Thursday, January 23, 2020

23 January - Blogs I'm Following - 3 of 5

10 pm MST

Tipping Point on Menstrual Banishment in Nepal

KATHMANDU, Jan 23 (IPS) - It is easy to be cynical about recent reports of actions taken to end *chhaupadi*, the traditional practice in parts of western Nepal of segregating menstruating women. Read the full story, “Tipping Point on Menstrual Banishment in Nepal”, on globalissues.org →

UN Plans to Launch a “Decade of Action” to Deliver Development Goals by 2030

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 23 (IPS) - Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in an address to the General Assembly2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. I draw tremendous strength from all that we represent and all that we have achieved together. Read the full story, “UN Plans to Launch a “Decade of Action” to Deliver Development Goals by 2030”, on globalissues.org →

Global Inequality Continues to Grow: UNDESA Report

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 23 (IPS) - More than 70 percent of the global population is currently living in parts of the world where income inequality has grown, according to a World Social Report 2020 launched by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Read the full story, “Global Inequality Continues to Grow: UNDESA Report”, on globalissues.org →

Putin Calls for a New System Guided by the UN Charter… But Is It Possible?

Matthew Ehret at The Duran - 11 hours ago
Anyone looking with sober eyes upon today’s world and the feeble economic and geopolitical underpinnings holding the system together must accept the fact that a new system WILL be created. This is not an opinion, but a fact. We are moving towards eight billion lives on this globe and the means of productive powers to […] More The post Putin Calls for a New System Guided by the UN Charter… But Is It Possible? appeared first on The Duran.

Comey under investigation for leaking Soros-Wasserman Schultz emails obtained by Dutch intelligence (Video)

Alex Christoforou at The Duran - 11 hours ago
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 440. More The post Comey under investigation for leaking Soros-Wasserman Schultz emails obtained by Dutch intelligence (Video) appeared first on The Duran.

Aliens? The Cannabis culture? No, just Democrats [Video]

Seraphim Hanisch at The Duran - 11 hours ago
Tucker Carlson hits it out of the park with a stunning summary on the DC madness More The post Aliens? The Cannabis culture? No, just Democrats [Video] appeared first on The Duran.

What Trump’s speech at Davos is likely about

jezail.org at The Duran - 11 hours ago
An interesting point of view from an Indian journalist about Trump and what his speech at Davos is about. It’s only about 9 minutes long. jezail.org on the web and jezail.org on FaceBook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08ZHqfH2oCM More The post What Trump’s speech at Davos is likely about appeared first on The Duran.

Did U.S. And Russian Soldiers Get Involved In A Fist Fight On Christmas Day In The Syrian City Of Tal Tamr?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
*Middle East Monitor:* *US and Russian soldiers in Syria fist fight* A number of Russian soldiers were badly beaten and airlifted to hospital after a fist-fight with American troops in Syria last week, it has been revealed. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the incident occurred on 25 December in the city of Tal Tamr in Al-Hasakah province in north-east Syria. When US troops arrived to collect information from local residents, the latter reportedly reacted negatively, and accused the Americans of betraying them with the withdrawal of US forces from the ... more »

History Is Dooming Iran And America To War

Carl Bildt at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Carl Bildt* *Security, Middle East* Each side has a long list of things to be angry about. During the recent flare-up between the United States and Iran, US President Donald Trump tweeted that he was prepared to bomb ‘52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago)’. Some of these targets, he added, would be ‘important to Iran and the Iranian culture’, suggesting that he was willing to strike Iranian national heritage sites. Trump’s tweet indicates that his entire Iran policy is rooted deep in the past, as if actions taken today represent a... more »

An Outdoorsman's Dream: Meet the Tikka T3x Artic Rifle

Charlie Gao at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Europe* [image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikka_T3#/media/File:Tikka_T3_02.01.2008_11-41-55_3156x2128.JPG] What do you think? *Key Point:* The T3x has better iron-sites than any rifle on the market today. While bolt action rifles have been supplanted in most roles by semi-automatics, they remain solid choices for people who just want a light rifle for self-defense against predators and hunting. Also, as scopes have become more popular and durable, the traditional iron-sighted bolt action rifle is falling out of favor. However, iron sights will alwa... more »

Iran Attempted To Recreate the M-16 Rifle? What?

Charlie Gao at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Charlie Gao* *Technology, Middle East* [image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KH-2002#/media/File:KH-2002.jpg] You didn't hear about it because it was a disaster. *Key Point:* The Iranian arms industry has been compelled to go back to basics. The Iranian defense industry is known for making some eye-catching claims and prototypes. The KH-2002 “Khaybar” is one of those, a futuristic-looking bullpup that caught the eye of many foreign watchers. But by most accounts the rifle is terrible in almost every metric. Given that it’s based on the American M16, which is known to be very re... more »

Meet the Tragic USS Mississippi: A Battleship That Had the Same Explosive Accident Twice

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *History, Americas* [image: By Unknown or not provided - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63567663] Terrible. *Key point:* Twice the same gun turret had an issue that caused it to blow up. Despite knowing how to solve the problem, the same accident happened two times over 20 years. The USS *Mississippi* is home to one of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time. Built while America was a neutral party in World War I, *Mississippi* sailed into the atomic age and later served... more »

Why the Navy's Decision to Build the First Supercarrier Was Such as Big Deal

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *History, Americas* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/USA-NAVY-ENTERPRISE-TM3E8B41FA201.html] Revolutionary. *Key point: *Once the large, nuclear-powered USS *Enterprise* showed that such carriers were possible, Washington ordered more. Before long, the Navy would come to always rely on supercarriers. The first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ever built carries one of the most famous names in flattop history: *Enterprise*. Designed as the nucleus of a nuclear-powered task force that could travel indefinitely without fuel replenishment, the USS *Enter... more »

Yes, South Korea's Army Is Better Than North Korea's (But There's a Problem)

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, Asia* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/SOUTHKOREA-MILITARY-EXERCISE-D1AETZSDBIAB.html] If only it weren't for the nukes... *Key point: *Seoul's investments have paid off- South Korea is a better military power than North Korea. However, Pyongyang's nuclear weapons make up for the difference and are a powerful deterrent. In the last seventy years, the Republic of Korea Army (ROK Army) has evolved from a constabulary force into one of the largest, most powerful, technologically advanced armies in the world. This remarkable evolution is entir... more »

Sandwich recall expanded for Listeria risk; 50 more varieties implicated

News Desk at Food Safety News - 11 hours ago
Lipari Foods has expanded its recall of sandwiches, adding more than 50 varieties to the list, because of potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The sandwiches were distributed in 15 states. All Premo and Fresh Grab sandwiches with best-by dates through Feb. 6 are now included in the recall, according to the company’s notice posted by... Continue Reading

US Imposes Visa Rules for Pregnant Women on ‘Birth Tourism’

AP News at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
The practice of traveling to the U.S. to give birth is fundamentally legal, although there are scattered cases of authorities arresting operators of birth tourism agencies for visa fraud or tax evasion.

Switzerland Mints World’s Smallest Gold Coin

AP News at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
No joke: Switzerland has minted a gold coin so small you'd need to look very closely to see Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue at you.

Rohingya Hail UN Ruling Ordering Myanmar to Prevent Genocide

AP News at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
The United Nations' top court ordered Myanmar to take all measures in its power to prevent genocide against the Rohingya people, delivering a sweeping legal victory for the Muslim minority.

Did Trump Say ‘We’re Going to Take the Firearms First and Then Go to Court’?

David Mikkelson at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
Red flag laws allow law enforcement agencies to act on court orders and remove guns from people considered a harm to themselves or others.

