require at least 4-8 weeks for their review.
        Given this, it's likely the very earliest the proposed regulations for OTC hearing devices would be available for public comment is January or February 2020. However, FDA has not yet made a public statement regarding the timeline. It's even possible, due to some of the complexities the Agency is facing on the issue, it may struggle to meet the deadline.
        The FDA's deadline for the proposed OTC hearing aid rule is August 18, 2020. Because hearing aids usually take a backseat to other life-saving devices and more pressing issues within the FDA, it is not uncommon for the Agency's timelines for hearing-related regulations to change. Srinivas ''Nandu'' Nandkumar, PhD, then the branch chief of the FDA's Division of Ophthalmic and Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Devices, warned about factors working against an accelerated timeline as long ago as the 2017 ADA Convention. More recently, Dr Nandkumar told Hearing Industries Association (HIA) members at the 2019 Membership Meeting that it was preferable to have a lot of time between the proposed regulations and final rule-making on the issue of OTC devices, suggesting that the proposed OTC rules might be coming sooner than anticipated. However, as noted, hearing devices traditionally have a lower priority in comparison to other life-saving medical devices, and the FDA continues to have a backlog of issues requiring attention. There also has been a reshuffling within FDA, with Dr Nandkumar becoming director of the FDA's Dental Devices division'--although it is reported he will continue to be involved in the OTC hearing device regulations. Finally, the vastly differing state dispensing laws and regulations regarding both traditional and online hearing aids may also be complicating the rule-making tasks.
        The OTC Hearing Aid Act of 2017 was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on August 18, 2017. It requires the FDA to create and regulate a category of OTC hearing aids for adults with ''perceived'' mild-to-moderate hearing loss and to ensure the devices meet the same high standards for safety, consumer labeling, and manufacturing protection that all other medical devices must meet. The legislation requires the FDA to establish an OTC hearing aid category within 3 years of passage of the legislation, and finalize a rule within 180 days after the close of the comment period'--or an August 18, 2020 deadline for the proposed rule.
        NPRMs explain what the FDA intends to require or do, as well as its scientific and/or policy reasons for the decision. An NPRM also solicits comments from the public, and these are generally submitted via the Federal Government's electronic docket site, available at Regulations.gov. FDA can also issue Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), announced in The Federal Register, for formulating its rules.
        On October 28, FDA did publish in the Federal Registry its final order regarding the De Novo application for the Bose Hearing Aid'--a user-fitted hearing aid intended for mild-to-moderate hearing loss that can be adjusted via a mobile app'--preparing the way for other self-fitting hearing aids for similar special controls. However, this is not to be confused with the new OTC hearing aid classification mandated by Congress.
        Karl Strom is editor of The Hearing Review and has been reporting on hearing healthcare issues for over 25 years.
      Fed Chairman Suggests That Bitcoin Could Become Obsolete If U.S. Digital Currency Existed
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        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 04:42
        Jul 14, 2021, 06:24pm EDT | 89 views
        Anthony Tellez Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
        Reserve, Saul Loeb/AFP/Bloomberg
        (C) 2021 Bloomberg Finance LP
        During testimony on Wednesday afternoon before the U.S. Financial Services Committee, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell made clear that while the central bank is continuing to study the feasibility of a digital dollar, it will not be forced into launching one or succumb to outside pressure from other countries that are jumping out ahead.
        Additionally, he noted that when the US launches a sovereign digital currency, it could make cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin or stablecoins such as Tether unnecessary. ''One of the arguments that are offered in favor of a digital currency in particular you wouldn't need stablecoins you wouldn't need cryptocurrencies if you had a digital US currency'' said Powell when asked by Representative Stephen Lynch (D-MA 8th) about the potential benefits that swift action by the Fed would have on digital currencies.
        Currently, the Fed is working on a report expected to be published in September, pushed back from July, that seeks to expand on benefits, risks, and considerations that must be taken into account when it comes to forms of digital payments, such as crypto assets, stablecoins and the formation of a CBDC. This builds on work that the Fed undertook last year when it partnered with an MIT digital currency initiative to explore the idea of a CBDC.
        ''That whole group of issues and payment mechanisms, which we think are at a critical point, in terms of appropriate regulations and in the case of the CBDC, laying out really, questions for the public to respond to about what good it can do, what the cost and benefits of it would be.'' says Powell on what exactly the study would cover.
        That said, a strong argument could be made that the U.S. is falling behind when it comes to developing a CBDC. China is getting close to implementing the digital yuan, last year the Bahamas went live with the first CBDC, and today the European Central Bank launched the next phase of its digital euro project. In fact, according to a January 2021 study by the Bank for International Settlements, 86% of central banks have begun to explore CBDCs in some shape or form.
        These developments are not lost on certain lawmakers. During his questioning, Rep. Lynch expressed concerns to Powell that if the Fed took too long in exploring the idea of a CBDC the U.S. could inadvertently give up its status as the reserve currency.
        That said, Powell remains firm that the U.S status as a reserve currency has no other competitor. ''The US is the reserve currency. There really isn't a good competitor out there because all the things you need to be the reserve currency really the United States has it.'' As for getting into CBDC's, Powell cautions that there are risks as well as benefits but notes that it depends on each country's circumstances. ''I think it's way more important to do it right, than to do it fast,'' adds Powell.
        Finally, Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC 10th) also probed Chairman Powell regarding any concerns he may have about the implementation of digital assets such as stablecoins, which has grown in popularity with even Visa announcing it will settle payments in USDC, a competitor to industry leader Tether.
        In response, Powell compared stablecoins to money market funds and even bank deposits but without the regulations both adhere to. Powell notes that historically the U.S. has had a strong regulatory framework for other assets such as money market funds but digital assets like stablecoins have limited regulations. ''That doesn't exist really for stablecoins and if they are going to be a significant part of the payments universe, which we don't think crypto assets or even stablecoins might be, then we need an appropriate regulatory framework which we don't have.'' says Powell.
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      Johnson & Johnson recalls Aveeno and Neutrogena spray sunscreens - CNET
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        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 04:40
        The spray sunscreens that Johnson & Johnson is recalling.
        Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson is recalling Aveeno and Neutrogena aerosol sunscreens after internal tests of samples detected the presence of benzene, a known carcinogen.
        The company said Wednesday that consumers should stop using the products and discard them appropriately. The spray sunscreens affected by the recall are Neutrogena Beach Defense, Neutrogena Cool Dry Sport, Neutrogena Invisible Daily, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer and Aveeno Protect + Refresh.
        "Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling all lots of these specific aerosol sunscreen products," the company said, adding that it's working with distributors and retailers to arrange for the return of the recalled products.
        Benzene, an industrial chemical normally found in crude oil and cigarette smoke that can also be used in manufacturing plastic and pesticides, is a known human carcinogen that can cause harm with long-term exposure, which is exposure for more than one year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
        Johnson & Johnson said benzene isn't an ingredient in any of its sunscreen products and that the company is investigating the cause of the contamination. Johnson & Johnson didn't detail how much benzene was detected, describing it only as "low levels."
        Independent pharmaceutical testing company Valisure recently found that 78 lots of sunscreens and sun care products contained benzene , a known carcinogen that's been linked to blood cancer and other illnesses. Of the 78 batches with detectable levels, 40 products were found to have "significantly detected" levels of benzene.
        Johnson & Johnson said consumers could get help with questions or request a refund by calling (800) 458-1673.
        Read more: Benzene in sunscreen: What you should know
        The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
      Brazil's President Bolsonaro Is Hospitalized With Intestinal Blockage : NPR
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        Archived Version
        Thu, 15 Jul 2021 04:39
        Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during a ceremony in Brasilia on Tuesday. Eraldo Peres/AP hide caption
        toggle caption Eraldo Peres/AP Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during a ceremony in Brasilia on Tuesday.
        Eraldo Peres/AP RIO DE JANEIRO '-- After 10 straight days of hiccups, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to a hospital Wednesday with what doctors said was an intestinal obstruction that could require surgery. They announced later that they would not operate immediately.Bolsonaro, 66, was admitted to the Armed Forces Hospital in the capital of Brasilia in the morning and was "feeling well," according to an initial statement that said physicians were examining his persistent hiccups.
        But hours later, the president's office said the surgeon who operated on Bolsonaro after he was stabbed in the abdomen during the 2018 presidential campaign decided to transfer him to Sao Paulo, where he underwent additional tests. By Wednesday night, the Hospital Nova Star released a statement saying the president would receive "a conservative clinical treatment," meaning he will not go through surgery for now.Bolsonaro, who is both Catholic and evangelical, posted on his official Twitter account a photo of himself lying on a hospital bed, eyes closed, several monitoring sensors stuck to his bare torso. At the edge of the photo, a hand reaches out from an unseen person wearing what appears to be a black religious robe and a long chain with a gold cross.
        The 2018 stabbing caused intestinal damage and serious internal bleeding and the president has gone through several surgeries since, some unrelated to the attack.
        In recent weeks, Bolsonaro has appeared to struggle with speaking on various occasions and said that he suffers from recurring hiccups.
        "I apologize to everyone who is listening to me, because I've been hiccupping for five days now," the president said in an interview with Radio Guaiba on July 7. He suggested that some medications prescribed after dental surgery might be the cause. "I have the hiccups 24 hours a day."
        The following day, during his weekly Facebook Live session, Bolsonaro apologized again for not being able to express himself well due to the weeklong hiccups.
        Chronic hiccups are usually the manifestation of an underlying problem, such as an obstructed intestine, that might require surgery, said Dr. Anthony Lembo, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. In some cases, part of the intestine might need to be removed, he said.
        "Any time you're moving bowels, it's not a small surgery," Lembo said, adding that in the case of repeated surgeries, as in Bolsonaro's case, interventions get more complicated.
        Bolsonaro has been under growing pressure from a congressional inquiry into his administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and alleged corruption in the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines. Recent polls have shown record-low approval ratings and indications that he could lose next year's election.
        On Tuesday night, in a 20-minute encounter with the president in Brasilia, supporters repeatedly asked him to look after his health.
      Who Radicalized Robin DiAngelo? A biographical investigation into the coiner and promoter of White Fragility theory | Hail to You
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 22:19
        _____________
        A character study of Robin DiAngelo, the woman behind ''White Fragility'' theory, is in order.
        What follows is an investigation into DiAngelo's family origin, childhood and adolescence, Lost Years, personality, relationships, some on career and education but with a personal focus. New sources and hard-to-find information extensively used.
        This is a ''biographical continuation'' of the investigation into the history of the term she term she coined; see ''White Fragility'' and the Academia-to-Mainstream 'Pipeline.' An investigation into White Fragility Theory and its life-cycle from 2011 to 2020.
        _________________
        In Pursuit of the Woman Behind White Fragility Theory. ''Who Radicalized Robin DiAngelo?''By E.H. Hail5500 words
        ____________________
        Introductory: The 'People' behind the 'Pipeline'
        ''From an obscure fringe of academia in 2011 to the mainstream by mid-2020'' sums up how the term/idea/taunt/disempowerment-slogan ''White Fragility'' traveled through US discourse.
        There were several identifiable steps, stages, critical periods. The upward inflection points were generally associated with violence. A full account of the ascent-cycle for White Fragility can be read here.
        White Fragility followed a traceable path, a path which we have referred to as The Pipeline, in which ideas born or nurtured on the fringes academia, so radical or bizarre they are laughed-off at the time (if indeed any mainstream person even becomes aware of them at this stage) in time penetrate to the ''mainstream.'' To use a more well-known term, this is the process by which the Overton Window shifts (is shifted). A close look at the way The Pipeline works gives great lessons on how politics and discourse work in the US and the West generally.
        What about the 'people' behind the 'Pipeline'? Ideas travel through The Pipeline. The term 'Pipeline' is intended to convey that a lot of ground is covered. White Fragility doctrine wasn't imposed on America by some edict by Robin DiAngelo out of the blue in mid-2020. As such the process cannot really be reduced to (blamed on) the actions of single actors along the way. All the same, individuals do fill certain roles at different stages of The Pipeline and it would help to understand these people. Who fills these roles? Who are these people? What motivates them?
        There are several brief portraits of individuals along different stages of The Pipeline process (ascent cycle) for White Fragility, but none is more important than the term's coiner and popularizer, ROBIN DiANGELO. This study is about her.
        Who is this woman? What lessons might a close look at her background yield as to how/why she ended up devoting her life to the promotion of an aggressive strain of ethnomasochism with religious-cult tendencies? In other words, Who (or 'what') radicalized Robin DiAngelo?
        ____________________
        Robin DiAngelo? Who is That?
        In ''White Fragility and the Academia-to-Mainstream 'Pipeline,''' (July 22) we see that Robin DiAngelo is a longtime academic in multicultural studies and related fields (her author blurb in her 2018 book says she is involved in ''critical discourse analysis and whiteness studies'') and a professional Diversity Trainer. She earned several degrees in Seattle before taking a PhD (multicultural studies) in her forties.
        DiAngelo's wikipedia entry at the time of this research (June/July 2020) has few facts on her personal background. Her wiki entry was only created on March 31, 2017, about the mid-point of the third stage (of five stages) in White Fragility's ascent cycle:
        Graph showing the first four stages of the White Fragility ascent-cycle before the (not shown) major mid-2020 breakout (fifth stage)Graph of the White Fragility ascent-cycle including the major mid-2020 breakout (fifth stage). The breakout is so large in magnitude it obscures previous trends, towering over them.As for Robin DiAngelo's public image, it's fair to say that for mainstream purposes she was unknown before mid-2020. She was still so obscure, as of the late 2010s, that her wiki entry was proposed for deletion in 2019:
        Robin DiAngelo's wikipedia entry proposed for delection, March 2019. ''Failure to meet notability crieria.''''The term 'white fragility' does not have a significant scholarly impact.''
        That was March 2019.
        The 2019 call for deletion is representative of the trend identified in the companion post (''White Fragility and the Academia-to-Mainstream 'Pipeline''') of people not taking seriously ideas which are already in the process of moving their way through The Pipeline. This especially applies to the early phases. In this case, just 15 months before the breakthrough in the decade-long process, we find someone dismissive enough to suggest deletion for non-notability.
        Needless to say, the wiki entry survived and DiAngelo would be a major name fifteen months later (by June 2020), with millions of apolitical, go-along-to-get-along, and polite centrist types all hearing of her name and/or of her White Fragility theory.
        A wiki editor added on Aug. 18, 2018 that DiAngelo was known for her ''notable idea'' of White Fragility. This was just after she published a book by that name '-- and well into the ascent process.
        __________________
        DiAngelo in medias res
        Let's jump ahead in the Robin DiAngelo story to the evening of July 3, 2018, shortly after DiAngelo's book White Fragility was published. The Seattle Public Library event auditorium. The invited guest, a euphoric Robin DiAngelo.
        The host is Misha Stone (born ca.1975; Jewish; librarian at the Seattle Public Library since ca.2002). Remember that she is ostensibly introducing Robin DiAngelo. These are the first words she says (0:07-0:30):
        STONE: ''Before we begin, I'd like to acknowledge we are gathered together on the ancestral land of the Coast Salish people.'' [Long applause] ''Let us honor their elders, past and present. We thank them for their stewardship of this land.''
        (Misha Stone, introducing Robin DiAngelo, July 2018.)When DiAngelo finally gets to speak (2:25), she piles on:
        DiANGELO: ''I do want to reiterate that this talk is happening on the ancestral territories of indigenous peoples.''
        Why are they saying this? The talk's topic has nothing to do with cultural anthropology of Amerindians in the Pacific Northwest at all. Do Amerindians make any appearances in the White fragility book's index?
        (Robin DiAngelo apologizing for having to give a talk on occupied Amerindian land '-- Seattle.)This bizarre form of ancestor worship (''other-people's-ancestor-worship'') to me it kind of gives away the game immediately. Stone and DiAngelo (and the attendees who enthusiastically clap for this incantation)'s message is: White people are morally illegitimate.
        If you read DiAngelo's 2011 article on White Fragility in which she first introduces the term into (fringe-)academic discourse in earnest (see companion post, section '2011'), or listen to her early-July 2018 talk on her book (above) or any other appearance she makes, you'll notice something:
        DiAngelo is a cult trainer.
        One example of many [14:00]:
        ''If you are white and you have not devoted years of sustained study, struggle, and focus on this topic [racism], your opinions are necessarily very limited.''
        Cult trainers talk this way. The recognizable cult pitch always goes like this: ''Your views and experiences and everything you've learned up to now from all or almost all sources are incomplete at best and probably illegitimate and tainted. Only if you undertake intense study, with us, can you attain legitimate and moral views '-- and salvation.'' DiAngelo could be a trainer for any number of cults. She would not have to alter her 'pitch' much.
        When one encounters a cult trainer, one blame the cult trainer for being in the cult? It's tempting. But in many cases at least, and in many ways, these people, too, are really victims of the cult.
        Let's try to reconstruct what went on here, how someone ended up casting her life in this unfortunate direction.
        ____________________
        Robin DiAngelo Becomes a Diversity Trainer, Floats around Academia
        The critical event in Robin DiAngelo's professional life came in the early 1990s at which time she was in her mid-thirties. At this time she became a ''diversity trainer,'' whatever that was supposed to mean then, or now.
        (What ''diversity trainer'' really means is political commissar, training people on proper worldview on behalf of a regime or its ruling ideology and often having the power to arrange for punishment of dissenters; Heidi Beirich is another prominent defacto US political commissar who has been profiled here.)
        DiAngelo's role as diversity trainer / US political commissar / priestess of anti-racism has lasted for thirty years, now, in one permutation or another. Here she is, following her breakthrough to the mainstream, talking to The Guardian:
        (Robin DiAngelo explaining her doctrine of White Fragility, June 2020.)The Diversity field was poised for major growth when DiAngelo hopped aboard. This is how DiAngelo tells the beginning of the saga:
        ''I answered a call for diversity trainers from a [Washington] state department that had lost a civil rights lawsuit and been mandated to provide 16 hrs of diversity training to all their employees. They needed 40 diversity trainers to train 3,000 people.''
        The role of diversity trainer is one DiAngelo has never really left. Her titles and settings have changed, as have national cultural-political conditions, but her 'job' or role in society has fundamentally not.
        In those early early years of the Diversity Training industry and not-yet-lucrative Professional Anti-Racism, DiAngelo also worked as a birthing coach to supplement her income. This according to her husband's website (more material of which will be used throughout the following).
        Why was DiAngelo working as a birthing coach in the 1990s when she had a job as a Diversity Trainer? Clearly the latter must not have paid so well yet. Now it does in her new role as High Priestess-Maximus of Anti-Racism in the defacto civic cult of the West.
        Before her entry into the world of professional anti-racism, Robin DiAngelo graduated with a BA in History and Sociology from Seattle University in June 1991. She was student commencement speaker.
        DiAngelo lingered on the margins of academia in Seattle for years. She got an MA in Education from the University of Washington in 1995. Rinse, repeat. She was soon on the PhD track.
        In 1997, DiAngelo surfaces in ''the literature'' with an academic missive against ''Heterosexim,'' which was radical for its time, being well before the Gay Marriage movement began (circa 2004; the Gay Marriage Movement entered into own 'pipeline,' eventually flipping opinion, with marginal-fringe opinions of one year becoming those of the mainstream political Center-Left ten years later and of the political Center five or so years after that).
        Quoting from DiAngelo in 1997 (using the quaint nomenclature ''gays and lesbians,'' which if written by the late 2010s would open her up to attack from some quarters):
        Within a heterosexist society, heterosexuals take for granted, and are largely unconscious of, their social and economic privilege in relation to gays and lesbians. This article attempts to reconstruct heterosexism as a heterosexual problem by exposing the subtle ways in which heterosexuals maintain, benefit, and are complicit in the oppression of gays and lesbians, regardless of intentions. It is based on a workshop co-designed by the author ['...]
        This tiring passage is from the lead article (''Heterosexism: Address Internalized Dominance'') in the first issue in 1997 of the Journal of Progressive Human Services (a journal first published in 1990).
        DiAngelo finished her PhD and graduated in May(?) 2004, also at the University of Washington in Seattle. Her PhD was is listed as in the fields of ''Critical Multicultural Education; Whiteness Studies.''
        When DiAngelo was doing her PhD work was about the time Whiteness Studies was first emerging. The field deals with 'Whiteness' by attacking it as immoral, illegitimate, and inherently oppressive. (A more honest and descriptive name would have been Anti-Whiteness Studies.) At this relatively early stage in the 2000-2004 period, Whiteness Studies was generally unknown to conservatives and when it did come up in the 2000s, it was mocked and dismissed. Fifteen to twenty years later, it's easy to see who's laughing last and who holds cultural power!
        ________________
        Robin DiAngelo Gets Married
        For most of the 1990s, DiAngelo appears to have lived with a woman named Amy M. Zimmerman. Their names appear jointly on real estate transactions and property ownership in King's County, Washington state. Zimmerman left this arrangement in 1999 and her name was taken off the property in question. An Amy M. Zimmerman later appears in records in Seattle marrying a woman named Martha Kreiner in 2014 (Washington state narrowly approved same-sex marriage in its Nov. 2012 referendum, the only state to do so while many others who held referenda rejected it). Was Robin DiAngelo in a romantic relationship with this woman at this time? If she was, it didn't last.
        Here is a picture of Robin DiAngelo at a Gay Pride event in June 1994 (from husband's 2012-13 ''Springfield Mass Pride'' documentary on which, see below):
        Robin DiAngelo (left) at a June 1994 Gay Pride rally, probably in SeattleIn July 2004, shortly after finishing her PhD and about to turn forty-eight, Robin finally did get married. The groom was Jason Toews. Jason (b.1967, eleven years Robin's junior) had grown up in the Seattle suburbs. As of 2004, he was a divorced father of two who had known Robin DiAngelo in the 1990s in an unusual way (more on this in a moment). As of 2020, they are still married.
        Jason has run a low-profile but public website/blog, which includes substantial biographical material of the usual blogging type, since the mid-2000s. Much of the information in this investigative report draws from his public blog.
        Here is Jason (Robin DiAngelo's husband)'s public self-bio on his website:
        ''I [Jason Toews] grew up in a fundamentalist Christian working-class family in a Seattle suburb during the 70's and 80's; got excellent grades (I won a spelling bee in 4th grade, and I was in the Honor Roll in high school), but was not encouraged to go to college; I spent many of my happiest hours performing in a rock band ['...]; I married [1987] and had children while still in my 20's; I experienced the painful loss of my marriage and my faith in my early 30's [divorce, 1998]; soon after, I found myself strung out on anti-anxiety medication in the mental ward of Overlake Hospital; I eventually got better and married a powerful and beautiful woman who was our birthing instructor 10 years earlier ['...]''
        The ''powerful and beautiful woman who was our birthing instructor 10 years earlier'' was Robin DiAngelo.
        Robin DiAngelo apparently has no children. She was listed as unmarried in the 1990s. If she was marred in the 1980s, I find no mention or record or trace of it. There is some gray-area with her in regard to her Lost Years, on which more later.
        ___________________
        2006: ''White Fragility'' is Quietly Born
        Jason Toews says this about his wife, Robin DiAngelo, apparently writing in 2007:
        As you may know, my partner Robin is a big smartypants professor. She teaches classes on Whiteness, and leads anti-Racism workshops and other admirable stuff like that. I don't really know all the details, but I'm sure it's very high-minded. Anyway, when she talks about racism and sexism, occasionally some folks get kinda bent out of shape. Usually conservative people, for some reason, but I'm not sure if that's significant.
        From this entry we see that Robin DiAngelo was still running anti-Whiteness and Anti-Racism workshops and classes in the Seattle area several years after her PhD. About spring 2007 she received an offer for a professorship at Westfield State College in Massachusetts. She took it. Robin and Jason moved to Massachusetts in summer 2007, and Jason reliably blogged about it. Robin insisted on a house in Springfield to be near authentic working-class people. More on that upcoming.
        It was a year before the move to Massachusetts that Robin DiAngelo, still hanging around Seattle running diversity training sessions, first puts the term White Fragility in print. The citation is:
        DiAngelo, R. 2006. '''I'm leaving!': White fragility in racial dialogue.'' (essay) in Brenda McMahon & Denise Armstrong (Eds.), Inclusion in Urban Educational Environments: Addressing Issues of Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice (pp.213-240). Centre for Leadership and Diversity at the University of Toronto. [released June 30, 2006].
        This 2006 entry was in an obscure book and certainly will have had little immediate impact. (Notice the title of this volume includes the scolding but vague ''addressing issues,'' a term that emerged about the same time as Whiteness Studies itself and related concepts/slogans. ''Addressing issues'' actually means nothing. It does not mean to solve problems. It's unclear what it means ''and therein lies its power. It has become standard bureaucratese in our time.)
        A longer-form follow-up and expansion to this basic White Fragility article was published in 2011, by which time DiAngelo had the confidence to capitalize it. From the 2011 paper we can trace the ascent course (see companion post ''White Fragility and the Academia-to-Mainstream 'Pipeline'''), but we see that the idea (and the idea to 'market' the idea as she has) was already fully formed in DiAngelo's mind by 2006 and
        DiAngelo published something highly revealing of her psychology at this point in her career, probably signaling a roughly consistent attitude since the 1990s:
        I grew up poor and White. Although my class oppression has been relatively visible to me, my race privilege has not. In my efforts to uncover how race has shaped my life, I have gained deeper insight by placing race in the center of my analysis ['...]
        (From ''My Class Didn't Trump my Race: Using Oppression to Face Privilege,'' an essay [pdf] by Robin DiAngelo appearing in Multicultural Perspectives, Vol. 8 Issue 1 [2006], pp.51''56. Published by the National Association for Multicultural Education.)
        To see life entirely through a prism of various kinds of oppression like this is not normal or healthy. Just as I asked a few months ago, ''Who radicalized Heidi Beirich?'' I'd like to ask, Whence Robin DiAngelo's obsession with oppression?
        Let's step back in time again and try to get some real biographical insights:
        ____________________
        Robin DiAngelo's Early Years and Lost Years
        A curious fact about Robin DiAngelo that might be overlooked by many casual perusers of her bio: When she graduated with her BA, she was nearly 35. She was born in 1956; her BA was in 1991.
        What she doing the previous fifteen years of her post-high-school life, before she pushed through with the coursework for her BA degree at Seattle University (presumably most of which occurred in the late 1980s and up to May 1991)? It's unclear, but there are clues.
        Here is what we know: Robin DiAngelo was a serious international traveler in her youth, possibly late teens and twenties. According to her husband, at one point she lived on a kibbutz '-- a curious statement given that she is not Jewish and on which shortly.
        Also according to her husband's website, she first showed up in Seattle in 1980 (at about age 24); what she was doing in the 1980s is unclear. Her long period of wandering from ca. the mid-1970s to ca. the mid-1980s constitute Robin DiAngelo's Lost Years.
        We know more about her 1960s and early 1970s ''K-12 age'' youth. Here is how DiAngelo characterizes her own childhood:
        I was born to working class parents; my father was a construction worker and my mother was a switchboard operator. When I was 2, my parents divorced and my mother began to raise us on her own; at that point we entered into poverty. ['...]
        I used to stare at the girls in my class and ache to be like them; to have a father, to wear pretty clothes, to go to camp, to be clean and get to sit with them. I knew we didn't have enough money and that meant that I couldn't join them in school or go to their houses or have the same things they had.
        (From ''My Class Didn't Trump my Race,'' by Robin DiAngelo, 2006; appeared in journal Multicultural Perspectives.)
        It's fair to say these passages show us the outline of a worldview centered around resentment.
        DiAngelo was writing there at age 48 or 49 and remembering what her childhood, thirty-five to forty-five years earlier, was like. The world she was writing about is worth a word:
        She was writing about the 1960s-70s Peak America period, a time of confident white supermajority in America. A time of abundant optimism. For this reason or that reason, she felt left out '-- which was only exacerbated by the general optimism of the period. At least some of her childhood was spent in California (see also, ''Who Lost California?'')
        To get more specific, DiAngelo's formative years, if we mark them off as between her 4th and 17th birthdays, were from 1960 to 1973. True, the latter years of this period saw ascendant leftist social movements, especially among under-30s at the time, and true, there was some degree of a Black racial movement (i.e., the Civil Rights movement) throughout the entire period including in the halcyon pre-1965 days before signs of the US cultural revolution were visible. But there also were simply not many Nonwhites around in most places. Whites of this era assumed they were invincible, an attitude those of that generation still seem to implicitly believe today.
        Motivated by resentment, DiAngelo has embraced it tightly. Here she is rationalizing it again in the same ''My Class Didn't Trump my Race'' 2006 essay:
        ''From an early age I had the sense of being an outsider; I was acutely aware that I was poor, that I was dirty, that I was not normal, and that there was something ''wrong'' with me. But I also knew that I was not Black. We were at the lower rungs of society, but there was always someone on the periphery, just below us. I knew that ''colored'' people existed and that they should be avoided.''
        Another of Robin DiAngelo's characteristic arguments is that middle- and upper-middle-class liberal whites are guilty of racism by ignoring it. This no doubt traces back to her peer-group during her upbringing as she describes it. It's not clear where she grew up or where geographic formative places for her were. She claims to have moved a lot. (Based on her place of birth being said to be San Francisco, it may be assumed that some or much or all of her moving around was in her 1960s childhood was in California.)
        DiAngelo's husband, Jason Toews, says this, a further insight into his wife's upbringing and less resentment-focused, writing before a 2017 trip they took:
        My only other international travel had been for a wedding in Spain, with a brief side trip to France (Robin was raised Catholic and wanted to see Lourdes; my eczema was sadly not healed by divine intervention) ['...]
        Robin DiAngelo ''was raised Catholic'' and, by Robin's telling, by a single mother following a 1958/9 divorce by her parents.
        At another time, we see Robin writing, ''I was born on the Virgin Mary's birthday, so how do you explain that?'' I have never heard of Mary being attributed a specific birthday, which would be a Catholic thing to do. She wrote that comment in Oct. 2011, about the time she first published her White Fragility article in an obscure journal, and that would seem to firmly corroborate her own Catholic upbringing.
        Here is DiAngelo, in another characteristically humorless passage in her 2006 ''My Class Didn't Trump My Race'' essay, meditating on her oppressive role ''collud[ing] with racism as a Catholic and a woman'':
        My class position is only one social location from which I learned to collude with racism. For example, I have also asked myself how I learned to collude with racism as a Catholic and a woman. How did it shape my sense of racial belonging, of racial correctness, to be presented with God, the ultimate and universal authority, as White? How did the active erasure of Jesus' race and ethnicity shape my racial consciousness? How did the universalization of Catholicism as the true religion for all peoples of the world engender racial superiority within me when all the authorities within that religion were White like myself? At the same time, how did my conditioning under Catholicism not to question authority lead me to silently collude with the racism of other Whites?
        Robin DiAngelo says she is a Catholic, and by all appearances was told she was Catholic growing up and perhaps attended mass and all and as such was ''raised Catholic,'' but her true religion today is revealed here to be something else: Anti-Racism. She is subjecting her nominal religion to intense scrutiny by her true religion and the latter cancels-out the former. When and how did she come to convert?
        So far we've seen that Robin DiAngelo long carried personal resentments against the society of her youth and early years, believing she got an unfair lot in life, in essence. The society she resented was the one she knew, one of confident White Supermajority, 1960s and early 1970s America. But everyone grows u and overcomes adolescent resentments, right?
        As to what she was doing in young adulthood from the mid-1970s into the 1980s, this from DiAngelo's husband:
        For a drive from Seattle to San Francisco, I once wrote up a 4-page, single-spaced itinerary, which I photocopied several times just in case one got misplaced. Robin is the opposite '' early years spent drifting around the world from kibbutz to pizza parlor to hostel to catamaran made her a bold and resourceful traveler who prefers to ''figure it out when we get there'' or some such long-hair nonsense. So already we have a problem.
        A possible portrait of Robin DiAngelo in her youth circa the mid and late 1970s, as a serious traveler, possibly even that kind of hardcore traveler committed to medium- or long-haul international nomadism, floating from place to place and ''figuring it out'' along the way, by choice. Those of us who have lived this lifestyle for any amount of time will recognize the type, or the range of possible personality-types at play here, especially in combination with other known Robin DiAngelo biographical details.
        DiAngelo writes in her ''My Class Didn't Trump my Race'' essay that she ''left home as a teenager and struggled to survive,'' but doesn't specify when and doesn't specify in what circumstances she left home, or what ''struggled to survive'' meant '-- the line, like a lot of autobiography, could be massaged and self-serving. It was most likely some time between 1973 and 1975.
        The strange comment that she had ''drifted'' at one point into a kibbutz, presumably in Israel, is curious. How does a Catholic girl ''drift'' to a kibbutz? When was this? How long? Probably not long, maybe just an extended visit. But how? Was it with a husband/boyfriend (or girlfriend)? Would they even let a single gentile women onto a kibbutz? There is nothing further online about this at all and it is one of the mysteries of Robin DiAngelo's Lost Years
        I should say again that After substantial research into her origins, I can say with certainty that Robin DiAngelo is not Jewish. The rumor I have seen reported is false. Her White-Catholic origin is confirmed along several avenues of evidence including her own statements and those of her husband and other archival documents and public records; nothing even suggests any Jewish ancestry. This kibbutz line from her husband is curious, anyway.
        In reconstructing a personal-history narrative for Robin DiAngelo with imperfect information, we can take a midpoint guess that she left home in 1974, worked odds jobs and drifted for six years, including much world travel, until 1980 when she became tied to Seattle. Perhaps the travel continued into the 1980s, but anyway she has had some kind of ties to Seattle since then, except for the Massachusetts interregnum, summer 2007 to spring 2014.
        ______________________
        Robin DiAngelo's Personality
        Revealing snippets of Robin DiAngelo's personality are to be had from her husband's accounts, in blog form, of their four-week-long Dec. 2017 trip to Thailand.
        At the time of this trip, DiAngelo was still editing her June 2018 White Fragility book '-- a critical milestone in the White Fragility ascent-cycle as documented in the companion post to this one.
        (Selfie by Jason Toews with wife Robin DiAngelo in background 2017. From Jason Toews' blog.)The plane touches down in Thailand, early December 2017. Out comes Robin. Out comes husband Jason. They go through the airport procedures and exit the secure area. Then it begins: The very first thing Robin DiAngelo does after arriving in Thailand is to go on a rant against an advertisement-poster she sees at the airport. The ad is for ''Snail White Skin Cream,'' marketed to Thai women as a beauty product to lighten their skin. This according to her husband's account. He writes:
        ''Did Robin spend a sizable percentage of the trip offering passionate commentary on those ads? Yes. Yes, she did.''
        Perhaps it's no surprise to learn from Jason's blog elsewhere that Robin is a strict vegetarian and that she ''loves a farmer's market '' or, really, any kind of market.''
        (Robin DiAngelo in Thailand, Dec. 2017; from husband's blog.)Another DiAngelo anecdote from husband Jason. They are at a tourist cave in Thailand:
        Those of you who know Robin will immediately understand that this [a tour guide asking, ''Do you like spiders?''] was a disastrously bad idea. Robin has a long-standing and fairly serious case of arachnophobia. She even saw a therapist about it. ['...] It was the worst possible thing to say to Robin on a good day, much less when she was already near panic.
        So, Robin was now in tears, hyperventilating and refusing to move. I was genuinely afraid that we would not be able to get her out of the cave, and tried to regain control of the situation before a rescue team had to be summoned. I held her face in my hands and forced her to look at me, which she did not want to do. ''Honey, I have not seen a single spider in here. I promise to keep you safe. We have to make it out of this cave, and you will not be able to do that if you keep crying. Stop crying for now, and I promise you can cry all you want when we're outside, okay?''
        It took several minutes, but she eventually was able to slow her breathing and focus.
        Jason describes giving firm, authoritative commands to his wife Robin DiAngelo to help DiAngelo steady herself, which he blogifies in ALL-CAPS:
        I swung my headlamp around, and saw a spider the size of my outstretched hand on the wall, inches from her hand. ''KEEP LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD AND KEEP MOVING,'' I told Robin. ''DO NOT LOOK TO THE SIDE. LISTEN TO ME. KEEP MOVING.''
        In another context, Robin would no doubt have harsh words for a White man giving such direct commands to a woman (oppression!), but this time she was glad for it. ''Miraculously, she did exactly as I said, and we somehow made it out of the cave.''
        ''Back at the motor scooter'...Robin was teary-eyed and barely able to talk. ['...] When we reached the town near our resort, Robin told me to pull over at a grocery store. She emerged with a bottle of vodka. I didn't drink any, but the bottle was empty by the time we left Koh Lanta.''
        And one more anecdote from Thailand from Jason Toews:
        Our final day in Khao Lak began with a DiAngelo-Toews Vacation Tradition: Jason awakened by the sound of Robin vomiting. The night before, she had let herself get dehydrated, skipped dinner, drank two sweet cocktails, and now a migraine was looming. She gulped down Ibuprofen and bottled water while I busted out with my Bob Seger impression: ''Woke last night to the sound of chunder'...'' I thought that was pretty clever, but Robin just glared.
        ________________
        Relocating to Springfield, Massachusetts; involvement in local activism
        As mentioned earlier, back in 2007 Robin DiAngelo made the move to western Massachusetts after getting a professorship offer there. The decision loomed on where to live.
        Robin finally insisted on Springfield, a place with a substantial crime problem and a degree of blight and immigrant-takeover by this time. During DiAngelo's time living there, Springfield clocked-in at only 36.7% White Non-Hispanic on the 2010 Census, down from 90%+ before 1970.
        Her husband quotes DiAngelo as saying:
        ''Why are we all focused on [finding a home in] Holyoke?'' she demanded, apparently forgetting that I'd been saying this all along. ''Springfield is full of working class people just like our families; just like the towns we grew up in. By not considering Springfield, I feel like we're just buying into the propaganda that separates us by race and economic class.''
        An ideologically motivated decision on where to live. (Recall that Robin DiAngelo has no children and did not have to consider non-existent children's interests in this decision; Jason's two children remained in the Seattle to finish their K-12 years.)
        So it was that Robin DiAngelo chose a home in Springfield, a 20 to 30 minute drive from the Westfield State campus.
        By 2011, Robin and Jason were organizing members of the Springfield, Mass., Gay Pride Parade. He blogged about it:
        (Robin DiAngelo's husband blogs about their involvement in 2011 in reviving Springfield, Massachusetts' Gay Pride event.)Robin DiAngelo was featured in, and helped produce, her husband's documentary film hobby-project ''This is Who We Are: Springfield Mass Pride,'' which he created in 2012-13 and posted to Youtube in June 2013 (545 views at the Youtube upload as of this writing). Considering what it is, it's a pretty good production. The music is better than the editing. You can tell Jason spent more time dealing in music than in film, but he has a talent for both.
        In the ''Springfield Mass Pride'' credits, Robin DiAngelo is listed in multiple places. DiAngelo is:
        credited as one of the two ''interviewers;''credited as a ''Springfield historian'' (which is Jason's creative name for his interviewees; e.g., one is Springfield's first-ever openly-Gay policeman, Michael Carney, who won a court case in 1994);credited with ''Other Photos and Ephemera,'' is one of those named in the Special Thanks section (''for invaluable feedback and moral support''). is featured as a racial and gay-rights expert in one segment.As for that last one, among her comments are: ''Does it mean the same thing to be White and Gay as it does to be a Person of Color and Gay?''
        ______________________
        Robin DiAngelo ''Hated'' Living in Springfield, Massachusetts
        Despite all her tough talk about how great and authentic it would be to live in Springfield, DiAngelo ''hated it,'' in the words of her husband Jason's blog. She returned to Seattle in 2014.
        It was right at the middle of her time at Westfield State in Massachusetts, teaching multicultural education, that the most important event in Robin DiAngelo's professional life happened: The appearance of her ''White Fragility'' article in a real academic journal (2011), even if an obscure one. She resented having to live in Springfield in the early 2010s, but the second half of the 2010s were destined to be all upward, for her.
        Jason, meanwhile, ''loved it'' in Springfield and stayed on another year. He rejoined Robin in 2015 back in Seattle, where they remain today.
        A year after leaving Westfield State College, in mid-2015, Robin DiAngelo's earthly sojourn crossed an important milestone. The second phase of the upward-ascent-cycle for her White Fragility meme '-- the sustained trickling out from the academic-ghetto '-- had begun. There was no way to know this process had begun at the time, but in retrospect we do see that sustained week-to-week interest in White Fragility dates to Q2 2015 (see companion post):
        The above is on a zoomed-in scale, and the real breakthrough dates to the last days of May and then June 2020 tightly correlated with the George Floyd riots (and following three months of disruptions to all economic and social life with the Coronavirus shutdowns:
        And so it was that Robin DiAngelo became a global celebrity of the semi-mainstream.
        By the second stages of the ascent-cycle for White Fragility (the 'Pipeline' process of ideas moving from fringe-academia to the mainstream), DiAngelo was back among friends in Seattle and able to network there, also returning to doing occasional Diversity Training.
        The stage was set for her 2018 book, and unbeknownst to anyone, the big mid-2020 breakout. That enormous jump in the third graph above represents the mid-2020 breakthrough.
        _______________________
        Conclusions: Who is Robin DiAngelo? What Motivates Her?
        DiAngelo, high-priestess of the Diversity civic religion; DiAngelo, promoter of the holy doctrines of White Ethnomasochism by which ye shall be saved; DiAngelo, discoverer of the latest new doctrine of White Fragility, for which she became an instant Diversity and Anti-Racism celebrity; DiAngelo, the beneficiary of moral panics; DiAngelo, the cult trainer.
        Those are all valid mini-portraits o, but all are a little unfair because they depict her as one-dimensional. Like anyone else, she comes from somewhere and developed a way of thinking over time.
        This investigation has sought to find who or what radicalized Robin DiAngelo, who or what motivated her to dedicate her life to the service of a systematized form of White Ethnomasochism. It need not have been this way. Something went wrong along the way; what was it?
        This 5500-word character study has covered much ground, including original research using material otherwise not noticed and not published anywhere. What we see is the picture of a woman who, at times, seems almost provincial in her own way, almost a cardboard cut-out of what was known in the late 2000s and early 2010s in some circles as the ''SWPL,'' after a popular blog at the time, Stuff White People Like. She fits a lot of stereotypes.