New Video Of A 2018 Encounter Between A Chinese And US Warship Shows How Close They Came To Colliding With Each Other

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
*SCMP:* *Exclusive: US Navy footage of warships’ near collision in South China Sea* * New footage of a 2018 encounter between a Chinese and US warship has been released to the Post following a freedom of information request * Experts say it appears to show the Chinese PLA crew preparing for a collision A newly-released US Navy video of the tense encounter between a Chinese and US warship in the South China Sea in late 2018 offers an indication of how seriously the Chinese side were prepared for a collision with the US vessel in the contested waterway. In the footage of the incide... more »

Free Download: Ernest Hemingway, "A Farewell To Arms"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
"The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong in the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too, but there will be no special hurry." - Ernest Hemingway, "A Farewell To Arms" Freely download "A Farewell To Arms", by Ernest Hemingway, here: - https://libcom.org/files/farewelltoarms01hemi.pdf

Brazil Worsens Corruption Ranking in 2019, Says Transparency International

Arkady Petrov at The Rio Times - 11 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Brazil achieved its worst position and lowest score in the ranking on the perception of corruption prepared by Transparency International since 2012. Brazil appears in 106th position among 180 countries evaluated by the Corruption Perception Index in 2019, released this Thursday, January 23rd. The entity's report pointed out as The post Brazil Worsens Corruption Ranking in 2019, Says Transparency International appeared first on The Rio Times.

Growing Tensions Between U.S. And Russian Forces In Syria

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
#American_forces prevent #Russian_forces from heading east towards the #oil areas of #Remilan #NE_SYRIA # pic.twitter.com/7qhcUSAnS6 — MOHAMMED HASSAN (@MHJournalist) January 21, 2020 VOA: *Reports: Tensions Grow Between US, Russian Forces in Northeast Syria* WASHINGTON - A U.S. military patrol has blocked a Russian military convoy from using a main highway in northeast Syria amid growing tensions between the two sides, local reports said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor that has researchers inside the country, reported on Tuesday that U.S. forces didn’t all... more »

Video Shows Everything Cops Told the Public About Killing Man in His Driveway Was FALSE

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 11 hours ago
[image: video]A disturbing video caught cops in a massive lie, completely changing the story of how and why they killed a man in his driveway earlier this month.

"Being 'Crazy' in a Sick Society is Actually Healthy"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*"Being 'Crazy' in a Sick Society is Actually Healthy"* by Sofo Archon "Krishnamurti once said that “it is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” However, being born and brought up in such a society, most people don’t realize that it is sick, let alone that they are part of this sickness, just like fish, which, living in water, don’t realize that they are in it and part of the sea life. What does it mean to live a normal life? In today’s world, it means to be brainwashed at a very young age for over a decade by what we call schooling, to later on wo... more »

Nueva etapa para el Mercosur: Argentina pierde tres a uno

bilaterals.org - 11 hours ago
23-Jan-2020 El nuevo año enfrenta al bloque a nuevas discusiones. A partir de marzo, Uruguay tendrá un nuevo presidente y con él, posiblemente, el país se convierta en un aliado para los planes de Brasil y Paraguay.

India, Brazil to sign strategic action plan

bilaterals.org - 11 hours ago
23-Jan-2020 India and Brazil will upgrade their strategic partnership with an “action plan” and sign a bilateral investment treaty.

Vietnam sent champagne to MEPs ahead of trade vote

bilaterals.org - 11 hours ago
23-Jan-2020 MEPs over Christmas received bottles of Moet & Chandon Imperial champagne from Vietnam's embassy in Brussels - ahead of the trade deal vote with Vietnam.

Israel, EAEU may sign free trade deal in 2021

bilaterals.org - 11 hours ago
23-Jan-2020 The talks have already reached significant progress and are on the finish line, said the co-chair of the Russian-Israeli intergovernmental commission.

Singapore concludes talks on digital trade agreement with Chile, New Zealand

bilaterals.org - 11 hours ago
23-Jan-2020 Singapore, Chile and New Zealand concluded talks on an agreement over a common set of rules, standards and guidelines for global digital trade and commerce.

S. Korea, Panama hold policy consultations on bilateral ties, trade

bilaterals.org - 11 hours ago
23-Jan-2020 South Korea signed the FTA with Panama and the four Central American countries — Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and El Salvador — which have already finished the domestic procedures for the agreement.

After China trade deal, Europe and UK next on Trump's to-do list

bilaterals.org - 11 hours ago
23-Jan-2020 US President Donald Trump vowed to rip up international trade deals and rebalance America's global trade relationships.

Trump menace l'Europe pour hâter un accord commercial

bilaterals.org - 11 hours ago
23-Jan-2020 Donald Trump veut conclure un accord commercial avec l'Union européenne avant la présidentielle américaine. Il a menacé d'imposer une taxe de 25% sur les voitures européennes.

BWorld 404, Asian universities and UP Diliman chancellorship

Bienvenido Oplas Jr at Government and Taxes - 11 hours ago
* My article in BusinessWorld last January 21, 2020. Philippine universities do not seem to fare well even compared to many of their ASEAN neighbors. The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) world university ranking is a good annual report, its scoring is based on six indicators: Academic peer review, 40%; Faculty/Student ratio; 20%, Citations per faculty; 20%, Employer reputation; 10%, and International student ratio and International staff ratio, 5% each. I checked the QS ranking of 2020 — many Asian universities have improved their global ranking from the 2015 to 2020 reports. The Universi... more »

If the Only Way You Can Get Your Great Idea Implemented…

Bryan Caplan at Econlib - 11 hours ago
Economics textbooks are full of clever-and-appealing policy proposals. Proposals like: “Let’s redistribute money to the desperately poor” and “Let’s tax goods with negative externalities.” They’re so clever and so appealing that it’s hard to understand how any smart, well-meaning person could demur. When critics appeal to “public choice problems,” it’s tempting to tell the critics […] The post If the Only Way You Can Get Your Great Idea Implemented… appeared first on Econlib.

Energy 132, US crude oil production now 13 mbpd

Bienvenido Oplas Jr at Government and Taxes - 12 hours ago
Yesterday and today, oil prices dropped significantly. WTI went down to $54+ per barrel. Until last Monday January 20, prices were $58+ a barrel. And days after the killing of Soleimani, "WW 3" and related hashtags became famous and oil prices went up to $64+ a barrel. Now, war alarmism has faded. The US public's attention went to the impeachment, corona virus, etc. More global oil-gas production, more supply stability, and lower oil prices. That's what we need. ---------------- See also: Energy 129, Fault in OPEC supply cut and oil price decline, September 04, 2019 Energy 130, U... more »

What Drives Mitch McConnell? A Conscienceless, Near-Cartoonish Pursuit of Power

Gaius Publius at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
*by Thomas Neuburger* *For all the damage he’s inflicted on American democracy, for all the political corpses he’s left in his wake, Mitch McConnell has never betrayed an ounce of shame.* —Robert Moser, *Rolling Stone* Mitch McConnell is a unique individual in the modern political world. Most politicians are filled with a mix of fevered desires, flattering self-projections, a bittersweet mashup of idealistic regret and sad bows to "practicality," naked ego and the many attractive perks of the "Oh It's You, Senator" club (search on "you get it all the time") — and especially lots ... more »

"How It Horribly Really Is"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago

First cannabis consumption site in Illinois gets nod

John Rebchook at Marijuana Business Daily - 12 hours ago
Illinois’ capital city approved the first social consumption marijuana establishment in the state. Illinois Supply and Provisions plans to connect the consumption space to its recreational and medical marijuana store in downtown Springfield, the Chicago Tribune reported. The company, which got the OK from the Springfield City Council on Monday, is still working out details of […] First cannabis consumption site in Illinois gets nod is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

STATEMENT: House Budget Committee, “Reexamining the economic costs of debt”, Nov 20, 2019

Lambert Strether at naked capitalism - 12 hours ago
It is hard to imagine a scenario in which rising deficits and the debt ratio will create a financial crisis, lead to government insolvency, generate high inflation, or trigger an attack by bond vigilantes.

"The big hand is on the 12, and the little hand . . . "

Peter at Bayou Renaissance Man - 12 hours ago
It seems our digital era is causing yet another casualty. It has long been a rite of passage for young children; the moment they first begin to grasp how to tell the time as their parents patiently explain the significance of the “big hand” and the “little hand”. But the ubiquity of mobile phones and tablets, with their digital 24-hour clock, is threatening to make the art of telling the time from a traditional timepiece redundant. So much so that a school in Scotland has found that pupils as old as 13 are unable to tell the time from the ‘analogue’ clocks hanging in classrooms an... more »

Breaking the League

William F. Jasper at rss - 12 hours ago
[image: breaking-the-league] One hundred years ago, the U.S. Senate, fighting for sovereignty, saved America from joining the League of Nations.

Trump’s Labor Department Provides Clarity on Joint Employment

Veronique de Rugy at rss - 12 hours ago
[image: trump-s-labor-department-provides-clarity-on-joint-employment] The Trump administration’s new rule, which specifies that a company cannot be considered a joint employer simply because it has the contractual power to control workers employed by another party, is good news.

Report: Schiff Aide, Whistleblower Wanted To “Take Out” Trump. What Did Schiff Know and When Did He Know It?

R. Cort Kirkwood at rss - 12 hours ago
[image: report-schiff-aide-whistleblower-wanted-to-take-out-trump-what-did-schiff-know-and-when-did-he-know-it] The impeachment trial in which President Trump is defending himself against false accusations of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress might well be the result of a four-man conspiracy.

Day Three – Senate Impeachment Trial – 1:00pm Livestream…

sundance at The Last Refuge - 12 hours ago
There will be 24 hours of presentation by House Impeachment Managers (over 3 days); 24 hours of presentation by Defense team (over 3 days); 16 hours of Senate questioning; 4 hours of closing arguments, equally divided; and then a Senate … Continue reading →

"Wuhan Coronavirus Live Map – Updated Daily"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
*"Wuhan Coronavirus Live Map – Updated Daily"* by IWB "GIS Daily updates – worldwide. For those who care to watch it grow." "Bumped up to 25 dead now and 616 cases. The number of people killed by a new virus in China has risen to 25 – and overall cases to 616, the country has said. We’ll see how long it takes before the map updates." - news.sky.com/story/ - https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/ ◆ *Click image for larger size.* ◆ Related: "3 Suspected Coronavirus Cases Identified In Scotland" "US Urges Americans To "Reconsider" China Travel As New Cases Emerge From Scotland To Singapore... more »

Stanford SS Is Hosting Vandana Shiva Today - And The Science Community Should Be Angry

Hank Campbell at Science 2.0 blogs - 12 hours ago
Would any school with a medical program be happy about a paid talk by Robert F. Kennedy so he could rail against vaccines, claiming that a world of preventable diseases made humanity stronger by culling the weak? Would doctors be happy if a school organization devoted to fighting climate change helped fund it? That is why the science community at Stanford, one of the best science schools in the country, can't be happy that the Students for a Sustainable Stanford group has paid around $40,000 for an anti-science philosopher, Vandana Shiva, Ph.D., to talk about "sustainability" - whe... more »

USMCA passes Senate heading to President’s desk next

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 12 hours ago
In the midst of the turmoil going on in the Senate, on January 16, 2020, the House Ways and Means Committee chairman Richard Neal released the following news: Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Senate passed implementing legislation for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA): “With a bipartisan majority of Senators’ support, this landmark trade bill now moves to the President’s desk. This legislation was the culmination of months of House Democrats’ work to transform the new NAFTA into a deal that r... more »

Maxine Waters vows Democrats will not stop trying to impeach #45

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 12 hours ago
“We Will Not Stop!” – Maxine Waters Vows to Continue New Impeachments Against President Trump (VIDEO) Gateway Pundit Jim Hoft January 20, 2020 Democrat Maxine Waters made the rounds yesterday on the national networks. Mad Maxine says Democrats will not stop with their attempts to impeach President Trump. “We will not stop. Whether or not that leads to another impeachment activity, I don’t know. But I know we must continue the work that our constituents elected us to congress to do.” Trending Politics reported: California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters had quite the slip of the tongue... more »

A VERY STABLE DUMBNESS: "Remarkably transparent," Cillizza proclaims!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 12 hours ago
*THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2020No talking point left behind:* Are the mainstream press, and the liberal world, possibly gripped, in some small tiny way, by the impulses future experts have called "a very stable dumbness?" You're asking a wonderful question! We'd planned to examine that question this week, focusing on the burgeoning realm that's sometimes called "Death by Woke." The New York Times' recent dual endorsement(s) threw that plan into disarray. As we've skillfully noted, there's nothing automatically dumb about endorsing *two* candidates in a race only one hopeful can win.... more »

Optimism—What Dems and Anti-Trumpers Fear the Most

Alicia at LaRouchePAC Feed - 12 hours ago
Green Fascism London-Saudi Global Terror Stop WWIII Optimism—What Dems and Anti-Trumpers Fear the Most Video of Optimism—What Dems and Anti-Trumpers Fear the Most It has become evident that the coup plotters running the impeachment trial against President Trump are taking their strategy from Joseph Goebbels—"If you repeat a lie often enough, people believe it"—as Rep. Schiff and others droned on about "abuse of power" and "cover-up" late into last night in the trial in the Senate. Meanwhile, in Davos, Trump he provoked waves of hysteria, by invoking the cultural optimism of the cath... more »

Review Imagining The Nation, Nationalism, Sectarianism and Socio-Political Conflict in Iraq

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 12 hours ago
*Al-Qarawee, Harith, **Imagining The Nation, Nationalism, Sectarianism and Socio-Political Conflict in Iraq**, Lanchashire: Rossendale Books, 2012* *Imagining The Nation, Nationalism, Sectarianism and Socio-Political Conflict in Iraq* is an academic book by Harith Al-Qarawee who now goes by Harith Hasan, about how Iraq’s Arab population has struggled to form a national identity from the foundation of the country to the present. The book is organized like a thesis with an introduction where the main argument is laid out, followed by a review of the literature on the topic, and then ... more »

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 23

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 12 hours ago
1920 British cabinet decided Iraqi oil would be developed by a public company Foreign Secretary Curzon overturned decision 1920 UK Foreign Secretary Lord Curzon decided Turkish Petroleum Company would keep its oil rights signed with Ottomans (Musings On Iraq book review *The Creation of Iraq 1914-1921*) 1948 More protests against Anglo-Iraq Treaty leading to fights between Communist and Independence party (Musings On Iraq book review *Red Star Over Iraq, Iraqi Communism Before Saddam*) (Musings On Iraq Interviewwith Prof Johan Franzen on the history of the Iraqi Communist Part... more »

US and Cuba spar over jailed dissident – but is José Daniel Ferrer really a political prisoner?