        I believe the firmest-foundation conclusion to this character study is as follows:
        Robin DiAngelo is of White-Catholic origin, was raised Catholic and as an adult still identifies in some way as one. She comes from a broken home, grew up impoverished, and by her own telling was highly self-conscious and resentful of those around her, those she saw as coming from stable homes, those having families, money, and/or beauty. It is not a long logical leap to say her desire to take ''White people'' down and morally delegitimize them is really the desire to take down her own erstwhile peers and neighbors, of her decades-ago youth. A worldview colored by resentment.
        It appears that Robin DiAngelo floated along, on an extended traveler's life, up through her mid-twenties. Later she floated on an academia bubble in her thirties and forties. She never had anything like a traditional family of her own and has no children, a fact not to be overlooked in all this (as the dog that didn't bark). She did eventually marry (a man, ten years her junior) in her late forties.
        King's County, Washington, property records suggest she cohabited with a woman in the 1990s. What the nature of their relationship was is speculative.
        The resentments against her own society, which she developed and carried from a young age, animated her identity to some extent. But the outlets may have been largely non-political in the 1970s and 1980s, expressing themselves more in general disagreeableness unmoored from any specific political agenda. But then she became a Diversity Trainer. Her professional role as Diversity Trainer probably tapped into her resentment-identity and caused a chemical-reaction like effect, a weaponization of resentment. Being a Diversity Trainer in early 1990s Seattle and beyond was the central experience of her life.
        White Fragility theory itself was born because so many so forcefully resented DiAngelo's mandatory diversity training sessions. To DiAngelo, these working-age white people were the reincarnations of the same people she had resented in her childhood and adolescence. There was an open, socially acceptable avenue to attack them and make a sustained effort to delegitimize them morally. That'll show them. I believe that is what went on here.
        Considering the era and places DiAngelo grew up, the targets of her resentment were/are ''liberal-leaning White Middle-America'' types regardless of their specific geographic origins. These were the people DiAngelo knew; these were the people she resented. It was in the crucible of left-wing academia in the late 1980s and 1990s that DiAngelo's personal emotional baggage became finally legitimized and the process by which it was redirected into political ends was in motion.
        DiAngelo fell into the twin traps of pride and self-righteousness, believing herself to be on a moral crusade, probably an intoxicating feeling to her. Forces much larger than herself took advantage of her long-held insecurities. Totally unbeknownst to herself, and as many have done before and will do in the future, she had fallen into the clutches of a cult.
        __________________
        [End.] [Updated: Aug. 5 and Aug. 6, 2020.]
        __________________
        Several additional insights and information that complement the main text:
        Addendum: See additional names and dates pinned down by a comment by John Morlar and several comment replies, as well as identifying the girl in the 1994 ''Hate is Not a Family Value'' picture as her (only) daughter.
        Addendum: Robin DiAngelo may have lifted the term ''white fragility'' from her mentor David G. Allen in the early 2000s, a University of Washington professor and later Head of Women's Studies.
        Addendum: DiAngelo's dissertation yields more insights including via names of the people she singles out to acknowledge/thank. We learn that all three of the DiAngelo sisters did not change their names at marriage, being ''early adopters of 'I'm keeping my name.'''
        Addendum: On her surname. DiAngelo and her two sisters were born to a father surnamed Taylor and a mother surnamed DiAngelo. As adults, two of the sisters use the surname DiAngelo (the inherited name of their maternal grandfather and ''maiden name'' of their mother) and one as Taylor (the inherited name of their birth father and all three ). Despite many marriages between the three sisters, no name changes appear to have occurred. Not only that, two of the sisters chose specifically to use their mother's maiden name, a breach with tradition particularly bold for their time and still unusual today. Within the context of being raised by a single mother, many would dismiss its symbolic importance.
        Addendum: Two slices of Robin DiAngelo's life from before her ascent began in the mid-2010s: A Sept. 2003 local news article has her giving a $60-a-head diversity-training seminar in Missoula, Montana, with local academic host Amie Thurber; also, notes on DiAngelo's 2010s collaboration with Amie Thurber (they published an academic study on 'microaggressions').
        Addendum: An Oct 2013 Boston Globe article in which she is quoted demanding the ''termination'' of the president of the college where she worked (he was under investigation and later cleared of wrongdoing).
        ______________
      Anti-vaxxers gain power on right, triggering new fears | TheHill
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 22:13
        Public health experts are growing increasingly concerned about a rise in anti-vaccination rhetoric among elected officials and right-wing media as a new wave of coronavirus infections begins to wash over Americans who have yet to get vaccinated.
        Legislators in more than 40 states have introduced measures to bar vaccine passports, and many Republican governors have signed executive orders or laws barring their use.
        In some cases, Republican governors and legislators are now repeating far-right talking points questioning the safety and effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines, in spite of the overwhelming scientific evidence that the vaccines developed in the past year are some of the safest and most effective ever created.
        The Biden administration has pushed back forcefully against Republican governors in states such as Missouri and South Carolina who have complained that a door-to-door vaccination effort smacks of government overreach. The administration's plans have called for local health officials and trusted community voices to encourage more vaccine acceptance, and those governors have quietly backed off.
        Public health experts were especially alarmed earlier this week when Tennessee's Department of Health fired Michelle Fiscus, the state's top vaccine official, after the state legislature raised concerns about public health guidance she issued for teenagers seeking to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
        At a hearing of the Joint Government Operations Committee, legislators accused Department of Health officials of targeting young people for vaccination. One Republican member of the committee suggested dissolving the Health Department in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic.
        "It's shocking. It's not shocking that we had a fringe group that's anti vaccine. That's been true since the first vaccine," said Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "It is shocking to me that people who are representing the public and the health and well-being of the public are choosing to take this dramatic anti-science stance."
        The Tennessee Department of Health has since stopped all vaccine outreach to minors - including regular shots that have been the most effective weapon against preventable disease in modern history.
        "It's really unconscionable," said state Sen. Heidi Campbell (D), a member of the committee who attended the hearing. "It's had a chilling effect on the state in general and county health departments."
        The number of coronavirus cases reported on the average day in Tennessee has grown more than seven-fold over the past two weeks, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
        Fifty-three percent of Tennessee residents over the age of 18 have received at least one dose of vaccine against the coronavirus, and 47.5 percent are fully vaccinated. Both rates lag well behind the national average.
        In an email, state Rep. John Ragan (R), the House chairman of the joint committee, said Fiscus had been fired for misspending taxpayer money on an advertising campaign urging younger people to get vaccinated against a disease that has an extremely low mortality rate among those under the age of 18.
        "For such a low mortality risk, why would the Department of Health's Dr. Fiscus authorize spending millions of taxpayer dollars advertising to these minors encouraging them to get an emergency use authorization vaccine without parental consent?" Ragan wrote. "Dr. Fiscus advocated giving the vaccine to children without parental involvement in spite of General Assembly members' objections."
        Ragan declined to say whether he had been vaccinated against the coronavirus. He said the data indicated that currently available vaccines are "90 [percent] or more effective."
        None of the other Republicans on the committee responded to a request for comment.
        The Republican rhetoric - amplified by far-right hosts on cable television - comes as a summer wave of the coronavirus sweeps over the United States, which now almost entirely afflicts the unvaccinated.
        Daily average case counts over the past two weeks have more than doubled in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Vermont. Experts say the new spread is being driven by the delta variant, first identified in India, which they say is both more transmissible and more virulent.
        In recent months, more than 99 percent of people who have died in America from the coronavirus have been unvaccinated, according to state and federal data.
        The anti-vaccination movement has existed for a century. In the past few decades, it has been fueled by a study published in The Lancet by the former physician Andrew Wakefield, since retracted, which claimed a link between vaccines and autism that has been thoroughly debunked.
        But modern technology - and social media - have allowed the retracted study to live on, giving voice to those who were once a marginal fringe.
        "The rise of social media has allowed individuals who held these beliefs but otherwise didn't have contact with others to connect and spread these beliefs," said Timothy Callaghan, an assistant professor at Texas A&M University's School of Public Health who has studied the anti-vaccine movement.
        In a study published last month, Callaghan found about 1 in 12 Americans say they always identify as an anti-vaxxer, and a much higher proportion, 22 percent, identifies with the movement on at least some occasions.
        "We need to recognize that a much larger portion of the American public than we might anticipate at least sometimes identifies as anti-vaxxer," Callaghan said.
        More recent hesitancy or downright opposition to receiving a vaccine has fallen along starkly partisan lines, as supporters of former President Trump say they are most reluctant to be vaccinated. There is an irony to that stand, given both that Trump has demanded credit for the Operation Warp Speed program that delivered a vaccine in record time and that he himself has been vaccinated.
        "It may be a consequence of what was the previous administration, which was really an administration of science denialism," Offit said. "You have the magic ticket. You have a way out. And still that's denied."
        The consequences of vaccine hesitancy are now a prolonged pandemic in a nation where more than 607,000 people have died so far. And there may be follow-on effects if skepticism about the coronavirus vaccine extends to other common and safe preventative measures to battle other preventable diseases.
        "The risk is that the rhetoric surrounding COVID-19 could lead more people towards being self-identified anti-vaxxers," Callaghan said. "Having the ideas and beliefs of what were formerly fringe groups legitimized by political leaders has consequences."
      Smugglers Caught With 256 Intel CPUs Strapped To Body
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 21:27
        Last month, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Customs officials have seized a total of 308 tenth generation Intel processors from two separate smuggling attempts. The first happened on June 16th. One of the drivers was acting abnormally, and after a search of the vehicle and then the individual, they discovered 256 Intel CPUs, specifically the i7-10700 and i9-10900K models, strapped to the body '-- attached to locations such as the calves and torso. The monetary value of the Intel processors being smuggled across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge borders was above 800,000 yuan ($123,550).
        The second attempt was made by an individual on the 26th evening of last month. Customs officers found 52 Intel processors located in the vehicle between the driver and front seat passenger. This was due to suspicious activity recorded on video of entry and exit vehicles near the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge border.
        There have been numerous shortages of computer hardware worldwide, especially recently in several areas in China. Intel processors are easier to acquire than graphics processors, but certain regions see a larger shortage than others.
        We recently reported about Chinese officials running several crackdowns on cryptocurrency mining, causing many crypto mining groups to travel to other areas such as the Sichuan region. With China being more diligent about these activities, it is less of a surprise to see how desperate individuals and groups have become and what levels of smuggling and black-market activities happening on a daily basis. And, with Ukraine recently in the news for their law enforcement individuals shutting down a crypto mining factory that was using almost 4000 PlayStation 4 systems, it will be interesting to see what levels will be taken to acquire any electronic equipment for use with cryptocurrency or just for public sale.
        Cryptocurrency has seen a rise since before coronavirus was rampant worldwide, but over the last year has increased with more public knowledge of the subject has become accessible, and nonfungible tokens increasing in popularity due to influencers, artists, brands, etc., creating NFTs for sale to fans and investors. The interest has peaked investors looking for a quick sale turnaround or long-term investing of their cryptocurrency profits, especially over the last year.
        Source: HKEPC
      New Evidence Indicates Enough Illegal Votes In Georgia To Tip 2020
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        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 21:20
        New evidence indicates that more than 10,300 illegal votes were cast in Georgia in the November 2020 general election '-- a number that will continue to rise over the next several months, potentially exceeding the 12,670 votes that separated Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
        While this evidence does not change the fact that Joe Biden is our president, all Americans who genuinely care about free and fair elections and the disenfranchisement of voters should demand both transparency and solutions to prevent a repeat in future elections. This evidence also vindicates former President Trump and his legal team for the related public (and private) comments and legal arguments made in challenging the Georgia election results.
        Under the cover of COVID-19, Georgia, like many other states, flooded residents with absentee ballot applications. Also like sister states, Georgia ignored various legislative mandates designed to prevent fraud and to ensure the integrity of the vote. These facts, coupled with the closeness of the presidential contest in Georgia and other states, led to a flurry of accusations and litigation charging vote fraud, illegal voting, and violations of the Elector's Clause of the constitution.
        In Georgia, there was both an audit and a statewide recount confirming Biden's victory, but ignored in the process was evidence that nearly 35,000 Georgians had potentially voted illegally.
        Under Georgia law, residents must vote in the county in which they reside, unless they changed their residence within 30 days of the election. As Jake Evans, a well-known Atlanta election lawyer, told me, outside of the 30-day grace period, if people vote in a county in which they no longer reside, ''Their vote in that county would be illegal.''
        Soon after the November general election, Mark Davis, the president of Data Productions Inc. and an expert in voter data analytics and residency issues, obtained data from the National Change of Address (NCOA) database that identified Georgia residents who had confirmed moves with the U.S. Postal Service. After excluding moves with effective dates within 30 days of the general election, and by using data available from the Georgia Secretary of State's Office, Davis identified nearly 35,000 Georgia voters who indicated they had moved from one Georgia county to another, but then voted in the 2020 general election in the county from which they had moved.
        Casting Doubt on Potential Illegal VotesSome of those moves could have been temporary, involving students or members of the military, Davis stressed, adding that under Georgia law temporary relocations do not alter citizens' residency status or render their votes illegal. But, given the margin separating the two presidential candidates, approximately one-third of the votes at issue could have altered the outcome of the election. Yet the media, the courts, and the Secretary of State's Office ignored or downplayed the issue.
        ''It was disconcerting to see the media and the courts largely ignore serious issues like these, especially since the data I was seeing showed very legitimate issues,'' Davis said. ''In fact, I heard members of the Secretary of State's team admit some votes were cast with residency issues, but then claimed there weren't enough of them to cast the outcome of the election in doubt,'' Davis added. ''That was not at all what I was seeing, and as far as I am aware the Secretary of State's Office has never put an actual number on the ones they did see.''
        While frustrated, Davis told me that he never stopped working on these issues. ''In May I received an updated voter database from the Secretary of State's office, and I imported the data and compared voter's addresses to the NCOA information I processed in November.''
        The Data Speaks for ItselfWhen Davis ran the data, he found that, of the approximately 35,000 Georgians who indicated they had moved from one county to another county more than 30 days before the November general election, as of May, more than 10,300 had updated their voter registration information, providing the secretary of state the exact address they had previously provided to the USPS. Those same 10,000-plus individuals all also cast ballots in the county in which they had previously lived.
        ''That number continues to increase every day as more and more people update their registrations,'' Davis said. ''I have little doubt that the total number will eventually meet and then exceed President Biden's margin of victory in Georgia.'' Davis, who has testified as an expert witness multiple times in disputed election cases, believes Trump might have won a challenge to the Georgia election results had a court actually heard his case.
        ''Under Georgia law, a judge can order an election be redone if he or she sees there were enough illegal, irregular, or improperly rejected votes to cast the results of the election in doubt, or if they see evidence of 'systemic irregularities,''' Davis said.
        ''These issues were absolutely systemic,'' Davis stressed, noting ''they occurred in every county in the state, in every state house, state senate, and in every congressional district in the state.''
        Evans, who holds the distinction of being the only lawyer in Georgia history to successfully overturn two elections in the same race, concurred. Under Georgia law, Evans explained, ''an election should be overturned either if (1) more votes than decided the election were illegal, wrongfully rejected or irregular, or (2) when there were systemic irregularities that cast in doubt the results of the election.''
        ''In the case of the 2020 general election,'' Evans told me, Davis's analysis indicates both factors could have been in play.
        Davis's data proves significant because critics of Trump's challenge to the certification of Georgia's election results framed the NCOA information as either unreliable or of an insufficient magnitude to cast the outcome of the election in doubt. But by updating their voter registration information with the same address as contained in the NCOA database, the voters themselves have established the reliability of that information.
        Further, by updating their address for purposes of their voter registration, these same voters are confirming their move is not temporary. ''When a person updates their voter registration to a new address, they are informing the county board of elections and correspondingly the Secretary of State that they regard the new address as their legal residence,'' Evans explained.
        What Do Georgia Officials Know?Upon learning of this new development, the Georgia Secretary of State's Office quietly opened an investigation into potentially illegal voting by residents who had moved between counties. Davis provided his data to the office in May, with a detailed explanation of his analysis.
        During my interview last week with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, there was confusion over which, of the many investigations opened by his office, I had sought further information. Immediately following the interview, both his press secretary, Walter Jones, and his deputy secretary of state, Jordan Fuchs, called me back to follow up on my questions on the status of that investigation.
        While Jones spoke favorably of Davis, he suggested that Davis' figure included ''false-positives'' because Davis lacked access to social security numbers and birth dates of voters, and thus Davis' list likely included different individuals bearing the same name. Fuchs suggested a similar issue with Davis' analysis.
        ''There is no need to have access to Social Security numbers or birth dates,'' Davis told me. ''Every voter has a unique eight-digit voter identification number,'' Davis explained that these voter identification numbers tie to the voters' names and addresses and to vote-history data, which documents when and where their votes are cast and comes from the secretary of state's own data.
        Davis provided access to that data, following the execution of a non-disclosure agreement, and I confirmed Davis's representation. Davis also provided processing certification verifying receipt of the NCOA data.
        ''I provided this exact same information to Frances Watson, the chief investigator for the secretary of state,'' Davis told me, sharing a copy of the email sent to Watson.
        When asked for the status of Watson's investigation and other details, while both were receptive to questions, neither Jones nor Fuchs could provide definitive answers. While on Friday Fuchs promised to give Watson permission to speak with me, and while both the deputy secretary of state and the press secretary promised to arrange an interview with Watson and to track down answers to several questions, to date, no further information has been provided and no interview has been arranged, notwithstanding several follow-up communications.
        Hopefully, that is because Watson is busy investigating the strong evidence of illegal voting and not because the Secretary of State's Office is attempting to bury the story '-- and the fact that Trump might have been right after all '-- until after Raffensperger fights off a primary challenge.
        Clarification: This original article stated, ''Yet during my interview last week with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, he seemed unfamiliar with this most recent evidence of illegal voting.''
        Since publication, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office confirmed he is aware of the latest in the investigation, and that during his interview he was responding to questions posed about out-of-precinct voting.
        Margot Cleveland is a senior contributor to The Federalist. Cleveland served nearly 25 years as a permanent law clerk to a federal appellate judge and is a former full-time faculty member and adjunct instructor at the college of business at the University of Notre Dame.The views expressed here are those of Cleveland in her private capacity.
        Copyright (C) 2021 The Federalist, a wholly independent division of FDRLST Media, All Rights Reserved.
      Tiger King's Joe Exotic has his sentence vacated by appeals court judge
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 21:17
        An appeals court judge vacated the sentence of jailed 'Tiger King' star Joseph Maldonado-Passage, AKA Joe Exotic, but reaffirmed his convictionSince January, 2020 Exotic has been serving a 22-year prison sentence for a failed murder-for-hire plot against rival Carole Baskin The decision means Exotic will need to be resentenced at a later dateUnder new sentencing guidelines, Exotic could potentially receive a shorter sentenceThe court has not yet set a resentencing date Exotic has made repeated pleas for a presidential pardon, first to Donald Trump, and most recently to Joe Biden in May Jailed 'Tiger King' star Joseph Maldonado-Passage, AKA Joe Exotic, had his 22-year prison sentence for a failed murder-for-hire plot conviction vacated by an appeals court judge.
        According to court documents filed Wednesday, the judge reaffirmed Exotic's conviction, but decided to remand him for resentencing.
        The court has not yet set a resentencing date.
        Former zookeeper Exotic, 58, was arrested in September, 2018 on suspicion of hiring two men to murder rival and Big Cat Rescue activist Carole Baskin.
        'We hold that the district court acted within its discretion by allowing Baskin to attend the full trial proceedings despite her being listed as a government witness, but that it erred by not grouping the two murder-for-hire convictions at sentencing,' the appeal said.
        An appeals court judge vacated the Tiger King Joseph Maldonado-Passage, AKA Joe Exotic's, 22-year sentence on a murder for hire conviction Wednesday, and he will need to be resentenced at a later dateProsecutors said Exotic gave someone $3,000 to travel from Oklahoma to Florida to murder Baskin and agreed to pay thousands more after the deed.
        After a week-long trial in March 2019, Exotic was convicted on two counts of attempted murder for hire, and 17 charges of federal animal abuse.
        He was sentenced on Jan. 22, 2020 and has remained in prison since.
        The guidelines the judge used at trial had called for a sentence of between 22 and 27 years.
        The court sent the case back for resentencing, saying the appropriate guidelines call for a sentence between 17 and half to around 22 years, meaning he could potentially receive a lighter sentence.
        Throughout the course of his prison term Exotic repeatedly has made appeals for a presidential pardon, with his most recent in May, when he announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
        In a social media post, Exotic wrote: 'John Phillips [Joe's lawyer] has received my medical records from FMC Fort Worth and my PSA count came back very high for prostate cancer.
        Exotic has been serving out his prison sentence since January, 2020'The prison has approved testing to verify what stage it is in. My body is tired, I have lost a tremendous amount of weight, the mouth sores are out of control, I throw up more than I eat.'
        He added that he didn't 'want anyone's pity', but was instead keen for a pardon from 'President Biden, VP Harris and the Attorney General', and he accused the police and the Department of Justice of corruption.
        Exotic went on: 'Make this right and sign that pardon that Trump left behind so I can go home and get proper medical care and proper food.
        Exotic has repeatedly made pleas for a presidential pardon, first to former President Donald Trump, and most recently to President Joe Biden, as he revealed on social media that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer Click here to resize this module
        'Thank you for all the love and support from all over the world. I love you all. Wish me luck'...#JusticeForJoeExotic #TigerKing #JoeExotic @JohnPhillips.'
        The Kansas native requested a pardon from one-term President Donald Trump back in September, sending him a handwritten letter, then later sued the Justice Department in December as a last-ditch effort. Both efforts failed.
        He most recently hired a new legal team, and they plan to use unaired Tiger King footage to push for a new trial.
        His nemesis: Carole Baskin is pictured with husband Howard at Big Cat RescueAttorney John Phillips of Phillips & Hunt, who previously represented the family of Baskin's missing husband Don Lewis, made the announcement in a video on Joe's Twitter.
        He said: 'We are honored to announce that Joe has retained our firm. We're going to seek a new trial, and justice in the criminal and civil courts.'
        Nicolas Cage's Tiger King drama is scrapped by Amazon because producers felt Joe Exotic story is 'no longer relevant' Nicolas Cage will no longer play Joe Exotic in a planned biopic because the Tiger King drama has been scrapped by Amazon.
        The Oscar-winning actor, 57, confirmed the news in a recently interview with Variety, telling the publication that although he had read 'excellent scripts' for the project, too much time had passed for it to go ahead.
        He told the publication: 'We should clear the record. I read two excellent scripts, which I did think were excellent, but I think Amazon ultimately felt that it was material that had become past tense because it took so long for it come together.
        Change of plan: Nicolas Cage will no longer play Joe Exotic in a planned biopic because the Tiger King drama has been scrapped by Amazon'They felt at one point that it was lightning in a bottle, but that point has since faded into the distance and it's no longer relevant.'
        However, while Amazon declined to comment to Variety about the future of the series, it has been suggested by sources that the series could be 'shopped to other outlets.'
        Though it remains unclear whether Nicolas would have any involvement.
        Plans for the eight-part series, produced by Imagine and CBS Studios, were revealed in May last year, with the Face/Off star cast to play the disgraced zookeeper.
        Too late: Nicolas , seen here in Con Air, explained: 'I think Amazon ultimately felt that it was material that had become past tense because it took so long for it come together'The news of the axe comes 16 months after the docuseries Tiger King first dropped on Netflix, which charted the rivalry between Joe and his nemesis, big cat activist Carole Baskin.
        Elsewhere, a different Joe Erotic series is still going ahead.
        On Sunday, Hedwig and the Angry Inch's John Cameron Mitchell was spotted for the first time taking on the titular role of Peacock limited series, Joe Exotic.
        The Texan-born 58-year-old rocked a blonde mullet wig, guy-liner, and a natural mustache in order to more authentically portray Joe Maldonado-Passage on the Brisbane, Australian set.
        Filming: On Sunday, Hedwig and the Angry Inch's John Cameron Mitchell (left) was spotted for the first time taking on the titular role of Peacock limited series, Joe ExoticJohn and another actor playing Joe's partner between 1986''2001 - Brian Rhyne - were shooting a nineties-era scene of a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of Super Pets.
        In real life, Maldonado-Passage (then known as Schreibvogel) bought Pet Safari in Arlington, TX with Rhyne, who died of complications from HIV in 2001.
        After cutting the ribbon, Mitchell passionately packed on the PDA with his castmate in the show, which will also stream on NBC and USA Network.
        Kate McKinnon (pictured May 22) produces and stars as Joe's nemesis Carole BaskinDennis Quaid pictured in 2019Kyle MacLachlan pictured in 2020The 58-year-old former roadside zookeeper eventually went on to marry Travis Maldonado (played by Nat Wolff) John Finlay (played by Sam Keeley) in a 2015 throuple wedding ceremony.
        Justin Tipping directs the first four episodes of the series based on Robert Moor's 2020 Wondery podcasts, Joe Exotic and Over My Dead Body.
        Kate McKinnon produces and stars as Joe's nemesis Carole Baskin alongside Dennis Quaid, Kyle MacLachlan, William Fichtner, Brian Van Holt, Dean Winters, Joel Marsh Garland, and Lex Mayson.
        Source material: Justin Tipping directs the first four episodes of the series based on Robert Moor's 2020 Wondery podcasts, Joe Exotic and Over My Dead BodyElsewhere, Nicolas is set to work on his newest project, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' in which he plays a cash-strapped version of himself who agrees to a paid appearance as a rich fan's birthday bash amid a CIA sting operation.
        Admitting he initially hesitated at the thought of portraying a distorted version of himself, he said: 'It was absolutely terrifying and I'm one of those folks that thinks that within reason if it's something that terrifies you or you are afraid of, as long as it doesn't hurt you or someone else, that's the very thing you should reach out towards.
        'I'd never done a meta movie about myself before. But [the character] really isn't me. It's Tom's version of me, which is a kind of anxiety-ridden, completely hyperactive version of this person named Nicolas Cage or Nic Cage or Nicky Cage.'
      Jet Fuel Shortage Hits Burlington International Airport | Off Message
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 21:02
        click to enlarge File: Matthew Thorsen (C)¸ Seven Days Burlington International Airport Updated at 11:45 a.m. on July 12, 2021. Several flights were delayed out of Burlington International Airport on Sunday because some airlines couldn't obtain fuel due to supply problems.
        Airlines generally purchase fuel from Albany, N.Y., that is stored in a tank farm at BTV owned by Heritage Aviation. The company then delivers the fuel to planes on the tarmac, according to Heritage CEO Matt Collins. The Albany facility is supplied via Hudson River barges; Collins was told a barge was late. "Obviously we can't deliver what we don't have," Collins said.
        Fuel ran low on Saturday, he said.
        "We've tried to cover the airlines the best we could with our own retail fuel," he added. "We're at a position now where ... I don't really have much of anything to sell. I can't even front the airlines any more fuel." Collins said he had a small reserve that could cover any emergency medical flights.
        Airlines own their own fuel, and were affected in different ways, he said. Both Jet Blue and Frontier had fuel on hand; later Sunday, a load arrived for United, he said.
        It was unclear how many flights were grounded or delayed on Sunday; BTV's online
        flight status report showed several departures were delayed throughout the day.
        Others didn't get off the ground at all. Kirsten Hawkins and Max Tarlov boarded an American Airlines flight that was supposed to take off at 9:16 a.m. for Chicago. After a wait in the plane, passengers were told it lacked fuel. They eventually deplaned and rescheduled their trips with airline representatives. The two expected to fly out on Monday afternoon.
        In an emailed statement Sunday evening, an American spokesperson said the airline was "working to limit impact to our customers."
        Collins, who said he'd never encountered a situation like this in nearly 13 years with Heritage, said he'd been told that the Albany fuel facility was "back up and running." Four to six loads have been ordered for delivery via truck to BTV on Monday.
        "I'll believe it when they're actually in the farm," he said.
        On Monday morning, the airport's interim aviation director, Nic Longo, said that tankers arrived earlier in the day and offloaded shipments of jet fuel. According to Longo, no flights the day before were officially cancelled, though airlines did have to resort to tactics that caused delays, such as a flight headed to D.C. that had to stop first in Manchester, N.H., to fuel up.
        Flights on Monday resumed on normal schedules, Longo said.
      UK government document quietly introduces vaccine passports by the back door and points to a third lockdown this winter '-- RT Op-ed
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 20:45
        By Kit Klarenberg, an investigative journalist exploring the role of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions. Follow him on Twitter @KitKlarenberg
        For all the government's bluster about 'irreversibly' reopening Britain after July 19, official documents paint a very different picture, suggesting lockdowns could well return and Covid passports may become the norm.
        Sajid Javid's elevation to UK Health Secretary ushered in a new tone on the part of all government ministers in respect of coronavirus. In a flash, the ambiguity and equivocation that had typified official statements about lockdown for so long vanished, and swaggering confidence about a full and permanent reopening of the country in the very near future became de rigueur across every Whitehall department.
        ''We must learn to live with Covid,'' Javid forcefully asserted on June 28, the same day he assumed the post. This bullishness hasn't faltered since, despite a backlash from some sections of the scientific community, and a not insignificant amount of public support for certain restrictions enduring, perhaps permanently. On July 12, he confirmed that the country was pushing full steam ahead with its unlocking roadmap, with all businesses free to reopen and all limitations on human contact over in a week's time.
        ''We've all been yearning to get there, and we all want this to be a one-way journey,'' Javid told the House of Commons.
        However, an official guide to ''moving to step four of the roadmap'' '' i.e. a full cessation of pandemic restrictions ''quietly published the previous Saturday'' is far less strident and optimistic.
        For one, it reveals that, in September, the government will ''undertake a review to assess the country's preparedness for autumn and winter, which will consider whether to continue or strengthen public and business guidance'' in the lead-up to December, ''including on face coverings and test, trace and isolate,'' and with ''remaining regulations'' also to be assessed.
        In other words, it's sensible to expect another lockdown before 2021 is over.
        Also on rt.com UK medical body slams 'irresponsible' decision to unlock England on July 19 as cases rise There have of course been numerous insinuations over the past six months that a true return to normality isn't in the offing anytime soon. For example, in explaining the postponement of ''freedom day'' in June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested the UK could be in for a ''rough winter for all sorts of reasons,'' as there might be ''some new diseases, some new horror that we simply haven't budgeted or accounted for'' on the horizon as yet unforeseen.
        Still, black-and-white confirmation that whatever freedom is achieved on July 19 will be short-lived, and subject to change further down the road, can only be considered a perturbing disappointment. Even more disquieting, though, is the section of the document relating to the NHS COVID Pass, or ''vaccine passport.'' It states Whitehall will be ''encouraging and supporting businesses and large events'' to use the Pass in ''high-risk settings'' to ''help to limit the risk of infection.''
        ''The government will work with organisations that operate large, crowded settings where people are likely to be in close proximity to others outside their household to encourage the use of the NHS Covid Pass,'' the passage continues. ''If sufficient measures are not taken to limit infection, the government will consider mandating the NHS Covid Pass in certain venues at a later date.''
        It was only in May that citizens were told in no uncertain terms there was ''no chance'' UK laws would be changed to mandate the use of vaccine passports, with plans to that effect having been unambiguously scrapped. This new protocol could, however, make vaccine passports a fait accompli, achieved via the backdoor, with culpability for the volte face deposited squarely on the shoulders of ''businesses and large events'' and their patrons for not responsibly taking ''sufficient measures'' to ''limit infection.''
        A similar carrot-and-stick approach was evident in an announcement made by French President Emmanuel Macron the same day Javid spoke of a ''one-way journey.'' He outlined how, as of August, anyone over the age of 12 entering a caf(C), cinema, cultural centre, hospital, museum, restaurant, theatre, theme park, or train in France will need to possess a special Covid health pass. Perversely, Macron was also keen to stress that ''vaccination is not immediately obligatory for everyone.''
        Essentially, no one's forcing you to get vaccinated '' it's just that most spheres of daily life and activities, both indoor and out, will be entirely off limits until you do. The Catch-22 situation the UK government is subtly contriving in order to impose vaccines, and vaccine passports, on the public seems particularly insidious, given official data indicates that 87% of England's population aged 18 and over have received their first vaccination, without the clear threat of not being able to enjoy drinks with friends in a pub, among other mundane exploits, hanging over them.
        Also on rt.com Economist poll claims 40% of Britons want mask mandate FOREVER, regardless of Covid-19 Moreover, the experience of Israel shows that vaccine certificates quickly become redundant '' in fact, it was just three months after Tel Aviv made a ''green pass'' mandatory for accessing indoor spaces that they were scrapped. After all, as the policy had served as such a stirring incentive to get vaccinated, all Israeli adults had received both doses by April, meaning there was no need to inspect anyone's pass.
        One needn't be a cynic to suggest that darker motives lie behind the push for vaccine passports. The dire surveillance implications of such a resource were starkly outlined in an April briefing note from civil liberties organization Big Brother Watch, which cautioned that COVID certificates ''would become de facto identity cards if they were introduced, and would likely be retained and expanded in purpose and data over time,'' marking ''a profound impact on citizens' right to privacy in the modern context.''
        ''The UK has a proud history of opposition to identity systems and personal checks. COVID-status certificates would turn the UK into a two-tier, checkpoint society and mark a serious break from our long-guarded democratic traditions, of which respect for privacy is key,'' Big Brother Watch warned. ''The combination of apps with sensitive health data and the subversion of everyday businesses and events into checkpoints could constitute the biggest expansion of surveillance ever seen in the UK.''
        Evidently, for all Downing Street's newfound cheerfulness and libertarian rhetoric, the nine most terrifying words in the English language very much remain, ''I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.''
        Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
        The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
      Conspiracy Theorists: 'Changing' Earlobes Prove Biden Clone - Comic Sands
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 20:41
        The only limit to conspiracy theorists' ideas is the power of their imagination.
        The newest bizarre twist among far-right conservatives is the belief that Joe Biden has been replaced by a clone or body double.
        The evidence for this wild theory?
        Biden's earlobes.
        @AwakenedOutloaw/Twitter
        @Bewillysodak @govkristinoem Joe Biden isn't aware of much. Maybe his body double is though. Check out his earlobe'... https://t.co/UTJdKWb999
        '-- Robin L (@Robin L)1607651739.0For these conspiracy theorists, Joe Biden's earlobes becoming less dangly proves there is a Biden clone who has stolen the President-elect's life.
        Earlobes are either open or closed... You have open or closed your whole life... That doesnt change... Unless your'... https://t.co/OuEKqn4JjY
        '-- Dr. Shanna Elect 68% Pissed Gander (@Dr. Shanna Elect 68% Pissed Gander)1607652455.0Which Biden is this? One has detached earlobes, the other has attached earlobes. That is not a trait that floats. P'... https://t.co/h5AtfmiIpv
        '-- ''ŒProudTrumpDeplorable''Œ (@''ŒProudTrumpDeplorable''Œ)1607549753.0@StevePieczenik People say look at his earlobes, attached/ un-attached . ''It's a body double ''But that Happens whe'... https://t.co/7GtThxJbmO
        '-- Joe Biden CEO of N.A.M.B.L.A (@Joe Biden CEO of N.A.M.B.L.A)1608160641.0Of course, anyone willing to slow down and think logically for a moment could think of a few better explanations for Joe Biden's earlobes.
        You woke up today needing an 1,200-word analysis of Joe Biden's earlobes? Don't worry. I got you @snopes --> https://t.co/8K9InAJNsO
        '-- Jessica Lee (@Jessica Lee)1608230929.0Fact-checking website Snopes confirmed Joe Biden's earlobes have, indeed, become less dangly in the last couple of years. Instead of jumping to the "clone" explanation, however, they concluded Biden likely received a facelift.@kurteichenwald Some guy comparing photos of Biden's earlobes then and now to prove he's a deep state clone of Bide'... https://t.co/s7T8sOw1oo
        '-- Nancy Stanley, JD (@Nancy Stanley, JD)1607634180.0Of course, logic and facts never stopped fringe conservatives on Twitter from continuing to spread false and unfounded conspiracy theories.
        The Biden earpiece conspiracy theory (which originated in a tweet from a single anonymous source to a NYPost report'... https://t.co/SXHOWSkIKZ
        '-- Ben Collins (@Ben Collins)1601403748.0@oneunderscore__ Notice on these photos that some of Joe Biden has free earlobes where as another one he has attach'... https://t.co/qmkpTmBlXZ
        '-- Wendy Roden (@Wendy Roden)1607920378.0@BrianTh37895972 @hwholcomb Well the Person Pretending to be Joe Biden (attached earlobes) Can NOT be sworn in as'... https://t.co/nfTcMqmEyu
        '-- Ministry of Truth (@Ministry of Truth)1607816574.0Do such wild conspiracy theories deserve a place in social media?
        While some find them entertaining to mock, people have been threatened, injured and even killed because of the baseless lies being pushed.
        @Chem_Am_Legit @IcarusFlightOf @Raiklin @marcorubio @DevinNunes @SenTomCotton @EliseStefanik @RepMoBrooks It can in'... https://t.co/rp1AQQNOsN
        '-- Dr Paige Carita (@Dr Paige Carita)1607642293.0It's time many of these conspiracy theorists were taught the finer points of an important philosophical and scientific concept'--Occam's Razor.
        If there exist two explanations for an occurrence, the one that requires the smallest number of assumptions is usually correct. In other words, the more assumptions you have to make to prove your point, the more unlikely your explanation is accurate.
      Was 2020 a Record-Breaking Hurricane Season? Yes, But. . . Inside the Eye
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 20:39
        Was 2020 a Record-Breaking Hurricane Season? Yes, But. . . Posted on June 30, 2021 Updated on June 30, 2021
        Chris Landsea and Eric Blake [1]
        An Incredibly Busy Hurricane Season The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was extremely active and destructive with 30 named storms. (The Hurricane Specialists here at the National Hurricane Center use the designation ''named storms'' to refer to tropical storms, subtropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes.) We even reached into the Greek alphabet for names for just the second time ever. The United States was affected by a record 13 named storms (six of them directly impacted Louisiana), and a record yearly total of 7 billion-dollar tropical cyclone damage events was recorded by the National Centers for Environmental Information (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/time-series/US). Nearly every country surrounding the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and tropical/subtropical North Atlantic was threatened or struck in 2020. Total damage in the United States was around $42 billion with over 240 lives lost in the United States and our neighboring countries in the Caribbean and Central America.
        Track map of all 30 named storms during the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season.The 30 named storms in 2020 sets a record going back to the 1870s when the U.S. Signal Service (a predecessor to the National Weather Service) began tracking tropical storms and hurricanes. The only year that comes close is 2005 with 28 named storms. It's also apparent that a very large increase has occurred in the number of observed named storms from an average of 7 to 10 a year in the late 1800s to an average of 15 to 18 a year in the last decade or so '' a doubling in the observed numbers over a century! (The black curve in the figure below represents a smoothed representation of the data that filters out the year to year variability in order to focus on time scales of a decade or more).
        Number of combined tropical storms, subtropical storms, and hurricanes each year from 1878 to 2020.However, the number of named storms is only one measure of the overall measure of a season's activity. And indeed, for the 2020 season, other measures of Atlantic tropical storm and hurricane activity were not record breaking. For example, the number of hurricanes (14) was well above average, but fell short of the previous record of 15 hurricanes that occurred in 2005.
        For overall monitoring of tropical storm and hurricane activity, tropical meteorologists prefer a metric that combines how strong the peak winds reached in a tropical cyclone, and how long they lasted '' called Accumulated Cyclone Energy or ACE[2]. By this measure, 2020 was extremely busy, but not even close to record breaking. In fact, with a total ACE of 180 units, 2020 was only the 13th busiest season on record since 1878 with seasons like 1893, 1933, 1950, and 2005 substantially more active than 2020. One can also see that while there is a long-term increase in recorded ACE since the late 1800s, it's quite a bit less dramatic than the increase seen with named storms. There also is a pronounced busier/quieter multi-decadal (40- to 60-year) cycle with active conditions in the 1870s to 1890s, late 1920s to 1960s, and again from the mid-1990s onward. Conversely, quiet conditions occurred in the 1900s to early 1920s and 1970s to early 1990s.
        Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE), a measure which combines the number, intensity, and duration of tropical storms and hurricanes, each year from 1878 to 2020. Technology Change and Named Storms So why would the record for named storms be broken in 2020, while the overall activity as measured by ACE is not even be close to setting a record?
        The answer is very likely technology change, rather than climate change. Today we have many advanced tools to help monitor tropical and subtropical cyclones across the entire Atlantic basin such as geostationary and low-earth orbiting satellite imagery, the Hurricane Hunter aircraft of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coastal weather radars, and scatterometers (radars in space that provide surface wind measurements). In addition, the instrumentation and measuring techniques used by the satellites, aircraft and radars are continually improving. These technological advances allow us at the National Hurricane Center to better identify, track, and forecast tropical and subtropical cyclones with an accuracy and precision never before available. This is great news for coastal residents and mariners, since these tools help us provide the best possible forecasts and warnings to aid in the best preparedness for these life-threatening systems.
        Such technology, though, was not available back at the advent of the U.S. Signal Service's tropical monitoring in the 1870s. Without these sophisticated tools, meteorologists in earlier times not only had difficulty in forecasting tropical cyclones, but they also struggled in even knowing if a system existed over the open ocean. In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, the only resource hurricane forecasters could use to monitor tropical cyclones were weather station observations provided via telegraph. Such an approach is problematic for observing '' much less forecasting '' tropical cyclones that develop and spend most of their lifecycle over the open ocean. Here's a timeline of critical technologies that have dramatically improved tropical meteorologists' ability to ''see'' and monitor tropical cyclones:
        Technological improvements for monitoring tropical storm and hurricanes between 1878 and 2018.The upshot of all of these advances in the last century is much better identification of the existence of tropical cyclones and their strongest winds (or what meteorologists call ''Intensity''). So, the further one goes back in time, the more tropical cyclones (and portions of their life cycle) were missed, even for systems that may have been a major hurricane. This holds for both counting named storms back in time as well as integrated measures like ACE. Our database is incomplete and has '' as statisticians would say '' a severe undersampling bias that is much more prominent earlier in the record. HURDAT2 '' our Atlantic hurricane database '' is an extremely helpful record which is a ''by-product'' of NHC's forecasting operations, but it is very deficient for determining real long-term trends. (It's important to point out that many data entries in HURDAT2 for intensity and even the position of the named storms are educated guesses as opposed to being based on observations before the 1970s advent of regular satellite imagery). To be able to examine questions about any impact from man-made global warming (aka climate change) on long-term changes in the number of named storms, for example, one must first account for the massive technology change over the last century.