María Isabel Alfonso, Professor of Spanish, St. Joseph's College of New York at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 12 hours ago
The US is demanding the 'immediate' release of a Cuban activist jailed since Oct. 1. But allegations of violence and fraud suggest the charges against José Daniel Ferrer are criminal, not political.

Just 3% of What the US Spends Destroying Countries Could End Starvation—On the Entire Planet

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 12 hours ago
[image: war]Another scathing report shows the Pentagon's accounting "errors" for war spending are now over $35 Trillion in just a single year and it's getting worse.

Racist Cop Who Called Tamir Rice a ‘Thug’ Now Identifies as a Black Man—Seriously

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 12 hours ago
[image: black]After calling a murdered black child a thug, stomping on the rights of blacks, and breaking the law, this hero cop now claims he actually IS black.

Trump Envoy Issues Death Threat to Soleimani Successor, Head of Iran’s Quds Force

21wire at 21st Century Wire - 12 hours ago
*21WIRE* | US special envoy to Iran unleashes a barrage of bizarre statements aimed against Iran.

It's Here

LL at Virtual Mirage - 12 hours ago
*Coronavirus* (or the Wuhan Virus) Based on a conversation with people on the ground in China, the virus is much worse than has been reported in the Western press. Not that I think much of the news media in the US. As with the Spanish Flu Epidemic (1918-1920), otherwise healthy young adults are dying. Usually flu epidemics claim the very young and very old. In the case of the Spanish Flu, the high mortality rate occurred because the virus triggered a cytokine storm, which ravaged the stronger immune system of young adults. I'm not a virologist, so I can't offer a valid opinion. Bu... more »

When Will The Winter Come to An End?: The Fourth Newsletter (2020)

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 12 hours ago
23 January 2020 — Tri-Continental When Will The Winter Come to An End?: The Fourth Newsletter (2020) Dear Friends, Greetings from the desk of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. On 17 January, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led the Friday prayers for the first time in eight years. He mocked the ‘American clowns’ who … Continue reading When Will The Winter Come to An End?: The Fourth Newsletter (2020)

US Special Representative For Iran: Successor To Slain Iran General Will Face The Same Fate If He Kills Americans

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran, attends a news conference in London, Britain June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo *Asharq Al-Awsat*: *Brian Hook to Asharq Al-Awsat: Ghaani Faces Soleimani’s Fate if he Follows Similar Path * The US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, has said that the successor to Iran's Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani would suffer the same fate if he followed a similar path of killing Americans. After Soleimani’s killing on Jan. 3, Tehran swiftly appointed Esmail Ghaani as the new head of the Quds Force. He pledged to purs... more »

How The Military-Industrial Complex Gets Away With Murder in Contract After Contract

Mandy Smithberger at 13 hours ago
[image: undefined] Call it a colossal victory for a Pentagon that hasn't won a war in this century, but not for the rest of us. Congress only recently passed and the president approved one of the largest Pentagon budgets ever. It will surpass spending at the peaks of both the Korean and Vietnam wars. As last year ended, as if to highlight the strangeness of all this, the Washington Post broke a story about a “confidential trove of government documents” -- interviews with key figures involved in the Afghan War by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruct... more »

Group that reused cheese cloth in different experiments up to six retractions

Adam Marcus at Retraction Watch - 13 hours ago
The other day, we reported on the retraction this month of a paper that was laid low by reuse of experimental materials — cheese cloth, to be exact — when fresh were required. At the time, we asked the senior author, Donghai Wang, of Kansas State University, whether any other articles from his group had … Continue reading Group that reused cheese cloth in different experiments up to six retractions

...(which I first learned about in yesterday’s Times)

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 13 hours ago
Victoria Derbyshire tweets: Absolutely devastated at the plan to end our programme (which I first learned about in yesterday’s *Times*). I’m unbelievably proud of what our team and our show have achieved in under 5 years, breaking tonnes of original stories (which we were asked to do); attracting a working class, young, diverse audience that BBC radio & TV news progs just don’t reach (which we were asked to do); & smashing the digital figures (which we were asked to do). I’m gutted particularly for our brilliant, young, ambitious, talented team - love ‘em. And for all those people ... more »

'Never been this scared': What it's like to be trapped in a city under a virus lockdown

Iris Zhao, Michael Walsh And Bang Xiao at Just In - 13 hours ago
Wuhan residents trapped in the locked-down city due to the coronavirus outbreak say they are too scared to leave their homes, comparing the experience to living in a horror movie.

BWorld 403, Smoking, vaping and the nanny state

Bienvenido Oplas Jr at Government and Taxes - 13 hours ago
* My column in BusinessWorld, January 16, 2019. *“To act on the belief that we possess the knowledge and the power which enable us to shape the processes of society entirely to our liking, knowledge which in fact we do not possess, is likely to make us do much harm.”* — Friedrich Hayek, “The Pretence of Knowledge”, Nobel Prize lecture Dec. 11, 1974 Among the stories we hear and read in the debates on higher tobacco/alcohol tax, smoking/vaping ban, are that 1.) smoking prevalence remains high and rising, 2.) vaping is not a smoking-cessation tool but smoking-enhancement, and, 3.) m... more »

This Is Why Russia's Hypersonic Missiles Cannot Be Seen By U.S. Radar Systems

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
(TASS) *Military.com:* *Why Russia's Hypersonic Missiles Can't Be Seen on Radar* The age of Russian superweapons is upon us -- at least that's what President Vladimir Putin wants us to believe. And they are cause for concern because the United States' traditional early warning systems might not be able to see those weapons coming. Hypersonic weapons such as Russia's 3M22 Zircon fly so fast and low -- at speeds of up to Mach 6 and at a low atmospheric-ballistic trajectory -- that they can penetrate traditional anti-missile defense systems. The missile flies with an advanced fuel th... more »

Ayalas, MPIC, ABS-CBN, even SM under attack by the President

Bienvenido Oplas Jr at Government and Taxes - 13 hours ago
President Duterte first attacked Manila and Maynilad Water companies by Ayalas and MPIC-DMCI, respectively, last month. Then last week the Light Rail Management Corp. (LRMC), operator of LRT1, also MPIC and Ayala owned, plus Macquarie. This week, the UP-Ayala Technohub. He also disapproved SM's reclamation project in Manila Bay, 360 hectares. Previously he attacked ABS-CBN of Lopezes, its legislative franchise expiring in March this year, two months away. Is there a pattern? What's really going on? Who's next? Some news reports here from BWorld: *ALI says land deal ‘beneficial’ fo... more »

Arrest Warrant Issued for NFL Wide Receiver Antonio Brown

AP News at Snopes.com - 13 hours ago
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown following accusations that he and his trainer attacked another man near Brown's Florida home.

Aerosmith Drummer Loses Bid to Rejoin Band for Grammy Honors

AP News at Snopes.com - 13 hours ago
A judge has told Aerosmith's drummer Joey Kramer to dream on if he hopes to rejoin the band as it's set to perform and be honored at Grammy events.

RED ALERT! HYPE ABOUT THE NEW VIRUS COULD PROVIDE COVER TO SPREAD EBOLA AND ROLL OUT FORCED VACCINATION WITH RISKY EBOLA JABS

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 13 hours ago
*The new coronavirus has a low mortality rate of just 3% but mainstream and Globalist media like Zerohedge are already trying to establish an equivalence between it and Ebola, a much more lethal disease, which, however, does not spread easily.* *The NWO appears to be hoping to confuse the public by setting in motions two epidemic scams at the same time. to push the narrative of a lethal disease spreading very fast. That to justify martial law measures, like forced isolation and quarantine.* *While the media is hyping the new virus threat, the real threat is Ebola. An Ebola vaccin... more »

Soviet Female Sniper With 309 Confirmed Kills Revealed In Fascinating Pics

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Photo:* Pavlichenko is credited as being the most successful female sniper ever, with an astonishing 309 confirmed kills. Credit: Bournemouth News *The SUN:* *LADY DEATH Female sniper with 309 confirmed kills revealed in fascinating pics of the most lethal World War II sharpshooters* A FEMALE sniper nicknamed "Lady Death" is revealed in these remarkable photos that show Second World War's deadliest snipers in action. Credited with 309 kills, the Ukrainian-born Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a sniper in the Red Army during World War Two. She was the most successful female sniper in histo... more »

Tweets For Today

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
Medics confirm the #CoronavirusOutbreak that has killed 17 can be spread third hand by a simple COUGH https://t.co/KBmO9rzefD — Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) January 23, 2020 Can wearing masks stop the spread of viruses? https://t.co/0Wf58oKabz — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 23, 2020 Dozens of Syrian soldiers killed in assault by hundreds of militants in north-western Syria https://t.co/Xm94iAiZEa — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 23, 2020 #UPDATE Lawmakers in Russia's lower house State #Duma on Thursday unanimously approved a sweeping constitutional reform bill... more »

Schiff talks about "quid pro quo": Problem is that's not in the articles of impeachment

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 13 hours ago
There's a good reason that the Democrats articles of impeachment don't contain the phrase "quid pro quo"; there is no evidence that a quid pro quo every existed. First both Trump and Ukraine President Zelensky deny that there was one. Second the transcript of the phone call shows that there was no quid pro quo. Third not one of the hand picked witnesses produced by lying Adam Schiff ever testified to first hand knowledge of a quid pro quo. Despite that Schiff mentioned it a lot during his lies to the Senate. He cited Ambassador Sondland who did say there was a quid pro quo. But S... more »

How America's B-1 Bomber Is Basically a Flying Missile Carrier

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, Americas* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/IRAQ-USA-BOMBER-RP3DRIGVSMAA.html] And powerful too. *Key point: *The B-1 might not long be a part of the nuclear triad, but it still packs a punch. Together with the B-52, the B-1 is an important strategic bomber. Like many warplanes since the end of the Cold War, the B-1B bomber’s role in American airpower has changed to embrace new missions. Unlike other planes, the B-1’s mission changed even before the first aircraft took off. What started as a high-altitude, high-speed nuclear-penetration bom... more »

Why France's Nuclear Weapons Still Matter

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, Europe* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/FRANCE-DEFENSE-SARKOZY--GM1E43L1PD201.html] They protect Europe. *Key point: *Paris wanted its own deterrent, both to protect itself and to keep France "great." Nuclear missile submarines also allowed France to leave NATO for a good number of years while remaining secure. France was the fourth country to join the so-called “Nuclear Club,” and at the height of the Cold War maintained its own nuclear triad of land-based missiles, nuclear-armed bombers and ballistic missile submarines. Today, France’s ... more »

Why Did the Navy Build Super Aircraft Carriers Instead of a Lot of Medium Ones?

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *History, Americas* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/US-YEMEN-SECURITY-USA-NAVY-TM3EB4L0TX301.html] It was a big debate. *Key point: *Carriers are the mainstay of American force overseas. But it wasn't a certainty that Washington would build larger carriers instead of cheaper, more numerous, small carriers. The United States Navy’s ten nuclear supercarriers are the largest warships on the high seas. Home to more than five thousand sailors and Marines, the Nimitz-class carriers are nuclear-powered and can carry nearly ninety combat aircraft. Still, it... more »

Why It Is Not Possible to Buy the Glock 18

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Technology, Americas* [image: i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/97/6c/9a976ce6b923bcc20ffc2187253928cf.jpg] All the reasons. *Key point:* The Glock 18 is so deadly that only the military is allowed to use it. Americans can't legally get themselves a Glock 18. In December 2003, soldiers of the U.S. Special Operations Command captured the Ace of Spades himself, Saddam Hussein. The former Iraqi president, on the run since the capture of Baghdad, had appeared in a deck of playing cards with the profiles of other fugitive war criminals and naturally was the top card. Hussei... more »

Key Global Takeaways From India's Revised Personal Data Protection Bill

abasu at Lawfare - 13 hours ago
Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad (Center) Flanked by Ministers P.P. Chaudhary and S.S. Ahluwalia (Source: Ministry of Law & Justice (GODL-India)) The Indian government finally introduced its Personal Data Protection Bill in Parliament on Dec. 11, 2019, after more than two years of fierce debate on the bill’s provisions. Rather than pushing to immediately pass this hugely significant bill, India’s minister of information technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad, referred it for scrutiny to a joint parliamentary committee. After the committee publishes a report on the bill, it will then be debate... more »

US Plotting Return Of ‘Strongman’ In Iraq

M. K. BHADRAKUMAR at OrientalReview.org - 13 hours ago
The departure of the former Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani is beginning to be felt in Iraq. The two meetings that the US President Donald Trump had with the leader of Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government Nechirvan Barzani and the president of Iraq Barhem Saleh in Switzerland on Wednesday on the […]

Adam Schiff says the House messed up impeachment

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 13 hours ago
Adam Schiff said that the House impeachment hearings didn't find the "full truth" about the "scheme" and "corruption". Which is saying that he didn't do his job. There is absolutely no reason that the House couldn't have called the same witnesses and subpoenaed the same documents that they're demanding the Senate produce. The Democrats either due to gross incompetence or because the impeachment is all about influencing the 2020 election failed to do their job according to Schiff. Now they want the Senate to do what they should have done. Remember in the House they had the votes bu... more »

CNN analyst lies about Senate Republicans says that's ok

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 13 hours ago
CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart pulled a "Schiff" and posted a supposed conversation by Senate Republicans that didn't actually happen; just as Democrat Adam Schiff made up things that Trump supposedly said and pretended that they were what Trump had said. Overheard convo between two Republican Senators who only watch Fox News. "is this stuff real? I haven't heard any of this before. I thought it was all about a server. If half the stuff Schiff is saying is true, we're up shit's creek. Hope the White House has exculpatory evidence — Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) January 22, 2020 He... more »

Democrat Jerry Nadler accuses Democrats in the House of a coverup

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 13 hours ago
In the impeachment hearings dishonest hyper partisan Jerry Nadler said: *“I see a lot of senators voting for a cover-up, voting to deny witnesses, an absolutely indefensible vote, obviously a treacherous vote,”* Clearly calling Senators traitors for not doing what Nadler wants goes far beyond honest disagreements and shows just how much people like Nadler hate democracy; for Nadler if his candidate doesn't win the election is invalid. But what's interesting is that if we use Nadler's "logic" he's really declaring that he and the other Democrats who ran the House impeachment hearings... more »

Northern Pulp announces more layoffs

Jennifer Henderson at Halifax Examiner - 14 hours ago
Northern Pulp issued a news release earlier this morning to announce 90 salaried employees will receive layoff notices today, in addition to some 180 unionized employees given notice earlier this month. The release says: “The majority of Northern Pulp’s 90 salaried employees will be laid off over the next few months with the earliest being […]

Shaping the rules around roadside memorials

Suzanne Rent at Halifax Examiner - 14 hours ago
News 1. Northern Pulp issues layoff notices This morning’s press release from Northern Pulp: Jennifer Henderson will have more on this shortly. 2. Council’s budget committee opts in favour of menstrual products for municipal facilities Zane Woodford looks at councillor Lorelei Nicoll’s proposal to get menstrual products in municipal facilities. The proposal is closer to […]

Adam Schiff lies about the Parnas documents

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 14 hours ago
Schiff sent a letter to Nadler last week in which he summarized a bunch of documents from indicted fraud Lev Parnas who is desperately seeking leverage to avoid prison time. In that letter Schiff said that Parnas's documents show that he was trying to arrange a meeting with Ukraine President Zelensky. It's pretty clear that Schiff was deliberately lying. The only unreacted part of the letter that Schiff sent Nadler had Parnas telling Rudy Giuliani: *trying to get us mr Z* Implying, according to Schiff, a meeting with Zelensky. But a few days later an unreacted copy of the letter s... more »

CDC HAS A TEST FOR NEW VIRUS ALREADY. BUT HOW ACCURATE IS IT?