        Fortunately, to help address this issue, researchers at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) '' (Gabe Vecchi and Tom Knutson in 2008's Journal of Climate) have invented a way to estimate how many named storms were missed in the pre-geostationary satellite era (before the 1970s). This was done by comparing the population of tracks and sizes of named storms that have occurred versus the density of observations from ships that were traversing the ocean. If there were ships everywhere all of the time back to the 1870s (and these ships didn't try to avoid running into tropical cyclones, which they certainly did), there would be very few named storms unaccounted for. But the reality is that much of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea was sparsely traversed by ships from the late 19th Century until the middle of the 20th Century. (The plots below indicate the amount of shipping traffic and weather observations from those ships '' Orange/Red are numerous, Green/Yellow are moderate, Gray are few, and White are no measurements).
        Plots showing the density of shipping traffic across the northern Atlantic Ocean between 1878-1914, 1915-1945, and 1946-1965. White and blue areas indicate little to no ship traffic, while oranges and red indicate a high level of ship traffic.In addition to the issue of named storms that were previously missed, due to the lack of ability to observe them, technological improvements also have effectively allowed the standards for naming a storm to be refined resulting in better identification of weak (near the 39-mph/63-kph threshold) systems. Tropical warnings for many of the weak, short-lived named storms in past eras were not issued, and thus these systems were not automatically included into the HURDAT2 database. In the cases when forecasters in earlier years were either 1) not sure that the system possessed the required 39-mph/63-kph winds, 2) assumed that it would be too short in duration, or 3) thought that the system was non-tropical (i.e., with a warm to cold gradient of temperature across the system's center), they usually did not issue named storm advisories, and therefore these systems did not get added into the historical database[3].
        In research that the lead author had investigated (Chris Landsea and company in 2010's Journal of Climate), we discovered that weak, short-lived (lasting less than or equal to two days) named storms '' aka ''Shorties'' '' had shown a dramatic increase in occurrence over time. There were only about one a year in HURDAT2 up until the 1920s, about 3 per year from the 1930s to the 1990s, and jumping up to around 5 per year since 2000.
        Number of tropical storms and subtropical storm ''Shorties,'' those which had a duration of 2 days or less, each year from 1878 to 2020. Of the 30 named storms in 2020, seven were Shorties and a few more were just longer than two days in duration. Of these seven Shorties, four are very unlikely to have been ''named'' before around 2000: Dolly, Edouard, Omar, and Alpha. (Of the remaining Shorties, Bertha and Kyle may have been named, while Fay likely would have been named). These and other weak, short-lived systems since 2000 have been observed and recognized as tropical storms due to new tools available to forecasters including scatterometers, Advanced Microwave Sounding Units, the Advanced Dvorak Technique, and the Cyclone Phase Space diagrams. The Hurricane Specialists here at the National Hurricane Center then are able to issue advisories on these named storms in real-time and then include them into the HURDAT2 database at the end of the season.
        Examples of four ''Shorties'' in 2020 that were very unlikely to have been designated as named storms in the past.From a warning perspective for mariners and coastal residents, it is very beneficial that the National Hurricane Center is now naming (and recording) these Shorties. But without accounting for how technology affects our records, one can come to some unfounded conclusions about true long-term changes in named storm activity. In addition, it is worth pointing out, but perhaps not too surprising, that it has been shown by the researchers at Princeton University and at GFDL (Villarini et al. 2011, Journal of Geophysical Research) that the observed increase in Shorties has no association with any environmental factor known to influence named storms including man-made global warming. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the dramatic increase in the number of these Shorties is simply due to better observational technology.
        An ''Apples-to-Apples'' Comparison of the 2020 Long-Lived Named Storms with the Past So how can we come up then with a more apples-to-apples comparison of how the number of named storms has actually changed over the last 100 years plus? Here are the steps that were performed in the 2010 Journal of Climate paper, about Shorties, updated for data through the 2020 hurricane season:
        (1) Start with the original HURDAT2 database of named storms from 1878 onward:
        Number of combined tropical storms, subtropical storms, and hurricanes each year from 1878 to 2020.(2) Remove all of the Shorties from the original database, leaving just the long-lived named storms:
        Number of combined long-lived (more than 2 days) tropical storms, subtropical storms, and hurricanes each year from 1878 to 2020.(3) Add in the best estimate of the number of missed long-lived named storms before geostationary satellite imagery and the Dvorak technique became available:
        Number of combined long-lived (more than 2 days) tropical storms, subtropical storms, and hurricanes each year from 1878 to 2020, adjusted by adding ''missed'' systems.The resulting final time series shows tremendous variability, with highest values of 23 in 2020 and 20 in 1887 and 2005, and lowest values of 2 in 1914, and 3 in 1925, 1982, and 1994. Overall, there remains a modest upward trend in the database over the entire time series superimposed with quasi-cyclic variations seen in the ACE data as was discussed earlier: higher activity in the late 1800s, mid-1900s, and from the mid-1990s onward, but lower activity in the early 1900s, and in the 1970s to early 1990s. These cycles of higher and lower activity have been linked to a natural phenomenon called the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) (see paper by Stan Goldenberg, Chris Landsea, and colleagues in 2001's Science). Recent controversial research, however, is calling into question whether the AMO actually exists (see paper by Michael Mann and company in 2021's Science). Regardless of the validity of the AMO, the bottom line is that the doubling in the number of named storms over a century is very likely due to technology change, not natural or man-made climate change.
        (4) And finally, add in the uncertainty to these estimates with the reasonable largest number of missed long-lived named storms. This represents the 95% method uncertainty value, or in layman's terms, the largest reasonable number of missed systems.
        Highest reasonable number of combined long-lived (more than 2 days) tropical storms, subtropical storms, and hurricane each year from 1878 to 2020, adjusted by adding a high estimate of ''missed'' systems.Note that after adding on the uncertainty to the missed number of long-lived named storms (blue coloring), we can conclude that 1887 and 2020 may be just as busy for the number of long-lived named storms.
        The New ''Normal'' for Named Storm Numbers With the completion of the 2011 to 2020 decade, climatologists are updating records to provide a new ''normal'' (or average) to compare against new weather. The previous 30-year based climate period to decide if a weather event or season was unusual or expected was 1981-2010. For weather phenomena around the world, we're now changing the years to compute normal conditions to 1991-2020. (The 30-year normal concept is designed to provide a long enough time period to obtain relatively stable statistics, and to also have the time period reflect the most recent weather experienced over a human generation. Thirty years is a good compromise between these two aspects.) It might seem odd to non-meteorologists to change the definition of ''average'' every ten years, but meteorologists/climatologists do so because climate is never stationary, i.e., the climate is always changing. The climate has both natural variations (like El Ni±o/La Ni±a, effects from volcanic eruptions, and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation) and man-made changes (like urban heat island, land use changes, and greenhouse gas emissions) that affect what's been observed around the last three decades. These revisions of new averages are done around the world in conjunction with the World Meteorological Organization. Thus NOAA is updating the average of temperature, precipitation, and other meteorological parameters to reflect what has been observed.
        This shift in the period used for the 30-year climate standard changes the definitions of average (or ''normal'') levels of tropical cyclone activity to the following for the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico (see this report by NOAA for more details):
        System TypeOld 1981-2010 AverageNew 1991-2020 AverageNamed Storms1214Hurricanes67Major Hurricanes33Comparison of the number of named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes in the Atlantic basin using the old 30-year (1981-2020) averaging period with the new 30-year (1991-2020) averaging period.These changes, therefore, reflect that most of the new 1991-2020 climatology period is within an active period that began in 1995 and includes the impact of the technology changes discussed above that have led to the National Hurricane Center more accurately diagnosing and naming more systems in the last couple of decades.
        Take Aways The answers and conclusions to ''Was 2020 a Record-Breaking Hurricane Season? Yes, but'...'':
        Doubling in the number of named storms over a century is very likely due to technology change, not natural or man-made climate change;2020 set a record for number of named storms, but given the limitations in our records it is possible that other years (such as 1887) were just as active for long-lived named storms; andThe boost in average or ''normal'' conditions from 12 to 14 named storms is due to a combination of a busy era that began in 1995 as well as the ability of the National Hurricane Center to observe and accurately diagnose more weak, short-lived named storms than had been done previously, mostly due to technology advancements.A follow-on blog post, putting these observed changes of the number of named storms into context of what may be expected to occur in the future, is expected to be published in the near future.
        [2] Accumulated Cyclone Energy is calculated by squaring the named storm's intensity '' maximum sustained surface winds (expressed in knots) '' for every six hours that the system had at least a 39-mph (63-kph) intensity.
        [3] There is on-going research into updating and revising the HURDAT2 database for the seasons of 1851 to 1999 in order to improve and make more complete the records that currently exist. This is done by obtaining the original named storm observations from ships, weather stations, Hurricane Hunter aircraft, radars, and satellites and using today's best meteorological analyses to revise the positions, intensities, and statuses in the database. This work also adds in newly discovered named storms that were not identified as such at the time. Currently, the reanalysis project has added 35 years (1851 to 1885) to our official records and has revised the 1886 through 1965 hurricane seasons.
      Capitol Lego set seized from rioter in box, unassembled
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 20:23
        July 12, 2021 | 1:59pm | Updated July 12, 2021 | 2:36pm
        Enlarge Image The Lego set was seized from Robert Morss, who faces numerous charges for his role in the January 6 riot. AGeorge
        The US Capitol Lego set that federal authorities claimed to have recovered from an alleged rioter ''fully constructed'' was actually not assembled at all, according to new court papers.
        An assistant US attorney in DC clarified in a letter filed on Friday that all 1,000-plus pieces of the plastic model seized from Robert Morss were still loose in the box.
        ''Please note that after a review of the photographs from the search, there appears to have been a miscommunication and that statement appears to be inaccurate,'' prosecutors wrote.
        ''The Lego set was in a box and not fully constructed at the time of the search, as pictured below,'' they added.
        Morss, who is being held behind bars pending a bail hearing, was hit with a number of charges for his role in the riot, including assaulting, resisting or impeding officers, civil disorder, robbery of US property and obstruction.
        He allegedly led rioters in ''one of the most intense and prolonged clashes'' at the Capitol on Jan. 6 '-- at one point ripping a riot shield away from a Metropolitan Police officer as he and other President Donald Trump supporters tried to storm the building, prosecutors charged.
        Robert Morss is one of more than 500 people who have been charged by the feds since the January 6 uprising. APIn addition to the Lego set, investigators seized a notebook from the Pennsylvania man with notes about how to create ''hometown militia.''
        The notebook included a to-do list that included notes such as ''Ambush'' and ''Battle Drills,'' according to court papers.
        Morss is one of more than 500 people who have been charged by the feds since the Jan. 6 uprising, which led to the deaths of five people.
        Throngs of Trump supporters stormed the building that day in an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which Joe Biden won.
      Euro 2020: Savills estate agent, 37, is arrested 'over vile racist tweet about black England stars' | Daily Mail Online
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 19:56
        Greater Manchester Police have arrested the Savills estate agent who allegedly posted a racist tweet about black England football stars after the Three Lions lost the European Championship to Italy.
        Andrew Bone, 37, self-presented at Cheadle Heath police station this morning and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of an offence under Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act.
        Bone, a commercial building manager, claimed that his Twitter account had been hacked after a message was posted on his profile on Sunday which said: 'N*****s ruined it for us.' After he was widely accused of being a racist, the post was deleted and Bone called for police to investigate.
        The message was posted shortly after England players Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho all missed their penalties in Sunday night's Euros final at Wembley Stadium.
        Savills said he has been suspended pending the outcome of the force's investigation.
        Three officers carrying evidence bags and a police radio could be seen searching Bone's terraced home in Manchester today and spent 20 minutes gathering evidence before they left clutching a laptop. In a statement this afternoon, GMP said a suspect has been released under investigation.
        Detective Inspector Matt Gregory of the force's Trafford division said: 'The actions of a small number of people overshadowed what was a hugely unifying event for our country on Sunday evening. We are firm in our commitment, any racist abuse whether online or off is not acceptable.'
        No social media network has revealed how many posts about the England team have been reported to them as racist over the past few days, and have not responded to requests from MailOnline to reveal those numbers.
        Twitter says it has deleted more than, 1,000 posts but not how many were reported to its moderators for racist abuse. However, research by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate found that Facebook-owned Instagram had taken down just six of 106 accounts reported by users for sending racial abuse.
        It came as children's football coach Nick Scott, 50, from Worcestershire was last night arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. He previously denied posting racist tweets about Rashford, and had claimed that his Twitter account had been hacked.
        As Bone was arrested for allegedly making a racist tweet:
        Boris Johnson announced online racists will be banned from football matches after a wave of vile abuse; Tory MP Steve Baker called on Conservative Party to 'urgently' change its attitude to people taking the knee; An online petition to make ID a requirement for social media accounts hit more than 650,000 signatures; Saka, Rashford and Sancho will be supported and asked if they want to pursue criminal action against trolls; The PM summoned tech giants to Downing Street and told them to 'up their game' over online racism; Rashford said he was 'overwhelmed' by fans who left supportive messages on his defaced Manchester mural; Portsmouth FC and the FA launched an investigation amid claims a number of the club's academy players racially abused England stars in a group chat leaked on social media. Andrew Bone, 37, self-presented at Cheadle Heath police station this morning and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of an offence under Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act, Greater Manchester Police said
        Three officers carrying evidence bags and a police radio could be seen searching Bone's terraced home in Manchester and spent 20 minutes gathering evidence before they left clutching a laptop
        Police officers can be seen leaving Bone's home in Manchester after he was accused of making a racist tweet
        The message was posted on Bone's Twitter account shortly after three England players missed their penalties
        England's Bukayo Saka applauds fans after the Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley Stadium on Sunday night
        Police arrest children's football coach, 50, for 'inciting racial hatred' over tweet telling Marcus Rashford 'get to ya own country' Nick Scott, 50, is accused of tweeting the Manchester-born forward to 'get to ya own country'
        A children's football coach accused of tweeting England star Marcus Rashford with alleged racist abuse has been arrested, police have said today.
        Nick Scott, 50, is accused of tweeting the Manchester-born forward to 'get to ya own country'.
        The message was posted following England's Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy at Wembley on Sunday night.
        Scott, from Powick, near Worcester, has previously denied tweeting the message to the 23-year-old star, instead saying his account was 'hacked'.
        West Mercia Police said a 50-year-old man had been detained on suspicion of inciting racial hatred following reports of an inappropriate tweet posted on Sunday.
        The police say the man, who they have not named, has since been released under investigation.
        Bone's Twitter account and LinkedIn page have both been deleted. His stepfather Robert Dutson claimed his account had been hacked by someone with a 'grievance.'
        A GMP spokesman previously said: 'Greater Manchester Police has received complaints about a social media post following the Italy v England Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
        'Reports from across the UK are being collated by United Kingdom Football Policing Unit and the Metropolitan Police and will then be allocated to the relevant forces for further investigation if required.'
        A Savills spokesman previously said: 'Savills confirms that the staff member connected with the racist comments placed on Twitter claims that his account was taken over by a third party and that the matter is being referred to the Greater Manchester Police.
        'Savills has acted swiftly and confirms that the individual is suspended from duty pending the findings of this investigation, which is being progressed as a priority.
        'Savills has a policy of zero tolerance on any form of racial abuse or discrimination.'
        It was revealed today that Saka, Rashford and Sancho will be asked by the Football Association whether they want to see any of those who posted racist abuse prosecuted.
        Their views will be passed to investigating officers, though police and the CPS may still charge suspects even if the footballers do not want criminal cases to go ahead.
        It came as the Centre for Countering Digital Hate said Instagram had taken down just six of 106 accounts reported by users for sending racial abuse, while the i reported it allowed 42 comments likening the three footballers to monkeys and 17 posts containing the N-word to remain on the platform.
        Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms have faced calls for more tools to tackle and block abusive messages and stricter censure of users who abuse others.
        England captain Harry Kane sent a powerful social media message to those who sent racist abuse to Saka, Rashford and Sancho after they failed to score spot-kicks in England's agonising 3-2 defeat on penalties against Italy, writing on Twitter: 'We don't want you'.
        Kane said: 'Three lads who were brilliant all summer had the courage to step up & take a pen when the stakes were high. They deserve support & backing not the vile racist abuse they've had since last night.
        'If you abuse anyone on social media you're not an England fan and we don't want you.'
        England manager Gareth Southgate said the racist abuse aimed at the players was unacceptable, adding: 'It's just not what we stand for. We have been a beacon of light in bringing people together, in people being able to relate to the national team, and the national team stands for everybody and so that togetherness has to continue.
        'We have shown the power our country has when it does come together and has that energy and positivity together. It's my decision who takes the penalties, it's not a case of players not volunteering or more experienced players backing out.'
        It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson today announced that online racists will be banned from football matches after a wave of vile abuse of England stars.
        Mr Johnson told MPs that the Government is toughening up the football banning order regime as he clashed with Sir Keir Starmer over his stance on the national team 'taking the knee' before matches.
        The Labour leader attacked Mr Johnson at PMQs demanding to know if he regretted branding the anti-racism symbol 'gesture' politics.
        Marcus Rashford (left) and Jadon Sancho (right) also faced racist abuse after missing their penalties in the final on Sunday
        England manager Gareth Southgate and Bukayo Saka look dejected after the final
        Petition to make ID a requirement for social media hits more than 600,000 signatures - as more than a million people sign campaign to permanently ban racists from football matches A petition to make ID a requirement for social media accounts has hit more than 650,000 signatures in the wake of trolls targeting England's Euro 2020 stars
        A petition to make ID a requirement for social media accounts has hit more than 650,000 signatures in the wake of trolls targeting England's Euro 2020 stars.
        Started by model Katie Price, and backed by other celebrities including Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore, it calls for personal accounts on sites such as Facebook and Twitter to be linked to a verified form of identification.
        This would then prevent, the petition says, 'anonymised harmful activity, providing traceability if an offence occurs'.
        England players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were racially abused on social media after missing penalties during the Euro 2020 final on Sunday.
        Boris Johnson then held showdown talks with social media firms yesterday, demanding they 'up their game' over the abuse suffered by the Three Lions stars.
        It comes as another, separate campaign to permanently ban racists from football matches has received the backing of a million fans in just two days and received the seal of approval from the Prime Minister this afternoon.
        He jibed that the premier had been focused on fighting a 'culture war' but had now realised he was on the 'wrong side', with outrage at more than a thousand racist tweets targeted at the trio who missed penalties in the Euros final.
        Mr Johnson replied: 'I repeat that I utterly condemn and abhor the racist outpourings that we saw on Sunday night, and so what we're doing is today is taking practical steps to ensure that the football banning order regime is changed, so that if you are guilty of racist abuse online of footballers, then you will not be going to the match, no ifs, no buts, no exemptions and no excuses.'
        One Government insider told MailOnline that the tone from ministers on 'taking the knee' needed to shift because public views had. 'The dial has moved. If you look at the polls you can see that. The England players have redefined taking the knee,' they said.
        A shadow cabinet minister also suggested the balance in the 'culture wars' appeared to be changing.
        'In Hartlepool the Tories were sending round leaflets pointing out that Keir had taken the knee. I don't think they would do that again,' they told MailOnline. 'No-one believes that Raheem Sterling wants to bring down capitalism or defund the police.'
        In a stormy session of PMQs, Sir Keir said: 'Does the Prime Minister think that it was wrong to criticise the England team's decision to oppose racism by taking the knee as gesture politics?'
        He added: 'Can he tell the House, does he now regret failing to condemn those who booed England players for standing up to racism 0 yes or no?'
        Mr Johnson replied: 'We made it absolutely clear that no-one should boo the England team.
        'In addition to changing the football banning order regime, last night I met representatives of Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and I made it absolutely clear to them that we will legislate to address this problem in the Online Harms Bill.
        'And unless they get hate and racism off their platforms they will face fines amounting to 10 per cent of their global revenues - we all know they have the technology to do it.'
        Mr Johnson defended Home Secretary Priti Patel's comments about taking the knee, saying she had been fighting racism 'all her life' while also seeking to take 'practical steps to advance the cause of black and minority ethnic groups'.
        But Sir Keir said: 'We could all see what's happened here - the Government has been trying to stoke a culture war and they've realised they're on the wrong side, and now they're hoping nobody has noticed.
        'Why else would a Conservative MP boast that he's not watching his own team? Why else would another Conservative MP say that Marcus Rashford spends too much time playing politics when he's actually trying to feed children that the Government won't? And why will the Prime Minister refuse time and time again - even now - to condemn those who boo our players for standing up against racism?
        'What is it that this England team symbolises that this Conservative Party is so afraid of?'
        Ms Patel did not lead for the Government on an urgent question in the Commons after PMQs, with Home Office minister Victoria Atkins saying she was hosting an event highlighting violence against women.
        Last night, England star Rashford said he was 'overwhelmed' by the actions of football fans who left supportive messages on his Manchester mural after it was defaced with 'racist graffiti'.
        The Manchester United player, 23, took to Instagram to share his thanks after fans rushed to cover the offensive messages by placing letters of support across the mural, which is painted on the wall of the Coffee House Cafe in Rashford's home town of Withington.
        Prime Minister Boris Johnson today announced that online racists will be banned from football matches after a wave of vile abuse of England stars. Mr Johnson told MPs that the Government is toughening up the football banning order regime as he clashed with Sir Keir Starmer over his stance on the national team 'taking the knee' before matches
        Sir Keir attacked Mr Johnson at PMQs, demanding to know if he regretted branding the anti-racism symbol 'gesture' politics
        Anti-racism campaigners last night took the knee in front of the Rashford mural after it was defaced by vandals after England's defeat to Italy on Sunday night
        Messages of support are seen at the defaced mural of Marcus Rashford which was repaired by the artist Akse
        The artwork, which was created by French-born artist Akse in November 2020, was defaced in what is being investigated by police as a possible 'hate crime'
        Sharing pictures of the kindly-worded letters, the Three Lions forward said: 'Overwhelmed. Thankful. Lost for words.' The Premier League star also included images of hundreds of anti-racism campaigners who took the knee in front of the mural last night.
        Stand Up To Racism held a demonstration at the mural to show solidarity with Rashford after he was racially abused by online trolls in the wake of England's heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat.
        Members of the group were seen holding aloft signs with 'Black Lives Matter' and 'No Justice No Peace' at the anti-racism demonstration. Crowds also joined in with a protester chanting 'Black Lives Matter' on a megaphone.
        Family friends of Rashford, including his 'aunties' and godmother, Norma Morgan, Fay Banton and Carol Wright, were among the 300-strong crowd. Ms Banton told the Guardian: 'He (Rashford) would love it. At this point in time, he's so low.'
        Rashford's mural was also defaced in what is being investigated by police as a possible 'hate crime', with derogatory comments about the forward, including the words 'sh**e' and 'b*****d'. Further graffiti said 'f**k Sancho' in reference to Three Lions teammate Sancho.
        The mural has since been repaired and is now covered in messages of support from England fans, who have left notes, flags and shirts on the wall in solidarity with the footballer.
        Tory MP Steve Baker says party must 'urgently' change its attitude towards taking the knee and stop criticising anti-racism protest after abuse of England's black footballers
        A Tory MP has called on the Conservative Party to 'urgently' change its attitude to people taking the knee amid the row over racist abuse directed at England's football players.
        Former minister and self-styled 'Brexit hardman' Steve Baker said the party is at risk of 'misrepresenting our own heart for those who suffer injustice' if it does not adjust the way it reacts to the players' pre-game protest.
        Critics have previously accused the players of promoting a political agenda in addition to projecting an anti-racist message, but Mr Baker said his party should recognise that the England side's protest is not 'anti-capitalist', nor are players asking to 'defund the police'.
        He made the comments after three black England football players received sickening racist abuse on social media following their side's defeat in the Euros final on Sunday.
        The abuse was roundly condemned across the political spectrum including by Boris Johnson, with many calling for an end to anonymous social media accounts as a way of combating racist trolls.
        Home Secretary Priti Patel - who has received racist abuse herself - also condemned the abuse. But she has found herself embroiled in the row after earlier in the tournament calling taking the knee 'gesture politics' while Boris Johnson initially refused to condemn fans who booed the knee taking at games.
        Mr Baker told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It is a wake-up call to the Conservative Party of just how powerful our words are when we navigate these issues.
        'We have to get alongside those players who are taking the knee and understand they are not saying defund the police, they are not anti-capitalist.
        'What they are doing is saying 'we suffer racism'.'
        Former minister and self-styled 'Brexit hardman' Steve Baker said the party is at risk of 'misrepresenting our own heart for those who suffer injustice' if attitudes on the Black Lives Matter protest act don't change
        Mr Baker insisted taking the knee (pictured) is not 'anti-capitalist', nor are players asking to 'defund the police'
        Prior to the tournament, the Home Secretary had said she 'did not support' those engaging in 'that type of gesture politics' when asked if she supported stars taking the knee
        The MP was addressing a message he sent to the Conservatives Against Racism, For Equality group, first reported in the Guardian newspaper. It read: 'This may be a decisive moment for our party.
        'Much as we can't be associated with calls to defund the police, we urgently need to challenge our own attitude to people taking a knee. I fear we are in danger of misrepresenting our own heart for those who suffer injustice.'
        The Home Secretary earlier dismissed the stance of England players in taking the knee in the fight for racial equality. 'I just don't support people participating in that type of gesture politics,' Ms Patel said in an interview with GB News.
        Asked whether England fans had a right to boo their national team, she said: 'That's a choice for them quite frankly. I've not gone to a football match to even contemplate that.'
        Mr Baker today said he was not going to criticise Ms Patel, adding: 'It is one thing to boo the referee with a marginal decision, but it is another to boo brave, black players who are saying no to racism and bravely going out on the field to take a knee and say we are expressing our solidarity with those who are suffering racism.'
        He said 'gestures are extremely powerful' and added: 'What I am saying to my colleagues is that we have to confront the reality of how we are sometimes heard, even by people on our own side.'
        Downing Street last night scrambled to head off speculation that plans for a reception for the England team had been shelved due to the ongoing race row. Questions were asked after it emerged there are no plans for the PM to host an event to honour Gareth Southgate's team after reaching the final.
        No10 tried to sweep away the issue tonight by insisting that the Football Association had informed the government they did not want an immediate reception.
        A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The PM would have been delighted and honoured to host a reception for the England squad to mark their outstanding performance in the European championship.
        England star Tyrone Mings (pictured taking the knee during a friendly against Romania in June) said the Home Secretary had 'no right' to condemn the barrage of online racist abuse against fellow stars Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after they missed penalties in Sunday night's heartbreaking Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy
        Both Mr Johnson and Ms Patel took to social media to condemn mindless social media morons who bombarded Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho with abuse after the Wembley heartbreak.
        'However No10 was informed prior to Sunday's game that the FA's preference was not for an immediate reception in the event England were to lose. We continue to discuss suitable ways for the PM to thank the squad and coaching staff for their heroic efforts throughout the tournament.'
        Sources insisted a similar situation had arisen after the 2018 World Cup when the England team did not want to be honoured for losing in the semi-final.
        Meanwhile, Mr Johnson was forced to defend his Home Secretary after she was accused of 'stoking the fire' with her pre-tournament criticism of players who take the knee.
        Three Lions and Aston Villa defender Tyron Mings took aim at the embattled Home Secretary, saying she had 'no right' to condemn the barrage of online racist abuse against fellow stars Rashford, Sancho and Saka.
        Downing Street has spent the past couple of days saying it is still speaking to the FA about the best way to mark the team's achievement of reaching a major final for the first time in 55 years.
        A one-off bank holiday has been ruled out but The Guardian reported that No10 has decided against having the team come to Downing Street for a publicised meeting with the Prime Minister.
        The ranks of those criticising the Home Secretary expanded to include the former Tory defence minister Johnny Mercer, who said that Mings was 'completely right'.
        But Mr Johnson's official spokesman told reporters: 'The Home Secretary is working every day to clamp down on hate crime, racism and violence. There is no place for racism in this country and she is backing the police to hold those responsible for this abuse accountable.'
        Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today addressed the Government's reaction to the racist abuse suffered by players.
        He told Sky News: 'We are absolutely united as a Government - and I hope as a country as well - in booting out racism. We abhor it. As a Cabinet were are more ethnically diverse, I think, than any in history. I think we are more representative of the country in that regard. It is a good thing.
        'I hope we can move on rather united on this issue because who wants to live in a racist country? Not me.'
      TheRebelTheGOAT on Twitter: "Thankyou letter Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in which he thanks Klaus Schwab&praises Great Reset book.Note he first denied ever having it @TuckerCarlson @ggreenwald @Bobby_Network @RFuellmich @MichaelPSenger @SharriMark
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 19:48
        TheRebelTheGOAT : Thankyou letter Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in which he thanks Klaus Schwab&praises Great Reset book.Note he fi'... https://t.co/FXJeJCAqmP
        Wed Jul 14 16:43:43 +0000 2021
      Texas Senate passes GOP voting bill after House Democrats' departure
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        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 19:34
        Published Wed, Jul 14 2021 1:08 PM EDTUpdated 56 Min Ago
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        The Texas Senate passed a Republican-led elections bill Tuesday night after dozens of House Democrats fled the state to avoid voting on the measure. In a party-line vote, 18-4 Senate Republicans passed the controversial bill that Democrats and voters-rights advocates say will suppress the votes of people of color and those with disabilities. The legislation will languish unless the Texas Democrats return to the state before the end of the 30-day special session called by GOP Gov. Greg Abbott.Flanked by Texas state House Democrats, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX) (C) speaks as Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) (R) and Texas State Rep. Chris Turner (D-District 101) (L), Chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, listen during a news conference on voting rights outside the U.S. Capitol July 13, 2021 in Washington, DC.
        Alex Wong | Getty Images
        The Texas Senate passed a Republican-led elections bill Tuesday evening after dozens of House Democrats fled the state to avoid voting on the measure.
        In a party-line vote of 18-4, Senate Republicans passed the controversial bill that Democrats and voters-rights advocates say will suppress the votes of people of color and those with disabilities.
        "This bill was just the last and latest of Trump Republicans attacks on democracy across Texas and our nation," said Rep. Ron Reynolds, one of the Democrats who fled, at a press conference Wednesday.
        As many as 58 Texas Democrats decamped to Washington, D.C., on Monday and Tuesday, in a bid to deny Republicans the quorum required to conduct business in the chamber. However, the Senate on Tuesday still maintained a quorum with 22 of its 31 members present, allowing that chamber to vote and pass Senate Bill 1.
        The legislation will languish unless the Texas Democrats return to the state before the 30-day special session called by GOP Gov. Greg Abbott ends. Abbott has threatened to arrest the state lawmakers once they return, according to the Associated Press.
        Texas is among several states seeking to pass laws restricting voter access, which comes in the wake of former President Donald Trump's repeated false claims that the 2020 election was stolen through widespread voter fraud.
        Among the proposals included in the bill passed Tuesday are a ban on drive-through voting, limits on 24-hour voting options and new identification requirements for absentee voters. The bill would also prohibit local officials from sending out absentee voting applications to voters not eligible to vote by mail.
        Democrats argued that the bill proposed by GOP senators was an attack on voting rights meant to suppress voter turnout.
        "Republicans have broken their promise to our seniors and the disabled by making it harder to vote, and also making it harder for Latino and African Americans," said Sen. Carol Alvarado, one of the Democrats who fled, at a press conference Wednesday.
        However, Republicans maintain the law would secure the elections process, dubbing it as the "Texas election integrity bill."
        "This bill is about making it both easy to vote and harder to cheat," said Sen. Bryan Hughes, the author of the bill, the Texas Tribune reported Tuesday.
        Hughes blamed the backlash about his bill on a "horrible, misleading, false national debate coming out of Washington," according to the Tribune.
        U.S. Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-TX) (C) of the Texas Freedom Caucus addresses the media in the Texas Capitol on July 13, 2021 in Austin, Texas.
        Montinique Monroe | Getty Images
        The Texas Democrats said they fled to the nation's capital to pressure Congress to pass voting rights legislation, such as the For The People Act, amid efforts by Republican-led state legislatures around the nation to change voting rules.
        "We also know that we are living on borrowed time in Texas, and we can't stay here indefinitely to run out the clock to stop Republicans' anti-voter attacks," Rep. Rhetta Bowers, another Democrat who fled, said in a statement Tuesday. "That's why we need Congress to act now to pass the For the People Act. Texas Democrats will do everything in our power to fight back. But we need Congress to act now."
        Vice President Kamala Harris met with the Texas Democrats on Tuesday, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is expected to meet with them as well. Manchin did not answer Tuesday when asked if he would support a carve-out in the Senate filibuster to pass voting rights legislation. He has previously opposed changes to the filibuster.
        President Joe Biden on Tuesday also delivered a major speech in Philadelphia that condemned his predecessor's "Big Lie" about a stolen election. The president called on Congress to pass the For The People Act and restore the Voting Rights Act.
        More than 150 companies, including Amazon, Target and Pepsi, also backed updating the Voting Rights Act in a new letter released Wednesday.
        View the full site
      South Africa's Largest Oil Refinery Shutters Operations Amid Ongoing Violence | ZeroHedge
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        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 17:41
        Update (1548ET): As the worst violence in years plagues South Africa, the country's largest oil refinery, Sapref, has shuttered operations "due to the civil unrest in the country and disruption of supply routes in and out of Kwazulu-Natal," the company said.
        "Due to the civil unrest in the country and disruption of supply routes in and out of Kwazulu-Natal, suppliers of materials critical to SAPREF operations communicated the suspension of deliveries to the refinery due to safety concerns for their staff and damages to their vehicles on the roads," the statement read.
        Here's the complete statement:
        Here's an image of the large refinery.
        There's also concern that fuel stations across some regions of South Africa could soon run dry. Sapref has declared "force majeure," meaning it cannot honor supply contracts.
        South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has already deployed the military to quell the unrest as shopping malls and warehouses are looted.
        Ramaphosa warned that shortages from food to medicines could be imminent.
        * * *
        South African President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed the military Monday to restore law and order after days of violent protests and mass looting following the imprisonment of former leader Jacob Zuma. The latest round of social unrest is some of the worst since the mid-1990s.
        The widespread looting and social unrest were triggered by last week's incarceration of former President Zuma. Ramaphosa addressed the nation Monday evening, pleading for calm and for looters to consider the consequences of their actions.
        "We are therefore mobilizing all available resources and capabilities to restore order," Ramaphosa told the nation.
        "Let me be clear: we will take action to protect every person in this country against the threat of violence, intimidation, theft, and looting."
        "What we are witnessing now are opportunistic acts of criminality," the president said. He also warned that unrest could undermine efforts to quell the virus pandemic.
        "Our vaccination program has been severely disrupted just as it is gaining momentum."
        The president also warned that in a matter of weeks, "there's a huge risk of food insecurity and medication insecurity."
        His comments on national television come 24 hours after COVID lockdowns were extended for another two weeks.
        The deployment of the army and other forces have been sent to several townships in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and the North West, as the local police have been overwhelmed by the violence.
        The unrest has already disrupted business activity in parts of the country and could undermine the economic recovery and confidence in the country by foreign investors.
        "The disquiet about Zuma's arrest is being used as an excuse for sheer, opportunistic looting," said Busisiwe Mavuso, the chief executive officer of Business Leadership South Africa, which represents some of the largest corporations in the country.
        "The anarchy on the ground puts yet another nail in our ailing economy's coffin."
        Extreme violence in #SouthAfrica following jailing of former president #JacobZuma . Despite calls to maintain calm from govt & deployment of soldiers the chaos is intensifying. People are looting the shops as banks & fuel stations remained shut.pic.twitter.com/tT2Qj3uIEz
        '-- The World Reviews (@tworldreviews) July 13, 2021#SouthAfricaIsBurningJUST IN - Every single store in the Jabulani Mall near Johannesburg has been looted. Reports and videos of riots at more malls in parts of South Africa.pic.twitter.com/Fr7ybe0bxT
        '-- @CitrusRamaphosa (@citrusramaphosa) July 13, 2021Mams Mall in Mamelodi was gutted last night. Shops here have been fully looted. A shop owner tells me that police eventually left the mall as there was nothing they could do. No police visibility around the Mall this morning. (@AlexMitchley) pic.twitter.com/DkcgkUJUDu
        '-- Team News24 (@TeamNews24) July 13, 2021#DURBANProtesters clashed with police in several areas of South Africa and looters ransacked shopping malls on Tuesday as frustrations over poverty and inequality boiled over into the country's worst unrest in years.
        30 people have been killed'--@Reuterspic.twitter.com/Rp4baVEEiL
        '-- Kennedy Wandera (@VOA_Wandera) July 13, 2021According to Bloomberg, More than 200 shopping malls were looted on Monday, and retailers had lost an estimated 2 billion rand ($137 million). There's also been widespread looting of warehouses.
        A helicopters view of the GAME warehouse in Durban, South Africa being overrun by looters. ðŸšSource: Unknown#ShutdownSA pic.twitter.com/1LviUsk58N
        '-- Dylan Moore (@MrCPT) July 13, 2021Dunlap Warehouse Looted In South Africa#JacobZumaArrest pic.twitter.com/9PoAQuec56
        '-- @TheNPCShow on Twitch (@TheNPCShow) July 12, 2021LG warehouse in #Cornubia, north of #Durban in #KZN being looted. Criminals leaving with expensive TVs &appliances.#KZNViolence #SouthAfrica #SouthAfricaIsBurning #JacobZuma #CyrilRamaphosa pic.twitter.com/7E0PM00jIv
        '-- Manoj Gupta (@PassionForNews) July 12, 2021Meanwhile, the reaction in markets was most pronounced in the Rand...
        If the growing unrest is not contained, then expect the Rand to weaken against the dollar even more.
      REvil, Hacking Group Behind Major Ransomware Attack, Disappears - The New York Times
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 17:17
        During a meeting in Geneva on June 16, President Biden pressured Russia's president, Vladimir V. Putin, to take action against cybercriminals who are attacking American targets. In starker terms, Mr. Biden demanded that Mr. Putin take action in a call last week. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times Just days after President Biden demanded that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia shut down ransomware groups attacking American targets, the most aggressive of the groups suddenly went off-line early Tuesday.
        The mystery is who made it happen.
        The group, called REvil, short for ''Ransomware evil,'' has been identified by U.S. intelligence agencies as responsible for the attack on one of America's largest beef producers, JBS. Two weeks after Mr. Biden and Mr. Putin met in Geneva last month, REvil took credit for a hack that affected thousands of businesses around the world over the July 4 holiday.
        That latest attack led to Mr. Biden's ultimatum in a phone call on Friday to the Russian president. Later, Mr. Biden said that ''we expect them to act,'' and when asked by a reporter later if he would take down the group's servers if Mr. Putin did not, the president simply said, ''Yes.''
        He may have done exactly that.
        But that is only one possible explanation for what happened around 1 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, when the group's sites on the dark web suddenly disappeared.
        Gone was the publicly available ''happy blog'' the group maintained, listing some of its victims and the group's earnings from its digital extortion schemes. Internet security groups said the custom-made sites '-- think of them as virtual conference rooms '-- where victims negotiated with REvil over how much ransom they would pay to get their data unlocked also disappeared. So did the infrastructure for making payments.
        While the disappearance of the hackers' online presence was celebrated by many who see ransomware as a new scourge '-- one Mr. Biden has called a critical national security threat '-- it left some of the group's targets in the lurch, unable to pay the ransom to get their data back and get their businesses running again.
        ''What's the plan for the victims?'' asked Kurtis Minder, the chief executive of GroupSense, a digital risk protection company that was negotiating with the extortionists on behalf of a law firm whose data was locked up.
        There were three main theories about why REvil '-- which seemed to revel in the publicity and reaped huge ransoms, including $11 million from JBS '-- suddenly disappeared.
        One is that Mr. Biden ordered the United States Cyber Command, working with domestic law enforcement agencies, including the F.B.I., to bring the group's sites down. Cyber Command proved last year that it could do just that, paralyzing a ransomware group it feared might turn its skills to freezing up voter registrations or other election data in the 2020 election.
        The second theory is that Mr. Putin ordered the group's sites taken down. If so, that would be a gesture toward heeding Mr. Biden's warning, which he had also conveyed, in more general terms, when the two leaders met on June 16 in Geneva. And it would come just a day or two before a U.S.-Russia working group on the issue, set up during the Geneva meeting, is supposed to hold a virtual meeting.
        A third theory is that REvil decided that the heat was too intense, and took the sites down itself to avoid becoming caught in the crossfire between the American and Russian presidents. That is what another Russian-based group, DarkSide, did after the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, the U.S. company that in May had to shut down the pipeline that provides gasoline and jet fuel to much of the East Coast after its computer network was breached.
        But many experts think that DarkSide's going-out-of-business move was nothing but digital theater, and that all of the group's key ransomware talent will reassemble under a different name. If so, the same could happen with REvil, which Recorded Future, a Massachusetts cybersecurity firm, estimates has been responsible for roughly a quarter of all the sophisticated ransomware attacks on Western targets. .
        Allan Liska, a senior intelligence analyst at Recorded Future, said that if REvil has disappeared, he doubted it was voluntary. ''If anything, these guys are braggadocios,'' Mr. Liska said. ''And we didn't see any notes, any bragging. It sure feels like they abandoned everything under pressure.''
        There were suggestions that the pressure may have come from Russia. The commander of United States Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, was not expected to get the full options for U.S. action against ransomware actors until later this week, several officials said. And there was no evidence that REvil's sites had been ''seized'' by a court order, which the Justice Department frequently posts.
        Cyber Command declined to comment.
        While shutting REvil for now would give Mr. Putin and Mr. Biden a chance to show they were confronting the problem, it could also give the ransomware actors an opportunity to walk away with their winnings. The big losers would be the companies and towns that do not get their encryption keys, and are locked out of their data, perhaps forever. (Often when ransomware groups disband, they publish their decryption keys. That did not happen on Tuesday.)
        Mr. Biden is expected to roll out a ransomware strategy in coming weeks, making the case that Colonial Pipeline and other recent attacks show how crippling critical infrastructure constitutes a major national security threat.
        ''And it's also why we're elevating ransomware in our engagements with Russia,'' said Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. ''Our message is clear: Countries that harbor cybercriminals have a responsibility to take action. If they don't, we will.''
        The plan is expected to be full of incentives for companies and local governments to improve their basic defenses. For example, insurance companies that write cyberinsurance policies, which pay victims of attacks, could insist that customers meet higher security standards before the policies are issued.