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*Diagnostic kits used by the CDC and their partners in epidemic emergencies have a history of overdiagnosing a disease.* *In 2014, the government of Sierra Leone ordered Tulane university to stop testing for Ebola because of overdiagnosis and the CDC to put on record their assessment of the laboratory work in Kenema hospital, epicentre of the Ebola outbreak.* *Sierra Leone informed the public in a Facebook post in July 2014.* https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=322983307878518&id=281064805403702 *How confident can the public be that the CDC in 20120 has managed to de... more »

Democrats are lying about Russia because they want to rule you not represent you

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 14 hours ago
Back in 2012 all the same Democrats who are now suddenly afraid of Russia literally laughed when Obama mocked Romney for saying the Russia was a significant threat to America. Now Adam Schiff, Democrat liar in chief, says that Russia might attack the US if Trump is reelected. If in fact Trump is Putin's stooge, which facts show isn't the case, why would Putin attack America when his guy is running the US? Similarly Adam Schiff and his fellow liars are trying to convince us that we can't be sure that an election involving Trump can be honest because of Russian interference. The pro... more »

UK, US MEDIA START TO HYPE MILDISH NEW VIRUS WITH A LOW MORTALITY RATE AS LETHAL, ONE CASE IN SNOHOMISH, TWO PATIENTS PUT INTO HOSPITAL IN SCOTLAND

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*US, UK media have gone into overdrive with their hype about the new coronavirus.* https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10792862/coronavirus-uk-patients-scotland/ *A first case of the new virus has been reported in Snohomish, Washington State, allegedly confrimed by the CDC in a laboratory test.* https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/snohomish-county-man-is-first-u-s-case-of-new-coronavirus/ T*wo people have been put in hospital in the UK.* *For clarification, new virus has a low mortality rate of just 3%, far lower than SARS, as Germany's Robert Koch Institute noted.* *Moreover, most of t... more »

Wanted: Chapters About No Excuses Charters

Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig at Cloaking Inequity - 14 hours ago
Much has been written about “No Excuses” charter schools and their deleterious impacts on student of color (See for example Colonizing the Black Natives). Amber Kim is leading a groundbreaking new book project entitled, Inexcusable: Contemporary Counter-Narratives that Expose the “New Face” of No Excuses Schools. You may remember Dr. Kim from the Diane Ravitch episode of Truth for America

WHO EXTENDS TALKS ON WHETHER TO DECLARE MILDISH VIRUS A GLOBAL EMERGENCY, REPEAT OF THE SWINE FLU SCAREMONGERING SCANDAL OF 2009

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
P*UBLIC ALL TOO FAMILIAR WITH WHO'S flu SCAM FROM 2009 * *SWINE FLU WAS HYPED AS LETHAL DISEASE SPREADING FAST * *FAULTY CDC AND WHO PROTOCOLS WHICH OVERDIAGNOSED SWINE FLU GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF AN EPIDEMIC* *SWINE FLU VACCINE RUSHED INTO PRODUCED CAUSED DAMAGE, NARCOLEPSY* *PUBLIC OVERWHELMINGLY REJECTED THE SWINE FLU VACCINE* *SCANDAL RESULTED IN LASTING LOSS OF PUBLIC TRUST IN WHO AND VACCINES* *From Xinhaunet* *GENEVA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday night extended to Thursday its emergency talks on whether the novel coronavirus outbre... more »

Climate Justice Means Extremism

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 14 hours ago
George Monbiot writes that, if you're going to stand for climate justice, the powers that be will label you an extremist: The police have always protected established power against those who challenge it, regardless of the nature of that challenge. And they have long sought to criminalise peaceful dissent. Part of the reason is ideological: illiberal and undemocratic attitudes infest policing in this country. Part of it is empire-building: if police units can convince the government and the media of imminent threats that only they can contain, they can argue for more funding. But... more »

Love Your New TCL or Hisense 4K Smart TV? The Chinese Government Made That TV.

Salvatore Babones at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Salvatore Babones* *Technology, * These TV's are cheap and offer an amazing picture. However, one expert points out that American consumers don't know the whole story--and it might change their mind. The era of the smart TV has arrived, and if you're like most people, you found the deals coming out of China just too good to pass up. Sales of Chinese-made TCL televisions have risen to second place in the North American market, with other Chinese brands in hot pursuit. And don't think that just because you splurge on a fancy Sharp or Toshiba TV, you're buying a famous Japanese b... more »

US military base in Japan posts alert for new coronavirus

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — The U.S. military has warned its personnel in Japan to watch out for symptoms of a deadly pneumonia-like virus after a man from Kanagawa prefecture, home to thousands of sailors and soldiers, contracted the disease in China this month.* *Wuhan, a city of more than 11 million people in east-central China, planned to shutdown outbound flights and trains Thursday to contain the disease that has sickened hundreds and killed 17 in the country, The Associated Press reported Thursday.* *The Air Force’s 374th Medical Group at Yokota posted an alert to social medi... more »

Poll Shocker: Bernie Leads Biden and Field NATIONALLY

Selwyn Duke at rss - 14 hours ago
[image: poll-shocker-bernie-leads-biden-and-field-nationally] The Sanders Surge that saw the Vermont senator’s stock rise in Iowa has continued, with a new poll showing the socialist presidential contender leading all his rivals nationally — including longtime front-runner Joe Biden.

America was just wiped out." Flashback to 2018 and a US pandemic simulation of a pneumonia virus released by a cult aiming to depopulate the world, starting in a US military base

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*From the New Yorker* *It was in the ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C., when the worst pandemic since the 1918 Spanish flu broke out. On cable news, there were reports of four hundred confirmed cases, mostly clustered in Frankfurt, Germany, but with infected individuals reported as far afield as Tokyo, Kabul, and Caracas. Brow furrowed, eyes widened, the anchorwoman’s tone was urgent as she described the spread of a new type of parainfluenza virus, called Clade X. Transmitted through inhalation, it left the infected contagious but otherwise unaffected for up to ... more »

75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 14 hours ago
Holocaust Remembrance; 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The Russia v Poland debacle. *Backstage drama.* “Polish President Andrzej Duda is furious that he was not invited to speak at the gathering” Everyone who is anyone will be there. Prince Charles* will be there to represent the UK. Apparently, the Poles and the Russians portray each other as collaborators and appeasers and President Duda thinks Putin is being given carte blanche to virtue-signal, whereas he is not. Of course, there’s more to it than that . *The BBC says:* “Andrzej Duda is staying away in prote... more »

CHINESE SOLDIERS LOCK DOWN CITY OF 11 MILLION TO STOP SPREAD OF NEW VIRUS

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*A good move as long as the people inside the city get emergency airlifts of food etc and help. Otherwise, the move could lead to rioting and people trying to escape the city due to hunger.* *Also, the soldiers need special measures since they can more easily infect each other in the environment of barracks. Myself, I would use soldiers as little as possible inside Wuhan to reduce the risk of infections among soldiers. A travel ban can be implemented just by stopping all the trains, airplanes etc. * *https://gnews.org/86468/* *Chinese Authorities Begin Quarantine Of Wuhan City As... more »

WUHAN RESIDENTS LEFT WTHOUT ENOUGH FOOD DUE TO INCOMPETENT CHINESE QUARANTINE PLAN

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*Media report chaotic scenes in the Chinese city put under quarantine for a mild new coronavirus without proper planning to ensure emergency airlifts of food.* *My thinking is that China's decision to put a travel ban around Wuhan may have been correct but only as ** long as the authorities make sure enough food, water etc gets to people and they are also given vital social support to people, for example, money to people who might have lost their jobs because they were in Wuhan and can't return to work on time.* *The Daily Mail report a shortage of food already in Wuhan. A shortage ... more »

NEW DATA CONFIRM NEW VIRUS VERY LOW MORTALITY RATE, JUST 3%, MOST VICTIMS OLDER MEN WITH HELATH PROBLEMS

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*Deaths from China’s new virus rose to 17 on Wednesday with more than 540 cases confirmed, according to CNBC, indicating a mortality rate of just 3%, far lower than SARS as the Robert Koch Institute noted.* *https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/china-coronavirus-death-toll-in-chinas-hubei-reaches-17-state-tv.html* *Furthermore, most of deaths have been older men with health problems, further suggesting a mildish virus, not lethal to most people.* *The NY T reports that coronavirus deaths are so far mostly older men, many with previous health issues, according to Chinese health officials,... more »

Iran News Links 22-23 January 2020

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 14 hours ago
23 January 2020 • 17:30 — The New Dark Age There may be some duplication due to cross-posting and may be updated throughout the day, so please check back Dutch foreign minister’s speculations over plane crash in Iran impermissible — Zakharova https://tass.com/politics/1112407 Today’s Links 23 January 2020 http://mikewhitneysgraspingatstraws.blogspot.com/2020/01/todays-links_23.html Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Be tougher with Iran, husband … Continue reading Iran News Links 22-23 January 2020

Check your sources

Keith at musingsofanoldfart - 15 hours ago
The following is a condensed version of earlier posts. I have forwarded it to my local and hometown newspapers. Feel free to adapt and use. **************** When Lt. Col. Ralph Peters resigned from Fox as its military advisor, he was … Continue reading →

FLAWED CDC PROTOCOLS ARE SET TO OVERDIAGNOSE THE NEW VIRUS, REPEAT OF 2009 SWINE FLU WHEN CBS FOUND SWINE FLU CASES OVERDIAGNOSED

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 15 hours ago
*Flashback to 2009 when CBS’s Sharyl Attkisson reviewed the US data, recorded by state and the federal government, of swine flu laboratory test results and discovered that there had been huge overdiagnosis of swine flu cases due to the CDC's faulty screenin protocols.* *https://www.cbsnews.com/news/swine-flu-cases-overestimated/* *Flawed CDC protocols meant that many people who had coughs, fevers and other flu like symptoms and who met certain epidemiological criteria, such as a journey to Mexico, origin of the swine flu, were wrongly classified as probable cases of swine flu or e... more »

Picture Of the Day

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
Foxconn employees wearing masks attend the company's year-end gala in Taipei, Taiwan January 22, 2020. REUTERS/Yimou Lee *WNU Editor: *The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... *Coronavirus outbreak spreads in China* (Reuters).

Firefighting Plane Crashes in Australia, Killing Three Americans

AP News at Snopes.com - 15 hours ago
Three American crew members were killed when a C-130 Hercules aerial water tanker crashed while battling wildfires in southeastern Australia.

Generous tribute

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 15 hours ago
Robin Aitken pays a generous tribute to the outgoing D.G. but concludes thusly: "However the main item on the charge-sheet is his failure to tackle the obvious bias in the Corporation’s news output. Brexit is the issue that everyone talks about in this context but it is by no means the only one; from Trump, to climate change, to transgenderism, the BBC has nailed its colours firmly to the liberal mast. That is unfortunate when, by dint of December’s general election, it now faces a strong Tory government in a position, and possibly a mood, to settle old scores. For all his good... more »

The Wage-Productivity Gap - Anger on Main Street America

A Political Junkie at Viable Opposition - 15 hours ago
There is a simmering anger in America, an anger that is largely responsible for the election of the current administration in Washington. Millions of American voters feel that they simply cannot get ahead financially no matter how hard they try or what they do. In this posting, I want to look at an interesting metric that may help to explain this growing feeling of disenchantment with the Great American Dream. In a recent analysis by the Economic Policy Institute or EPI we find the following graphic: As you can see on the graphic, when you compare the growth in the average hourl... more »

Introducing our new Android app, to help you bookmark faster

Stefan van Dierendonck at start.me - 15 hours ago
As we’ve quietly launched our new Android app, we felt it time to explain it’s main features and advantages. We hope you’ll try it out yourself. And in case you’re wondering about the iPhone app, we’ll soon announce an update of this app too. But, let’s start with Android first. Android app look and feel… Read More Read More

China Shuts Down More Cities in Bid to Contain Deadly Virus

AP News at Snopes.com - 15 hours ago
China decided to lock down three cities that are home to more than 18 million people in an unprecedented effort to try to contain a deadly new viral illness that has sickened hundreds and spread to other cities and countries in the Lunar New Year travel rush.

On The Myth Of Man's Rationality

Unknown at The Verma Report - 15 hours ago
The philosophers define man as a rational creature, and yet the same philosophers thunder that their intellectual opponents are irrational creatures. I think, “rational” is not an objective term; it’s a relative term. When someone says that men are rational creatures, then you have the right to demand, “Rational, compared to what?” If we are rational compared to the chimpanzees, wildebeest, lions, cats, and dogs, then that does not inspire much confidence in the quality of the human mind. Man cannot be defined as a rational creature because we have a massive drive to act in an irrat... more »

"Economic Market Snapshot AM 1/23/20"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
*1/23/20, Updated frequently as available.* *◆* Gregory Mannarino, AM 1/23/20: "Stocks And Crude Drop, Important Updates" Website: - https://www.traderschoice.net/ ◆ *MarketWatch Market Summary, Live Updates* - https://www.marketwatch.com/tools/marketsummary *CNN Market Data:* - http://money.cnn.com/data/markets/ *CNN Fear And Greed Index:* - http://money.cnn.com/data/fear-and-greed/ ◆ *Buffett Indicator: Where Are We With Market Valuations?* "*As of 1/23/20* (updates daily): The Stock Market is Significantly Overvalued. Based on historical ratio of total market cap over GDP (currentl... more »

2020 Emerging Scholars: Dr. Kabria Baumgartner

Sara Weissman at Diverse - 15 hours ago
When Dr. Kabria Baumgartner went to the University of Massachusetts Amherst to earn her Ph.D., she thought she was going to study 20th century African diasporic literature.

A Time to Lead: Constance Ledoux Book Leads Elon as its First Female President

Sarah Wood at Diverse - 15 hours ago
Over a year ago, Dr. Constance “Connie” Ledoux Book was named Elon University’s first female president. However, being the “first” in a leadership role was not uncharted territory for her.

2020 Emerging Scholars: Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III

Jamal Watson at Diverse - 15 hours ago
Dr. Charles H. F. Davis III is quickly becoming one of the nation’s most prominent scholars. With a bold research agenda that looks at the intersectional politics of identity and systemic oppression, he specifically focuses on contemporary student social movements in college.