        But Mr. Biden, having repeatedly warned that he will strike back at Russian ''bad actors'' who threaten American security, may also soon have to demonstrate that he plans on enforcing his red line '-- if not against REvil, then against its successors and competitors.
        ''This is a problem for Biden because in cyber, there's a temptation to be stealthy and send your message in a very quiet, targeted way, but now, having made the threat, he has to say to the American public and the world, 'This is what we did,''' said Paul Rosenzweig, a scholar at the free market advocacy group R Street Institute and a member of the American Bar Association's Cybersecurity Legal Task Force.
        ''And some of the most important effects are very hard to do in public,'' he added, because they can risk revealing American capabilities.
        In an article in Lawfare published just before REvil's unexplained disappearance, Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard law professor who writes frequently on cybersecurity issues, got at a central problem: While the United States has threatened Russia with ''consequences'' for both state-sponsored attacks and criminal ransomware, the penalties so far have been light.
        ''This talk has persisted even as adverse cyberoperations have grown more frequent and damaging,'' he wrote. ''It is ineffective and, in the aggregate, self-defeating.''
        So it was unsurprising that just as REvil closed down, or at least took a holiday, SolarWinds, the company at the center of a highly sophisticated hack that became public during Mr. Biden's presidential transition, announced that it had been hacked anew.
        The new incident did not appear anywhere near as far-reaching as the original SolarWinds intrusion, which U.S. intelligence says was the work of the S.V.R., Russia's most savvy spying agency. It was unclear if Russia was part of the second hack, too.
        But it was only a few months ago that Mr. Biden placed sanctions on Russian officials and agencies for the damage done by the first SolarWinds hack, which got into network management software that the company sells to government agencies and most major companies in the United States. Once inside the updates to that software, the S.V.R. had access to vast troves of government and corporate data. It chose only about 150 targets out of nearly 18,000 that downloaded the software.
        Nicole Perlroth and Julian E. Barnes contributed reporting.
      China's electric SUV offering 1000km of range | Drive
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 17:10
        A new electric SUV from GAC is about to enter full-scale production, with a claimed driving range allowing a trip from Sydney to Melbourne without stopping.
        A new medium-sized SUV is about to enter production in China, potentially offering owners 1000km of range from a single charge.
        If true, the 2022 GAC Aion LX will lay claim to having the longest all-electric range of any production car on sale, overtaking the current title-holder '' the Tesla Model S Long Range.
        The Tesla offers a claimed range of 652km, meaning the Aion LX offers a driving range 53 per cent better than the Model S. Or to put it another way, it's roughly the equivalent of a Tesla Model S Long Range and a Nissan Leaf hatch combined.
        However, while Tesla's range claim is tested against the WLTP cycle '' a testing protocol accepted internationally '' it's not clear what test conditions were used by GAC to achieve the 'kilo'.
        GAC Motor announced the Aion LX achieved a maximum range of 904km during hot-weather testing, in which the vehicle was driven through 36-degree heat and 90 per cent humidity '' suggesting the 1000km range would be possible in locations with more favourable conditions.
        The company's new spongy silicon cathode technology is said to allow greater energy density with less weight '' with the Aion LX's battery being 14 per cent lighter and 20 per cent smaller than previous packs '' leading to a 150kWh battery pack in the vehicle. For comparison, the biggest battery in the Tesla Model S is 100kWh.
        The Chinese automotive industry has been chasing the golden 1000km figure as a way of winning over buyers from traditional petrol and diesel cars.
        It's the equivalent of driving from Shanghai to Wuhan, London to Zurich, or Sydney to Melbourne '' with range to spare.
        But GAC isn't the only manufacturer with big claims. Chinese car maker Nio says its upcoming ET7 sedan will use cutting-edge solid-state batteries in order to achieve 1000km, with production promised to start in 2022.
        Ben Zachariah is an experienced writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, having worked in the automotive industry for more than 15 years. Ben was previously an interstate truck driver and completed his MBA in 2021.'¨Ben began publishing car reviews and opinion pieces before being appointed Motoring Editor for an online lifestyle magazine. Working throughout the automotive industry in various marketing and communications roles over the past 15 years, he has written freelance on the topics of cars and watches for a number of publications. Ben is considered an expert in the area of classic car investment, which combines his love of finance, macroeconomics, and all things automotive. Ben lives in Melbourne and enjoys music, road trips, and the outdoors.
        Read more about Ben Zachariah
      What Is 'Cheugy'? You Know It When You See It. - The New York Times
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 17:07
        Out of touch? Basic? A new term to describe a certain aesthetic is gaining popularity on TikTok.
        Credit... @CheugLife Published April 29, 2021 Updated May 3, 2021
        ''OK TikTok, I have a new word for you that my friends and I use that you clearly are all in need of,'' Hallie Cain, 24, a copywriter in Los Angeles, says in a TikTok posted on March 30.
        In the video, she gestures to another video of a girl who is describing ''the type of people who get married at 20 years old'' or have millennial ''girlboss energy'' and who wonders: What do we call this kind of person?
        ''I keep seeing videos like this,'' Ms. Cain says in her TikTok. ''The word, my friend, is 'cheugy.'''
        It's not quite ''basic,'' which can describe someone who is a conformist or perhaps generic in their tastes, and it's not quite ''uncool.'' It's not embarrassing or even always negative. Cheugy (pronounced chew-gee) can be used, broadly, to describe someone who is out of date or trying too hard. And while a lot of cheugy things are associated with millennial women, the term can be applied to anyone of any gender and any age.
        It's not just a way to describe people. According to people who have embraced the word, the following are also cheugy: The Hype House, Golden Goose sneakers, anything associated with Barstool Sports, Gucci belts with the large double ''G'' logo, being really into sneaker culture, Rae Dunn pottery, and anything chevron.
        ''One of my friends said lasagna is cheugy,'' said Ms. Cain.
        Things that are decidedly un-cheugy, according to its progenitors: thrifting, making your own clothes, handmade products, Levi's jeans, Birkenstocks, home decor not found at Target. ''Looking good for yourself and not caring what other people think, that confidence exudes non-cheugyness,'' said Gaby Rasson, 23, a software developer in Los Angeles who coined the term.
        She said she started using the word back in 2013 while attending Beverly Hills High School. She wanted a way to describe people who were slightly off trend. But she couldn't quite come up with the right term, so she created her own.
        ''It was a category that didn't exist,'' she said. ''There was a missing word that was on the edge of my tongue and nothing to describe it and 'cheugy' came to me. How it sounded fit the meaning.''
        The word spread among her classmates, then camp friends, then, when her friends went off to college, it took off on their campuses. ''Everyone in our sorority knows the word cheugy,'' said Abby Siegel, 23, a producer and former student at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who said she learned the phrase at a summer camp that Ms. Rasson also attended.
        But cheugy was in no way mainstream until Ms. Cain posted her TikTok. It quickly amassed hundreds of thousands of views, inspiring explainers.
        Though cheugy has slight negative connotations, people who use the term said they often identify as cheugy themselves. ''Everyone can be cheugy,'' said Ms. Siegel. ''Everyone has something cheugy in their closet. We didn't intend for it to be a mean thing. Some people have claimed that it is. It's just a fun word we used as a group of friends that somehow resonated with a bunch of people.''
        The women also don't claim to be the arbiters of the term. ''It's also totally open to your interpretation,'' said Ms. Cain. ''I'll send something to our group chat and be like, 'Is this cheugy?' and some will say 'yes' and some will say 'no.'''
        Michael Cotos, 24, an actor in Los Angeles, discovered the word on TikTok and it immediately resonated as a niche descriptor. ''I was like OMG, this is the perfect word,'' he said. ''It is a certain sub group of people that just don't quite get it.''
        Alex Lugger, 32, a boat marketer in Springfield, Mo., said that she self identifies as a bit cheugy. (She also learned about the word through TikTok.) ''We were basic in our 20s and now we're cheugy in our 30s,'' she said.
        Cheugy is just the latest in a long line of niche identifiers that have gained traction on the internet, where people relentlessly categorize highly specific archetypes in starter pack memes and videos. It's no coincidence that cheugy gained traction on TikTok, a platform that has functioned as an escape from Instagram's once dominant aesthetic, which is the pinnacle of cheugy.
        Kelly Wright, an experimental sociolinguist and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan who studies language, said that with the rise of social media, ''we see words emerging to define very niche categories of people, identities and behaviors. In their core, they're marking shared events or a shared understanding of the world. These words that emerge from smaller communities have the potential to be picked up by wider audiences because of social media and that connectedness.''
        Ultimately words like cheugy are as much about establishing who you aren't as who you are. ''A word like cheugy is a way of labeling an in group and an out group,'' said Gretchen McCulloch, a linguist and the author of ''Because Internet,'' a book about how the internet has shaped language.
        She said that though the notion of cheugy has probably been around for a while, the term itself is new and novel enough to be trendy itself. ''Certain types of words go through trends just like clothing and accessories do,'' Ms. McCulloch said. ''They're fashionable for a while and go out of fashion. The word for cool gets replaced every few years, cool sticks around as a background word. Groovy meant cool, now it's dated. Coming up with a word like cheugy is a way to distance yourself from something that used to be really popular until very recently.''
        As such, what is and isn't cheugy is highly subjective and changing quickly. ''It's really easy to identify cheugy things on TikTok because TikTok is so fast paced and there's so many trends that come and go,'' said Ms. Siegel.
        ''I see stuff and I'm like, this is so overdone so I think it's cheugy. Whereas if I didn't see it on my 'For You' page, I wouldn't think it was cheugy,'' she said, referring to what is essentially the TikTok home page.
        And for any millennials worried about being behind the trends, Ms. Cain said not to worry. ''I think millennials have noticed that some things we used to consider cheugy are coming back in style and aren't cheugy anymore,'' she said. ''When I was first introduced to the word in 2015, low rise jeans were cheugy. Now, six years later, low rise jeans are back in style and I don't think they're cheugy anymore.''
      Dog DNA tests: putrid dog poo strews the world's streets. Does Tel Aviv have the answer? | Dogs | The Guardian
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 16:58
        Name: Dog DNA.
        Age: Dogs were first domesticated between 14,000 and 29,000 years ago.
        Appearance: A double helix of poopy evidence.
        What on earth does that mean? Let me ask you a question. What would you do if you set foot outside your front door and immediately stepped into a steaming great pile of dog poo?
        I'd go back in and clean my shoes. Right, but then what?
        I don't know, scrape up the poo? No, you'd take a swab of the offending excrement, then rush it to a laboratory to extract the DNA. Then you would cross-reference the results with a spreadsheet of all the dogs in the vicinity of your house in order to track down the precise pooch and punish the owner.
        I wouldn't. What an absurd thing to do. Tell that to Tel Aviv.
        Why? The city plans to enshrine this process in law. It is now compulsory to register canine pets on a DNA database, so municipal inspectors can collect samples from any dog faeces left on the street, locate owners and fine them.
        This seems very elaborate. Yes, but Tel Aviv is a dog-dense city. One in 11 residents owns one, and it is estimated that 500kg of dog mess is left at the roadside every month. If the city has to start acting like an ordure-obsessed Batman to clean up the streets, so be it.
        Is dog poo really that much of a problem? Oh yes. And if the scheme is successful, it might replace the current ragtag collection of anti-poo measures seen in the rest of the world.
        Like what? Well, Knutsford town council recently introduced a PooperSnooper app, allowing residents to report dog poo. That may help to clean up the streets, but lacks the stinging retribution of the Tel Aviv plan.
        Any more? Two years ago, a Warwickshire community group started to leave empty ketchup bottles filled with poo bags in locations afflicted by high levels of doggy doo.
        That's ridiculous. And then there's West Dunbartonshire council, which decided to spray-paint every dog poo it found bright pink.
        Why pink? I don't know. Pink is prettier, maybe? Anyway, clean up after your dog, you animal.
        Do say: ''What a smart idea to match a dog's poo DNA to its owner.''
        Don't say: ''Finally, something to get me on board with mass surveillance.''
      Report: Chris Cuomo's Wife Found In Jeffrey Epstein's 'Little Black Book' | The Daily Wire
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 15:56
        According to reports, one name listed in Jeffrey Epstein's recently published 1997 address book is the wife of CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, Cristina Greeven Cuomo.
        ''Jeffrey Epstein's newly discovered 1997 address book, published by Insider on Tuesday , connects dozens of new names to Epstein and traces previously known relationships back to the 1990s,'' reported Business Insider . ''One of the new names belongs to Cristina Greeven Cuomo, a New York editor, and entrepreneur. She married Chris Cuomo, a CNN anchor and brother of Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, in 2001.''
        ''The book lists Greeven Cuomo under a minor misspelling of her birth name, Cristina Greeven. Her entry refers to Manhattan File, a New York society magazine she published after her father purchased it in 1994,'' the report adds. ''The same entry includes an office address in the New York City neighborhood of SoHo, an office phone number, and a home phone number. In the '90s, Greeven Cuomo was known for hanging out with socialites like Alex von Furstenberg and the former CNN producer Pamela Gross. The latter appears in both 'little black books' and is now a close friend of Melania Trump.''
        As Business Insider noted, ''It's unclear why Greeven Cuomo is listed in the 1997 address book,'' adding that ''She serves as the editor in chief of The Purist, a wellness website she founded in 2017.''
        ''A message left with The Purist seeking comment from Greeven Cuomo was returned almost immediately by Chris Cuomo, who declined to comment for the record or make his spouse available,'' the Business Insider concluded.
        Greeven Cuomo is yet another name on the growing list of those with an alleged connection with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
        As reported by The Daily Wire, '' Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda allegedly met'' with Epstein in September 2013 ''in New York City, prompting anger from Melinda, who reportedly told her husband she was furious and uncomfortable with his association with Epstein.''
        ''That meeting allegedly occurred on the same day the couple accepted the Lasker Bloomberg Public Service Award at the Pierre Hotel,'' The Daily Wire added.
        Following Epstein's suspected suicide while in custody, ''The two prison guards '-- Tova Noel and Michael Thomas '-- assigned to guard Jeffrey Epstein on the night that he died'' admitted that they ''falsified prison records and have cut a deal with federal prosecutors.''
        ''As part of the deal with prosecutors, they will enter into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department and will serve no time behind bars,'' The Associated Press reported . ''Noel and Thomas would instead be subjected to supervised release, would be required to complete 100 hours of community service, and would be required to fully cooperate with an ongoing probe by the Justice Department's inspector general.''
        As The Daily Wire explained, ''The guards, who were supposed to be checking on Epstein every 30 minutes, are accused of checking sports news and shopping for furniture on the internet before taking a nap during Epstein's death. The two are accused of falsifying prison records to make it look like they had been doing their job during the time of Epstein's death.''
        The Daily Wire is one of America's fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member .
      Fully vaccinated Bubba Watson will miss the British Open because he was exposed to someone with COVID-19 '' twitchy.com
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 15:53
        Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson is fully vaccinated and has cleared the pre-travel COVID-19 tests, but he's going to miss the British Open because he was exposed to someone with COVID-19:
        Please read'... pic.twitter.com/ryN6tDL2TU
        '-- bubba watson (@bubbawatson) July 11, 2021
        He says not enough time has passed to ensure others on his charter flight to the UK are safe:
        For those wondering, the UK and US Covid-19 guidelines are quite different. Getting on the charter or a commercial flight was not an option available to me after my recent exposure. I don't make the rules but do have to follow them.
        '-- bubba watson (@bubbawatson) July 11, 2021
        In other words, ''The risk is just too high that he'll expose other vaccinated people to a disease he doesn't have'':
        ''The risk is just too high that he'll expose other vaccinated people to a disease he doesn't have.'' '-- Science https://t.co/ZCFONApGFZ
        '-- Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) July 11, 2021
        ''This is complete and total insanity'':
        This is complete and total insanity. https://t.co/Ki1x5mnhva
        '-- Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) July 11, 2021
        And the goalposts keep moving:
        This was always about hospitalizations. Not positive tests. This is pure insanity. https://t.co/YbNpVv5ZnO
        '-- Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 11, 2021
        ''We have collectively lost our minds'':
        Love Bubba. This is not directed at him.
        1) He's vaccinated.2) He passed the test. 3) Yet, he still can't go.
        We have collectively lost our minds. https://t.co/CJ22ftu1WI
        '-- Blayne Barber (@BlayneBarberAU) July 11, 2021
        Hideki Matsuyama, who tested positive for COVID-19 before the Rocket Mortgage Classic, is still getting positive PCR test results despite having no symptoms and will also miss the Open:
        Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama withdraw from British Open for coronavirus-related reasons https://t.co/Z4T6HJsajm
        '-- Post Sports (@PostSports) July 12, 2021
        ***
      EU unveils sweeping climate change plan - BBC News
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 15:29
        14 July 2021, 13:39 BSTUpdated 2 hours ago
        Image source, AFP
        Image caption, Renewable energy, like wind power, is gradually replacing coal in many EU countries
        The European Union has announced a raft of climate change legislation aimed at pushing it towards its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
        A dozen draft proposals, which still need to be approved by the bloc's 27 member states and the EU parliament, were announced on Wednesday.
        They include plans to tax jet fuel and effectively ban the sale of petrol and diesel powered cars within 20 years.
        The proposals, however, are likely to face months of negotiations.
        The plans triggered serious infighting at the European Commission, the bloc's administrative arm, as the final tweaks were being made, sources told the AFP news agency.
        "By acting now we can do things another way... and choose a better, healthier and more prosperous way for the future," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
        "It is our generational task... [to secure] the wellbeing of not only our generation, but of our children and grandchildren. Europe is ready to lead the way."
        The measures are likely to push up household heating bills, as well as increase the cost of flights in the EU. Financial assistance will be available for people to install insulation and make other long-term changes to their homes.
        "We're going to ask a lot of our citizens," EU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans said. "We're also going to ask a lot of our industries, but we do it for good cause. We do it to give humanity a fighting chance."
        Opposition is also expected from some industry leaders, such as airlines and vehicle manufacturers, as well as from eastern member states that rely heavily on coal.
        One EU diplomat told Reuters that the success of the package would rest on its ability to be realistic and socially fair, while also not destabilising the economy.
        "The aim is to put the economy on a new level, not to stop it," they said.
        The measures, billed as the EU's most ambitious plan yet to tackle climate change, have been named the Fit for 55 package because they would put the bloc on track to meet its 2030 goal of reducing emissions by 55% from 1990 levels.
        By 2019, the EU had cut its emissions by 24% from 1990 levels.
        Some of the key proposals include:
        Tighter emission limits for cars, which are expected to effectively end new petrol and diesel vehicle sales by 2035A tax on aviation fuel, and a 10-year tax holiday for low-carbon alternatives A so-called carbon border tariff, which would require manufacturers from outside the EU to pay more for importing materials like steel and concreteMore ambitious targets for expanding renewable energy around the blocA requirement for countries to more quickly renovate buildings that are not deemed energy efficient Video caption, What is climate change?
        In September the EU Commission set out its blueprint for reaching the 55% reduction by 2030, and said at least 30% of the EU's '‚¬1.8tn (£1.64tn; $2.2tn) long-term budget would be spent on climate-related measures.
        The targets are part of a global effort to tackle climate change by cutting atmospheric pollution, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
        The Paris climate deal, signed in 2016, aims to keep global temperature rise well under 2C, and preferably within a maximum rise of 1.5C, to prevent the worst effects of climate change.
        The scale of this 12-pronged plan is breathtaking. It will likely have an impact on every citizen of Europe in almost every aspect of their lives.
        The scope is so huge because the target is so tough.
        From 1990 to 2019 the EU cut carbon emissions by 24% - now it proposes to slash CO2 by another 31% in just 9 years. That's what's needed if the 2050 net-zero target is to be achieved.
        So as well as boosting renewables, the EU is now set to tackle the really tough issues of home heating and transport. The proposals would see the end to new petrol and diesel cars by 2035.
        Europe's emissions trading scheme will also be reformed to include heating and road transportation. Fossil fuels used in shipping and aviation will face tax rises.
        One of the most eye-catching proposals is a carbon border tax on goods like steel, cement and fertilizer to ensure that European industry, which has to pay for permits to use carbon, can compete. However, the proposal is contentious and could spark a trade war with China and the US.
        The ambitious package will now face months of negotiations with member states, with poorer countries wary of new policies that could raise costs for consumers.
        The commission is betting that instead of hordes of yellow-vest protesters taking to the streets, citizens will be willing to pay a price for cleaner air, lower emissions, and more sustainable lifestyles.
        The rest of the world will watch this huge gamble with interest.
      Factbox: ECB to launch digital euro project | Reuters
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 15:09
        The headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany, March 12, 2016. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo
        FRANKFURT, July 14 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is set to give the green light on Wednesday to a multi-year project to create a digital version of the euro.
        An electronic equivalent of banknotes and coins, the digital euro will likely be a digital wallet that euro zone citizens can keep at the ECB.
        It is part of a drive by central banks to meet growing demand for electronic means of payment and tackle a boom in private sector digital currencies from Bitcoin to Facebook's (FB.O) proposed Diem. read more
        Here's what we know so far:
        WHAT IS A DIGITAL EURO?
        It will be a means of payment that gives holders a claim against the ECB - like banknotes and coins, but in digital format.
        It will probably resemble an online bank account or digital wallet held directly at the ECB rather than at a commercial institution.
        This is a fundamental difference because the ECB cannot run out of euros, making its digital currency intrinsically safer than any private sector counterpart.
        SO CAN I CONVERT ALL MY SAVINGS TO DIGITAL EUROS?
        Most likely not. The ECB knows the safety of its digital wallet could make it so appealing as to hollow out commercial banks. So it will either set a cap on how many digital euros individuals can own - say, 3,000 euros ($3,543) - or apply a penalty rate on holdings above a certain amount.
        WHAT'S THE POINT OF A DIGITAL EURO, THEN?
        The ECB doesn't want to leave digital payments to the private sector, particularly if the use of physical cash starts dwindling, like it has in Sweden.
        It has expressed concerns that the biggest providers of payment services in the euro zone, such as Visa and Mastercard, come from outside the bloc, and about the use private companies make of transactions data.
        Work on a digital euro accelerated after Facebook unveiled plans to create its own currency in 2019, a potential threat to central banks' core business.
        HOW DO YOU EVEN OPEN AN ACCOUNT AT A CENTRAL BANK?
        The ECB has indicated it will leave that to banks and some regulated fintechs, which would then offer digital euro wallets to customers on its behalf.
        CAN DIGITAL EUROS BE SPENT ANONYMOUSLY, OFFLINE - LIKE CASH?
        Only for small payments, likely less than a hundred euros or so. The ECB has to balance privacy with countering money-laundering and tax evasion.
        WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO SPEND OUR FIRST DIGITAL EURO?
        Not for the next five years or so. The ECB has given itself two years to finalise the digital euro's design. After that, it will need to be ratified by its Governing Council.
        If approved, the ECB will work on implementation for another three years before launch. It will also seek legislative changes, as a digital euro was not foreseen by EU treaties.
        WILL PHYSICAL CASH STOP EXISTING THEN?
        The ECB says the digital euro will complement, not replace, cash. Cash accounted for 79% of all payments at point of sales in the euro zone in 2016, according to an ECB survey.
        But some critics worry the ECB may one day retire cash and use the digital euro to implement aggressive monetary policy measures, such as negative interest rates on household deposits or direct cash transfers.
        WILL THE DIGITAL EURO USE BLOCKCHAIN?
        Using Blockchain, the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) that powers cryptocurrencies, is an option, but maybe not the most likely.
        ECB board member Fabio Panetta has said there was "no experience" with a DLT that could serve the needs of hundreds of millions of customers, unlike the ECB's regular instant payment system, known as TIPS.
        The ECB could, however, use a combination of both, Panetta added.
        WILL IT BE AVAILABLE OUTSIDE THE EURO ZONE?
        Three thousand euros would be a lot of money for households in poorer countries, including some neighbouring the EU. So making the digital euro available to people there could suck out deposits from local banks.
        If other central banks launch digital currencies, however, payments to and from the euro zone could become cheaper and safer.
        ($1 = 0.8467 euros)
        Reporting by Francesco CanepaEditing by Mark Potter
        Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
      Where Weezer are now - 'drug overdose', horror bus crash and Hollywood star - Mirror Online
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 14:40
        American rock band Weezer have been going for almost 30 years, but the time in the spotlight hasn't always been easy for its members and they've faced more than their fair share of hardship over the decades.
        The band, which was first formed in Los Angeles in 1992 and has sold 10.2 million albums in the US and over 35 million worldwide, has been plagued with a suspected heroin overdose, bus crash, and an on-stage attack.
        Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), and Scott Shriner (bass, backing vocals, keyboards) released their self-titled debut album, also known as the Blue Album, in May 1994 just a year after signing with Geffen Records.
        Both the Blue Album and its grittier follow up Pinkerton are now frequently cited among the best albums of the 1990s.
        Following the tour for Pinkerton, bassist Matt Sharp left the band and Weezer went on hiatus - returning in 2001 with new bassist Mikey Welsh.
        Weezer stars Rivers Cuomo, Scott Shriner, Patrick Wilson, and Brian Bell ( Image:
        WireImage)But Mikey quit the band that same year as he battled with his mental health, and so was replaced by Scott Shriner.
        Tragically, in 1997, three sisters who ran Weezer's fan club were tragically killed in a car accident while driving home from a Weezer show in Denver, Colorado.
        Mykel, Carli and Trysta Allan had inspired Weezer's Sweater Song B-side Mykel and Carli, and heartbroken Weezer members cancelled a show to attend their funeral.
        The same year, Weezer and other bands held a benefit concert for the family in Los Angeles.
        Weezer still perform at festivals and release music, almost 30 years after their inception.
        But with one member dead, another seriously injured in a bus crash and two others starring in a film together - let's take a look at where the band members are now.
        Rivers Cuomo Rivers Cuomo took a vow of sexual abstinence in 2004 ( Image:
        Redferns)Rivers Cuomo, 51, remains the lead vocalist of Weezer as well as playing guitar, keyboard, and writing their songs.
        He has also released solo material with artists including B.o.B, and wrote and produced a pilot for a Fox sitcom based on his life, called DeTour, but it was not picked up by the channel.
        Rivers took a vow of sexual abstinence in 2004, which he kept until his marriage in 2006, to Kyoto Ito.
        He had first met Kyoto in 1997 at one of his solo concerts, and proposed in Tokyo in 2005.
        The couple have two children - daughter Mia, born in 2007, and son Leo, born in 2011.
        In 2009, Rivers was injured when his tour bus crashed in New York due to black ice, and he suffered three broken ribs while his assistant had two broken ribs.
        Weezer cancelled a show when three fans died on their way back from a concert ( Image:
        Getty Images for iHeartMedia)His wife, baby daughter and their nanny were also on board, but thankfully managed to escape injury.
        Weezer cancelled the remaining tour dates the following day, not returning to tour until two years later.
        Rivers is a keen meditator and since 2009 he even teaches it to children, having been a student of prestigious teacher S. N. Goenka.
        And while most of us were baking banana bread and binging Bridgerton, Rivers released more than 2,000 demos and home recordings on his website in 2020.
        Mikey Welsh Mikey Welsh died during a trip he took to reunite with the bandFormer guitarist Welsh left the band in 2001 after a publicised nervous breakdown, resurfacing later as an artist and painter.
        Sadly, Mikey was found dead in a Chicago hotel room in 2012, he was 40 years old and had suffered from a suspected heroin overdose.
        Workers at the Rafaello Hotel found him unresponsive and not breathing when they went to his room after he failed to check out as scheduled, police spokeswoman Laura Kubiak said.
        He had been in Chicago to attend Weezer's appearance at RiotFest, a concert that went on as scheduled.
        "As sad as it is to think about, we know Mikey would never want the rock stopped on his account - quite the contrary in fact," the band said in a statement.
        "His chapter in the Weezer story ... was vital, essential, wild, and amazing," they added, calling him "a unique talent, a deeply loving friend and father".
        Mikey said in a post on his Facebook page months prior that he was looking forward to meeting up with the band in Chicago.
        Brian Bell Brian Bell is a huge Shakespeare fan and has appeared in a production of Twelfth Night ( Image:
        Getty Images)Brian Bell, 52, has recorded 15 studio albums with Weezer.
        But he also fronted his own band named Space Twins, which has had various incarnations since 1993, though Brian confirmed in 2006 he was no longer working on projects with the band.
        He has also performed with multiple other bands on stage, playing guitar, and is set to make his producing debut with Ultra Sonic Edukators' upcoming album.
        Brian is a big Shakespeare buff, and he and ex-girlfriend Peggy Nunez studied the playwright's work and poetry theory at university level during a Weezer break in 2003-2004.
        Rock band Weezer's members have also fronted their own bands and performed with other artists ( Image:
        REUTERS)They also starred in a production of Twelfth Night together, in which Brian wrote four songs using the words of Shakespeare.
        In 2006, Brian made his on-screen debut, playing Lou Reed in the Edie Sedgwick biographical film, Factory Girl, which starred Sienna Miller as Edie.
        Brian's bandmate Patrick Wilson also appeared as John Cale, another member of the Velvet Underground.
        Brian also voiced a band member on a booze-cruise and was animated as himself in The Simpsons episode The Hateful Eight-Year-Olds, along with the rest of Weezer.
        Scott Shriner Ex-Marine Scott once continued performing while a stage invader was on his back ( Image:
        Redferns)Scott Shriner, 55, has recorded 12 albums with Weezer as the band's longest serving bass guitarist, but he has also performed lead vocals on some Weezer's songs, alongside Patrick Wilson.
        Former Marine Corps Scott has revealed he only realised he was a full member of the band during a photoshoot for their album, having previously been under the impression he was just temporarily filling in after Mikey's departure.
        During his first ever performance with Weezer, he was attacked on stage by a man who it later transpired was a friend of his, and incredibly managed to keep performing while security guards dragged the man off his back.
        Scott has performed with other bands including The Cars, and guest starred with The Scrantones on stage in 2007.
        He also acted in a music video for E.J Wells for the song There's Something in the Graveyard, which was the first music video to ever be filmed in the Virginia City Cemetery.
        Scott married author Jillian Lauren in 2005.
        They have two adopted children and two dogs, who both appeared in a PETA video encouraging people to adopt from shelters.
        Patrick Wilson Patrick Wilson is also known for his videos of hilarious skateboarding stunts ( Image:
        WireImage)Co-founding Weezer member Patrick Wilson, 52, also fronts his own band, The Special Goodness.
        But his talents do not just lie in music - he is also known for performing funny stunts on skateboards, scooters and bikes, which he posts online.
        Patrick has also recorded drums for The Rentals first record, but he did not tour with them.
        Alongside his Weezer bandmate Brian, Patrick created a cover of the Velvet Underground song Heroin for the 2006 film Factory Girl, in which he also played John Cale.
        Patrick has also been an Executive Producer for the No Agenda podcast, a political show fronted by former VJ Adam Curry and columnist John C. Dvorak.
      George Floyd Mural Struck by Lightning, Crumbles to the Ground - ðŸ---- The Liberty Daily
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 03:49
        A mural of the late Black Lives Matter icon George Floyd has been struck by lightning and has collapsed. Eyewitnesses confirmed that nobody was near the mural when it was struck nor when its pieces fell to the ground.
        The Toledo mural, completed in June 2020, was struck by lightning in the middle of the day on Tuesday, leaving a charred wall where Floyd's face was before. It was a direct hit; artwork to the left and right of the mural appeared unblemished.
        The George Floyd mural on the side of this building in Toledo, Ohio collapsed today. Witnesses told authorities that the mural was struck by lightning before it collapsed #Lightning #Toledo #Ohio #BLM #GeorgeFloyd #Police #ThinBlueLine #News ðŸ'¸ via WTVG pic.twitter.com/DdHositU5g
        '-- The Grand Old Tribune ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸ (@GrandOldTribune) July 14, 2021
        According to local WTOL:
        Toledo Fire and Rescue responded to the scene at Summit and Lagrange Streets, where a large mural dedicated to George Floyd '-- who was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin last year '-- had collapsed.
        The piece was created by Toledo artist David Ross just about one year ago. He said the artwork stands as a memorial and reminder to never forget what happened that day in May of 2020.
        A witness who saw the wall fall told TFRD they had seen a lightning bolt strike the building. The department later confirmed the strike to be the cause of the collapse.
        No word from BLM yet as to whether they'll blame systemic racism in Heaven for the event.
      Democrats unveil $3.5T go-it-alone plan to fulfill Biden's agenda - POLITICO
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 03:18
        ''We are very proud of this plan,'' Schumer said. ''We know we have a long road to go '... If we pass this, this is the most profound change to help American families in generations.''
        Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee reached agreement on the overall total for their party-lines spending plan during their second meeting this week with Schumer and White House officials in the Capitol. Their next step is ensuring all 50 Democratic caucus members can support the $3.5 trillion figure, said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the budget panel.
        ''The goal is for the Budget Committee to all be on the same page and then sell it to the caucus,'' he said. ''Once the Budget Committee is on the same page, numbers will start to come out. But we still have a little ways to go to get there.''
        The budget resolution will require backing from every Democrat to make it through the upper chamber and officially kick off reconciliation, which will formally instruct various committees to turn the president's priorities into legislative text. Progressives like Budget Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had pushed for a top line as high as $6 trillion, while centrists have endorsed a smaller figure that doesn't rely on deficit financing.
        Despite getting trillions less than his original ask, Sanders said the agreement on $3.5 trillion is a ''big deal'' when it comes to ''transforming our infrastructure.'' The budget plan is set to expand Medicare to cover vision, dental and hearing for seniors '-- a major priority for Sanders.
        Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), both moderates, said earlier Tuesday that they'll need time to sort through the plan compiled by the Budget Committee.
        ''We need to pay for it,'' Manchin said. ''I'd like to pay for all of it. I don't think we need more debt.''
        Before an agreement was reached, Kaine and fellow Budget panel member Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) didn't dismiss Manchin's financing demand outright.
        ''There are many ways to get there,'' Van Hollen said. ''Certainly, it's important that everyone who says it needs to be paid for also identifies ways to pay for what needs to be done.''
        Democrats' massive party-line package is expected to include policies like Biden's proposal for two years of free community college, paid leave, health care subsidies, extending the boosted child tax credit and helping families cover child care costs.
        Schumer has said he hopes to adopt the budget resolution on the floor in the next few weeks. That vote will be ''the first step'' toward passing the ''remaining elements'' of Biden's social and economic plans without Republican support, the leader told Democratic senators in a letter this month, warning of ''the possibility of working long nights, weekends, and remaining in Washington into the previously-scheduled August state work period.''
        Meanwhile, negotiations on a bipartisan infrastructure bill, which would require support from at least 10 Senate Republicans, are starting to get shaky amid GOP concerns over spending and ways to finance the legislation.
        Embarking again on a reconciliation bill will be arduous and painful for Democratic lawmakers. The process involves enduring two more vote-a-rama sessions in the Senate, each of which will allow Republicans to fire off a barrage of politically tricky amendments.
        The Senate parliamentarian, who serves as the chamber's nonpartisan procedural enforcer, is also expected to shoot down parts of the proposal that are found to be out of bounds under the special budget process.
      BREAKING: VoterGA Finds Thousands Of Fraudulent Biden Votes In Georgia, Has Photo Evidence Of Falsified Tally Sheets - National File
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 02:50
        Election integrity nonprofit organization Voters Organized for Trusted Election Results in Georgia (VoterGA) released a press release on Tuesday that revealed evidence had been discovered of thousands of fraudulent votes being counted for Democrat President Joe in Georgia during the 2020 election.In the press release, VoterGA states that its '' team's analysis revealed that 923 of 1539 mail '' in ballot batch files contained votes incorrectly reported in Fulton's official November 3 rd 2020 results .'' The error reporting rates for the 1,500-odd ballots in question is a staggering 60%. Joe Biden was declared the winner of Georgia by the razor-thin margin of 12,670 votes in 2020.
        The VoterGA statement notes, ''The team found at least 36 batches of mail '' in ballots with 4,255 total extra votes were redundantly added into Fulton Co. audit results for the November election. The se illicit votes include 3,390 extra votes for Joe Biden, 865 extra votes for Donald Trump and 43 extra votes for Jo Jorgenson .'' Additionally, the VoterGA team reportedly found 7 falsified audit tally sheets, which showed ballot images showing results of ''554 votes for Joe Biden, 140 votes for Donald Trump and 11 votes for Jo Jorgenson'' falsified to record ''850 votes for Biden, 0 votes for Trump and 0 votes for Jorgenson'' on tally sheets.
        ''Fulton Co. failed to include over 100,000 tally sheets, including more than 50,000 from mail '' in ballots, when the results were originally published for the full hand count audit conducted by the office of the Secretary of State for the November 3 rd 2020 election ,'' the statement noted.
        "at least 36 batches of mail-in ballots with 4,255 total extra votes were redundantly added into Fulton Co. audit results for the November election. These illicit votes include 3,390 extra votes for Joe Biden, 865 extra votes for Donald Trump and 43 extra votes for Jo Jorgenson."
        '-- Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) July 13, 2021
        "a batch containing 59 actual ballot images for Joe Biden, 42 for Donald Trump and 0 for Jo Jorgenson was reported as 100 for Biden and 0 for Trump."
        '-- Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) July 13, 2021
        As National File reported on July 9, evidence has already surfaced that appears to indicate that the number of illegal votes cast by people who voted in counties they claimed to have moved from before the election could easily surpass Biden's stated margin of victory in Georgia. Data Productions Inc. president Mark Davis has stated, ''I have little doubt that the total number will eventually meet and then exceed President Biden's margin of victory in Georgia.''
      Author of the Mega-Viral Thread on MAGA Voters, Darryl Cooper, Explains His Thinking - by Darryl Cooper - Outside Voices
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        Archived Version
        Wed, 14 Jul 2021 02:32
        NOTE FROM GLENN GREENWALD: On Friday, a relatively obscure Twitter user with fewer than 7,000 followers '-- posting under the pseudonym MartyrMade '-- posted one of the most mega-viral threads of the year. Over the course of thirty-five tweets, the writer, a podcast host whose real name is Darryl Cooper, set out to explain the mindset that has led so many Trump supporters to believe that the 2020 election was fraudulent and, more generally, to lose faith and trust in most U.S. institutions of authority.
        Numerous journalists, including me, promoted the thread as one of the most insightful analyses yet published explaining the animating convictions underlying the MAGA movement. That night, Fox News host Tucker Carlson devoted a seven-minute segment to doing nothing more than reading Cooper's thread. At the CPAC conference on Sunday, former President Donald Trump explicitly recommended the thread using Cooper's name. In the last four days, Cooper's Twitter account has gained more than 70,000 followers. Clearly, this thread resonated strongly with that political faction as a true and important explanation of how many MAGA voters have come to understand the world.
        For our Outside Voices freelance section, we asked Cooper to elaborate on his influential thread, with a focus on what led him to these observations about prevailing MAGA sentiments and why he believes they are important for people to understand. As Cooper notes, he does not share all of the perceptions and beliefs he is conveying, although he shares many of them. Instead, based on the recognition that most media outlets are incapable of understanding let alone accurately describing the views of a group of people they view with little more than unmitigated contempt, condescension and scorn, he believes it is imperative that people understand the actual reality of what is motivating so many Trump voters in their views, perceptions and beliefs '-- regardless of whether each particular belief is accurate or not.
        We also believe this understanding is vital, which is why we are happy to publish Cooper's essay. It should go without saying that, as it true of all of our articles published on Outside Voices -- which we treat as an op-ed page -- our publishing of this article does not signify agreement with all of its claims, but only our belief that it is a viewpoint worth airing.
        Former U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in the Hyatt Regency on February 28, 2021 in Orlando, Florida (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images).By Darryl Cooper
        I quit Twitter last August. Quit for good. Other than posting links to two new episodes of my podcast, I stayed away for eight months and didn't regret a thing. Around mid-June I let myself be persuaded that social media engagement was part of having a podcast, so I dipped back in, promising myself I'd avoid being pulled into politics. Things haven't gone as planned.
        The temptation was disguised cleverly as a conversation with a friend's mother. She was visiting from upstate New York and we got to talking while my buddy was in the house tending to my goddaughter. She's a hardcore Trumper from a less cynical generation that believes what she hears from sources she trusts. She'd been hounding her son about the stolen election all week, and he'd been trying to disabuse her of various theories involving trucked-in ballots and hacked counting machines. Now she had me cornered and put the question to me: ''Do YOU think the election was legit?'' So I told her the truth: I don't know.
        By the time my friend had put the baby to bed and rejoined us, we were waist-deep in a discussion about what happened last year, and she was satisfied that I was on her side. ''See?!? He (she meant me) knows what's going on! I'm not crazy. He's smart, and HE knows!'' My friend pulled the Captain Picard facepalm, and said, ''Darryl, what the f*ck are you telling her?''
        What I told her was some version of the Twitter thread Tucker Carlson read on air Friday night and which President Trump, using my name, then explicitly promoted in his speech to CPAC on Sunday, which has blown my inbox, and my promise to stay away from politics, to smithereens.
        I told her I didn't know much about the ballots, or the voting machines, or some company that she'd heard had ties to Venezuela. I didn't follow Sidney Powell, or Lin Wood, or the details of the cases proceeding through the system. I think it was around the time Rudy Giuliani chose a landscape and gardening emporium as the location for a press conference on what would have been the greatest political scandal in American history that I made the conscious decision to stop paying attention. Or maybe it was the dripping hair dye, or something about a kraken '-- it's all sort of blended together these days.
        But I felt for her. She wasn't the first person with whom I'd had the discussion, and I felt for all of them. I've had the discussion often enough that I feel comfortable extracting a general theory about where these people are coming from.
        RUSSIAGATE: THE ORIGINAL SINLike my friend's mother, most of them believe some or all of the theories involving fraudulent ballots, voting machines, and the rest. Scratch the surface and you'll find that they're not particularly attached to any one of them. The specific theories were almost a kind of synecdoche, a concrete symbol representing a deeply felt, but difficult to describe, sense that whatever happened in 2020, it was not a meaningfully democratic presidential election. The counting delays, the last-minute changes to election procedures, the unprecedented coordinated censorship campaign by Big Tech in defense of Biden were all understood as the culmination of the pan-institutional anti-Trump campaign they'd watched unfold for over four years.
        Many of them deny it now, but a lot of 2016 Trump voters were worried during the early stages of the Russia collusion investigation. True, the evidence seemed thin, and the very idea that the US and allied security apparatus would allow Trump to take office if they really thought he might be under Russian blackmail seemed a bit preposterous on its face. But to many conservatives in 2016 and early 2017, it seemed equally preposterous that the institutions they trusted, and even the ones they didn't, would go all-in on a story if there wasn't at least something to it. Imagine the consequences for these institutions if it turned out there was nothing to it.