Two years in, California’s legal marijuana businesses struggle with financial woes as they battle illicit market

John Schroyer at Marijuana Business Daily - 15 hours ago
Licensed California cannabis companies face a business climate that's arguably more dire than ever before, despite the hope that came with the launch of legalized adult-use sales in January 2018. Two years in, California’s legal marijuana businesses struggle with financial woes as they battle illicit market is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Nick Kyrgios stumbles but rebounds to keep Australian Open campaign alive

Luke Pentony at Just In - 15 hours ago
Despite dropping a set, the mercurial Australian shows more than a glimpse of his immense talent as he beats experienced Frenchman Gilles Simon to move a step closer to a dream match-up with Rafael Nadal.

World Court orders Myanmar to 'take all measures within its power' to prevent Rohingya genocide

Erin Handley at Just In - 15 hours ago
In a sweeping legal victory for members of the Rohingya Muslim minority, the United Nations' court orders Myanmar take all measures in its power to prevent genocide against the Rohingya people.

Nadal, Halep power into third round as Pliskova remains perfect

Just In - 15 hours ago
The men's top seed advances unscathed in Melbourne, as Simon Halep gets past British qualifier Harriet Dart on Rod Laver Arena to reach the last 32.

How the U.S. Will Protect Its Fighter Planes From Foreign Interference

Kris Osborn at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Kris Osborn* *Security, * [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/MIDEAST-IRAN-TANKER-USA-RC1CB6680000.html] We're jamming the frequency. *Key Point:* The B-2 and B-21 will be able to fly safe. The Navy is engineering a new, more powerful, high-tech electronic warfare Next-Generation Jammer technology designed to allow strike aircraft and stealth bombers to destroy enemy targets without being detected by modern surface-to-air missile defenses. While radar warning receivers are purely defensive technologies, the NGJ is configured with offensive jamming capabilities in su... more »

Missile Defense: Keystone Of the New Cold War

Leonid Nersisyan at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Leonid Nersisyan* *Security, Eurasia* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/JAPAN-USA-MISSILES-RC1D08EACCE0.html] Russia and the United States hope to cancel out the other's arsenal of weapons. *Key Point:* Missile defense continues to not be practical or deescalatory. The intensity of relations between the United States and Russia has reached its zenith. That has led nuclear deterrence and missile defense to once again become a relevant subject of discussion, as they were during the Cold War. I have already discussed the countries’ balance of strategic nuclear forces i... more »

Trump's Decision To Strike Iran Could Backfire Big Time

Jacob Heilbrunn at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Jacob Heilbrunn* *Security, Middle East* Only time will tell. *Key point: *There is no constituency for more war in America. Talleyrand remarked that Napoleon’s assassination of the Duke of Enghien was worse than a crime. It was a mistake. Donald Trump’s decision to target Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, for destruction brings to mind the French diplomat’s lapidary verdict. Iran is likely to unleash its fearsome Shia proxy militias, wherever and whenever it can. Nor is support from Europe, which is on the frontlines of Iranian blow... more »

How America Could Have Lost World War I: A German-Mexican Alliance?

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, Americas* [image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimmermann_Telegram#/media/File:Cartoon_for_a_Telegram.jpg] The idea was thrown around during World War I. *Key Point:* There was never potential for a Mexican invasion of the United States. It was one hundred years ago when Mexico almost invaded the United States. In January 1917, German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann dispatched a coded telegram to Heinrich von Eckardt, the German ambassador to Mexico. With Germany locked in bloody stalemate with the Allies in France, and Britain’s naval blockade st... more »

America's Plan To Sink Enemy Navies

Kris Osborn at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Kris Osborn* *Security, * [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/USA-IRAN--RC129A725C80.html] Russia and China are now on notice. *Key Point:* Such a plan has historical precedent. An emerging Pentagon concept for warfighting is aimed at vigorously increasing “cross-domain” fires wherein air assets provide fires for ground attack weapons fire support in real time. This concept also includes Army rockets and artillery to destroy maritime targets such as ships off the coastline, just as sea and air force assets attack targets on land. Pentagon leaders, including leading Ar... more »

Basic Astrophysics: Even Planets Have Size Limits

Natalie Hinkel at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Natalie Hinkel* *History, Americas* [image: Reuters] All planets fall into these two categories. Scientists have discovered over 4,000 exoplanets outside of our Solar System, according to NASA’s Exoplanet Archive. Some of these planets orbit multiple stars at the same time. Certain planets are so close to their star that it takes only a handful of days to make one revolution, compared to the Earth which takes 365.25 days. Others slingshot around their star with extremely oblong orbits, unlike the Earth’s circular one. When it comes to how exoplanets behave and where they exist,... more »

Ok, 'Boomer': This Is the Deadliest Submarine Monster Lurking the Deep

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Americas* [image: An unarmed Trident II D5 missile is test-launched from the Ohio-class U.S. Navy ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska off the coast of California, U.S. March 26, 2018. Picture taken March 26, 2018.] Ballistic missile submarines—or as sailors call them, 'boomers.' *Key Point:* ballistic-missile submarines promise the unstoppable hand of nuclear retribution—and should deter any sane adversary from attempting a first strike or resorting to nuclear weapons at all. Nine years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Ishir... more »

Expert Notes That Iran’s Military Likes to Outsource Its Cyberthreat Forces

Dorothy Denning at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Dorothy Denning* *Security, Middle East* [image: Reuters] Seven hackers tied to the Iranian government were indicted for attempting to take over a New York dam’s control system. In the wake of the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general and Iran’s retaliatory missile strike, should the U.S. be concerned about the cyberthreat from Iran? Already, pro-Iranian hackers have defaced several U.S. websites to protest the killing of General Qassem Soleimani. One group wrote “This is only a small part of Iran’s cyber capability” on one of the hacked sites. Two years ago, I wrote that Iran’s... more »

Meet the Secret New U.S. Navy Torpedo That Promises To Be Even Deadlier

Kris Osborn at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Kris Osborn* *Security, Americas* [image: Following a strategic deterrence patrol, the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Alaska returns to its homeport at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, U.S. in this April 2, 2019 handout photo.] Watch out, Russia and China! *Key Point:* Modifications to the weapon improves the acoustic receiver, replaces the guidance-and-control hardware with updated technology, increases memory, and improves processor throughput to handle the expanded software demands required to improve torpedo performance against evolving threats, accordin... more »

The Crux Of The 20th Century Was World War I

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *History, * [image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_the_Marne#/media/File:Infanterie-fran%C3%A7aise-rol.jpg] The 1900s would have been wholly different if Germany had won the war. *Key Point:* The Germans should have listened to Schlieffen and kept the right hand strong. When it comes to alternative history, the Second World War is king. Dozens of books and wargames suggest how history would have changed if Hitler had invaded Britain or not invaded Russia. Want to know what happens when a Nimitz-class supercarrier goes back in time to battle the Japa... more »

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Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 15 hours ago
From Jenna Orkin Climate change: Arctic permafrost now melting at levels not expected until 2090Fresh fish caught off Britain goes on 10,000-MILE round trip before being sold in UK supermarkets HOW THE US WAGES WAR TO PROP UP THE DOLLAR Tucker Carlson: Bernie Sanders capable of taking 'many thousands' of Trump voters‘No Chinese allowed’: Japanese shop criticised for coronavirus sign Swiss police suspect Davos plumbers of being Russian spies Florida Buys Everglades Land to Prevent Oil Drilling Trump staffers planned the Ukraine aid freeze the night before his call to Zelensky, further... more »

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