        We now know that the FBI and other intelligence agencies conducted covert surveillance against members of the Trump campaign based on evidence manufactured by political operatives working for the Clinton campaign, both before and after the election. We know that those involved with the investigation knew the accusations of collusion were part of a campaign ''approved by Hillary Clinton'... to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service.'' They might have expected such behavior from the Clintons '-- politics is a violent game and Hillary's got a lot of scalps on her wall. But many of the people watching this happen were Tea Party types, in spirit if not in actual fact. They give their kids a pocket Constitution for their birthday. They have Yellow Ribbon bumper stickers, and fly the POW/MIA flag under the front-porch Stars and Stripes, and curl their lip at people who talk during the National Anthem at ballgames. They're the people who believed their institutions when they were told Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. To them, the intel community using fake evidence (including falsified documents) to spy on a presidential campaign is a big deal.
        It may surprise many liberals, but most conservative normies actually know the Russia collusion case front and back. A whole ecosystem sprouted up to pore over every new development, and conservatives followed the details as avidly as any follower of liberal conspiracy theorists Seth Abramson or Marcy Wheeler. When the world learned of the infamous meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, it seemed like a problem and many Trump supporters took it seriously. Deep down, even those who rejected the possibility of open collusion worried that one of Trump's inexperienced family members, or else a sketchy operative glomming onto the campaign, might have done something that, whatever its real gravity, could be successfully framed in a manner to sway a dozen of John McCain's friends in the Senate.
        Then, Trump supporters learned that Veselnitskaya was working with Fusion GPS, the political research and PR firm used by the Clinton campaign to formulate and spread the collusion accusations. They learned that the anti-Clinton information that was supposed to be the subject of the notorious meeting was provided by the same firm. They learned that she'd had dinner with Glenn Simpson, the owner of Fusion GPS, both the day before, and the day after the meeting. Needless to say, Trump supporters were skeptical of Simpson's claim that Veselnitskaya's meeting with Trump campaign officials never came up during either of their dinner dates, given that the content of the meeting was alleged to be the very treasonous, impeachable crime his firm was being paid to investigate and publicize.
        There's no need to relive all the details of the Russia collusion scam. The point is that conservatives were following it all very closely, in real time, and they noticed when things didn't add up. After James Comey told Fox News' Bret Baier that, even at the time of their interview in April 2018, he didn't know who had funded the Steele dossier, conservatives noticed when the December 2019 DOJ Inspector General's report showed that he had been informed of the dossier's provenance in October 2016. And they asked themselves: Why would he lie? Lying to investigators about one's knowledge of or involvement in a potentially criminal act is often taken as consciousness of guilt.
        This was the bone that stuck in conservatives' craw throughout the two years of hysteria over Russia. Why would Comey lie about knowing where the dossier came from? Why would the people involved claim to have seen evidence that never seemed to materialize? If the point of the Special Counsel is to take the investigation out of the hands of line investigators to avoid the appearance of political influence, why staff the office with known partisans and the same FBI personnel who originated and oversaw the case? Why was the relationship between Russian lawyer Veselnitskaya and Fusion GPS being dismissed as irrelevant? Why were people who must know better continuing to insist that the Steele dossier was originally funded by Republicans long after the claim had been debunked? Why wasn't the media asking even these most obvious questions? And why were they giving themselves awards for refusing to ask those questions, and viciously attacking journalists who did ask them? These journalists are intelligent people '-- at least they present that way on television. Is it possible that these questions simply had not occurred to them? It seemed unlikely.
        Many Trump supporters reasoned that it was simply not possible to carry on this campaign without some degree of coordination. That coordination perhaps did not take place in smoke-filled rooms (though they weren't ruling it out), but at least through incentives, pressure, and vague but certain threats all well-understood by people who moved about in the same professional and social class, and who complained that they could ''smell the Trump support'' when they were unfortunate enough to have to patronize a Wal-Mart.
        If there was a time when Trump supporters feared Robert Mueller's goon squad, that time had passed by the 2018 midterm elections. Conservatives knew by then the whole case was bunk, and they were salivating at the prospect of watching him get chopped up by the likes of Jim Jordan and Devin Nunes. And he did.
        The collusion case wasn't only used to damage Trump in the polls or distract from his political agenda. It was used as an open threat to keep people from working in the administration. Taking a job in the Trump administration meant having one's entire life investigated for anything that could fill CNN's anti-Trump content requirement for another few days, whether or not it held up to scrutiny. Many administration employees quit because they were being bankrupted by legal fees due to an investigation that was known by its progenitors to be a political operation. The Department of Justice, press, and government used falsehoods to destroy lives and actively subvert an elected administration almost from the start. Perhaps worst of all, some portion of the American population was driven to the edge of madness by two years of being told that American politics had become a real-life version of The Manchurian Candidate. And not by Alex Jones, but by intelligence chiefs and politicians, amplified by media organizations which threw every ounce of their accumulated credibility behind the insanity.
        For two years, Trump supporters had been called traitors and Russian bots for casting ballots for ''Vladimir Putin's c*ck holster.'' They'd been subjected to a two-year gaslighting campaign by politicians, government agencies, and elite media. It took real fortitude to stand up to the unanimous mockery and scorn of these powerful institutions. But those institutions had gambled their power and credibility, and they'd lost, and now Trump supporters expected a reckoning. When no reckoning was forthcoming - when the Greenwalds, and Taibbis, and Mat(C)s of the world were not handed the New York Times' revoked Pulitzers for correctly and courageously standing against the tsunami on the biggest political story in years - these people shed many illusions about how power really operates in their country.
        Trump supporters know - I think everyone knows - that Donald Trump would have been impeached and probably indicted if Robert Mueller had proven that he'd paid a foreign spy to gather damaging information on Hillary Clinton from sources connected to Russian intelligence and disseminate that information in the press. Many of Trump's own supporters wouldn't have objected to his removal if that had happened. Of course that is exactly what the Clinton campaign actually did, yet there were no consequences for it. Indeed, there has been almost no criticism of it.
        Trump supporters had gone from worrying the collusion might be real, to suspecting it might be fake, to seeing proof that it was all a scam. Then they watched as every institution - government agencies, the press, Congressional committees, academia - blew right past it and gaslit them for another year. To this day, something like half the country still believes that Trump was caught red-handed engaging in treason with Russia, and only escaped a public hanging because of a DOJ technicality regarding the indictment of sitting presidents. Most galling, conservatives suspect that within a few decades liberals will use their command over the culture to ensure that virtually everyone believes it. This is where people whose political identities have for decades been largely defined by a naive belief in what they learned in civics class began to see the outline of a Regime that crossed not only partisan, but all institutional boundaries. They'd been taught that America didn't have Regimes, but what else was this thing they'd seen step out from the shadows to unite against their interloper president?
        THE ESTABLISHMENT UNITESGOP propaganda still has many conservatives thinking in terms of partisan binaries. Even the dreaded RINO (Republican-In-Name-Only) slur serves the purposes of the party, because it implies that the Democrats represent an irreconcilable opposition. But many Trump supporters see clearly that the Regime is not partisan. They know that the same institutions would have taken opposite sides if it had been a Tulsi Gabbard vs. Jeb Bush election. It's hard to describe to people on the Left, who are used to thinking of American government as a conspiracy and are weaned on stories about Watergate, COINTELPRO, and Saddam's WMD, how shocking and disillusioning this was for people who encouraged their sons and daughters to go fight for their country when George W. Bush declared war on Iraq.
        They could have managed the shock if it only involved the government. But the behavior of the press is what radicalized them. Trump supporters have more contempt for journalists than they have for any politician or government official, because they feel most betrayed by them. The idea that the corporate press is driven by ratings and sensationalism has become untenable over the last several years. If that were true, there'd be a microphone in the face of every executive branch official demanding to know what the former Secretary of Labor meant when he said that Jeffrey Epstein ''belonged to intelligence.'' The corporate press is the propaganda arm of the Regime these people are now seeing in outline. Nothing anyone says will ever make them unsee that, period.
        This is profoundly disorienting. Again, we're not talking about pre-2016 Greenwald readers or even Ron Paul libertarians, who swallowed half a bottle of red pills long ago. These are people who attacked Edward Snowden for ''betraying his country,'' and who only now are beginning to see that they might have been wrong. It's not because the parties have been reversed, and it's not because they're bitter over losing. They just didn't know. If any country is going to function over the long-term, not everyone can be a revolutionary. Most people have to believe what they're told and go with the flow most of the time. These were those people. I'm pretty conservative by temperament, but most of my political friends are on the Left. I spend a good deal of our conversations simply trying to convince them that these people are not demons, and that this political moment is pregnant with opportunity.
        Many Trump supporters don't know for certain whether ballots were faked in November 2020, but they know with apodictic certainty that the press, the FBI, and even the courts would lie to them if they were. They have every reason to believe that, and it's probably true. They watched the corporate press behave like animals for four years. Tens of millions of people will always see Brett Kavanaugh as a gang rapist, based on an unproven accusation, because of CNN. And CNN seems proud of that. They helped lead a lynch mob against a high school kid. They cheered on the most deadly and destructive riots in decades.
        Conservatives have always complained that the media had a liberal bias. Fine, whatever: they still thought the press would admit the truth if they were cornered. They don't believe that anymore. What they've witnessed in recent years has shown them that the corporate press will say anything, do anything, to achieve a political objective, or simply to ruin someone they perceive as an opponent. Since my casual Twitter thread ended up in the mouths of Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump, I've received hundreds of messages from people saying that I should prepare to be targeted. Others don't think that will happen, but even most of them don't think it's an irrational concern. We've seen an elderly lady receive physical threats after a CNN reporter accosted her at home to accuse her of aiding Kremlin disinformation ops. We've seen them threaten to dox someone for making a humorous meme.
        Throughout 2020, the corporate press used its platform to excuse and encourage political violence. Time Magazine told us that during the 2020 riots, there were weekly conference calls involving - among others - leaders of the protests, local officials responsible for managing them, and members of the media charged with reporting on the events. They worked together with Silicon Valley to control the messaging about the ongoing crisis for maximum political effect. In case of a Trump victory, the same organization had protesters ready to be activated by text message in 400 cities the day after the election. Every town with a population over 50,000 would have been in for some pre-planned, centrally-controlled mayhem. In other countries we call that a color revolution.
        Throughout the summer, establishment governors took advantage of COVID to change voting procedures, often over the protests of the state legislatures. It wasn't only the mass mailing of live ballots: they also lowered signature matching standards, axed existing voter ID and notarization requirements, and more. Many people reading this might think those were necessary changes, either due to the virus or to prevent potential voter suppression. I won't argue the point, but the fact is that the US Constitution states plainly that ''The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections... shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof.'' As far as conservatives were concerned, state governors used COVID to unconstitutionally usurp their legislatures' authority to unilaterally alter voting procedures just months before an election in order to help Biden make up for a massive enthusiasm gap by gaming the mail-in ballot system. Lawyers can argue over the legitimacy of the procedural modifications; the point is that conservatives believe in their bones - and I think they're probably right - that the cases would have been treated differently, in both the media and in court, if the parties were reversed.
        And then came the Hunter Biden laptop scandal. Liberals dismiss the incident because, after four years of obsessing over the activities of the Trump children, they insist they're not interested in the behavior of the candidate's family members. But this misses the point entirely. Big Tech ran a coordinated censorship campaign against a major American newspaper while the rest of the media spread base propaganda to protect a political candidate. And once again, the campaign crossed institutional boundaries, with dozens of former intelligence officials throwing their weight behind the baseless and now-discredited claim that the laptop was part of a Russian disinformation campaign. That lie was promoted by Big Tech companies, while the true information being reported by The New York Post about the laptop's contents was suppressed. That is what happened.
        Even the tech companies themselves now admit it was a ''mistake'' - Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said it was an error and apologized - but the election is over, Joe Biden has appointed Facebook's government regulations executive as his ethics arbiter, so who cares, right? It hardly needs saying that if The New York Times had Donald Trump Jr.'s laptop, full of pictures of him smoking crack and engaging in group sex, lots of lurid family drama, and emails with pretty direct discussions of political corruption, the Paper of Record would not have had its accounts suspended for reporting on it. Let's remember that stories of Trump being pissed on by Russian prostitutes and blackmailed by Putin were promoted as fact across the media spectrum and used as the basis for a multi-year criminal investigation, when the only evidence was a document paid for by his opposition and disavowed by its primary source.
        The reaction of Trump supporters to all this was not, ''no fair!'' That was how they felt about Romney's ''binders of women'' in 2012 or Harry Reid's lie that Romney paid no federal taxes. This is different. Now they were beginning to see, accurately, that the institutions of their country '-- all of them '-- had been captured by people prepared to use any means to exclude them from the political process. And yet they showed up in record numbers to vote. Trump got 13 million more votes than in 2016 - 10 million more than Hillary Clinton had gotten.
        As election day became election night and the tallies rolled in, Trump supporters allowed themselves some hope. But when the four critical swing states (and only those states) went dark around midnight, they knew.
        Over the following weeks, they were shuffled around between honest critics, online grifters, and media scam artists selling them conspiracy theories. They latched onto one then another increasingly outlandish theory as they tried to put a concrete name on something very real, of which election day was only the culmination. Media and Big Tech did all they could to make things worse. Everything about the election was strange, confusing, and unprecedented - the changes to procedure, unprecedented mail-in voting, counting delays, etc - but rather than admit that and bring everything into the open, they banned discussion of it (even in private messages!), and launched an absurd propaganda campaign telling us that it was - I'm not making this up - the most well-run and secure election in American history.
        Conservatives know - again, I think probably everyone knows - that just as Don Jr.'s laptop would have been the story of the century, if everything about the election dispute was the same, except the parties were reversed, suspicions about the outcome would have been taken very seriously. See 2016 for proof.
        Even the judiciary had forfeited its credibility with these voters because of the opposition's embrace of political violence. Trump supporters say, with good reason: What judge will stick his neck out for Trump knowing he'll be destroyed in the media as a violent mob burns down his house? Maybe most judges would do their jobs, but given the events of the last four years it's not an unreasonable concern, and the concern itself is enough to cast the whole system in doubt. Again, we know, thanks to Time Magazine, that riots were planned in cities across the country if Trump had won. Sure, they were ''protests'', but they were planned by the same people as during the summer, and everyone knows what it would have meant. The Chamber of Commerce took the threat of a second round of destruction of its members' property seriously enough to offer its assistance to the ''well-funded cabal of powerful people, ranging across industries and ideologies, working together behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage and control the flow of information'' - Time's words, not mine.
        Trump voters were adamant that the governors' changes to election procedures were unconstitutional. Everything in law is open to interpretation, but it doesn't require a Harvard Law degree to read Article 1, Section 4 (quoted above) and come to that conclusion. But they also knew the cases wouldn't see a courtroom until after the election, and what judge was going to make a ruling that would be framed as a judicial coup d'etat just because some governors didn't go through the proper channels? Even a judge willing to accept the personal risk would have also to be willing to inflict the chaos that would follow on the country. Even a well-intentioned judge could convince himself that, whatever happened or didn't happen, as a public servant he had no right to impose an opinion guaranteed to lead to mass violence - because the threat was not implied, it was direct. Some Trump supporters, unfortunately, thought the license for political violence applied to everyone; the hundreds of them now sitting in federal jails learned the hard way that it wasn't true.
        From the perspective of Trump's supporters, the entrenched bureaucracy and security state subverted their populist president from day one. The natural guardrails of the Fourth Estate were removed because the press was part of the operation. Election rules were changed in an unconstitutional manner that could only be challenged after the deed was done, when judges and officials would be playing chicken with a direct threat of burning cities. Political violence was legitimized and encouraged. Major newspapers and sitting presidents were banned from social media, while the opposition enjoyed free rein to promote stories that were discredited once it was too late to matter. Conservatives put these things together and concluded that, whatever happened on November 3, 2020, it was not a free and fair democratic election in any sense that would have had meaning before Donald J. Trump was a candidate.
        Trump supporters were led down some rabbit holes. But they are absolutely right that the institutions and power centers of this country have been monopolized by a Regime that believes they are beneath representation, and will observe no limits to prevent them getting it. I encourage people on the Left to recognize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of them. You're not going to agree with the conservatives on everything. But if in 2004 I had told you that the majority of the GOP voter base would soon be seeing the folly of the Iraq War, becoming skeptical of state surveillance, and beginning to see the need for action to help the poor and working classes, you'd have told me such a thing would transform the country. Take the opportunity. These people are not demons, and they are ready to listen in a way they haven't in a long, long time.
        Darryl Cooper is the host of The MartyrMade Podcast, Co-host of The Unraveling w/Jocko Willink, and author of "that" Twitter thread.
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      Some EU Lawmakers want to outlaw Proof of Work
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        Archived Version
        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 23:59
        The EU wants to outlaw proof of work (i.e. bitcoin)https://t.co/iJUNxXvvQ2
        '-- Bitcoin Helena (@GKBoris) July 8, 2021Apparently the European Parliament is set to agree on a proposal for "cryptocurrency regulations" that would target Proof of Work, the consensus mechanism that makes Bitcoin operational. I must admit my grasp on the current political landscape of the European Union is a bit weak compared to the days when I had a professional duty to track Mario "whatever it takes" Draghi and the political landscape of the region, but I feel confident enough to put forth that the European Parliament may be bold enough and stupid enough to attempt to ban Proof of Work throughout the European Union in an effort to appease the growing ESG movement.This news was dropped last week, so I'm assuming we'll get some clarity on the final proposal at some point this week or next. Regardless of the final form of this proposal, the fact that so many ignorant individuals in the EU are actively working on legislation that would significantly affect the ability for individuals to build mining businesses, and potentially any type of bitcoin-related business, is nausea inducing. Though, it shouldn't be surprising.
        Could you imagine if the ECB was made the ultimate regulator of Bitcoin within the EU? This would be one of the most massive conflicts of interest in the history of the world. One of the world's most incompetent central banks, run by a literal criminal whose past experiences include pillaging Latin American countries via the IMF and handing out free money to a friend of the president of France as Finance Minister, would be in charge of regulating a peer-to-peer digital cash system that was launched to make the ECB obsolete. Worse yet, many in the European parliament want to ban Proof of Work citing the baseless energy FUD that has been rolled out incessantly over the last decade. On top of all of this, they want to force people to transition to only using cryptocurrencies that leverage the naturally centralizing Proof of Stake mechanism which recreates the current fiat monetary system, but on a blockchain.
        We shall see if any of these initiatives make it into the official proposal. Let's pray that there are at least a few working brain cells in Brussels. I won't be holding my breath.
        If anything the chatter around this proposal highlights a few things; the power and insanity of the ESG movement, the urge from elites to push humanity to use unreliable "renewables" as their predominate source of electricity production, and the fact that these people are deathly afraid of Bitcoin. The fact that they would ban Proof of Work and allow Proof of Stake cryptocurrencies shows a chink in their armor. Especially considering a lot of these Brad Sherman types fear monger over bitcoin being used for illicit activities. Why not ban cryptocurrencies all together if that is still a big concern? Why only Proof of Work?
        Because they know that Bitcoin is the only network that is actually distributed and possesses the ability to outcompete the cuck bucks issued by the ECB. Proof of Stake networks are much easier to co-opt and control in the long-run. It makes sense that they would attempt to force their citizens to use them instead.
        At the end of the day though, they'll inevitably ban Proof of Stake coins as well in favor of the CBDC they will attempt to launch, which will give them complete control over the design of their digital panopticon and the way it operates in the wild.
        It would be very disappointing for ideas so extremely stupid as those mentioned above to be forced on the European public. It's also insane that the European Parliament has the power to enact something like this that would drastically affect the economies of each country in the EU. This is certainly something that should be decided on a country by country basis.
        As I've said before, the ESG trend sweeping capital markets and elite culture around the world is an overt terroristic attack on free markets and it should be ridiculed out of existence. Bitcoin is the most liberating technology of the 21st century and its implementation of Proof of Work with a difficulty adjustment is one of the most genius engineering breakthroughs of all time. It would be a great great great shame if millions individuals were made criminals overnight for leveraging this technology.
        Final thought...This was a Bent that I had ready to write at 9am but didn't finish until 12:30am the next day. Procrastination is a bitch.
      Jack Posobiec ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸ on Twitter: "The Biden Admin is now planning to release a list of conservative social media influencers that were followed by J6 defendants that questioned the integrity of the 2020 election. The list also includes Members of Congre
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 22:16
        Jack Posobiec ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸ : The Biden Admin is now planning to release a list of conservative social media influencers that were followed by J6'... https://t.co/g0u9HcLsGZ
        Tue Jul 13 16:51:09 +0000 2021
      The ESG Threat | ZeroHedge
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 19:36
        Via BattleSwarmBlog.com,
        Once upon a time, lefty sorts could put their money where their mouth was by ''socially responsible investing.''
        Individuals and institutions were allowed to choose to align their investments with their values.
        They could sleep at night knowing that their capital was not supporting causes with which they disagreed, morally or politically.
        The only cost associated with this socially conscious undertaking was a hit to investment returns, which was inevitable but was accepted voluntarily as the price of peace of mind.
        But these days, that's simply not enough for the Big Sisters of Social Justice Warriorhood.
        Why make something voluntary when they can force it down your throat?
        Hence the push for Environmental Social Governance (ESG), a backdoor way to impose far-left values on corporations without having to deal with shareholders at all.
        Environmental, social and governance (ESG) is the biggest trend in finance and business. Index funds focused on sustainability oversee $250 billion of assets. Corporate leaders signaled their alignment with ESG when more than 180 CEOs signed the Business Roundtable statement on business purpose.
        In contrast to the older ethical investment movement, which accepted that morally constrained investment strategies incur costs, ESG proponents claim that investors following ESG precepts earn higher risk-adjusted returns because companies with high ESG scores are lower-risk. Thus, their stock price will outperform, whereas those firms with low ESG scores are higher-risk, leading them to underperform.
        This supposition conflicts with finance theory. Once lower risk is incorporated into a higher stock price, the stock will be more highly valued, but investors will have to be satisfied with lower expected returns. Unsurprisingly, claims of ESG outperformance are contradicted by studies.
        Claims that ESG-favored stocks outperformed during the Covid-19 market meltdown disappear once other determinants of stock performance are controlled for. ESG factors were negatively associated with stock performance during the market recovery phase in the second quarter of 2020.
        The corollary of the ESG thesis'--that low-ESG-rated ''sin stocks'' are condemned to underperform the stock market'--is decisively refuted by the data. When institutional investors ''went underweight'' by selling down their holdings in tobacco stocks, it made them cheaper for other investors to buy and make money, especially when they subsequently outperformed the market.
        The profit opportunities that ESG creates for Wall Street, however, are clear. BlackRock charges 46 cents annually for every $100 invested in its iShares Global Clean Energy ETF and just 4 cents for its iShares fund linked to the S&P 500.
        The Trump Department of Labor's controversial rule on ESG in corporate retirement plans became final in October 2020. In effect, the rule calls Wall Street's ESG bluff: ''You claim ESG investing boosts investment returns net of costs; Show us on the basis of generally accepted investment theories.'' Rather than use the Congressional Review Act to nullify this rule, the Biden Department of Labor says it won't enforce it.
        ESG is supposedly about the objective assessment of investment risk. The stated purpose of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), a body supported and funded by Michael Bloomberg, is to provide a disclosure regime that better enables investors to assess risk, climate risk being a major one.
        At the same time, the SASB aims to harness the power of capital markets for political ends. Just as the Covid pandemic was sweeping the globe, Bloomberg declared climate change the biggest threat to America and the world. ''How do you replace dirty energy?'' he asks. ''Stop rewarding companies from making it.'' ESG thus becomes politics pursued by other means.
        Climate risk is primarily about the potential costs of future climate regulation, but the cookie-cutter climate disclosures required by ESG standard-setters are systematically misleading because they treat the world as a homogenous regulatory space. Climate regulations are made by states and vary from the stringent and unachievable in parts of Europe to the virtually nonexistent in many other parts of the world.
        Requiring corporations to bind themselves to unilateral greenhouse-gas targets imposes a penalty in competing against companies less beholden to ESG ratings (the unlevel playing field). Forcing corporations to lose market share and shrink their operations constitutes a covert form of divestment. Shareholders lose for no climate gain.
        Regulation by governments is not only more efficient but also possesses democratic legitimacy. Proponents claim that ESG is necessary to achieve inclusive capitalism, but political power wielded by a handful of billionaire Wall Street oligarchs provides a pretty good definition of insider capitalism.
        The weaponization of finance by billionaire climate activists, foundations, and NGOs threatens to end capitalism as we know it by degrading its ability to function as an economic system that generates higher living standards. This usurpation of the political prerogatives of democratic government invites a populist backlash.
        The Real Clear Foundation report leans heavily on the environmental end of things, but ESG also has a strong Social Justice component, as this clip from Joe Rogan's interview of VJ/Podcaster Adam Curry discusses:
        ESG is yet another attempt to impose top-down wokeness by subterfuge on people and institutions that would never voluntarily agree to it.
      The FBI Allegedly Used At Least 12 Informants In The Michigan Kidnapping Case
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 18:15
        Seth Herald / ReutersMembers of the armed extremist group Wolverine Watchmen inside the Michigan Capitol in April 2020
        The government employed at least a dozen confidential informants to infiltrate groups of armed extremists who allegedly plotted to kidnap the governor of Michigan, according to a new filing in federal court on Monday.
        The filing, made by one of the five defendants in the federal case, asked that prosecutors be ordered to share more information about those informants, their relationship with the FBI, and the specific roles they played in building the case. It came among a blizzard of 15 new defense motions in the high-profile case, including requests to move it to a different district, to suppress evidence from a search warrant, and to try at least one defendant separately from the others.
        Taken together, the new court papers offered a glimpse of the evolving defense strategies in the case, with several attorneys saying that they plan to argue that the FBI ''induced or persuaded'' the men to go along with the scheme.
        The alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made international headlines last October, when the Department of Justice announced it had charged six men in a kidnapping conspiracy. Five of the defendants '-- Barry Croft, Adam Fox, Daniel Harris, Kaleb Franks, and Brandon Caserta '-- have all pleaded not guilty and have been held without bail since their arrests. A sixth, Ty Garbin, pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate in the case in January.
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        According to the Justice Department, the men met and trained over a six-month period in 2020, during which time they developed a plan to kidnap Whitmer from her second home and possibly take her out of state where she could be put on ''trial'' for being a ''tyrant.'' No plan was ever executed before authorities made arrests.
        Eight other men were charged under Michigan's anti-terrorism statutes for providing material support to the plotters. Half of the defendants in the combined cases were members of a militant group known as the Wolverine Watchmen, which was associated with the Three Percenters extremist movement. All but two are from the state of Michigan.
        A trial in the federal case is currently scheduled for October. Monday marked a filing deadline for defense motions in that case.
        Although prosecutors have acknowledged using informants to build the case, the court file to date has provided very little detail on their activities or identities save for one informant, who testified in March. According to an attorney for Franks, the government has shared ID numbers linked to 12 confidential informants but, with one exception, has not provided background on how they were recruited, what payments they may have received from the FBI, where they are based, or what their names are.
        Such information would be crucial to ''preparation of a defense to the charges,'' Franks' lawyer, Scott Graham, claimed.
        Franks, meanwhile, asked that the case be moved out of the Western District of Michigan, on the grounds that ''press coverage of (and participation in) this matter has corrupted the potential trial atmosphere to the point that Mr. Franks will be denied a fair trial in Michigan.''
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        Graham specifically cited a motion filed by BuzzFeed News to obtain access to exhibits shown in a hearing in the case in January as an example of the media involvement in the case and the risk of ''prejudice in this case based on the extensive, negative, pervasive press coverage of the allegations.''
        Franks also asked to be tried separately because he is not facing a bomb charge that was added to the case earlier this year. That count, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, applies to three of the other defendants who are alleged to have tried to build explosive devices or procure bomb-making materials. According to attorney Graham, potential allegations by prosecutors in court about that charge ''will certainly go far in frightening jurors and eliciting emotional decisions from them.''
        In yet another motion, filed late on Sunday, an attorney for Croft claimed that prosecutors had provided more than 5,000 duplicate files as it shared evidence, including no fewer than 15 copies of the same audio recording, significantly increasing the burden on the defense.
        Separately the attorney, Joshua Blanchard, asked the court to exclude from evidence some items that were recovered from Croft's Delaware residence during an FBI search in October because, he claims, they were outside the scope of the warrant. Among those items were a 1-kilogram silver bar, a handwritten code cipher, and ''Mr. Croft's hat.''
        Croft, a long-haul truck driver and father of three girls, is known among Three Percenters for often wearing a tricorn hat like those from the time of the American Revolution.
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        Jessica Garrison is a senior investigative editor for BuzzFeed News and is based in San Francisco.
        Contact Jessica Garrison at jessica.garrison@buzzfeed.com.
        Ken Bensinger is an investigative reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles. He is the author of "Red Card," on the FIFA scandal. His DMs are open.
        Contact Ken Bensinger at ken.bensinger@buzzfeed.com.
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      Guillain-Barre syndrome: FDA flags 'small' risk with J&J jab | Coronavirus pandemic News | Al Jazeera
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 14:26
        US health officials issue new warning over rare neurological reaction for people getting the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
        United States regulators have added a new warning to Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine about links to a rare and potentially dangerous neurological reaction.
        The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the new warning on Monday, flagging reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome, an immune system disorder that can cause muscle weakness and occasionally paralysis. Health officials described the side effect as a ''small possible risk'' for those getting the shot.
        The new warning will be included in pamphlets given to people getting the Johnson & Johnson shot. They should seek medical attention if they experience any symptoms, which include tingling sensations, trouble walking and double vision, the regulators said.
        The action comes after the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reviewed reports of about 100 people developing the syndrome after receiving the one-dose vaccine. Almost all of them were hospitalised and one person died, the FDA said.
        Guillain-Barre syndrome occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks some of its nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis that typically is temporary. An estimated 3,000 to 6,000 people in the United States develop the syndrome each year, according to the CDC.
        The number of cases reported in connection with Johnson & Johnson's vaccine represents a tiny fraction of the nearly 13 million people in the US who have received the jab. Most cases were reported in men '' mostly those who were 50 years old and above '' and usually about two weeks after vaccination.
        Johnson & Johnson said in a statement it has been discussing the reports with the FDA and other health regulators around the world.
        The CDC said it would ask its panel of outside vaccine experts to review the issue at an upcoming meeting.
        The government said the vaccines most used in the US, made by Pfizer and Moderna, show no risk of the disorder after more than 320 million doses have been administered.
        Vaccines historically provide broad protection with little risk but come with occasional side effects just like other drugs and medical therapies. The three COVID-19 vaccines used in the US were each tested in tens of thousands of people, but even such huge studies cannot rule out extremely rare side effects.
        The CDC and the FDA have been monitoring side effect reports submitted by physicians, drugmakers and patients to a federal vaccine safety database.
        Guillain-Barre can be triggered by a number of infections, including flu, cytomegalovirus and Zika virus. But there have been rare cases in which people develop the disorder days or weeks after receiving certain vaccines.
        Johnson & Johnson's vaccine was highly anticipated because of its ''one-and-done'' formulation and easy-to-ship refrigeration. But early on, it was linked to another rare risk '' blood clots '' and the company has not been able to produce as much as expected because of problems at a Baltimore factory that helps make the shots.
        The news comes as demand for COVID vaccines in the US continues to decrease, with only about 430,000 shots being administered a day. The peak seven-day average was around 3.5 million, back in April.
        Cases are rising rapidly in under-vaccinated states in the country's Midwest and south, with the highly contagious Delta variant now dominant.
      Upcoming Moon 'wobble' could cause mass FLOODING across Earth, scientists warn
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 14:23
        A NASA study has revealed how a 'wobble' in the Moon's orbit could cause devastating flooding in the 2030s.
        Research led by the US space agency predicts cities along the country's coast could see three or four times as many high-tide flood days annually for a decade.
        Nasa made this map to show sea surface height anomalies in June 2021 and revealed some sea levels have been 10 to 15cm higher than normal Credit: Nasa.govThe Moon's gravitational pull impacts tidal forces on Earth.
        A known 'wobble' in it's orbit combined with rising sea levels could see some extreme tides, according to concerned researchers.
        Nasa's study about the potential problem has been published online in the journal Nature Climate Change.
        It warns that coastal cities all over the world could see extra flood days clustered together over a few months in the year.
        It means places that face a few floods a month could face dozens more.
        This could have devastating impacts for people living along coastlines.
        "Seeping cesspools become a public health issue."Lead study author Phil Thompson, an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii, said: "It's the accumulated effect over time that will have an impact.
        "If it floods 10 or 15 times a month, a business can't keep operating with its parking lot under water.
        "People lose their jobs because they can't get to work. Seeping cesspools become a public health issue."
        The study notes how sea level rise connected to climate change is already causing issues.
        The scientists are worried that rising sea levels coupled with a 'wobble' in the Moon's orbit that's already been observed could be a dangerous combination.
        The Moon is said to wobble on a 18.6-year cycle and that changes its positioning to Earth ever so slightly.
        This slight change can amplify or suppress tides depending on where the Moon is in its cycle, according to Nasa.
        The tide-amplifying part of the Moon cycle is currently happening now and the next one is set to happen in the mid 2030s.
        The researchers think by the mid 2030s, sea levels could have risen so much that amplified tides could cause major issues.
        They think this could cause rapid flooding across the entire US coast and flooding will change "from a regional issue to a national issue with a majority of US coastlines being affected."
        As the extreme tidal events are only expected to happen in monthly clusters, the researchers think there would be time to prepare for them.
        Study co-author and Nasa scientist Ben Hamlington said: "Understanding that all your events are clustered in a particular month, or you might have more severe flooding in the second half of a year than the first '-- that's useful information."
        Since 1880, average sea levels across the globe have risen about 8 to 9 inches.
        Around a third of that rise is said to have happened over the past 25 years and sea levels are predicted to rise even more in the next decade.
        The Moon's gravitational pull impacts tides on Earth Credit: Alamy New electric 'lunar buggy' being built for Nasa's return to Moon '' and will make -170C trip to its south poleIn other news, scientists have identified the place where aliens are most likely lurking in the Milky Way.
        Aliens may have dropped life-detecting sensors onto Earth, according to a Harvard University professor.
        And, China launched three astronauts into orbit to continue building its own space station.
        We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk
      The Hip-Hop Song That's Driving Cuba's Unprecedented Protests : NPR
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 14:11
        A man waves a Cuban flag during a demonstration against Cuban President Miguel D­az-Canel's government Sunday in Havana as large numbers take part in rare protests against the communist regime. Adalberto Roque/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
        toggle caption Adalberto Roque/AFP via Getty Images A man waves a Cuban flag during a demonstration against Cuban President Miguel D­az-Canel's government Sunday in Havana as large numbers take part in rare protests against the communist regime.
        Adalberto Roque/AFP via Getty Images Cuba is suffering through a summer of dire shortages, from food and electricity to medicine. Fed-up Cubans are taking to the streets in unprecedented protests '-- and they're voicing their outrage through a song called Patria y Vida '-- homeland and life.
        The slogan is a spin on the communist regime's decades-old slogan of "patria o muerte" '-- homeland or death. In strong terms, the song accuses the government of destroying the quality of life in Cuba, a message that quickly found traction with protesters who are demanding change.
        "No more lies. My people demand freedom. No more doctrines!" the song says. It calls for people to shout "patria y vida ... and start building what we dreamed of/ what they destroyed with their hands."
        The viral hit has become a political slogan Patria y Vida has been a phenomenon since its release this year. The song is a collaboration between a group of Afro-Cuban reggaeton and hip-hop stars based in Miami, such as Yotuel Romero and Alexander Delgado, along with rappers Maykel Osorbo and El Funky, who live in Cuba. A YouTube video of the song has been viewed nearly 6 million times.
        When the single was released, Romero, who is part of the group Orishas, said that for him, the song was motivated by a look back at Cuba's long history.
        "Before the revolution, we had a beautiful Havana; now we have ruins," he told Billboard in February. "From that point on, I said, 'I'm not going to be quiet anymore.' "
        Where the original Castro-era slogan was a call to arms for people to stand against outside influence, the new slogan tells people to hit the streets and take back their country.
        "It's over now! And we're not afraid," the song declares.
        Patria y Vida quickly became an anthem. When large protests erupted in April, NPR's Carrie Kahn declared it "astonishing" and a sign of "a growing movement challenging the regime like we haven't seen in decades."
        After the song's release, Cuban authorities arrested Osorbo. His supporters have submitted complaints to the United Nations over his treatment, saying that the government is persecuting him for expressing his views and for helping create the song.
        The protests have been some of Cuba's largest Thousands of Cubans have been taking part in protests in Havana and elsewhere on the island, shouting their demands for more freedom along with calls for an end to high prices and economic turmoil. A run of electrical blackouts has added to their frustrations.
        Crowds have been chanting slogans against Cuban President Miguel D­az-Canel as well as demanding more access to vaccines. Cuba has been experiencing a record spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths in recent weeks. Overall, the nation has reported nearly 245,000 cases.
        Marches and protests have been disrupted by police, who made mass arrests and used tear gas against demonstrators on Sunday. Videos circulating online have also shown officers firing toward crowds, reporter Nora Gmez Torres of the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald told NPR.
        "There were really unprecedented images coming out of the island," she said.
        Why is Cuba suffering?There are several main reasons, including U.S. economic sanctions that were tightened under former President Donald Trump and the pandemic's toll on the island's economy and infrastructure. Cuba is also getting less economic help from one of its main allies, Venezuela.
        "The government is in debt and has no money," Torres said. "So the population has been enduring severe scarcities of food and medicine."
        Many are also angry and frustrated by Cuba's policy of selling food in U.S dollars '-- which most of the country's people don't earn.
        Remittances from relatives in the U.S. and elsewhere are also down. And like many places, Cuba's tourism industry has been hollowed out by more than a year of travel restrictions due to COVID-19.
        It's not yet clear what will happen next, Torres said.
        "Even if the government retains control, which is the most likely scenario, Cubans now see what they can do if enough people come out to protest," she said. "So the genie is out of the bottle now and the frustration is not going anywhere."
        With the government facing a deep crisis, she warned, we'll likely see more repression in the coming days.
        The Cuban government is blaming the U.S. Granma, the Communist Party newspaper, blames the protests on "annexationist interests, paid and directed by the United States."
        D­az-Canel has said Cuba is facing difficulties that it knew were coming when the U.S. put tight economic sanctions on the country. And while the pandemic has made the situation worse, the president said every country in the world is being forced to cope with the coronavirus.
        In a speech Monday, D­az-Canel also dwelled on his country's national electrical system, saying its infrastructure is hobbled by both the U.S. embargo and by overconsumption.
        The U.S. stancePresident Biden said he strongly supports the protesters.
        "The Cuban people are demanding their freedom from an authoritarian regime," Biden said during a White House event Monday. "I don't think we've seen anything like these protests in a long, long time if, quite frankly, ever."
        Biden added, "The U.S. stands firmly with the people of Cuba as they assert their universal rights. And we call on the government of Cuba to refrain from violence in their attempt to silence the voices of the people of Cuba."
      Governor vows to arrest Democrats who fled Texas to block voting restrictions | Texas | The Guardian
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 14:03
        Show caption Governor Greg Abbott of Texas: 'As soon as they come back in the state of Texas, they will be arrested, they will be cabined inside the Texas capitol until they get their job done.' Photograph: Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images
        Texas' Lawmakers flew to Washington DC to deny legislature a quorum
        ' Greg Abbott says he will call special sessions indefinitely
        Guardian staff and agencies
        Tue 13 Jul 2021 09.59 EDT
        Texas's Republican governor, Greg Abbott, has vowed to arrest Democrat lawmakers who have fled the state in an attempt to stop an overhaul of election laws that they say damages the right to vote, especially for communities of color.
        Private planes carrying more than 50 Democrats left Austin for Washington DC on Monday, skipping town just days before the Texas house of representatives was expected to give early approval to sweeping new voting restrictions in a special legislative session.
        House Democrats tell Senate: exempt voting rights bill from filibuster The move denied the Republican-led legislature a quorum, leaving it with too few lawmakers in attendance to conduct business. That means it could not, at least for now, vote on the bill.
        Even though Democrats cannot stop the Republican legislation, bringing the legislature to a halt might give them some kind of leverage in negotiating over the bills, as The Guardian previously reported. Walking out also signals to constituents how far Democrats are willing to go to try to stop Republican efforts to make it harder to vote.
        In response Abbott told an Austin television station he would simply keep calling special sessions of the legislature through next year if necessary, and raised the possibility of Democrats facing arrest upon returning home.
        ''As soon as they come back in the state of Texas, they will be arrested, they will be cabined inside the Texas capitol until they get their job done,'' Abbott said.
        The cross-country exodus was the second time that Democratic lawmakers have staged a walkout on the voting overhaul, a measure of their fierce opposition to proposals they say will make it harder for young people, people of color and people with disabilities to vote.
        But like last month's effort, there remains no clear path for Democrats to permanently block the voting measures, or a list of other contentious GOP-backed proposals up for debate.
        The Texas bills would outlaw 24-hour polling places, ban ballot drop boxes used to deposit mail ballots and empower partisan poll watchers.
        The measures are part of a Republican drive across America rush to enact new voting restrictions in response to former president Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. More than a dozen states this year have passed tougher election laws but only in Texas have Democrats put up this kind of fight.
        Texas Democrats, shut out of power in the state capitol for decades, last fled the state in 2003 to thwart a redistricting plan. They ultimately lost that fight.
        Trump won Texas easily in 2020 and it is already one of the hardest places to vote in the US. It does not have online voter registration nor allow everyone to vote by mail. Texas was also among the states with the lowest turnout in 2020.
        But it has been trending Democratic in recent election cycles, pushed in part by changing demographics, and the Republican effort is seen by many as a way of seeking to offset that change by making it harder to vote for groups who traditionally vote Democrat.
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      Donation Dude '®¸ on Twitter: "@Katjuh73 @iektweets Vaccidents ! Hattip @adamcurry" / Twitter
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 13:33
        Donation Dude '®¸ : @Katjuh73 @iektweets Vaccidents ! Hattip @adamcurry
        Tue Jul 13 05:39:53 +0000 2021
      Israel gives third shot of Pfizer vaccines to immunocompromised adults - The Washington Post
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 13:24
        TEL AVIV '-- Israel's Ministry of Health on Monday began offering a third dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to severely immunocompromised adults in what health experts say could be the first phase of an experiment to provide coronavirus booster shots for older people and the most vulnerable.
        The recommendation, published Sunday by the ministry, said the goal of the new program was to raise antibody levels among immunocompromised citizens, including cancer patients, recipients of liver transplants, and others who have recently exhibited weakened vaccine protection, according to data. It said that it had still not made a decision on administering third shots for the general adult population.
        Globally, the push to introduce booster shots has prompted pushback from the World Health Organization (WHO) and rights groups, who say the focus should remain on getting first doses to the world's most vulnerable.
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        As new coronavirus variants emerge and the longevity of vaccine protection remains unknown, scientists are researching how booster shots could work. (The Washington Post)The decision to offer some people third doses comes as Israel, which was among the fastest countries to vaccinate in the winter and then among the first to begin reopening in the spring, is experiencing a surge in new cases, spurred by the prevalence of the highly transmissible delta variant, first identified in India. Over the past month, infection rates in Israel have spiked from single digits to more than 400 a day.
        And on the same day, Pfizer officials met with top U.S. federal health officials to make their case for administering some Americans '-- particularly the elderly and the immunocompromised '-- a third dose six to 12 months after receiving the companies' two-shot regimen.
        That meeting came after the Department of Health and Human Services publicly rebuked Pfizer when it and the German company BioNTech announced last week they planned to seek an emergency use authorization for its booster shot. HHS said that fully vaccinated Americans do not need a booster for now.
        Pfizer suggests booster shots will be needed this year, but government officials say science will dictate the timing
        During the meeting on Monday, Pfizer officials provided U.S. health officials a similar briefing to one they gave the Europeans this month. The White House meeting was largely focused on the science and data Pfizer presented. The company cited data from Israel showing a rise in infections among the vaccinated population, as well as interim data from the company's trial of its booster shot showing a third dose stimulates a much stronger antibody response that is five to 10 times the level seen after the second dose of its vaccine.
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        There were no decisions made about how to proceed, and officials acknowledged there is still a significant amount of data that has yet to be evaluated, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting.
        It remained unclear on Monday where U.S. officials stood on the need for a third shot for vulnerable Americans. While several senior officials believe it will be appropriate to recommend boosters for the elderly and immunocompromised, Pfizer still must receive emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for its third dose and a CDC advisory panel must decide whether and to whom to recommend boosters. That process could take several weeks or months.
        Pfizer officials and some U.S. health officials are worried that if the U.S. government takes too long to make a decision on whether to begin administering another dose of the vaccine, the delta variant will cause another surge of the virus this fall among the unvaccinated and could infect the vulnerable who are vaccinated.
        What you need to know about the highly contagious delta variant
        An HHS spokesperson who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share information on an internal meeting said health officials are briefed routinely by manufacturers and others on the latest data on coronavirus vaccines. The spokesperson also reiterated that, ''at this time, fully vaccinated Americans do not need a booster shot,'' but added that the administration is prepared for booster doses ''if and when the science demonstrates that they are needed.''
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        But the discussion of booster shots has also raised concerns about the impact it could have on vaccine hesitancy, as well as questions about the ethics of providing fully vaccinated residents of wealthy countries a third shot when the majority of the world has yet to receive a single dose.
        The director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a statement Monday admonished vaccine manufacturers for seeking to push booster doses to wealthy countries when many places still do not have access to doses.
        ''The global gap in vaccine supply is hugely uneven and inequitable,'' he said at a news briefing.
        In recent months, as a small number of relatively wealthy countries have pressed ahead with vaccination campaigns, the U.N. health agency, public health experts and advocates have warned of a widening global vaccine gap and urged governments to do more to share doses and increase supply.
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        They argue that unequal distribution of doses is not only unethical but also could extend the pandemic by prolonging shutdowns and giving the virus room to spread and mutate in unvaccinated populations.
        ''We will look back in anger, and we will look back in shame if countries use precious doses on booster shots, at a time when vulnerable people are still dying without vaccines elsewhere,'' Mike Ryan, head of the WHO's emergency program, said Monday.
        But Pfizer officials have pointed to worrisome data in Israel as a case study. Just weeks after lifting most covid restrictions, the government has reinstated the mask mandate for indoor spaces and public transportation. It is expected to introduce stricter quarantines for travelers returning from abroad and rapid testing stations for students, and to revive the recently retired ''green pass'' system granting vaccinated people broader access to such public events as concerts and movie showings.
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        Pfizer and its partner BioNTech last year sold Israel millions of doses, which were delivered on cargo planes that were greeted with fanfare by then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion Airport. Pfizer views Israel '-- with its small size, heterogenous population and meticulously digitized national health-care system, which serves as the basis for a data-sharing agreement signed by the Israeli government and the pharmaceutical giant '-- as a test case for vaccine rollouts in the rest of the world.
        Recent studies show that the Pfizer vaccine remains effective against the delta variant in preventing hospitalizations and serious illness, though it also has shown declining effectiveness at preventing milder cases. The company expects to publish data from the current study on booster shots provided to at-risk adults in Israel. It said Thursday that it will ask U.S. and European regulators within weeks to authorize booster shots.
        Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that he has coordinated a fast-tracked delivery of the next batch of Pfizer doses to arrive Aug. 1, to allow the country to replenish its dwindling supplies and continue its campaign to inoculate 12-to-15-year-olds.
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        Eyal Leshem, an infectious-disease specialist at Sheba Medical Center, said that even though Israel will probably not make a third shot available to the general public any time soon, the move may open the path toward targeting specific vulnerable populations that are known to have reduced protection when compared with the healthy population.
        He said that vaccine hesitancy and lack of access to the vaccine around the globe, including in the nearby Palestinian territories, remain persistent challenges that would prevent general booster shots from becoming widespread health policy, but that approaches could continue to change as the virus mutates and countries open up.
        ''A possible scenario is that as the virus mutates and changes, the vaccines will be modified accordingly, and boosters will enhance immunity against circulating viruses,'' he said.
        Lena H. Sun contributed to this report.
        This report has been updated.
        Israel, counting on herd immunity, declines to reimpose most restrictions as delta variant spreads
        Israel struggles to restore vaccine swap deal after Palestinians reject doses for being too old
        With most adults now vaccinated, Israelis are busting loose
      Johan de Witt - Wikipedia
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 13:01
        Johan de Witt (Dutch pronunciation: [ËjoËÉ...É‘n dÉ ËÊ‹Éªt] ; 24 September 1625 '' 20 August 1672), lord of Zuid- en Noord-Linschoten, Snelrewaard, Hekendorp and IJsselvere, was a Dutch statesman and a major political figure in the Dutch Republic in the mid-17th century, when its flourishing sea trade in a period of globalization made the republic a leading European trading and seafaring power '' now commonly referred to as the Dutch Golden Age. De Witt controlled the Dutch political system from around 1650 until shortly before his death by a pro-monarch mob in 1672 that consumed parts of his corpse. Working with various factions from nearly all the major cities, especially his hometown, Dordrecht, and the hometown of his wife, Amsterdam.
        As a republican, de Witt opposed the House of Orange-Nassau and the Orangists and preferred a shift of power from the central government to the regenten. However, his neglect of the Dutch army (as the regents focused only on merchant vessels, thinking they could avoid war) proved disastrous when the Dutch Republic suffered numerous early defeats in the Rampjaar (1672). In the hysteria that followed the effortless invasion by an alliance of England, France and some German states he and his brother Cornelis de Witt were blamed and lynched in The Hague.[2] The rioters were never prosecuted,[2] and historians have argued that William of Orange may have incited them.
        Early life and education Edit Johan de Witt was a member of the old Dutch patrician family De Witt. His father was Jacob de Witt, an influential regent and burgher from the patrician class in the city of Dordrecht, which in the seventeenth century, was one of the most important cities of the dominating province of Holland. Johan and his older brother, Cornelis de Witt, grew up in an elite social environment in terms of education, his father having as good acquaintances important scholars and scientists, such as Isaac Beeckman, Jacob Cats, Gerardus Vossius and Andreas Colvius. Johan and Cornelis attended the Latin school in Dordrecht, which imbued both brothers with the values of the Roman Republic.[citation needed ]
        After having attended the Latin school in Dordrecht, he studied at the Leiden University, where he excelled at mathematics and law. He received his doctorate from the University of Angers in 1645. He practiced law as a lawyer in The Hague as an associate with the firm of Frans van Schooten. In 1650 (the year that stadtholder William II, Prince of Orange died) he was appointed leader of the deputation of Dordrecht to the States of Holland and West Friesland. In December 1650, De Witt became the pensionary of Dordrecht. In 1652, in the city of Flushing, De Witt found himself faced with a mob of angry demonstrators of sailors and fishermen. An ugly situation was developing. However, Johan's cool-headedness at the age of 27 calmed the situation. Elders saw greatness in him.
        Marriage and children Edit On 16 February 1655, De Witt married Wendela Bicker, the daughter of Jan Bicker, an influential patrician from Amsterdam, and Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek. This marriage made De Witt member of the leading Amsterdam regent-oligarchy Bicker-De Graeff. Jan Bicker served as mayor of Amsterdam in 1653. De Witt became a relative to the strong republican-minded brothers Cornelis and Andries de Graeff, and to Andries Bicker. Because of this relationship, he was able to rely on the political and economic help of Amsterdam during his tenure as head of government.
        The couple Johan de Witt and Wendela Bicker had four children, three daughters and one son:[7]
        Anna de Witt (1655''1725), married to Herman van den HonertAgnes de Witt (1658''1688), married to Simon Teresteyn van HalewijnMaria de Witt (1660''1689), married to Willem HooftJohan de Witt Jr. (1662''1701), secretary of the city of Dordrecht; married to Wilhelmina de Witt, the daughter of his uncle Cornelis de WittAfter De Witt's death, his brother in law Pieter de Graeff became a guardian over his children.
        Grand Pensionary Edit In 1653, the States of Holland elected De Witt councilor pensionary. In making the appointment, De Witt relied on the express consent of Amsterdam, headed by Cornelis de Graeff. Since Holland was the Republic's most powerful province, he was effectively the political leader of the United Provinces as a whole'--especially during periods when no stadholder had been elected by the States of most Provinces. The raadpensionaris of Holland was often referred to as the Grand Pensionary by foreigners as he represented the preponderant province in the Union of the Dutch Republic. He was a servant who led the States of province by his experience, tenure, familiarity with the issues, and use of the staff at his disposal. He was in no manner equivalent to a modern Prime Minister.[10]
        Representing the province of Holland, De Witt tended to identify with the economic interests of the shipping and trading interests in the United Provinces. These interests were largely concentrated in the province of Holland, and to a lesser degree in the province of Zeeland. In the religious conflict between the Calvinists and the more moderate members of the Dutch Reformed Church that arose in 1618, Holland tended to belong to the Dutch Reformed faction in the United Provinces. Not surprisingly, De Witt also held views of toleration of religious beliefs.
        Act of Seclusion Edit De Witt's power base was the wealthy merchant class into which he was born. This class broadly coincided politically with the "States faction", stressing Protestant religious moderation and pragmatic foreign policy defending commercial interests. The "Orange faction", consisting of the middle class, preferred a strong leader from the Dutch Royal House of Orange as a counterweight against the rich upper-classes in economic and religious matters. Although leaders that did emerge from the House of Orange rarely were strict Calvinists themselves, they tended to identify with Calvinism, which was popular among the middle classes in the United Provinces during this time. William II of Orange was a prime example of this tendency among the leaders of the House of Orange to support Calvinism. William II was elected Stadholder in 1647, and continued to serve until his death in November 1650. Eight days after his death, William II's wife delivered a male heir'--William III of Orange. Many citizens of the United Provinces urged the election of the infant William III as stadholder under a regency until he came of age. However, the Provinces, under the dominance of the province of Holland did not fill the office of Stadholder.
        Together with his uncle, Cornelis de Graeff, De Witt brought about peace with England after the First Anglo-Dutch War with the Treaty of Westminster in May 1654. The peace treaty had a secret annex, the Act of Seclusion, forbidding the Dutch ever to appoint William II's posthumous son, the infant William, as stadholder. This annex had been attached on instigation of Cromwell, who felt that since William III was a grandson of the executed Charles I, it was not in the interests of his own republican regime to see William ever gain political power.
        On 25 September 1660, the States of Holland under the prime movers of De Witt, De Graeff, his younger brother Andries de Graeff and Gillis Valckenier resolved to take charge of William's education to ensure he would acquire the skills to serve in a future'--though undetermined'--state function. Influenced by the values of the Roman republic, De Witt did his utmost anyway to prevent any member of the House of Orange from gaining power, convincing many provinces to abolish the stadtholderate entirely. He bolstered his policy by publicly endorsing the theory of republicanism. He is supposed to have contributed personally to the Interest of Holland, a radical republican textbook published in 1662, by his supporter Pieter de la Court.
        In the period following the Treaty of Westminster, the Republic grew in wealth and influence under De Witt's leadership. De Witt created a strong navy, appointing one of his political allies, Lieutenant Admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam, as supreme commander of the confederate fleet. Later De Witt became a personal friend of Lieutenant Admiral Michiel de Ruyter.
        Perpetual Edict Edit The Second Anglo-Dutch War began in 1665, lasting until 1667, when it ended with the Treaty of Breda, in which De Witt negotiated very favorable agreements for the Republic after the partial destruction of the English fleet in the Raid on the Medway, initiated by De Witt himself and executed in 1667 by De Ruyter.
        At about the time the Treaty of Breda was concluded, De Witt made another attempt at pacification of the quarrel between States Party and Orangists over the position of the Prince of Orange. He proposed to have William appointed captain-general of the Union on reaching the age of majority (23); on condition, however, that this office would be declared incompatible with that of stadtholder in all of the provinces. For good measure the stadtholderate was abolished in Holland itself. This Perpetual Edict (1667) was enacted by the States of Holland on 5 August 1667, and recognised by the States General on a four-to-three vote in January, 1668. This edict was added by Gaspar Fagel, then Pensionary of Haarlem, Gillis Valckenier and Andries de Graeff, two prominent Amsterdam regents, which abolished the stadtholderate in Holland "for ever".
        Disaster year Edit The murder of the brothers De Witt
        During 1672, which the Dutch refer to as the disaster year, France and England attacked the Republic in the Franco-Dutch War. De Witt was severely wounded by a knife-wielding assassin on 21 June. He resigned as Grand Pensionary on 4 August, but this was not enough for his enemies. His brother Cornelis (De Ruyter's deputy-in-the-field at the Raid on the Medway), particularly hated by the Orangists, was arrested on trumped up charges of treason. He was tortured (as was usual under Roman-Dutch law, which required a confession before a conviction was possible) but refused to confess. Nevertheless, he was sentenced to exile. When his brother went over to the jail (which was only a few steps from his house) to help him get started on his journey, both were attacked by members of The Hague's civic militia in a clearly orchestrated assassination. The brothers were shot and then left to the mob. Their naked, mutilated bodies were strung up on the nearby public gibbet, while the Orangist mob partook of their roasted livers in a cannibalistic frenzy. Throughout it all, a remarkable discipline was maintained by the mob, according to contemporary observers, making one doubt the spontaneity of the event. The same portraitist who had made paintings of the brothers in life, Jan de Baen, also portrayed them in death: The Corpses of the De Witt Brothers.
        De Witt had in effect ruled the Republic for almost 20 years. His regime outlasted him only a few more days. Though no more people were killed, the lynching of the De Witts lent renewed impetus to the mob attacks, and to help restore public order the States of Holland empowered William on 27 August to purge the city councils in any way he would see fit to restore public order. The following purges in the early days of September were accompanied by large, but peaceful, Orangist demonstrations, that had a remarkable political character. The demonstrations delivered petitions that demanded certain additional reforms with a, in a sense, "reactionary" flavour: the "ancient" privileges of the guilds and civic militias'--who were traditionally seen as mouthpieces of the citizenry as a whole'--to curb the regent's powers were to be recognised again (as in pre-Burgundian times). The demonstrators also demanded more influence of the Calvinist preachers on the content of government policies and a roll-back of the toleration of Catholics and other dissenting denominations. The purges of the city governments were not everywhere equally thoroughgoing (and, of course, there was little mention of popular influence later on, as the new regents shared the abhorrence of the old ones of real democratic reforms). But as a whole, the new Orangist regime of the Stadtholder was well-entrenched during his following reign.
        The question whether William had a hand in the murder of the De Witt brothers will always remain unanswered, like his exact role in the later Massacre of Glencoe. The fact that he ordered the withdrawal of a federal cavalry detachment that otherwise might have prevented the lynching has always raised eyebrows; neither did he prosecute well-known ringleaders like Johan van Banchem, Cornelis Tromp and his relative, Johan Kievit, even advancing their careers. But maybe firm measures against the conspirators were not feasible in the political climate of autumn 1672. In any case, the political turmoil did not enable the allies an opportunity to finish the Republic off. The French were effectively stymied by the water defenses. Only when the inundations froze over in the following winter was there, briefly, a chance for Marshal Luxembourg, who had taken over command of the invading army from Louis, to make an incursion with 10,000 troops on skates. This almost ended in disaster, when they were ambushed. Meanwhile, the States General managed to conclude alliances with the German emperor and Brandenburg, which helped relieve the French pressure in the East.
        Mathematics Edit In presentation of conic sections, de Witt sought kinematic motivation, independent of cross sections of a cone. Johannes Kepler, for example, had used kinematic geometric constructions. From 1647 to 1650 de Witt did legal work in The Hague and composed Elementa Curvarum Linearum, Liber Secundus, when he had the chance. In 1658 the Liber Primus was submitted to Frans van Schooten to introduce Liber Secundus. The first is purely verbal, the second uses algebra: a,b,c as known quantities, u,v,w,x,y,z unknowns.
        The kinematic description of ellipses dates from Archimedes and Proclus, as well as the contemporary Claude Mydorge. Witt describes the hyperbola with a rotating line and a sliding angle, and a parabola by means of a rotating angle and sliding line. In 1661, de Witt's work appeared in the second volume of von Schooten's Latin translation of La G(C)om(C)trie. Elementa Curvarum Linearum has been described as the first textbook in analytic geometry.[23]
        De Witt contributed to financial mathematics: The Worth of Life Annuities Compared to Redemption Bonds. This work combined his roles as statesman and as mathematician, and was discussed in the correspondence between Leibniz and Bernoulli concerning the use of probabilities. Ever since the Middle Ages, a life annuity was a way to obtain a regular income from a reliable source. The state, for instance, could provide a widow with a regular income until her death, in exchange for a 'lump sum' up front. There were also redemption bonds that were more like a regular state loan. De Witt showed that for the same principal a bond paying 4% interest would result in the same profit as a life annuity of 6% (1 in 17). But the 'Staten' at the time were paying over 7% (1 in 14). The publication about life annuities is "one of the first applications of probability in economics."[23]: 1 After the violent deaths of the brothers the 'Staten' issued new life annuities in 1673 for the old rate of 1 in 14.
        In 1671, De Witt conceived of a life annuity as a weighted average of annuities certain where the weights were mortality probabilities (that sum to one), thereby producing the present value of a life annuity. Edmond Halley's (of comet fame) representation of the life annuity dates to 1693, when he re-expressed a life annuity as the discounted value of each annual payment, multiplied by the probability of surviving long enough to receive the payment, and summed until there are no survivors. De Witt's approach was especially insightful and ahead of its time. In modern terminology, De Witt expressed the value of a life annuity as the expected value of a random variable.
        Legacy Edit The lynching of the De Witt brothers is depicted with a dramatic intensity in the first four chapters of The Black Tulip, a historical novel by Alexandre Dumas, p¨re in 1850, and this event has implications for the whole plot line of the book. In its time, Dumas's book helped make this tragedy known to a French readership (and a readership in other countries into whose languages the book was translated) who were otherwise ignorant of Dutch history.
        The important role of De Witt in Dutch politics and his murder was subject of the 2015 film Michiel de Ruyter, called The Admiral in the English version.
        Currently one Dutch warship is named after De Witt, HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801) .
        References Edit Edit ^ a b Byrne, Eugene. "Is it true that an angry mob of Dutchmen killed and ate their own prime minister in 1672?". HistoryExtra. ^ Rietstap, Johannes Baptist (1861). Armorial g(C)n(C)ral, contenant la description des armoiries des familles nobles et patriciennes de l'Europe: pr(C)c(C)d(C) d'un dictionnaire des termes du blason. G. B. van Goor. p. 1135. ^ BUNEL, Arnaud. "H(C)raldique europ(C)enne, Provinces-Unies et Royaume des Pays-Bas, Stadhouders et Souverains des Pays-Bas" . Retrieved 8 July 2011 . ^ Anna de Witt at Heren van Holland [permanent dead link ] (in Dutch) ^ Temple, Sir William (1705), Observations upon the United Provinces of the Netherlands, orig published 1668 (7th ed.), London: Jacob Tonfon within Grays-Inn Gate next Grays-Inn Lane, and Awnfoam and John Churchill at the Black Swan in Tater-No/ler-Row*, pp. 104''105 ^ a b Albert W. Grootendorst (2000, 10) Jan de Witt's Elementa Curvarum Linearum, in two volumes, Liber Primus (2000) ISBN 0-387-98748-7 and Liber Secundus (2010), Springer books ISBN 9780857291417 Bibliography Edit Blok, P. J. (1898). History of the people of the Netherlands. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. OCLC 1721795. De la Court, P. (1746). The true interest and political maxims, of the Republic of Holland. London: J. Campbell. OCLC 276305764. Geyl, P. (1969). Orange and Stuart, 1641''1672. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. OCLC 27829847. Israel, J. I. (1995). The Dutch Republic: its rise, greatness, and fall, 1477''1806. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198730729. Panhuysen, L. (2005). De ware vrijheid: de levens van Johan en Cornelis de Witt (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Atlas. ISBN 9789045014227. Rowen, H. H. (1977). John de Witt: grand pensionary of Holland, 1625''1672 . Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691052472. Rowen, H. H. (1985). John de Witt: statesman of the "True Freedom". Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521303910. Rowen, H. H. (1988). The princes of Orange: the stadholders in the Dutch Republic. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521345255. Troost, W. (2005). Stadhouder-koning Willem III: een politieke biografie (in Dutch). Hilversum: Verloren. ISBN 9789065506399. External links Edit Johan de Witt at the Mathematics Genealogy ProjectWorks by Johan de Witt at Open LibraryWorks by or about Johan de Witt in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
      Boris Johnson urges use of Covid vaccine passports
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 12:08
        Covid passports are set to be introduced for the first time in England, as Boris Johnson warned that people must exercise "extreme caution" despite the scrapping of legal restrictions.
        On Monday night, the Prime Minister revealed that nightclubs and other venues with large crowds would be urged to adopt Covid certification "as a matter of social responsibility".
        He said relevant businesses should "make use" of the NHS Covid app, which shows proof of double vaccination, a recent negative test or natural immunity, as "a means of entry".
        It marked a climbdown by the government after Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, insisted in February that "we are not planning to have a [Covid] passport in the UK".
        Amid concern over a slowdown in vaccine take-up, the recommendation to use vaccine passports could become mandatory, government documents reveal.
        It comes Emmanuel Macron, the French president, suggested Covid jabs could be made mandatory and announced the extension of a vaccine passport scheme. In Ireland, it has been announced that indoor hospitality will reopen only for those who are fully vaccinated.
        For Britons, proof of Covid status is already required in order to travel to some countries and to avoid quarantine on return from many popular holiday destinations.
        However, in a strengthening of the messaging on trips abroad, Mr Johnson said: "The single most crucial thing now is that you get that jab, a jab that can protect you and your family and allow you, for instance, to go on holiday."
        Amid growing pressure over low takeup among some groups, the Government has already said that jabs will be mandatory for care home workers in England. MPs will vote on the move on Tuesday.
        Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Monday, Mr Johnson confirmed that all legal Covid restrictions will be scrapped from next Monday, July 19, in step four of his roadmap out of restrictions.
        Despite the date having been called "Freedom Day", the Prime Minister unveiled a series of new government recommendations to replace these rules '' something critics alleged would fuel confusion. But he said: "I cannot say this powerfully or emphatically enough '' this pandemic is not over."
        The public will be urged to "limit the close contact you have with those you do not usually live with" and to continue to wear face masks in crowded, enclosed places.
        Last week, Mr Johnson said face coverings would become a "personal choice" after the legal requirement to wear one was scrapped. Workers are asked to return to offices "gradually".
        The end of legal regulations "should not be taken as an invitation for everybody to have a great jubilee", he said, adding that people "cannot simply revert instantly from Monday 19 July to life as it was before Covid".
        He revealed that the Government would keep Covid data under review "probably, I'm afraid, into next year" and indicated that he "will not hesitate" to bring back legal restrictions if needed.
        The Government will review whether to continue "or strengthen" public and business guidance in September.
        It marked a stark change of tone from February, when Mr Johnson said the Government wanted to see progress that was "cautious but irreversible".
        Ministers have predicted that new Covid cases could total more than 100,000 a day within weeks.
        Mr Johnson acknowledged that the current wave of cases would mean more hospital admissions and deaths, but insisted the nation had arrived at a stage in the pandemic "when there is no easy answer and no obvious date for unlocking".
        He said delaying to the autumn would risk reopening at a time when schools are back from the summer holidays and people are spending more time indoors as the weather turns colder.
        Scientific advisers on Sage expect hospitalisations to reach at least 1,000 a day once restrictions lift, new papers revealed. Deaths could reach up to 200 a day, though a high degree of uncertainty remains.
        Updated guidance published on Monday set out the "key protections" that will be retained after step four, while cases are "high and rising".
        Businesses and large events will be "encouraged and supported" to use the NHS Covid app "in high-risk settings", it said, adding that the Government would work with organisations where people will mix "in close proximity" with others outside their household.
        The document warned, however, that if sufficient measures are not taken to limit infection, the Government will "consider mandating certification in certain venues at a later date".
        Covid passports have been trialled at some events over the summer as part of a government research programme.
        Steve Baker, the deputy chairman of the Tory lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group, accused the Government of introducing a "two-tier society" with the move to introduce Covid certification. He warned on Twitter that ministers "must not restrict basic freedoms only to restore them to some", adding: "We are so far down the rabbit hole, we have forgotten we fell in."
        So far, 87 per cent of England's adult population has received a first Covid vaccine jab, with the vast majority '' 96 per cent '' returning for a second.
        However, almost half of male 18 to 24-year-olds remain unvaccinated more than three weeks after access to jabs was opened to adults of all ages. Just 42,000 first doses were given on Sunday, the latest available data shows. At the peak, 752,308 vaccines were given in a day.
        The patchwork of new recommendations sparked a backlash from some business leaders.
        Claire Walker, the co-executive director of the British Chambers of Commerce, warned that the "confusing" approach could "damage public confidence", give firms a "huge logistical headache" and risk "splintering" the economic recovery.
        She called for legal clarity, warning that business leaders are not public health experts and face "contradictory advice" from official sources.
        Six guidance notes will be published by the Government this week, outlining advice for employers in various settings after next Monday.
        They will update and consolidate 14 documents currently in circulation and are expected to stress the importance of ventilation and the need to continue with risk assessments.
        Are you a business owner? Tell us how you feel about the introduction of vaccine passports
      Weinig lol zonder prik in Frankrijk deze zomer | Buitenland | Telegraaf.nl
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 05:29
        Dat zei Emmanuel Macron maandagavond in zijn achtste tv-toespraak sinds het begin van de coronapandemie. Volgens de Franse president is de situatie nog onder controle, maar loopt het aantal besmettingen met de deltavariant hard op. Een week geleden bestond dertig procent van de besmettingen uit deze mutant, dit weekend was dat al meer dan 50 procent. Inmiddels geldt in 7 departementen de alarmfase (meer dan 50 besmettingen per 100.000 inwoners), maar dat kan snel oplopen, onder andere in de regio-Parijs.
        Om de vierde golf zoveel mogelijk te beteugelen, wil Macron plekken waar veel mensen samenkomen alleen nog maar toegankelijk maken voor mensen met een 'gezondheidspas'. Dit kan een negatieve pcr-test van maximaal 48 uur oud zijn, een bewijs dat je volledig gevaccineerd bent of een positief testresultaat van minimaal twee weken en maximaal zes maanden oud.
        Vanaf 21 juli wordt de pas verplicht om culturele instellingen en bijvoorbeeld pretparken en zwembaden binnen te komen waar meer dan 50 mensen zijn. Vanaf 1 augustus wordt de maatregel uitgebreid naar caf(C)s, restaurants, winkelcentra, ziekenhuizen, treinen, vliegtuigen en bussen die lange afstanden afleggen.
        PCR-test niet meer gratisDat betekent dat ook vakantiegangers die niet volledig gevaccineerd zijn deze zomer niet zomaar overal naar binnen komen. Voor jonge kinderen tot twaalf jaar gelden de maatregelen niet. Maar tieners moeten ook aan deze voorwaarden voldoen, terwijl zij in veel landen nog niet aan de beurt zijn voor een prik. Een andere mogelijkheid om toch lekker op het terras te zitten, in een restaurant te eten of de Mona Lisa te bekijken is je van tevoren laten testen. Dat is sinds 7 juli niet meer gratis voor buitenlandse toeristen. Een PCR-test kost 44 euro.
        Emmanuel Macron wil hiermee de Fransen zoveel mogelijk pushen zich te laten vaccineren. Hij heeft maandagavond ook laten weten dat het zorgpersoneel zich verplicht moet laten inenten. Vanaf 15 september wordt daarop gecontroleerd en worden ook straffen uitgedeeld aan medisch personeel dat niet is beschermd. De president liet ook weten dat alle Fransen vanaf het najaar zelf hun PCR-testen moeten gaan betalen.
        GriekenlandOok in Griekenland wordt het leven lastiger voor niet-gevaccineerden. 'žNiet Griekenland is in gevaar, maar ongevaccineerde Grieken wel'', zei premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis op televisie. Hij kondigde verplichte vaccinaties aan voor beroepsgroepen in de zorg en beperkingen voor niet-gevaccineerden. 'žHet land zal niet op slot gaan vanwege een kleine groep mensen.''
        Griekenland kampt ook met een vaccinatieachterstand. Om die in te lopen mogen niet-gevaccineerden straks niet meer in restaurants, bioscopen, caf(C)s en andere publieke binnenruimtes komen. De maatregel geldt voor zowel Grieken als toeristen. Terrassen en buitenruimtes blijven wel toegankelijk.
      Legality of ranked-choice voting prompts disagreement between supporters, Austin city attorneys | Community Impact
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        Tue, 13 Jul 2021 04:41
        Voters line up during the Dec. 15 runoff election. (Christopher Neely/Community Impact Newspaper)
        This May, Austinites could have the chance to vote on a quartet of significant changes to the city's governance structure and democratic process if a petition submitted Jan. 11 is deemed valid by the city clerk.
        Among the proposed changes is a switch to a ranked-choice voting system, also known as instant-runoff or preferential voting. The system, which allows voters at the ballot box to rank candidates by preference, would effectively eliminate June and December runoff elections. These runoffs are currently required in Texas when no candidate in a May or November election earns more than 50% of the vote, but they have been widely criticized for their cost and low turnout rates and for narrowing the electorate ultimately responsible for the election results.
        Ranked-choice voting has been heralded by supporters as the best vehicle to end runoff elections. This system is currently used in San Francisco and Oakland in California and in St. Paul, Minnesota. New York City voters adopted it in 2019 and will vote as such in elections this year. The state of Maine employs the system, and the state of Alaska is set to vote by preference starting in 2022.
        However, ranked-choice voting exists nowhere in Texas, and there is disagreement as to whether its use actually allowed.
        How it works
        The move to eliminate runoff elections through ranked-choice voting would change how Austinites choose their mayor and City Council members. Under the current system, if no candidate earns more than 50% of the vote in the November election, the top two vote-getters battle for majority support in a one-on-one runoff election in December. The most recent City Council election resulted in runoff elections in Districts 6 and 10.
        Since 2014, Austin has seen 13 December runoff elections for candidates for mayor and City Council. According to a Community Impact Newspaper analysis, turnout in these runoff elections as compared to their November predecessors fell by an average of 55.10%. The best runoff turnout'--as a percentage of the November general election turnout'--was 58.7% in the 2014 District 10 City Council runoff between Sheri Gallo and Mandy Dealey. The worst was 21.7% in the 2018 District 1 runoff between City Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison and Mariana Salazar.
        Ranked-choice voting would eliminate the need for these runoff elections and would run as follows:
        ROUND ONE If four candidates are on the ballot'--John Smith, Jane Doe, Jane Smythe and Jon Dough'--a voter could choose just one candidate or rank the candidates in order of preference. The initial election results would tally how many ''top choice votes'' each candidate received. If the initial results were to show Smith at 43%, Doe at 40%, Smythe at 10% and Dough at 7%, that would mean no candidate received more than 50%, and the race would move into an ''instant runoff.''
        ROUND TWO (if necessary) Election officials would remove the last-place finisher'--in this case, Dough. Anyone who had Dough as their top choice would have their vote for their second-choice candidate counted instead, and those votes would be added to the totals for the remaining three candidates. After the second round of vote tallying, the results could look like this: Smith, 43%; Doe, 46%; Smythe, 11%. As there is still no candidate who received over 50% of the vote, a third round of counting is needed. ROUND THREE (if necessary) Election officials would remove last-place Smythe from contention and recalculate her votes. The 10% of voters who picked Smythe as their top choice would have their second choices counted. The 1% of ballots Smythe received from being the second preference to Dough would have their third preference counted. The final tally would put the top two finishers, Smith and Doe, against one another. With 11% of the vote left to spread, one candidate would reach a 50% majority. Andrew Allison, one of the co-founders of the Austinites for Progressive Reform PAC, the organization that submitted the petition to the clerk, said he believes ranked-choice voting is better than the current system in ''every way.'' He said the system could also lead to less vitriol on the campaign trail and wider satisfaction with the chosen winner.
        ''As a candidate with ranked-choice voting, you would love to be somebody's first choice. But if you're not, you want to be their second choice or their third choice,'' Allison said. ''That leads to coalition-building and trying appeal to your opponent's supporters, not demonizing your opponent. It results more in a campaign about issues and trying to find issues that attract a majority of voters support as opposed to trying, through negativity or cynicism, to carve out a small piece of the electorate big enough to get yourself into the runoff.''
        Is it allowed?Whether ranked-choice voting is allowed or runs against the state's constitution and election code depends on interpretation.
        The city of Austin Law Department stated its belief that the ranked-choice voting system is not allowed under the state's current rules. A spokesperson from the city's legal team told Community Impact Newspaper that ranked-choice voting is ''indeed in conflict with state laws and most likely the Texas Constitution.'' Even if voters support it, the department said changes at the state level would be required.
        ''Ranked-choice voting would not be implemented in Austin until or unless the Texas Constitution was amended and/or until the state Legislature amended the Texas Election Code to allow it,'' the spokesperson said.
        Allison and Jim Wick, another co-founder of Austinites for Progressive Reform, maintained that there is no state law or case law that explicitly prohibits ranked-choice voting.
        All interpretation of the system relies on a July 23, 2001 letter from then Texas Secretary of State Henry Cuellar to Austin City Attorney John Steiner.
        In the letter, Cuellar stated that what matters is whether the term ''majority," as used in the Texas Election Code to be the criteria needed to win an election, is broad enough to include ''preferential majority.'' Cuellar said the term ''preferential voting'' was once in the Texas Election Code as an approved alternative to the existing system but was deleted from the code in 1985 during a ''substantive recodification.''
        ''It is our opinion that the meaning of the word 'majority,' as the Texas Legislature has used it in the [Election] Code and as it has been interpreted by the courts, is majority in the 'classic' or 'traditional' sense, i.e., a majority vote consists of more than half of the original votes, as cast and not re-assigned by the voter's secondary or tertiary intent, and if no candidate receives more than half the votes, a runoff election is required,'' Cuellar wrote. ''Barring a conflict with the Texas Constitution, the Texas Legislature would need to amend state law, or to repeal the statutory conflict, in order to restore the city's discretion to adopt preferential voting.''
        Wick and Allison said that although Cuellar's letter is an opinion from the secretary of state, it is not a legally binding decision nor an interpretation by the courts. If the petition is validated by the Austin City Clerk and the question is approved in May by voters, Wick said he hopes the city will implement the rule and spur a lawsuit that would result in binding case law or inspire the Texas Legislature to make any necessary changes to allow the system of voting.
        However, this all will be moot unless the petition submitted by Austinites for Progressive Reform is validated and, after that, the question is approved by a ''traditional'' majority of Austin voters May 1.
      Black Widow, Stranger Things Star David Harbour Says No One Could Disagree With Socialism | The Daily Wire
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 22:25
        In a July 3 interview with The Guardian, ''Black Widow'' star David Harbour reveals that he shares some of the ideology of the Soviet superhero he plays in the film. Red Guardian, Captain America's one-time nemesis, sports the words ''Karl'' and ''Marx'' tattooed across his knuckles and makes several disparaging remarks about the United States throughout the movie.
        ''I don't know that there's anyone who could disagree with socialist ideology,'' said Harbour when the outlet asked him about how his personal political views dovetail with Red Guardian's. ''If you work at Starbucks and you make the coffee, then you should own it. You're the one making the coffee!''
        Having said that, Harbour then admitted that the application of political theory in the real world has led to some of history's greatest atrocities. ''But the fact is that the implementation of these things has led to some of the deepest fascism in our society, so people assume that 'communism' means 'fascism' to a certain degree,'' he said. ''That's a terrible thing.''
        The 46-year-old actor, who also plays Police Chief Jim Hopper on the hit Netflix series ''Stranger Things,'' then clarified his idea of socialism. ''The idea of a kindergarten-type society where we share things is my ideal society,'' he said, adding, ''as opposed to this world where we're hunting and killing and destroying for our own personal hoarding, our own personal greed.''
        Harbour's comments condemning hoarding and greed would seem somewhat ironic given that his personal net worth is estimated at $6 million, and he earned a reported $350,000 per episode for the third season of ''Stranger Things.'' His wife, singer Lily Allen's net worth has been estimated at about $20 million.
        Harbour's remarks come as citizens of communist Cuba are taking to the streets to demand freedom and democracy in the midst of severe food and medicine shortages. ''Our people are dying of hunger. We are dying of hunger,'' one protestor cried. As the Daily Wire reported, some of the marchers chanted ''Liberty'' while waving American flags.
        Like many celebrities, Harbour has sounded off on politics from awards podiums. In 2017, while accepting a trophy for ''Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series'' at the Screen Actors Guild awards, he gave a speech that many took as a reference to the Trump Administration:
        ''[This speech] is a call to arms from our fellow craftsmen and women to go deeper, and through our art to battle against fear, self-centeredness, and exclusivity of our predominantly narcissistic culture, and through our craft to cultivate a more empathetic and understanding society by revealing intimate truths that serve as a forceful reminder to folks that when they feel broken and afraid and tired, they are not alone '... We will get past the lies. We will hunt monsters, and when we are at a loss amidst the hypocrisy and casual violence of certain individuals and institutions, we will '-- per chief Jim Hopper '-- punch some people in the face when they seek to destroy the weak, the disenfranchised and the marginalized. We will do it all with soul, heart, and joy. We thank you for this responsibility.''
        The Daily Wire is one of America's fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.
      Pastor Shane Vaughn Says George Soros Ruined 'Wonderful' Apartheid-Era South Africa
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        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 21:53
        Pastor Shane Vaughn last week accused investor and philanthropist George Soros of creating division in South Africa during the country's Apartheid era.
        During an April 1 YouTube live event that has since been removed from the platform but remains available for viewing on Rumble, the right-wing pastor presented his arguments against Soros under the headline, "The Sorcery of Soros." The video includes at the beginning a note about its deletion from YouTube and relocation to Rumble "in order to avoid censorship of FREE SPEECH."
        Vaughn first described what he said South Africa was like during its time as a colony under the British monarchy's control.
        "South Africa was a wonderful nation," Vaughn said. "But it was a closed society. It had a queen. It had an identity with the commonwealth, with Great Britain. It was identified there, it had traditions, it had its own history."
        Soros' philanthropic efforts began in South Africa in 1979. According to the Open Society Foundations, the organization Soros founded to support his philanthropy around the world, his first philanthropic contributions came through funding scholarships for Black students at the University of Cape Town.
        A right-wing pastor said that Hungarian-born U.S. investor and philanthropist George Soros (pictured) created division in South Africa as a result of his philanthropic efforts there in the late 1970s. In the photo, Soros looks on during a speech on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting on January 23, 2020, in Davos, Switzerland. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty ImagesIn his video, Vaughn cited a quote that is still present on the Open Society Foundations' website. Speaking specifically about South Africa, Soros described it as "a closed society with all the institutions of a first world country, but they were off limits to the majority of the population on racial grounds."
        Soros added, "Where could I find a better opportunity for opening up a closed society?"
        It was that second sentence that Vaughn quoted in his video.
        "He brings his money down to South Africa, and he funds the university with scholarships for Black youth in apartheid South Africa. When he opens that school, he changes South Africa, and look what he did down there," Vaughn said.
        Vaughn went on to say that Soros' actions led to division and violence in South Africa.
        "He divided South Africa with this open society, removed the culture, removed the law, removed the foundation of the society, turned the races against one another, and then you take the nation and you create now an open society."
        South Africa's Apartheid era began in the mid-1900s and lasted through the early 1990s. South Africa held its first fully democratic election in 1994, about 15 years after Soros began his philanthropic work there.
        Though Soros began his work as a philanthropist in South Africa, his efforts have expanded throughout the world in the decades since to more than 120 countries, according to Open Society Foundations.
        Newsweek reached out to Open Society Foundations for comment and will update this article with any response.
      How it Works | Credit Karma
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 20:58
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      Credit score overhaul: New bill aims to put government in charge
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 20:53
        Amid all of this week's news, one potentially game-changing piece of legislation seemed to slip under the radar: the idea of dramatically overhauling the U.S. credit reporting industry.
        "Good credit is a gateway to wealth," said House Committee on Financial Services chair Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said Tuesday. "Yet, for far too long, our credit reporting system has kept people of color and low-income persons from access to capital to start a small business; access to mortgage loans to become homeowners; and access to credit to meet financial emergencies."
        Waters added that the House passed two bills out of the committee before the pandemic '' the Comprehensive CREDIT Act and the Protecting Your Credit Score Act of 2021'' which "provide long overdue reforms to our credit reporting system."
        Both bills are now back under consideration.
        During Tuesday's hearing, Waters and her committee heard from consumer-protection advocates like Chi Chi Wu of the National Consumer Law Center, who proposed replacing the privately-run three-credit bureau system with a public credit registry. It would operate under the umbrella of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which guards consumers against unfair or abusive practices.
        "While public agencies are not perfect, at least they would not have profit-making as their top priority," Wu told the House Committee on Financial Services during her testimony. "They would be responsive to public pressure and government oversight. They could also be charged with developing credit scoring models to reduce the yawning racial and economic inequality in this country."
        Wu added, "The fact that these are private, profit-seeking companies explains why the credit bureaus are constantly expanding their products into uses, such as employment, insurance, and tenant screening, that ultimately harm Americans and contribute to the massive inequality in our nation."
        Waters noted that creating a credit reporting agency that is consumer-oriented "would be a major upgrade over today's broken, biased credit reporting system."
        In addition to the single credit bureau idea, Wu also proposed several other policies, that, if implemented, could improve the financial lives of Americans struggling to improve their credit scores and financial lives:
        Prohibiting the use of credit score information for purposes unrelated to credit decisions. This means most employers could no longer use credit reports in their candidate screening process.Reduce the amount of time negative information remains on your credit report. Information like missed payments and collections would fall after 4 years instead of 7. Bankruptcies would continue to stay on for 7 years.Limit the reporting of medical debt. They would prohibit the reporting of medical debt for medically necessary services and delay the reporting of unpaid medical bills for one year to give you time to resolve issues with hospitals and insurance carriers.Protect economic victims of COVID-19. The lawmakers hope to put a moratorium on the reporting of negative information incurred during the pandemic and other disasters.To illustrate the impact of COVID on consumer credit, Waters shared a story:
        Last week, I received a letter from a gentleman in Ohio. In this letter, he explained how he had lost his job because of the pandemic. Without his salary, and with no help from any of his creditors, he couldn't afford to cover all of his bills. Though he had never before missed a credit card payment, his credit score has suffered so badly, he wrote '' and I quote '' 'I couldn't get credit now if I paid someone to give me credit.'. He closed his letter by asking what this Committee was doing to protect consumers like him.
        How things work nowCurrently, Americans have multiple scores from each of the three major reporting bureaus. Scoring models vary in how which factors are weighted more heavily but all credit scores are used to evaluate a person's ability to manage credit and debt. They're used to decide who gets a car or home loan, credit cards, apartment.
        These factors include:
        Payment history (Are you consistently on time or late paying your bills?)Credit utilization (How much of your total credit are you currently using?)Length of credit history (How long have your credit cards and loans been open and are they in good standing?)New credit (Have you been frequently applying for credit lately?)Credit mix (Do you have a variety of credit, such as loans and credit cards?)The goal: Eliminate errors, ensure fair practices, end confusionFixing mistakes on a credit report (let alone, all 3 versions) can be a byzantine system of filling out forms and phone calls.
        "The fact that their customers are creditors and other users of information explains the unacceptable error rates and bias against consumers who complain about errors," Wu argued, adding that, "if consumers are not able to obtain legal redress for FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) violations, a key means of enforcement disappears, making the broken credit reporting system much, much harder to fix. A public credit registry would replace or provide an alternative to this broken system."
        Both Wu and Waters referenced a recent Supreme Court decision, which narrowed the case brought by an Arizona man who had successfully sued Transunion for relief after a car dealership's credit check incorrectly flagged him as being on a terrorist watchlist.
        But even smaller errors can cost you over the long haul in the form of higher interest rates on mortgages and car loans '' or possibly getting a mortgage or rent application denied, even if you satisfy the income requirements.
        Crucial FICO scores in need of updatesIn order to help consumes protect their credit during the pandemic, the bureaus have extended the availability of free credit reports until 2022. However, these reports usually do not include your FICO scores. Those you usually have to pay the credit bureaus for '' especially if you want to see the ones that will be used when you go to buy that house or car and get an idea of which rate your qualify for.
        Another problem related to mortgages: Although both FICO and Vantage scores have been recalibrated to reduce the impact of medical debt, those aren't the ones used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the mortgage-underwriting process. So to streamline the process, many lenders use the same less-forgiving FICO 5 (Equifax), 4 (Transunion) and 2 (Experian) scores and often take your middle score. And again, these are scores that consumers usually have to pay to see. They're also used to evaluate rental applications.
        Your credit score also impacts your auto insurance payment, determining whether you can afford to drive that car to work. It might even factor into whether you get that job.
        "It's essentially the report card for a consumer's financial life," Wu said. "Yet for such an important record, credit reports and scores suffer from profound problems and abuses."
      Elon Musk splashes out $250,000 (£180,000) for Virgin Galactic ticket | Daily Mail Online
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 20:00
        SpaceX founder Elon Musk has purchased a ticket to fly to the edge of space with Virgin Galactic, according to the space firm, which is celebrating the launch of Sir Richard Branson into space on Sunday.
        Mr Musk paid a $10,000 (£7,000) deposit to reserve a seat with Branson's space tourism firm, with the final ticket price rumoured to be about $250,000 (£180,000).
        However, a trip with SpaceX is expected to be significantly more expensive, with space tourism firm Axiom Space selling tickets on a Crew Dragon capsule, with a 10-day stay on the ISS for $55 million (£39 million).
        Closer to Earth, Virgin Galactic is also offering a pair of tickets as part of a competition, to 'open up space for everyone,' according to Branson, who said he wanted everyone from any background to have access to space.
        Branson travelled 53.5 miles above the surface of the Earth, taking him and five crew mates to the edge of space where they experienced weightlessness and earning their astronaut wings, pinned on them by veteran Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.
        Branson told the Today show on NBC this morning: 'Once you're an astronaut, you're always an astronaut.'
        Speaking to a crowd of spectators after his flight, Branson said: 'Like most kids, I have dreamt of this moment since I was kid. But nothing can prepare you for the view of Earth from space, the whole thing was just magical.'
        This not only saw him gain his astronaut wings, but also win the 'billionaire space race' between himself, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who was at Spaceport America in New Mexico to watch the historic flight.
        'Elon's a friend and maybe I'll travel on one of his ships one day,' Branson said, after confirming that he Musk had purchased his ticket.
        Once Virgin Galactic begin commercial operations, they hope to operate more than one flight per day out of Spaceport America but will first replace the VSS Unity prototype with a pair of new craft more easily maintained and allowing for faster turnaround and up to 400 flights per year from each spaceport they operate out of.
        With just 550 people going to space so far since Yuri Gagarin left the Earth in 1961, flying daily with the six-person cabin, Branson's firm could double the number of people holding astronaut wings in under 100 days.
        SpaceX founder Elon Musk has purchased a ticket to fly to the edge of space with Virgin Galactic, according to the space firm, fresh from the launch of Sir Richard Branson into space on Sunday
        Branson travelled 53.5 miles above the surface of the Earth, taking him and five crew mates to the edge of space where they experienced weightlessness, telling the Today show on NBC this morning: 'Once you're an astronaut, you're always an astronaut'
        Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson(L), with Sirisha Bandla on his shoulders, cheers with crew members after flying into space aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel, a voyage he described as the 'experience of a lifetime'
        Sir Richard Branson's date with destiny While speaking as a guest on the BBC's Going Live! in 1988, the seeds of Sir Richard Branson's dreams of going into space were planted.
        After a short pause, he grinned as he told caller Shihan Mustafer that he would 'love to go into space, as I think pretty well everybody watching this show would love to go to space.'
        As a wide-eyed boy in July 1969, the British entreprenuer watched on as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touched down on the moon's surface in the world's most iconic space landing.
        And in a short video shared to social media before Sunday's launch, Branson recalls: 'I remember my dad taking me outside onto the village green and we just looked up at the moon.
        'I really did think myself and other young people would one day be able to go into space.'
        That dream would start slowly becoming reality in 2004, after he founded Virgin Galactic. Four years later, he promised regular passenger trips for 'ordinary people' to and from suborbital space.
        Branson said the goal was to open space to as many people as possible, announcing the new ticket competition, run by for-profit fundraising firm Omaze.
        It will operate as a sweepstake, with a pair of tickets, which could be worth well over $500,000 (£360,000), up for grabs.
        There is no cost to enter, but you can donate to the Space for Humanity foundation, launched to promote space travel and train future leaders, in return for more entries.
        Branson says he envisions a future world in which 'people of all backgrounds, any gender, any ethnicity, have equal access to space.'
        Bezos is scheduled to fly in the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket on July 20, which is also the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
        Branson's flight, the first fully crewed trip to space for Virgin Galactic, was intended as a confidence-boosting plug for the firm, which plans to start taking paying customers on a short trip, allowing them to become astronauts, from 2022.
        The 70-year-old British entrepreneur pumped his fists in the air as he stepped onto the runway in New Mexico before skipping towards his daughter Holly's twins Etta and Artie and scooping them up in his arms.
        Branson, who said he had dreamed about travelling to space since childhood, shared a group hug with the rest of his family including his wife Joan Templeman, his son Sam and granddaughter Eva-Deia.
        He was one of six Virgin Galactic employees aboard VSS Unity for the voyage to 280,000ft, each there to test a different aspect of the flight ahead of commercial operations in 2022.
        He was joined in space by chief pilot David Mackay, a Scottish-born test pilot for the Royal Air Force who went on to fly for Sir Richard's Virgin Atlantic, and chief flight instructor Michael Masucci in the cockpit.
        Also onboard with Branson in the cabin was chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses, a former NASA engineer, lead operations engineer Colin Bennett and Sirisha Bandla, a company vice president.
        Branson's flight, the first fully crewed trip to space for Virgin Galactic, was intended as a confidence-boosting plug for the firm, which plans to start taking paying customers on a short trip, allowing them to become astronauts, from 2022
        Speaking to a crowd of spectators after his flight, Branson said: 'Like most kids, I have dreamt of this moment since I was kid. But nothing can prepare you for the view of Earth from space, the whole thing was just magical'
        Branson said the goal was to open space to as many people as possible, announcing the new ticket competition, run by for-profit fundraising firm Omaze
        He was joined in space by chief pilot David Mackay, a Scottish-born test pilot for the Royal Air Force who went on to fly for Sir Richard's Virgin Atlantic, and chief flight instructor Michael Masucci in the cockpit
        Branson's daughter Holly described watching her dad travel to space as being an 'emotional journey'.
        'I am truly lost for words and have never felt so many butterflies in my stomach,' she wrote on Instagram.
        Branson arrived at Spaceport America on a bicycle, ready to climb aboard the mothership, VMS Eve, named for his late mother who was supposed to travel with him, but died before the ship was ready for passengers.
        His flight was watched by his wife, children and grandchildren as he fulfilled his life long dream to see the Earth from space.
        'Dad has dreamt about this day since he was a little kid, but said that going to space was more magical than he ever imagined,' Holly said. 'It was more magical and emotional to watch than I could have ever imagined too.'
        Virgin Galactic doesn't expect to start flying customers before next year. Blue Origin has yet to open ticket sales or even announce prices, but late last week boasted via Twitter that it would take clients higher and offer bigger windows
        Branson's daughter Holly described watching her dad travel to space as being an 'emotional journey'
        'I am truly lost for words and have never felt so many butterflies in my stomach,' she wrote on Instagram
        Speaking to a crowd of spectators afterwards, Branson said: 'Like most kids, I have dreamt of this moment since I was kid. But nothing can prepare you for the view of Earth from space, the whole thing was just magical'
        THE UNITY 22 CREW Beth Moses, Chief Astronaut Instructor at Virgin Galactic
        Moses will serve as cabin lead and test director in space, overseeing the safe and efficient execution of the test flight objectives
        Colin Bennett, Lead Operations Engineer at Virgin Galactic
        Bennett will evaluate cabin equipment, procedures, and experience during both the boost phase and in the weightless environment
        Sirisha Bandla, Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations at Virgin Galactic
        Bandla will be evaluating the human-tended research experience, using an experiment from the University of Florida that requires several handheld fixation tubes that will be activated at various points in the flight profile.
        Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic
        Sir Richard will evaluate the private astronaut experience and will undergo the same training, preparation and flight as Virgin Galactic's future astronauts.
        Virgin Galactic will use his observations from his flight training and spaceflight experience to enhance the journey for all future astronaut customers.
        The pilots
        The pilots for this mission are Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci flying VSS Unity, and CJ Sturckow and Kelly Latimer flying VMS Eve.
        Branson was originally scheduled to go on the next test flight, but moved his trip forward after Jeff Bezos announced he would go to space on July 20.
        This created a rivalry with Blue Origin, which also hopes to offer paying customers the chance to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and spaceflight.
        Bezos offered his congratulations to Branson on his maiden voyage into space, saying he 'can't wait to join the club!'
        There are over 600 people who have been waiting as long as 15 years for a chance to travel in the spaceplane.
        Tourists are expected to pay 250,000 US dollars (£180,000) for a spaceflight on Virgin Galactic, which includes four minutes of zero gravity.
        'The mission statement that I wrote inside my space suit was to turn the dream of space travel into a reality for my grandchildren, for your grandchildren and for many people alive today, for everybody,' Branson said.
        'We are here to make space more accessible to all and we want to turn the next generation f dreamers into the astronauts of today and tomorrow.'
        Speaking of the competition, he said 'every donation supports a charity called space for humanity and you will be entered into a sweepstake for a chance to win not one, but two seats aboard one of the first Virgin Galactic spaceflights.'
        As well as becoming an astronaut, competition winners will also join Sir Richard Branson for a personal VIP tour of Spaceport America.
        Omaze, who is running the competition, which is free to enter, wrote on a post promoting the competition:
        'You and your guest will board a Virgin Galactic spaceship where you'll take off smoothly, just like an airplane, and watch as the colours outside your window change from blue to indigo to midnight black.
        'Hovering above Earth, nothing can prepare you for the breathtaking views of our bright planet and surrounding galaxy. Or hearing 'you are now free to float about the cabin.'
        It isn't yet clearly exactly when the winner will fly, but Branson said it would be on one of the first trips.
        Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson, left, receives a Virgin Galactic made astronaut wings pin from Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield after his flight to space from Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences
        Astronaut Chris Hadfield holds wings before presenting to crew members. Every future astronaut flying with Virgin Galactic will receive the pin, with Branson declaring 'once an astronaut, always an astronaut'
        Bezos posted to Instagram: ''@richardbransonand crew, congratulations on the flight. Can't wait to join the club!'
        So far just over 550 people have been to space, defined by the 50 mile limit suggested by NASA, but that number could double in a couple of years with the advent of sub-orbital space tourism
        Sir Richard Branson's message to 'the next generation of dreamers'I have dreamt about this moment since I was a child, but nothing could have prepared me for the view of Earth from space. It was magical.
        I was honoured to test the incredible customer experience onboard Virgin Galactic's spaceship VSS Unity as part of this remarkable crew of mission specialists - and now astronauts.
        How you feel when you look down on Earth is impossible to put into words, it's just indescribable beauty. I can't wait for you all to get up there.
        I want to say an enormous thank you to everyone who believed in Virgin Galactic and the team who have worked so hard to make this dream come true; our pilots; my fellow mission specialists Beth, Colin and Sirisha; to everyone who joined us at Spaceport America and to everyone who watched along on the livestream (and for the brilliant performance Khalid '' we loved listening along on our beautiful glide to Earth).
        And thank you to my incredible family '' my beautiful wife Joan, Holly and Sam, our grandchildren and all our friends for everything. I love you.
        My mission statement, which I wrote inside my spacesuit, is to turn the dream of space travel into a reality - for my grandchildren, for your grandchildren, for everyone.
        I said a message to all children while I was in space: I was once a child with a dream looking up to the stars. Now I'm an adult in a spaceship looking down to our beautiful Earth. To the next generation of dreamers: if we can do this, just imagine what you can do.
        Having flown to space, I can see even more clearly how Virgin Galactic is the spaceline for Earth.
        We are here to make space more accessible to all and turn the next generation of dreamers into the astronauts of today and tomorrow.
        Imagine a world where people of all ages and backgrounds, from anywhere, of any gender, of any ethnicity have equal access to space. They will in turn, inspire us all back here on Earth.
        If you've ever had a dream, now is the time to make it come true. Welcome to the dawn of a new space age.
        'Cameras throughout the cabin will record every moment in HD. With 17 circular windows for viewing, every seat is a window seat. And there's even a mirror to watch yourself floating through space.
        'Following a smooth glide descent, you'll return back to Earth safely, but forever transformed. You're an astronaut now.'
        So far just over 550 people have been to space, defined by the 50 mile limit suggested by NASA, but that number could double in a couple of years with the advent of sub-orbital space tourism.
        Virgin Galactic isn't the only space firm using the offer of a ticket to raise money for charity. Blue Origin ran a $28 million auction for a ticket on the first crewed test flight, alongside Bezos, his brother and female astronaut Wally Funk.
        The Blue Origin passengers will spend at least 10 minutes floating in zero gravity inside the capsule during the sub-orbital sightseeing trip.
        Blue Origin named the New Shepard program after astronaut Alan Shepard, who was the first American to fly into space 60 years ago.
        But Branson has arguably 'won the space race' by pipping Bezos to the post by just nine days, as well as SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who tweeted, 'Congratulations, beautiful flight!'
        Sunday's launch was hailed a 'landmark moment' for Branson, as well as the whole commercial space industry.
        Take-off had been delayed by about 90 minutes on Sunday due to the weather overnight at Spaceport America in New Mexico, in the US.
        Footage streamed live online showed the Virgin Galactic in the air at about 3.45pm UK time, and the aircraft had reached 40,000 feet by 4pm.
        The spacecraft was carried up into the atmosphere by its mothership, the VSS Unity, before being released so it could power up to highs of 250,000 feet.
        Sir Richard and his crew reached speeds of Mach 3 on their way to the edge of space.
        After a short spell during which they experienced weightlessness, the craft then pointed downwards and made its way back to the ground, touching down around 4.40pm.
        On the return flight, Sir Richard hailed the 'experience of a lifetime' and the 'hard, hard work' that went into the flight.
        Speaking to a crowd of spectators afterwards, Branson said: 'Like most kids, I have dreamt of this moment since I was kid. But nothing can prepare you for the view of Earth from space, the whole thing was just magical.'
        Sir Richard later posted a video of himself while onboard Unity, saying: 'To all you kids down there, I was once a child with a dream, looking up to the stars. Now I'm an adult in a spaceship, with lots of other wonderful adults looking down at our beautiful, beautiful Earth.
        While in space, shortly before England lost to Italy on penalties in the Euro 2020 final, lead operations engineer Colin Bennett, top, shows a message for the England team, saying 'it's coming home'
        Sir Richard later posted a video of himself while onboard Unity, saying: 'To all you kids down there, I was once a child with a dream, looking up to the stars. Now I'm an adult in a spaceship, with lots of other wonderful adults looking down at our beautiful, beautiful Earth
        'To the next generation of dreamers, if we can do this, just imagine what you can do,' Branson said to the crowd waiting to greet him after his trip to space.
        He also paid tribute to the late scientist Stephen Hawking, who he said it was an 'honour' to know.
        On the ground, Michael Colglazier, chief executive of Virgin Galactic, said: 'This is a landmark moment for Virgin Galactic.
        'It's a landmark moment for the new commercial space industry and it certainly is a landmark moment for our founder Richard Branson.'
        The Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo space plane Unity and mothership separate flying way above Spaceport America, near Truth and Consequences, New Mexico on July 11, 2021 on the way to the cosmos
        Virgin Galactic's passenger rocket plane VSS Unity, carrying billionaire Richard Branson and crew, starts its engine before commencing it ascent to the edge of space above Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
        He said the company's work on Sunday was dedicated to 'opening up space to all'.
        The firm has some lofty ambitions in space, hoping to one day have up to a dozen spacecraft operating out of a number of spaceports around the world - with 400 trips from each spaceport every year.
        In an earlier interview for MailOnline, Colglazier said they had to first move to a more agile fleet, with new versions of the spaceship that area easier to adapt, maintain and operate.
        He said one day it could be possible to use the Mothership and Spaceship combination to operate point to point flights around the world, but wouldn't say whether that was an active goal of the firm.
        On the ground, Michael Colglazier, chief executive of Virgin Galactic, said: 'This is a landmark moment for Virgin Galactic'
        Jeff Bezos posts a message to Richard Branson (pictured) on July 10, 2021: @richardbranson wishing you and the whole team a successful and safe flight tomorrow. Best of luck!'
        Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo space plane Unity and mothership separate as they fly way above Spaceport America, near Truth and Consequences, New Mexico on July 11, 2021 on the way to the cosmos
        Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos (pictured) has an estimated personal worth of $186.2 billion (£131.5 billion)
        Blue Origin: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' intergalactic dreamBlue Origin was formed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2000.
        The firm's mission statement reads on its website: 'We're committed to building a road to space so our children can build the future.'
        It's believed the company is largely propped from the American billionaire's own back pocket, selling millions of pounds worth of Amazon stock each year to fund his aerospace company.
        Bezos outlined Blue Origin's intergalactic plans in a revealing interview in 2017, explaining his visions of colonies on the moon and harvesting resources from asteroids.
        He said: 'I want my grandchildren's grandchildren to be in a world of pioneering, exploration and expansion throughout the solar system.'
        Mike Moses, a top executive at Virgin Galactic, said the flight was 'perfect' aside from some issues with the transmission of images from inside the cabin. He added the spacecraft looked pristine upon its return.
        'That was an amazing accomplishment,' former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, a one-time commander of the International Space Station, said. 'I'm just so delighted at what this open door is going to lead to now. It's a great moment.'
        In a statement posted after the flight, Sir Richard said 'how you feel when you look when you look down on Earth is impossible to put into words, it's just indescribable beauty. I can't wait for you all to get up there.'
        The businessman added: 'Imagine a world where people of all ages and backgrounds, from anywhere, of any gender, of any ethnicity have equal access to space. They will in turn, inspire us all back here on Earth.
        'If you've ever had a dream, now is the time to make it come true. Welcome to the dawn of a new space age.'
        Sir Richard also confirmed plans to 'turn the next generation of dreamers into the astronauts of today'.
        This was said while announcing an Omaze sweepstake for the chance to win two seats aboard one of the first commercial Virgin Galactic flights.
        Other firms operating in the commercial space sector sent their congratulations. Rocket Lab wrote: 'Congratulations to @richardbranson and the @virgingalactic team. A big day for space!'
        Branson was handed his astronaut wings by veteran Hadfield, who also co-hosted the media coverage of the event.
        Branson floats in zero gravity on board Virgin Galactic's passenger rocket plane VSS Unity
        Branson delivering a message from space aboard SpaceShip Two Unity 22 during their flight after take off from Spaceport America, New Mexico, US
        Branson (pictured in the cabin of VSS Unity), Bezos and Musk, who have a combined net worth exceeding $380 billion (£274 billion), have poured their near limitless resources into their respective space start-ups in the hopes of revolutionising aerospace journeys.
        Branson was pictured ahead of his historic flight today with SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, who will travel to space with Virgin in the near future.
        Musk, 50, and Branson, 70, were snapped ahead of Sunday's journey to space alongside the message: 'Big day ahead. Great to start the morning with a friend.'
        Branson, Bezos and Musk, who have a combined net worth exceeding $380 billion (£274 billion), have poured their near limitless resources into their respective space start-ups in the hopes of revolutionising aerospace journeys.
        The group have all said that they were inspired by the first moon landing in 1969, when the US beat the Soviet Union in the space race, and had previously said how much it would mean for each to win the 'new space race'.
        Although SpaceX and Tesla founder Musk has said he wants to go into space, and even 'die on Mars', he has not said when he might blast into orbit.
        Branson, left, sprays champagne to crew member Beth Moses while celebrating their flight to space from Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, N.M., Sunday
        Branson wears his astronaut's wings at a news conference, after flying with a crew in Virgin Galactic's passenger rocket plane VSS Unity
        Elon Musk's SpaceX revolution SpaceX was founded by Silicon Valley tycoon Elon Musk in 2002, with the promise of revolutionising intergalactic travel with commercial journeys to space.
        Mr Musk has long envisioned affordable aerospace travel as a reality, and has invested billions into making that dream a reality.
        His high-risk, high-reward bet in space travel has paid off massively, with SpaceX being valued at more than $70 billion (£50.35bn).
        Musk, the son of an ambitious engineering father in Pretoria, South Africa, grew up reading comic books and writing computer software.
        And Musk set himself on a dramatic collision course with history, when he was convinced he would be the one to make space travel cheaper.
        He achieved that goal when SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon 1 rocket in September 2008 - earning the company a lucrative $1 billion contract to service the International Space Station.
        Before climbing aboard, Branson signed the astronaut log book and wisecracked: 'The name's Branson. Sir Richard Branson. Astronaut 001. License to thrill.'
        The flamboyant billionaire, who was pictured cycling to the facility this morning, is the second oldest person to travel to space - after 77-year-old John Glenn in 1998.
        However, he will drop to become the third oldest once space pioneer Wally Funk, 82, travels to space with Blue Origin's New Shepard next week.
        Sir Richard told the Times the view alone will be worth the £1billion he has spent on the project, and added: 'I think it's one of the reasons that people want to become astronauts. They want to look back at this beautiful Earth.
        'Every astronaut I've known has come back determined that the rest of their lives will be spent working harder to protect the planet that we live on.'
        He was joined in space by chief pilot David Mackay, a Scottish-born test pilot for the Royal Air Force who went on to fly for Sir Richard's Virgin Atlantic, and chief flight instructor Michael Masucci in the cockpit.
        Also onboard with Branson in the cabin was chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses, a former NASA engineer, lead operations engineer Colin Bennett and Sirisha Bandla, a company vice president.
        The six grabbed a lift from mothership pilots C.J. Sturckow, a former NASA astronaut, and Kelly Latimer, before VSS Unity was dropped from VMS Eve.
        A discount travel service it is not, with tickets priced in the hundreds of thousands.
        But demand is apparently strong, with several hundred wealthy would-be citizen astronauts already having booked reservations, priced at around £180,000 per ticket (around $250,000).
        Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX are technically competing but each offering a very different service or profile
        Branson arrived at Spaceport America on a bicycle, ready to climb aboard the mothership, VMS Eve, named for his late mother who was supposed to travel with him, but died before the ship was ready for passengers.
        Branson said he felt like a 'kid' in the cabin and couldn't wait to open up flights to more people in the near future
        THE CURRENT VIRGIN GALACTIC FLEET VMS Eve: The launch platform for the SpaceShipTwo and Spaceship III based Virgin Galactic vehicles.
        VMS stands for Virgin MotherShip and is named after Evette Branson, mother of founder Sir Richard Branson.
        So far only one has been built and it made its first flight in December 2008.
        VSS Unity: Based on the SpaceShip Two class of vehicle, it is a rocket powered glider.
        A replacement for the destroyed VSS Enterprise, Unity first flew to space in December 2018.
        It has reached an altitude of 50 miles, earning its pilots commercial astronaut wings for the first time in 2018.
        VSS Imagine: The first Spaceship III class of spaceplane, due to begin glide tests summer 2021.
        VSS Inspire: The second Spaceship III class of spaceplane currently under construction in California by the Spaceship Company.
        The Swiss-based investment bank UBS has estimated the potential value of the space tourism market reaching $3 billion annually by 2030.
        Proving rocket travel safe for the public is key, given the inherent dangers of spaceflight.
        An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.
        Virgin Galactic doesn't expect to start flying customers before next year. Blue Origin has yet to open ticket sales or even announce prices, but late last week boasted via Twitter that it would take clients higher and offer bigger windows.
        Unlike Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX, which launch capsules atop reusable booster rockets, Virgin Galactic uses a twin-fuselage aircraft to get its rocket ship aloft.
        The space plane is released from the mothership about 44,000 feet (13,400 meters) up, then fires its rocket motor to streak straight to space. Maximum altitude is roughly 55 miles (70 kilometers), with three to four minutes of weightlessness provided.
        The rocket plane - which requires two pilots - glides to a runway landing at its Spaceport America base.
        Virgin Galactic reached space for the first time in 2018, repeating the feat in 2019 and again this past May, each time with a minimal crew. It received permission from the Federal Aviation Administration last month to start launching customers.
        The 70-year-old said he was going into space to 'test the customer experience' from start to finish, to ensure that those paying to go up get the best possible experience.
        It is the fourth crewed flight of VSS Unity and only the second to include passengers in the cabin. The first saw Beth Moses go up in February 2019.
        THE BILLIONAIRE SPACE RACE: HOW BRANSON, MUSK AND BEZOS ARE VYING FOR GALACTIC SUPREMACYJeff Bezos in front of Blue Origin's space capsule
        Dubbed the 'NewSpace' set, Jeff Bezos, Sir Richard Branson and Elon Musk all say they were inspired by the first moon landing in 1969, when the US beat the Soviet Union in the space race, and there is no doubt how much it would mean to each of them to win the 'new space race'.
        Amazon founder Bezos had looked set to be the first of the three to fly to space, having announced plans to launch aboard his space company Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft on July 20.
        The billionaire mogul will travel with his younger brother Mark, a charity auction winner who's shelling out $28 million and pioneering female astronaut Wally Funk, 82.
        However, Branson has now announced he's planning to make a suborbital flight nine days before Bezos and his brother. He revealed on Twitter that he plans to be Astronaut 001 on Virgin Galactic's July 11 test flight.
        Although SpaceX and Tesla founder Musk has said he wants to go into space, and even 'die on Mars', he has not said when he might blast into orbit.
        SpaceX appears to be leading the way in the broader billionaire space race with numerous launches carrying NASA equipment to the ISS and partnerships to send tourists to space by 2021.
        On February 6 2018, SpaceX sent rocket towards the orbit of Mars, 140 million miles away, with Musk's own red Tesla roadster attached.
        Elon Musk with his Dragon Crew capsule
        NASA has already selected two astronauts who will be on-board the first manned Dragon mission.
        SpaceX has also started sending batches of 60 satellites into space to help form its Starlink network.
        Musk hopes this will provide an interconnected web of satellites around Earth which will beam down free internet to people worldwide.
        Branson and Virgin Galactic are taking a different approach to conquering space. It has repeatedly, and successfully, conducted test flights of the Virgin Galactic's Unity space plane.
        The first took place in December 2018 and the latest on May 22, with the flight accelerating to more than 2,000 miles per hour (Mach 2.7).
        More than 600 affluent customers to date, including celebrities Brad Pitt and Katy Perry, have reserved a $250,000 (£200,000) seat on one of Virgin's space trips.
        Branson has previously said he expects Elon Musk to win the race to Mars with his private rocket firm SpaceX.
        Richard Branson with the Virgin Galactic craft
        SpaceShipTwo can carry six passengers and two pilots. Each passenger gets the same seating position with two large windows - one to the side and one overhead.
        The space ship is 60ft long with a 90inch diameter cabin allowing maximum room for the astronauts to float in zero gravity.
        It climbs to 50,000ft before the rocket engine ignites. SpaceShipTwo separates from its carrier craft, White Knight II, once it has passed the 50-mile mark.
        Passengers become 'astronauts' when they reach the Karman line, the boundary of Earth's atmosphere.
        The spaceship will then make a suborbital journey with approximately six minutes of weightlessness, with the entire flight lasting approximately 1.5 hours.
        Bezos revealed in April 2017 that he finances Blue Origin with around $1 billion (£720 million) of Amazon stock each year.
        The system consists of a pressurised crew capsule atop a reusable 'New Shepard' booster rocket.
        Bezos is one of the richest men in the world and Blue Origin has successfully flown the New Shepard rocket 15 times.
        At its peak, the capsule reached 65 miles (104 kilometres), just above the official threshold for space and landed vertically seven minutes after liftoff.
      Democrats Move to Take Over Your Credit Score and Go Full 'Woke' '' Just Like Communist China '' PJ Media
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 19:56
        That was fast. Here come the Chinese-like social credit scores.
        Leftist Democrats, but I repeat myself, are making no secret of their plans to become more like their comrades in China. They support vaccine passports for COVID mRNA shots in order for people to receive certain social rewards such as going to school or attending a Major League Baseball game, just like the social credit score system in the People's Republic. Now, Democrats and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the chair of the House Financial Services Committee, want your FICO score to go full ''woke.''
        They're not even trying to hide it.
        USA Today reports that in testimony before Waters's committee on June 29, the counsel for a group called the National Consumer Law Center, Chi Chi Wu, a product of Harvard and Johns Hopkins, gave away the game on how her law-fare grifting group and people like them want to change FICO credit scores. Wu and her fellow travelers got a warm reception at the three-hour-plus hearing.
        Related: Joe Biden's 'Vaccine Passport' Sounds Like Precursor to China's Social Credit Score. Here's How China's Plan Works
        Wu wants the government to take over the credit scoring ''now,'' which in her magical utopia would include response ''to public pressure'' without putting ''profit-making as their top priority.''
        While public agencies are not perfect, at least they would not have profit-making as their top priority. They would be responsive to public pressure and government oversight. They could also be charged with developing credit scoring models to reduce the yawning racial and economic inequality in this country.
        The fact that these are private, profit-seeking companies explains why the credit bureaus are constantly expanding their products into uses, such as employment, insurance, and tenant screening, that ultimately harm Americans and contribute to the massive inequality in our nation. [emphasis added]
        USA Today reports that Wu claimed changing the way scores are figured ''would be a major upgrade over today's broken, biased credit reporting system.'' Indeed, there are worthy reasons to change some aspects of the credit scoring system. For example, a person had credit trouble because he was incorrectly put on the terrorist watch list. She prefers allowing people to go to court to fix disputed credit reports.
        Waters' objective is to make credit scores less racist.
        Good credit is a gateway to wealth. Yet, for far too long, our credit reporting system has kept people of color and low-income persons from access to capital to start a small business; access to mortgage loans to become homeowners; and access to credit to meet financial emergencies.
        Waters announced that a bill sponsored by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D., The Squad, and passed out of the committee in 2019, the Comprehensive Credit Act, now will be reconsidered.
        The objective is to make credit scores more easily attainable by racial minorities. Pressley noted that between ''2008 to 2009 approximately 50 million people experienced a 20-point drop in their credit scores and about 21 million saw their scores decline by more than 50 points.'' Of course, that was the housing market meltdown, started by Democrats wanting people who couldn't afford houses to ''qualify'' for mortgages. Practically everyone took a credit score hit. But Pressley and The Squad appear to believe that this is proof of racism.
        Related: Liberal Author Naomi Wolf Warns 'Vaccine Passports' Are the 'End of Human Liberty in the West'
        Indeed, banks have gotten the message that ''Auntie Maxine,'' who threatened the socialist take-over of the oil industry back in 2009, wants to change things up, and holding one of the most powerful House committee chairmanships gives her plenty of power to wield.
        The Wall Street Journal reported in May that banks are planning to ''issue credit cards to people with no credit scores'' as part of a government program.
        Supporters of the government takeover of FICO scores also want student loans, medical bills, pandemic-related expenses, and other items to be exempted from credit scoring. Wu wants student loans forgiven entirely. Of course, the government runs that program, too, so that should work out well.
        There is discrimination in rewarding higher credit scores in this imperfect system. FICO credit scores discriminate against people who don't pay their bills on time, have large and unpaid balances, bounce lots of checks, and sign up for every cockamamie credit card ruse dropped into their inboxes.
        Related: 'Enough!''' Republicans Warn of 'Creeping Fascism' If We Don't 'Resist' the Vaccine Passport
        If Waters, Wu, and their Leftist friends have their way, soon those credit scores will be run by the federal government and rebalanced to include, as Wu desires, anti-racist activities as they define it, and ''responsive to public pressure.''
        Do as we say or your access to credit gets it.
        If you don't think this could happen, read my piece on how the government-run Chinese social credit score works and ask yourself if this isn't exactly what would happen.
      Government agrees plan to reopen indoor hospitality with exemption to enable unvaccinated staff dine inside
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 19:54
        The Government has signed off on the details of a plan to allow indoor hospitality reopen.
        Legislation to underpin this - the Health Amendment (2) Bill 2021 - was approved by Cabinet on Monday evening. It will enable the reopening of pubs, cafes, restaurants and other licensed premises ''safely, sustainably and in line with public health advice'', said the Tnaiste Leo Varadkar.
        Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, he said the legislation would come before the Dil, possibly as early as tomorrow and it was anticipated it would come into force some day next week but no later than Monday July 26th.
        He said the plan was to allow those under age 18 to attend indoor hospitality with their parent or guardian even though they were not vaccinated which meant social distancing rules would continue to apply indoors as they did last summer.
        Those who are vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 in the past six months will have to show proof of this to access indoor hospitality.
        The Government's new Digital Covid Certificates (DCC), which Ireland and other EU countries are implementing, can be used by members of the public as evidence of being fully vaccinated, or other medical documentation, which will be set out in guidelines.
        For visitors to Ireland from outside the EU, including the US, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a nationally certified equivalent can be used for the purposes of verifying vaccination or immunity status.
        Mr Varadkar said this was not the ideal way to reopen indoor hospitality but the alternative was to wait until September when all adults are vaccinated and ''even then it may not be possible to reopen because at that stage all teenagers may not be vaccinated, we'll be concentrating on getting the schools and colleges open and open successfully and we'll be heading into the winter''.
        He said there was provision in the Bill to use this system too for bingo halls and bowling and other indoor settings currently closed ''down the line''.
        An exemption will apply to unvaccinated staff working in these premises, Mr Varadkar said. ''They will of course be able to get a drink or have a meal after or before work in the place in which they work''.
        Detailed operational guidelines for reopening will be published by Filte Ireland in coming days.
        People who are caught trying to use fake passes to access indoor hospitality services face a fine of up to '‚¬2,000. The penalty is included in proposed legislation.
        The law allowing for a system where customers prove they have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 if they are to avail of indoor services is to initially be in place for three months.
        However, it can be extended beyond this depending on the situation with the spread of Covid-19 at the time.
        With the Dil's summer recess due to start at the end of the week Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has written to the Oireachtas Health Committee seeking a waiver from the requirement for pre-legislative scrutiny.
        He tells committee chairman, Sinn F(C)in TD Sen Crowe, that he is seeking Government approval for the introduction of the Health (Amendment) (No 2) Bill 2021 to the Houses of the Oireachtas.
        This Bill will provide for access to indoor premises for persons who have a high degree of immunity from Covid-19 - either through vaccination or recovery from the virus.
        He says indoor access to these premises will not be possible during the summer unless legislation is enacted prior to the recess.
        Mr Donnelly also says: ''Recognising that the provisions of the Bill necessarily limit access to those with immunity, it will operate for no longer than necessary.
        Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: How many people have been inoculated in Ireland? Cargo revenues for Swissport Ireland remain strong during pandemic Johnson urges caution as he confirms nearly all restrictions in England to ease ''Its initial duration is for three months, with a provision that enables extension by resolution of the Oireachtas should the behaviour of the virus require it at that time.''
        If the Bill is enacted and in place for some time next week this means the measures will be in place until at least October.
        Mr Donnelly asks for a waiver from pre-legislative scrutiny ''given the urgency of this legislation''.
        The Government also agreed to give further consideration to the use of PCR and rapid antigen testing in further phases of lifting of restrictions. The Government's new expert advisory group on rapid testing, chaired by Professor Mary Horgan will be asked to provide appropriate guidance.
        'Let it rip'Earlier Taoiseach Michel Martin said he does not accept the ''let it rip'' approach to easing Covid-19 restrictions used by the UK and that the reopening of indoor hospitality in Ireland will be done with ''caution''.
        There is to be a one hour and 45 minute time limit on customers being inside restaurants and pubs.
        At a press conference on Monday, Mr Martin was asked about the reason for this time limit if people are fully vaccinated as well as when antigen tests could be deployed as a means of allowing young people who haven't been vaccinated access to indoor hospitality.
        Mr Martin did not offer a date for when negative tests would be used for this purpose.
        He said the Government is going to implement advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) for setting up a system to prove a person has been vaccinated in the initial phase of reopening.
        Nphet sought the measures due to the threat posed by the highly transmissible Delta variant of the virus.
        Mr Martin said the potential use of testing for the hospitality sector will be evaluated during the first phase of reopening.
        He said the reason for the time limit for customers is ''caution''.
        On young people being unable to access indoor hospitality on their own or in groups because they have yet to be vaccinated, Mr Martin said: ''Fundamentally, it's about protecting people.
        ''We don't want people getting Covid.''
        He said he does not accept the UK's ''let it rip'' approach that says ''we have all of the vulnerable vaccinated now let's allow people get Covid''.
        Mr Martin said Covid-19 can be a ''very nasty virus'' that can do a lot of damage to young people as well.
        ''And I certainly don't want to be presiding over something that just sort of said it's okay if young people get Covid.
        ''It's not actually. Some will do fine and won't have any repercussions but 10 per cent of all cases are Long Covid.''
        Mr Martin added: ''There is an end in sight here. It's within our grasp, no question about that. Steady wins the battle, in my view.''
        Vaccines from RomaniaMeanwhile, he said he could not confirm when one million Covid-19 vaccine doses will be delivered from Romania.
        It emerged at the start of the month a deal was agreed in principle for Ireland to buy 700,000 Pfizer and 300,000 Moderna vaccines from Romania after it became apparent there was going to be a low take up by Romanians of the vaccines.
        It was reported at the weekend that the deal is not yet finalised with issues under discussion including the expiration dates of available vaccines and the information on doses not being in English.
        The Government is also in discussions with other EU Member States on the possibility of buying vaccines.
        Speaking at a press conference Mr Martin said there was a ''good meeting'' last week between the Irish and Romanian health departments.
        ''Those discussions are continuing and progress has been made in relation to it.''
        He said: ''We've also had discussions with other Member States and again those discussions are ongoing in respect of arranging vaccines but they have not come to a conclusion yet.''
        Asked when it is expected that the vaccines from Romania will be delivered he said: ''I haven't the timeline yet on that''.
        Random checksSeparately the Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys has defended the decision to have only random checks at border control for people arriving into the country with an EU digital Covid cert.
        She said random checks were considered appropriate and the measures were an attempt to streamline the system.
        ''All EU travellers will have the same checks, as I've said we have increased resources, that's the approach we're taking, we consider that to be appropriate. We consider that to be safe,'' she told RT‰'s News at One.
        The Minister explained the Covid cert would also be used to access indoor hospitality.
        ''It is envisaged that the pub and restaurant would check compliance with the new hospitality pass to allow indoor access to their premises, there will be a certificate with a QR code that can be scanned or checked, the overwhelming majority of people have cooperated with measures which have been put in place throughout the pandemic and we expect that to continue,'' she said.
        The plan to reopen the indoor hospitality sector was based on advice from Nphet, she said and the challenge for the Government was to engage with the sector and come up with workable solutions and allow indoor dining to resume, the alternative would be to remain closed until September.
        ''I don't think anybody wants that. We have over two million people fully vaccinated if we can let those people go inside and support businesses we have to find a way to do it.''
        When asked if the checking of the Covid cert in hospitality would be random as at the airport, the Minister responded: ''The number of people going into a restaurant will be somewhat less than the number of people who are going to be coming through Dublin airport when international travel has been reopened. I think we need to get this into perspective.''
      UN rights chief: Reparations needed for people facing racism
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        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 19:51
        GENEVA (AP) '-- The U.N. human rights chief, in a landmark report launched after the killing of George Floyd in the United States, is urging countries worldwide to do more to help end discrimination, violence and systemic racism against people of African descent and ''make amends'' to them '-- including through reparations.
        The report from Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, offers a sweeping look at the roots of centuries of mistreatment faced by Africans and people of African descent, notably from the transatlantic slave trade. It seeks a ''transformative'' approach to address its continued impact today.
        The report, a year in the making, hopes to build on momentum around the recent, intensified scrutiny worldwide about the blight of racism and its impact on people of African descent as epitomized by the high-profile killings of unarmed Black people in the United States and elsewhere.
        ''There is today a momentous opportunity to achieve a turning point for racial equality and justice,'' the report said.
        The report aims to speed up action by countries to end racial injustice; end impunity for rights violations by police; ensure that people of African descent and those who speak out against racism are heard; and face up to past wrongs through accountability and redress.
        ''I am calling on all states to stop denying '-- and start dismantling '-- racism; to end impunity and build trust; to listen to the voices of people of African descent; and to confront past legacies and deliver redress,'' Bachelet said in a video statement.
        While broaching the issue of reparation in her most explicit way yet, Bachelet suggested that monetary compensation alone is not enough and would be part of an array of measures to help rectify or make up for the injustices.
        ''Reparations should not only be equated with financial compensation,'' she wrote, adding that it should include restitution, rehabilitation, acknowledgement of injustices, apologies, memorialization, educational reforms and ''guarantees'' that such injustices won't happen again.
        Bachelet, a former president of Chile, hailed the efforts of advocacy groups like the Black Lives Matter movement, saying they helped provide ''grassroots leadership through listening to communities'' and that they should receive ''funding, public recognition and support.''
        The U.N.-backed Human Rights Council commissioned the report during a special session last year following the murder of Floyd, a Black American who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was sentenced to 22-1/2 years in prison last week.
        Protests erupted after excruciating bystander video showed how Floyd gasped repeatedly, ''I can't breathe!'' as onlookers yelled at Chauvin to stop pressing his knee on Floyd's neck.
        The protests against Floyd's killing and the ''momentous'' verdict against Chauvin are a ''seminal point in the fight against racism,'' the report said.
        The report was based on discussions with over 340 people '-- mostly of African descent '-- and experts; more than 100 contributions in writing, including from governments; and review of public material, the rights office said.
        It analyzed 190 deaths, mostly in the U.S., to show how law enforcement officers are rarely held accountable for rights violations and crimes against people of African descent, and it noted similar patterns of mistreatment by police across many countries.
        The report ultimately aims to transform those opportunities into a more systemic response by governments to address racism, and not just in the United States '-- although the injustices and legacy of slavery, racism and violence faced by African Americans was clearly a major theme.
        The report also laid out cases, concerns and the situation in roughly 60 countries including Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Colombia and France, among others.
        ''We could not find a single example of a state that has fully reckoned with the past or comprehensively accounted for the impacts of the lives of people of African descent today,'' Mona Rishmawi, who heads a unit on non-discrimination in Bachelet's office. ''Our message, therefore, is that this situation is untenable.''
        Compensation should be considered at the ''collective and the individual level,'' Rishmawi said, while adding that any such process ''starts with acknowledgment'' of past wrongs and ''it's not one-size-fits-all.'' She said countries must look at their own pasts and practices to assess how to proceed.
        Rishmawi said Bachelet's team found ''a main part of the problem is that many people believe the misconceptions that the abolition of slavery, the end of the transatlantic trade and colonialism have removed the racially discriminatory structures built by those practices.
        ''We found that this is not true,'' said Rishmawi, also denouncing an idea among some ''associating blackness with criminality ... there is a need to address this.''
        The report called on countries to ''make amends for centuries of violence and discrimination'' such as through ''formal acknowledgment and apologies, truth-telling processes and reparations in various forms.''
        It also decried the ''dehumanization of people of African descent'' that was ''rooted in false social constructions of race'' in the past to justify enslavement, racial stereotypes and harmful practices as well as tolerance for racial discrimination, inequality and violence.
        People of African descent face inequalities and ''stark socioeconomic and political marginalization'' in many countries, the report said, including unfair access to education, health care, jobs, housing and clean water.
        ''We believe very strongly that we only touched the tip of the iceberg,'' Rishmawi said, referring to the report. ''We really believe that there is a lot more work that needs to be done.''
        ___
        Follow all AP stories about racial injustice at https://apnews.com/Racialinjustice.
      No Agenda Lockdown '' Putting Media Spin on LOCKDOWN Using No Agenda Thinking
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        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 19:44
        I have created this tutorial for running a WordPress based podcast server locally to generate a feed for my personal media files. I have a TON of recorded radio programs from years gone by and the best way to listen to them is in a podcast app. The trouble is that podcast apps are for, you guessed it, podcasts. You can't just dump a bunch of files into them, you need a feed.
        While this tutorial will help you create a podcast server just on your local network for your own use, you can adapt the instructions to create a feed for a public podcast using a hosting service. Or maybe you are running a podcast now hosted by one of the big boys and you are concerned about getting purged'... Check out the video and please comment here or on YouTube if you have any questions at all!
        In a video posted on YouTube and also archived below, David Martin outlines his research into COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and the Moderna and Pfizer 'vaccines'. His assertion is that these products are not vaccines and as such do not qualify for the liability exclusions afforded to them during this unprecedented nationwide state of emergency.
        What is a Vaccine?The general public believes that vaccines do two things: prevent infection and prevent transmission. That is, you won't be infected by the pathogen and will not be able to transmit the pathogen to others. Indeed, the CDC's own definitions validate this belief. From the CDC website:
        Immunity: Protection from an infectious disease. If you are immune to a disease, you can be exposed to it without becoming infected.Vaccine: A product that stimulates a person's immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease, protecting the person from that disease.
        https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/imz-basics.htmModerna's product is, by their own admission, a ''gene therapy technology'' not a vaccine. According to the CDC, vaccines help develop immunity by imitating an infection. A dead or live but attenuated example of the virus is introduced into the body so that the human immune system can create antibodies and/or use other methods to make the body immune to infection. These new gene therapies do not even claim to behave this way.
        These gene therapies use a synthetic fragment of code, not a natural fragment of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to reprogram your body's cells in an attempt to lessen the symptoms of COVID-19, not to prevent infection nor to prevent you from infecting others.
        In fact, the clinical trials didn't even test for immunity from infection as, according to the results published in The New England Journal of Medicine, it was ''impractical to measure infection''. The phase 3 clinical trials determined that ''As of this writing, no correlate of protection for SARS-CoV-2 has been established''.
        What is the difference between COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2?COVID-19 disease is a series of clinical symptoms including fever, muscle pain, loss of smell and certain respiratory symptoms. The WHO likens the relationship between COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 to the relationship between AIDS and HIV. SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that causes COVID-19. There is, however, a serious problem in that the majority of those 'testing positive' (more on that here) for SARS-CoV-2 do not present clinically any of the symptoms of COVID-19. Therefore a causative relationship cannot be established.
        Why this is ImportantIn the video, David Marin lays out the following points:
        The Moderna and Pfizer products developed under the protection of Operation Warp-Speed are experimental gene therapy technologies, not vaccinesThese products do not prevent infection from SARS-CoV-2These products do not prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2Why lie and call this a vaccine? because the National Childhood Vaccine act of 1986 shields vaccine manufacturers from any liability resulting in injury resulting from their products. It is David Martin's contention that these corporations' intentionally mislabeling their products as vaccines will allow them to take advantage of this indemnification.
        Ah, Yes'... The FTCAccording to the Federal Trade Commission, ''It is unlawful under the FTC Act . . . to advertise that a product or service can prevent, treat, or cure human disease unless you possess competent and reliable scientific evidence, including, when appropriate, well-controlled human clinical studies, substantiating that the claims are true at the time they are made.''
        Countless chiropractors, naturopaths and alternative health practitioners have been shut down, fined and financially ruined for claiming their products and/or services can diagnose, prevent or cure a disease.
        Moderna, Pfizer and representatives of the federal and state governments are constantly and inaccurately calling these products vaccines. They also claim PCR tests can diagnose an active SARS-CoV-2 infection while they cannot.
        David Martin's call to action is this: Contact your local and state representatives to put a stop to the state of emergency, demand that these products not be improperly classified as vaccines and that the manufacturers of these experimental gene therapies be held accountable for their violation of federal deceptive medical practice statutes.
        I urge you to watch the full video at David's YouTube channel (while it is available) or by downloading the archived version below.
        Now more than ever it is important to archive content that may soon be subject to removal from the Internet. This post will walk you through one of the many ways to do so.
        We'll be starting with an up-to-date Windows 10 computer and using a tool called youtube-dl.
        Download the following two files:
        https://yt-dl.org/downloads/2021.01.08/youtube-dl.exe
        https://github.com/MrS0m30n3/youtube-dl-gui/releases/download/0.4/youtube-dl-gui-0.4-win-setup.zip
        Visit Microsoft's website to download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86)
        https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=5555
        Alternatively, you may download a ZIP archive of all three files hosted on this site below. (The links above may not last forever, as we are rapidly discovering.)
        Install the Microsoft Visual C++ package first. Then install youtube-dl-gui-0.4.exe. Then run youtube-dl.exe. This will open a terminal window that should automatically close almost immediately. If it doesn't close, go ahead and close it. You may now open Youtube-DLG.
        Click the cog in the upper right hand corner and select 'Update'. This will update the youtube-dl software that actually performs the task of downloading video. Sites like YouTube are constantly changing the way their sites work and the youtube-dl developers must constantly tweak their software to remain compatible. I recommend always updating before downloading a video or playlist.
        Choose a location for your downloads in the middle of the application. You may want to dig more into formats or even save just the audio of a video. Do some research at the youtube-dl website. The software is very powerful and flexible but, for now, we will leave the settings at default.
        Now we need to get the URL for the video we wish to archive. The youtube-dl software is compatible with a large number of sites but we will use YouTube for this example. Find the video you would like to save and copy the URL from the address bar of your browser:
        Paste the URL into the box labeled 'Enter URLs Below' in Youtube-DLG. You may put as many URLs in as you like, one on each line. Click the 'Add' button and your videos will now show up in the 'Download List'. Click the download button (bottom right) to begin your downloads.
        That should do it!
        You may also download entire playlists or even entire channels. It takes some time depending, of course, on your Internet connection speed. Your computer's processor speed has a big impact on this as well since youtube-dl sometimes has to download the audio and video seperately and then combine them after downloading. You'll see this as the 'Post-Processing' stage in the software's Download List.
        Tips and TricksUse the YouTube search filters to find entire playlists and channels:
        The YouTube search results screen will show you how many videos a channel or playlist has. The best way to get the URL for an entire video is to right click on the item in the search results and copy the link address:
        Use YouTube's own features to your advantage! Create a playlist of your own including the videos you want to download. Then get the URL of your playlist and download the whole thing at once.
        Have any tips of your own? Leave a comment below!
        The No Agenda Show has listeners from all over the globe and from all walks of life. They are called producers as they don't just listen to the program but contribute to it in a variety of ways with their Time, Talent and Treasure.
        While the No Agenda Show focuses on deconstructing Mainstream Media narratives, producers will often contribute 'boots on the ground' reports relating to, and often directly contradicting, these popular narratives. Such is the case regarding Producer Jonahgold from Sweden who has been in contact with the FolkH¤lsomyndigheten, the Swedish version of the CDC, and has squeezed some very interesting admissions from them.
        The FolkH¤lsomyndigheten replied to Jonahgold's multiple requests with, and later published on their website, their Guidance on Criteria for Assessing the Freedom of Infection. Spoiler alert: PCR tests are useless. From the official position paper:
        The PCR technology used in tests to detect viruses cannot distinguish between viruses capable of infecting cells and viruses that have been neutralized by the immune system and therefore these tests cannot be used to determine if someone is contagious or not.
        translated by Google Translate from SwedishWhen Jonahgold continued to press the FolkH¤lsomyndigheten for more details they replied via email, in part:
        We therefore recommend taking the sample when you have symptoms compatible with covid-19, '... positive test response in combination with symptoms indicates active infection.
        translation from Swedish provided by Jonahgold, empasis mineSo while asymptomatic infections may exist, an asymptomatic person with a positive PCR test is not necessarily infected with the virus nor are they necessarily contagious.
        The takeaway? Any person who has been exposed to the virus and who's healthy immune system has prevented active infection (with no possibility of infecting others) will still present the virus' genome to a PCR test and 'test positive'. As The No Agenda Show has been discussing for months now, the number of infections reported breathlessly by the Mainstream Media must be grossly inflated if every person that has been exposed to the virus, presumably almost everyone by now, is considered a dead-man-walking and Typhoid Mary all in one.
        Listen to John and Adam discuss the email and its implications below:
        The original release from the FolkH¤lsomyndigheten is linked here.
        Visit noagendashow.net for the latest episode of the No Agenda Show.
        Kids are allowed one ball to play alone at recess. Lame.
        Color coded wristbands. And a local newscaster is getting pulled into the HR office.
        An NA producer walks around without a mask and gets away with it. Couldn't hurt that he looks like he got hit by a truck.
        Really interesting stuff. John tries to blame it on the Bilderbergers and Adam schools him.
        Dr. Vernon Coleman discusses the deep mind control behind COVID19. John gives Adam a big bag of shit about it. John later eats crow.
        Yup. And Cuomo backs him up. This is a GREAT breakdown of the political/social issue of mask wearing.
      WHO warns against mixing and matching COVID vaccines | Reuters
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        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 19:42
        World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan attends a press conference organised by the Geneva Association of United Nations Correspondents (ACANU) amid the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus, at the WHO headquarters in Geneva Switzerland July 3, 2020. Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via REUTERS
        GENEVA, July 12 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's chief scientist on Monday advised against people mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines from different manufacturers, calling it a "dangerous trend" since there was little data available about the health impact.
        "It's a little bit of a dangerous trend here. We are in a data-free, evidence-free zone as far as mix and match," Soumya Swaminathan told an online briefing.
        "It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding when and who will be taking a second, a third and a fourth dose."
        Reporting by Emma Farge and John Revill; Editing by Hugh Lawson
        Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
      bigot definition - Neeva
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 19:39
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      Bigot | Definition of Bigot by Merriam-Webster
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 19:39
        Examples of bigot in a Sentence "It's scandalous," he said, in the tones once used by Colonel Blimp, Britain's best-loved bigot , who adorned the pages of the Evening Standard throughout the 1930s. '-- Nicholas Fraser , Harper's , September 1996 A bigot is a hater, she said. A bigot hates Catholics. A bigot hates Jews. '... It's no sin to be poor, she said. It is a sin to be a bigot. Don't ever be one of them. '-- Pete Hamill , A Drinking Life , 1994 One had always to be mindful, moreover, that being a black scholar did not exempt one from the humiliations and indignities that a society with more than its share of bigots can heap upon a black person, regardless of education '... '-- John Hope Franklin , "John Hope Franklin: A Life of Learning," 1988 , in Race and History , 1989 He was labeled a bigot after making some offensive comments. an incorrigible bigot who hasn't entertained a new thought in years
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        Recent Examples on the Web The play's unknown author centers a subplot on a raving bigot named Swetnam, who is fond of traducing women. '-- Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2021 But that's what the GOP has embraced in Greene, a conspiracy theorist, liar and bigot who nonetheless continues to enjoy her party's support. '-- Jill Filipovic, CNN, 15 June 2021 But former Archbishop of York John Sentamu, who was born in Uganda, said those who saw Philip as a bigot were wide of the mark. '-- Jill Lawless, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2021 These faux-Texans who are racing to out-bigot one another are living in the past, clinging to an image of Texas from the mid-twentieth century rather than of the ethnically and economically diverse juggernaut the state has become. '-- Casey Michel, The New Republic, 30 Mar. 2021 Webb is not incriminated as a racist or bigot, but as a servant of bigots. '-- WSJ, 15 Mar. 2021 Racial tension flares up among an ex-cop, a bigot and a black entertainer who band together to rob a bank. '-- Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2021 Liberals reviled him as a hateful blowhard and a bigot. '-- Stephen Collinson, CNN, 19 Feb. 2021 Liberals called him a bigot, a sexist and a partisan propagandist with a profoundly mean streak. '-- Mary Mcnamara, Star Tribune, 19 Feb. 2021 These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bigot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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      FDA expected to announce new warning on Johnson & Johnson vaccine related to rare autoimmune disorder - The Washington Post
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 18:05
        The Food and Drug Administration is preparing to announce a new warning for the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine saying the shot has been linked to a serious but rare side effect '-- Guillain-Barr(C) syndrome, in which the immune system attacks the nerves, according to four individuals familiar with the situation.
        About 100 preliminary reports of Guillain-Barr(C) have been detected after 12.8 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine were administered, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. These cases have largely been reported about two weeks after vaccination and mostly in men, many aged 50 and older. Available data do not show a pattern suggesting a similar increased risk with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, after more than 321 million doses of those vaccines have been administered in the United States. The Guillain-Barr(C) cases will be discussed as part of an upcoming meeting of CDC advisers, the agency said.
        Guillain-Barr(C) syndrome usually occurs at a rate of about 60 to 120 cases each week, according to CDC data. While the cause of the syndrome is not fully understood, it often follows infection with a virus, including influenza, or bacteria. Each year in the United States, an estimated 3,000 to 6,000 people develop the illness.
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        Most people fully recover, but some have permanent nerve damage, according to the CDC. People older than 50 are at greatest risk. In addition, about two-thirds of people who develop the syndrome experience symptoms several days or weeks after they have fallen ill with diarrhea or a lung or sinus illness.
        Officials are expected to emphasize that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe and that its benefits clearly outweigh the potential risks, according to the people familiar with the situation.
        Johnson & Johnson and the FDA declined to comment.
        The warning will be the latest blow to a vaccine that had been widely anticipated for its ease of use '-- it requires only a single dose, which makes it especially helpful in immunizing harder-to-reach populations and regions. But the vaccine has been plagued by problems.
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        In April, federal officials paused use of the vaccine after it was linked to another rare side effect '-- severe blood clots. That pause was lifted within days after an extensive safety review by the FDA and CDC, and a warning was added to the Johnson & Johnson label.
        The vaccine also has been hobbled by production problems at Johnson & Johnson's subcontractor, Emergent BioSolutions, the only U.S. manufacturer of the vaccine. The Baltimore plant was shut down in April after federal officials discovered millions of doses had been contaminated with Astra Zeneca vaccine, which was also being made there.
        Johnson & Johnson has had to throw away the equivalent of about 75 million doses of the vaccine. About 40 million doses have been released for use. In response to the contamination, the Biden administration removed AstraZeneca manufacturing from the plant and put Johnson & Johnson in direct control of vaccine production there. But Emergent has not received authorization from the FDA to resume manufacturing the Johnson & Johnson product.
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        Other vaccines also have been associated with rare adverse events. The FDA in late June decided to add a warning to the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines about mild, extremely unusual cases of myocarditis '-- heart inflammation '-- in some young adults and teens after vaccination. Federal health officials said there was ''a likely association,'' and that the problem appears most likely to occur in young men after they receive two doses of the vaccine.
        The CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services, together with 15 of the country's leading medical and public health organizations, issued a joint statement in June saying they ''strongly encourage everyone 12 and older'' to get the Pfizer and Moderna shots because the benefit of vaccination far exceeds potential harm.
        In June, the American Neurological Association reported that two studies published in the journal Annals of Neurology had found 11 cases of Guillain-Barr(C) syndrome two to three weeks after vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine. The cases, which were from England and India, involved an unusual variant of the disease that caused severe facial weakness, the organization said. An accompanying editorial described a similar case involving a Boston man who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
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        Vaccine safety officials in Europe have recommended that a warning be added about Guillain-Barr(C) to the AstraZeneca vaccine. But the European safety committee said that while cases have been reported following vaccinations, ''at this stage the available data neither confirms nor rules out a possible association with the vaccine.''
        In 1976, there was a small increased risk of the syndrome after swine flu vaccination, which was a special flu shot for a potential pandemic strain of flu virus. A National Academy of Medicine review in 2003 found that people who received the 1976 swine flu vaccine had an increased risk, about one additional case of Guillain-Barr(C) for every 100,000 people who got the swine flu vaccine. The exact reason for the link remains unknown.
        The CDC monitors for Guillain-Barr(C) syndrome during each flu season. The agency says the data on an association between seasonal influenza vaccine and the illness have been variable from season to season. When there has been an increased risk, it has consistently been in the range of one or two additional cases per 1 million flu vaccine doses administered.
      Cancel Culture Doesn't Exist | Wordforge
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 17:18
        What happened to Josh Hawley was a business decision. Corporations align themselves with public figures and if those public figures do or say something incredibly stupid they distance themselves. That's nothing new.Now, this author seems to be completely ignoring the cancel culture that has sprung up in the last ten years. It's a social media fueled drive-by mob that demands heads on pikes but wants its own safe space at the same time. We've gotten away from the familiar liberal principle about disagreeing with what you say but fighting to defend your right to say it. I don't think it's going to end well for the Twitter mob because they will, inevitably, cancel themselves.Last edited: Feb 16, 2021
      The ESG Threat Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog
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        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 17:16
        The ESG ThreatOnce upon a time, lefty sorts could put their money where their mouth was by ''socially responsible investing.''
        Individuals and institutions were allowed to choose to align their investments with their values. They could sleep at night knowing that their capital was not supporting causes with which they disagreed, morally or politically. The only cost associated with this socially conscious undertaking was a hit to investment returns, which was inevitable but was accepted voluntarily as the price of peace of mind.
        But these days, that's simply not enough for the Big Sisters of Social Justice Warriorhood. Why make something voluntary when they can force it down your throat? Hence the push for Environmental Social Governance (ESG), a backdoor way to impose far-left values on corporations without having to deal with shareholders at all.
        Environmental, social and governance (ESG) is the biggest trend in finance and business. Index funds focused on sustainability oversee $250 billion of assets. Corporate leaders signaled their alignment with ESG when more than 180 CEOs signed the Business Roundtable statement on business purpose.In contrast to the older ethical investment movement, which accepted that morally constrained investment strategies incur costs, ESG proponents claim that investors following ESG precepts earn higher risk-adjusted returns because companies with high ESG scores are lower-risk. Thus, their stock price will outperform, whereas those firms with low ESG scores are higher-risk, leading them to underperform.This supposition conflicts with finance theory. Once lower risk is incorporated into a higher stock price, the stock will be more highly valued, but investors will have to be satisfied with lower expected returns. Unsurprisingly, claims of ESG outperformance are contradicted by studies.Claims that ESG-favored stocks outperformed during the Covid-19 market meltdown disappear once other determinants of stock performance are controlled for. ESG factors were negatively associated with stock performance during the market recovery phase in the second quarter of 2020.The corollary of the ESG thesis'--that low-ESG-rated ''sin stocks'' are condemned to underperform the stock market'--is decisively refuted by the data. When institutional investors ''went underweight'' by selling down their holdings in tobacco stocks, it made them cheaper for other investors to buy and make money, especially when they subsequently outperformed the market.The profit opportunities that ESG creates for Wall Street, however, are clear. BlackRock charges 46 cents annually for every $100 invested in its iShares Global Clean Energy ETF and just 4 cents for its iShares fund linked to the S&P 500.The Trump Department of Labor's controversial rule on ESG in corporate retirement plans became final in October 2020. In effect, the rule calls Wall Street's ESG bluff: ''You claim ESG investing boosts investment returns net of costs; Show us on the basis of generally accepted investment theories.'' Rather than use the Congressional Review Act to nullify this rule, the Biden Department of Labor says it won't enforce it.ESG is supposedly about the objective assessment of investment risk. The stated purpose of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), a body supported and funded by Michael Bloomberg, is to provide a disclosure regime that better enables investors to assess risk, climate risk being a major one.At the same time, the SASB aims to harness the power of capital markets for political ends. Just as the Covid pandemic was sweeping the globe, Bloomberg declared climate change the biggest threat to America and the world. ''How do you replace dirty energy?'' he asks. ''Stop rewarding companies from making it.'' ESG thus becomes politics pursued by other means.Climate risk is primarily about the potential costs of future climate regulation, but the cookie-cutter climate disclosures required by ESG standard-setters are systematically misleading because they treat the world as a homogenous regulatory space. Climate regulations are made by states and vary from the stringent and unachievable in parts of Europe to the virtually nonexistent in many other parts of the world.Requiring corporations to bind themselves to unilateral greenhouse-gas targets imposes a penalty in competing against companies less beholden to ESG ratings (the unlevel playing field). Forcing corporations to lose market share and shrink their operations constitutes a covert form of divestment. Shareholders lose for no climate gain.Regulation by governments is not only more efficient but also possesses democratic legitimacy. Proponents claim that ESG is necessary to achieve inclusive capitalism, but political power wielded by a handful of billionaire Wall Street oligarchs provides a pretty good definition of insider capitalism.The weaponization of finance by billionaire climate activists, foundations, and NGOs threatens to end capitalism as we know it by degrading its ability to function as an economic system that generates higher living standards. This usurpation of the political prerogatives of democratic government invites a populist backlash.The Real Clear Foundation report leans heavily on the environmental end of things, but ESG also has a strong Social Justice component, as this clip from Joe Rogan's interview of VJ/Podcaster Adam Curry discusses:
        ESG is yet another attempt to impose top-down wokeness by subterfuge on people and institutions that would never voluntarily agree to it.
        Tags: Adam Curry, business, Economics, Environmental Social Governance (ESG), Global Warming, Joe Rogan, Social Justice Warriors, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), video
        This entry was posted on Monday, July 12th, 2021 at 11:54 AM and is filed under Democrats, Economics, Global Warming, Regulation, Social Justice Warriors, video.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
      Saudi sovereign wealth fund scopes banks for ESG framework - sources | Reuters
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 14:21
        Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a session of the Shura Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 20, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
        DUBAI, July 12 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund has asked banks to help it develop an environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework, four sources said, a move that could allow it to expand its funding base to attract ESG-focussed investors.
        The Public Investment Fund (PIF) sent a request for proposals to banks last month, said the four sources with direct knowledge of the matter, speaking anonymously because the matter is private.
        PIF - at the centre of Saudi de facto ruler and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 that aims to wean the economy off oil - has been funding itself in recent years with tens of billions of dollars in loans.
        One of the sources said developing an ESG framework was likely a precursor for a multibillion dollar bond sale, which would be the Saudi wealth fund's first.
        Once an ESG framework is developed, PIF may need credit ratings and an audit of its finances before it can issue bonds, the source said, adding the fund could sell bonds in the fourth quarter if "all goes smoothly."
        PIF did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
        PIF signed a $15 billion loan with a large group of banks in March, which followed a $10 billion loan it took in 2019 that was repaid last year and an $11 billion facility in 2018.
        The development of a framework to assess the impact of its sustainability practices comes amid growing awareness among international investors about ESG risks.
        The Red Sea Development Company, owned by PIF, secured earlier this year a $3.8 billion "green" loan for new hotels powered by renewable energy.
        PIF is also the cornerstone investor in NEOM, a futuristic development in Saudi Arabia whose flagship project is a zero-carbon city.
        Reporting by Yousef Saba and Davide BarbusciaAdditional reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh and Saeed AzharEditing by Mark Potter
        Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
      Suspect in killing of Haiti's Jovenal Mo¯se may have long aspired to be president - The Washington Post
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 13:26
        Haitian authorities say that a man with long-standing ties to Florida played a major role in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Mo¯se, pictured. (Alejandro Cegarra/Bloomberg News)
        A Haitian man arrested under suspicion of playing a leading role in the assassination of President Jovenel Mo¯se appears to have presented himself as a potential leader of the impoverished Caribbean nation for as long as a decade.
        Police said Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 63, planned to assume the presidency and hire some of the men involved in the attack on Mo¯se as his security team. Sanon, who reportedly has lived on-and-off in Florida for about two decades, landed in Haiti on a private plane in early June with ''political objectives,'' Haiti's police chief, L(C)on Charles, told reporters Sunday. He recruited the team through a Venezuelan security firm based in the United States, but its mission changed when one member was presented with an arrest warrant for Mo¯se.
        Sanon couldn't immediately be reached and it wasn't clear if he had an attorney. Authorities didn't immediately present evidence of their case against Sanon.
        Many questions remain about the bizarre plot that led to the president's fatal shooting July 7 at his home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. Chief among them: how a man who filed for bankruptcy in Florida in 2013, according to the Miami Herald, listing himself as a church pastor, could be behind what authorities have described as a commando operation.
        A video posted on YouTube in 2011 and titled ''Dr. Christian Sanon '-- Leadership for Haiti'' presents Sanon, who refers to himself as a doctor, as a potential leader of the country. In it, the speaker denounces Haiti's leaders as corrupt plunderers of the country's resources.
        ''With me in power, you are going to have to tell me: 'What are you doing with my uranium?''' the speaker says. ''What are you going to do with the oil that we have in the country? What are you going to do with the gold?''
        Haiti only has limited natural resources. The Washington Post was unable to verify the authenticity of the video or the identity of its speaker. Haitian authorities haven't released any photos of Sanon.
        A post on a now-defunct website, ''Haiti Lives Matter,'' presents Sanon as a leader of a coalition ''chosen to lead Haiti,'' according to an archived version of the page. The website lists several other members of his ''transitional government,'' including academics, a business person and even a senior member of Haiti's permanent mission to the United Nations.
        When reached by The Post for comment, one of the people named on the site said they had never even heard of Sanon and suggested their details appeared to have been clipped from an old r(C)sum(C). The person spoke over the phone on the condition of anonymity to avoid repeating details of what they said was a falsified account of their involvement in any plot to install a new government.
        Haitian citizens hold up passports as they gather in front of the U.S. Embassy in Haiti on July 10 asking for asylum after the assassination of President Jovenel Mo¯se. (Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP/Getty Images)
        ''The whole thing is stupid. You're not going to become president like this,'' the person said. The person, a retiree of Haitian descent who has not lived in the country for years, said they had ''zero intention of going to Haiti. Especially with my name now on a website.''
        Haiti's U.N. delegation didn't immediately respond to an emailed request for comment about its employee.
        The announcement of Sanon's arrest came as senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials arrived in Haiti Sunday to discuss how the United States might assist after Mo¯se's killing last week.
        Visual timeline: The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Mo¯se
        Police said two other people have been implicated in the alleged scheme as ''intellectual authors'' of the assassination, but did not name them. Police last week arrested two Haitian Americans who allegedly worked as interpreters for the team; they have taken at least 21 people into custody, most of them Colombians.
        Sporadic gunfire erupted in Port-au-Prince over the weekend, piercing the relative calm that followed Mo¯se's killing as violent gangs threatened to fill the power vacuum in a country that has no clear leader. One powerful gang leader called his followers to the streets as residents shuttered their doors against the possibility of more bloodshed in a city already terrorized by criminal violence.
        In the mystery and confusion immediately after Mo¯se's assassination, the gangs gave the city something of a reprieve from the torrent of gunfire that has killed hundreds this year. But while answers remain elusive '-- the motive for the president's killing remains unclear, and at least four men have claimed they are in charge '-- the peace has been broken.
        The city's most powerful gang leader, Jimmy ''Barbecue'' Cherizier, called followers into the streets in coming days to demand ''justice against this cowardly assassination carried out by foreign mercenaries in the country.'' In a video message Saturday, the self-styled revolutionary asked other gang leaders to join him in the violence.
        In Haiti, coronavirus and a man named Barbecue test the rule of law
        One resident of the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Martissant, a journalist in his 20s, spoke of fleeing if conditions worsen.
        ''Anyone who stays in Martissant can be a victim any time,'' said the man, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety. ''Anyone who chooses to take the road knows there are three possibilities: Either you die, you're wounded or you get home safe.''
        The four men claiming leadership of the government include acting prime minister Claude Joseph and Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon whom Mo¯se appointed prime minister two days before his death. On Friday, members of the country's nonfunctioning Senate voted to name the body's leader, Joseph Lambert, as Haiti's acting president. In February, one faction of the opposition declared Supreme Court Judge Joseph M(C)c¨ne Jean-Louis interim president.
        In Haiti, rivals claw for power as crisis escalates after assassination
        Joseph, who has been recognized internationally but challenged at home, has asked the United States and the United Nations to send troops to help provide security. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Sunday the request was under review.
        U.S. officials have pressed Joseph to keep his pledge to hold elections scheduled for September. But many here argue elections are impossible while the gangs rule the streets.
        Cherizier and his alliance of gang leaders, called the G9 Family and Allies, say they are engaged in a revolution to liberate Haiti from a corrupt wealthy and political class. Human rights organizations had accused Mo¯se of maintaining links to Cherizier.
        Cherizier said his followers would ''practice what we call legitimate violence.''
        ''If they shoot on us, you know what to do,'' he said. ''You are not children.''
        Pannett reported from Sydney, Merancourt reported from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Schmidt reported from Washington. Anthony Faiola in Miami and Dalton Bennett contributed to this report.
      Rodents chow down on Teslas, causing thousands in damage
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 13:25
        Tech
        By Theo Wayt
        July 11, 2021 | 6:04pm
        "They opened the glove compartment and a rodent fell out," said Manhattan Tesla owner Sarah Williams. AFP via Getty Images
        Elon Musk may have a rat problem.
        Fans of the South African billionaire's electric cars say rats, mice and rodents are chomping down on their Teslas. And despite having dropped tens of thousands of dollars to buy the pricey vehicles, Tesla refuses to cover the damage
        Sarah Williams, a 41-year-old physician who lives in Manhattan and uses her Tesla to commute to work in the Bronx, told the Post of an alarming incident when she took her 2018 Model 3 into Tesla's Paramus, NJ, dealership in mid-May after her air conditioner had stopped working.
        ''They opened the glove compartment and a rodent fell out,'' she said. ''It's crazy.''
        The pest apparently found its way into Williams' Tesla and gobbled through several internal wires that were insulated with soy rather than oil, which critics claim makes them more appealing to rodents.
        The dead rat in Sarah Williams' Tesla.When Williams '-- who paid $59,200 for her car '-- complained, the company refused to help. The repair has taken more than a month, and estimated costs have soared over $5,000, she said.
        Despite repeated promises that the pricey vehicle will be ready soon, Williams was unable to pick up her Tesla at the time of this publication '-- almost two months later.
        ''Most auto manufacturers use the soybean vs. oil in their wire insulation for newer vehicles because it is less expensive and better for the environment,'' Tesla Service Advisor Jose Solis wrote in an e-mail to Williams that she shared with The Post. ''The use of this material would not be considered a 'defect' in design or use'... Considering there are too many factors outside of Tesla's control we cannot cover this under a warranty or repair.''
        Solis is right that it's not just Telsa.
        Rat damage in Sarah Williams' Tesla.
        Automakers have been getting slammed for years with complaints of their allegedly rat-friendly soy-based wiring. And like Tesla, they have all refused to cover the damage, claiming that rats chewing on car innards is the result of nature and therefore not their problem.
        ''It is a long-established fact that rodents are drawn to chew on electrical wiring in homes, cars or anywhere else they may choose to nest,'' Honda told the Chicago Sun-Times in June about an Illinois man's efforts to bring a class-action case against it.
        Tesla so far only appears to be unique in having escaped legal action tied to its use of soy materials. But that could change as complaints about rats in Teslas appear to rise along with the popularity of the brand, now valued at $632 billion.
        Toby Bateson, a UK-based inventor who came up with a product designed to keep rats out of vehicles, said his company has seen special interest from Tesla drivers.
        ''We're getting a lot of inquiries form Tesla owners because they seem to be vulnerable to the problem,'' he said, adding that his company has been contacted by about 150 Tesla owners with rodent issues over the past year.
        Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who went by the nickname ''Muskrat'' as a child. AFP via Getty ImagesBateson sells a product called the RatMat, which he describes as a ''horizontal electric fence'' that keeps rodents from entering vehicles. In New York, the RatMat is distributed by a Kips Bay company called HoneyDoBoys, which charges about $1,500 to $1,700 for a single parking spot-sized system, the company's owner, Paul Turzio, told the Post.
        Bateson said that in addition to wiring damage, some Tesla owners had also told him their brake cables were chewed by rodents ''to the point of the car becoming unusable.''
        Other Tesla owners who have complained of rats include a user of the Tesla Motors Club forum who griped that his 5-month-old electric vehicle went ''haywire'' after a mouse chewed through the coolant hose, which may also be made from soy-based materials, although its unclear if this is the case for Tesla.
        ''Apparently this is not uncommon, especially with electric cars,'' the user lamented.
        And this year, an apparent Tesla owner complained on Reddit that his brand-new Model 3 was un-drivable just two weeks after it was delivered due to rat damage. Several other users have complained about damage from mice and squirrels on the forum as well.
        Despite the apparent ubiquity of rat trouble, Tesla does not cover rodent damage under its warranties. LightRocket via Getty ImagesThe Post did not immediately receive a reply to a request for comment from Tesla, which is owned by Elon Musk, who went by the nickname ''Muskrat'' as a child, according to a 2009 New Yorker profile.
        The complaints come as concerns about rats have risen generally.
        The number of rodent complaints to New York City's 311 hotline surged by 80 percent in March as the economy reopened to 2,906 '-- over and above even March 2019 levels of 2,395, Bloomberg recently reported.
        One reason may be that rats were forced to change their habits during the pandemic when their normal sources of food dried up, including by moving into emptied-out office buildings, according to Pest.co.uk.
        The news comes as more and more Teslas hit the rat-infested streets of New York City. AFP via Getty Images''We are gearing up for a busy year in 2021,'' Jenny Rathbone of Pest.co.uk said.
        Meanwhile, more Tesla's are being introduced to rat-infested areas like the Big Apple. At least one Model 3 is currently in use as a yellow cab '-- and hundreds more are expected to enter service in the coming years, according to Business Insider.
        Williams says she would not recommend any other New Yorkers buy Teslas until the company rodent-proofs its vehicles.
        ''For me, if I'm going really fast on the highway and I reach for something in my glove compartment and a rat crawls out, it could be a catastrophe,'' she said. ''Who cares if you have this great technology if a rat is in there eating the wires?''
      July 19: Boris Johnson offers freedom day with health warning | News | The Times
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 12:28
        Boris Johnson will urge people today not to return to life as normal after July 19 unless they want to risk restrictions being reimposed.
        As he confirms that all remaining limits on social contact will be lifted in England a week today, the prime minister will emphasise that ''caution is absolutely vital'' in the face of rising infections. Wales is to review its restrictions on Thursday and Scotland is due to lift some restrictions on July 19 and most on August 9.
        Senior scientific advisers urged people yesterday to continue to work from home over the summer and not to be ''overenthusiastic about social contact'' because of the risk of thousands of hospital admissions a day.
        Susan Hopkins, of Public Health England, said that no
      FBI goes 'American Stasi' with tweet encouraging family members to rat each other out for 'extremism' '-- RT USA News
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Mon, 12 Jul 2021 12:19
        The FBI has asked Americans to examine their own family members for signs of ''homegrown violent extremism,'' and report them. The call for snitches comes as the FBI turns its surveillance powers on regular Americans.
        ''Family members and peers are often best positioned to witness signs of mobilization to violence,'' read a tweet from the FBI on Sunday. To help prevent ''homegrown violent extremism,'' the agency advises Americans to visit its website, ''to learn how to spot suspicious behaviors and report them to the FBI.''
        The link provided by the FBI brings visitors to a 2019 document listing ''mobilization indicators'' that may suggest an individual is preparing to engage in terrorism '' for example, ''preparing and disseminating a martyrdom video,'' ''communicating directly with violent extremists online,'' and ''preparing to travel to fight with or support terrorist groups.''
        The indicators and imagery used in the document suggest that its focus was on radical Islamic terrorism, but the FBI, along with the rest of the US security apparatus, has in recent months has turned its surveillance powers on white, conservative America.
        Since the pro-Trump riot on Capitol Hill in January, FBI Director Christopher Wray has testified before Congress that the anti-government sentiment responsible for the affray has been ''metastasizing'' in the US for years, and that ''the problem of domestic terrorism ... is not going away anytime soon.'' Former Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi was more explicit last month when he called for the arrest of high-level Republicans to ''really tackle terrorism, this time domestically.''
        Also on rt.com The (New Normal) War on Domestic Terror President Joe Biden has linked the Capitol mob to ''white supremacism,'' which he called ''the most lethal terrorist threat to our homeland today'' during his first speech to Congress in April. Against this supposed ''threat,'' the Justice Department has asked for new powers of prosecution, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has claimed that right-wingers and conservatives, ''inspired by foreign terrorist groups'' and ''emboldened by the breach of the US Capitol Building,'' are ''plotting attacks against government facilities'' and ''threatening violence against critical infrastructure.''
        In addition to their own powers, the DHS, FBI, and National Security Council also want to hire third-party 'researchers' to spy on Americans, recent reports have claimed.
        Though the riot on Capitol Hill was broken up in a matter of hours and Congress returned to work the same evening, the FBI has left no stone unturned in finding and prosecuting hundreds of Trump supporters who took part. Out of more than 500 arrested already, some were turned in by their own family members and co-workers, with those who merely entered the building charged alongside militia members in what prosecutors are terming a ''shock and awe'' campaign of arrests and charges.
        The agency's latest call for snitches didn't sit well with some pundits and commenters online, who drew uncomfortable parallels with the totalitarian dystopia of George Orwell's '1984', and with the real-life surveillance and repression of East Germany's dreaded Stasi.
        Amid the ongoing domestic terror crackdown, questions remain unanswered as to the FBI's suspected foreknowledge of, and potential involvement in organizing, the Capitol Hill riot.
        Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
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