Friday, December 20, 2019

20 December - Blogs I'm Following - 3 of 5

10:16 pm MST

Last Performing Circus Elephant Of Chile Transported To Sanctuary To Live In Peace

WTStaff at Waking Times - 11 hours ago
*Mandy Froelich* - On October 16th, Ramba left Santiago, Chile, accompanied by elephant welfare experts and several dedicated volunteers.

Tiger Receives Prosthetic Limb to Reduce Pain In First-Ever Kind of Surgery

WTStaff at Waking Times - 11 hours ago
*Mandy Froelich* - After being rescued from the poacher’s trap in 2012, the big cat went on to live at the Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur.

Eating Cadavers in the Name of Science

WTStaff at Waking Times - 11 hours ago
*Sergey Baranov* - As human flesh is heading to your menu, you may want to take a moment to think about the degree of insanity we are witnessing in the western world today.

Invisible Ink Could Soon Reveal Whether Children Have Been Vaccinated

WTStaff at Waking Times - 11 hours ago
*Emma Fiala* - Vaccine record tattoos... coming to a child's skin near you!

Air Pollution Strongly Linked to Depression and Suicide in New Global Study

WTStaff at Waking Times - 11 hours ago
*Elias Marat* - While the harmful effects of breathing filthy air have long been known, a growing consensus has found that the psychological effect may also be profound.

World War III Questions: Can You Really Win a War of Armageddon?

John M. Curatola at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*John M. Curatola* *Security, * LeMay's ability to get the most out of his command became a hallmark of his leadership acumen. In the pantheon of American military commanders, Curtis LeMay stands out as one of the more controversial individuals. His gruff, no-nonsense, yet pragmatic approaches to strategic bombardment and airpower leave most people either admiring his aptitude or loathing his methods. The author of the Japanese fire raids in the closing months of World War II, LeMay’s actions provide one of the clearest examples of total war and unrestricted bombing. His abilit... more »

The Science of Star Wars: Based in Reality?

Carsten Welsch at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Carsten Welsch* *History, Americas* [image: The Rise of Skywalker] Here is what we can tell you. Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, the final film in the epic Star Wars series, will hit the big screens on December 19. Science fiction in general – and Star Wars in particular – is a hugely popular genre, much because of the titillating possibility that the mind-blowing technology we see on screen could one day work. But what is science and what is fiction in Star Wars? Could the technology be ahead of actual science? *The Force(s)* The Force is at the heart of the Star Wars unive... more »

World War II Game Changer: Meet America's B-29 Superfortress

Warfare History Network at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Warfare History Network* *History, Middle East* [image: By USAAF - Thumbnail and captionImage, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32205004] A magnificent bomber. The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a game changer. First rolling off the assembly line as a production aircraft in July 1943, the Superfortress was the answer to America’s need for a high-level long-range strategic bomber. Conceived in 1938, the Superfortress was designed to increase the range, payload, and speed of its predecessors and was ultimately slated for service in the Pacific Theater... more »

Star Wars Question: Why Are These Sci-Fi Classics Told as a Trilogy?

Stefanie Johnstone at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Stefanie Johnstone* *History, Americas* [image: The Force Awakens] We have all the answers. How many Star Wars films did George Lucas plan? According to Dan Golding in his recent book Star Wars After Lucas, this depends on when Lucas was asked. The often-quoted number is nine, but it might wind up being as many as 12. How ever many he planned, we know he planned them in threes. Today’s release of The Rise of Skywalker, directed by J.J. Abrams, marks the end of the third trilogy in the franchise. But where does the trilogy story form come from? *Changing the world* Trilogy is a... more »

Historical Tragedy: Hitler's Own Men Nearly Assassinated Him And Saved Europe

Warfare History Network at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Warfare History Network* *Security, Europe* Operation Valkyrie. *Key point: *Today, there are several public memorials in reunited Germany to the fallen heroes of the resistance plot of July 20, 1944. For Nazi Party Führer (Leader) and German Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler, July 20th, 1944 dawned as a routine working day at his principal wartime military headquarters, the Wolfsschanze (Fort Wolf) in the East Prussian forest of Rastenburg, some three hundred air miles from Berlin, in what is today Poland. He was to have his daily military situation conference at 1 pm. That summe... more »

Andrew Yang Blasts Media for Trump Impeachment Coverage

Shelby Talcott at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Shelby Talcott* *Politics, Americas* [image: Democratic U.S. presidential candidate entrepreneur Andrew Yang speaks at the 2020 campaign debate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, U.S., December 19, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake] 'You would think he’s our president because of some combination of Russia, racism, Facebook, Hillary Clinton and emails all mixed together,' Yang said. 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang ripped into media outlets as a reason why Americans can’t agree on impeachment during Thursday’s Democratic debate. Democratic candidates were a... more »

Hunter Biden Has Avoided His 'Natural and Legal Duty,' Paternity Suit Says

Andrew Kerr at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Andrew Kerr* *Politics, Americas* [image: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden attend an NCAA basketball game between Georgetown University and Duke University in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2010. Picture taken January 30, 2010. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst] Why is he refusing to provide 'basic' information? Hunter Biden is refusing to provide basic information about his finances for an ongoing paternity case, the mother of his 16-month-old child said in a court filing Wednesday. A DNA test confirmed in November that Biden is the biological father of former stripp... more »

The Democratic Debate: Three Moments You Need To Know About

Aradhna Krishna, Sarah Burns, Stephen Onyeiwu at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Aradhna Krishna, Sarah Burns, Stephen Onyeiwu* *Politics, Americas* [image: Reuters] Seven democratic candidates convened in Los Angeles for a debate. *Editor’s note: The seven Democrats who qualified for the final Democratic presidential debate of 2019 sparred over the economy, trade, social justice and many other issues – including “wine caves.” We asked three scholars to watch the Dec. 19 debate, held at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and pick a quote from one of the candidates to highlight and analyze.* *Sarah Burns, RIT* “It’s clear why Americans can’t agree ... more »

House Democrats Vote for Trump's U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement

Shelby Talcott at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Shelby Talcott* *Politics, Americas* [image: Trucks wait in a queue for border customs control, to cross into the U.S., at the Zaragoza-Ysleta border crossing bridge in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico December 12, 2019. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez] Trade deals are in. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a trade deal with Mexico and Canada on Thursday, just one day after it voted to impeach President Donald Trump. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which places rules for moving products between the countries, passed with a vote of 385-41. The Senate will be able to vo... more »

Picture a Japanese Aircraft Carrier Armed With American-Built F-35s

David Axe at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*David Axe* *Security, * [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/JAPAN-DEFENCE--GF10000249446.html] That's the future of Asia-Pacific cooperation. *Key Point:* The Japanese build-up is modeled after a similiar British program. Japan's cabinet on Dec. 18, 2018 *approved* a plan to modify the Japanese navy's two *Izumo*-class helicopter carriers to embark F-35B stealth fighters. The modifications should result in the Japanese fleet operating, for the first time since World War II, flattops with fixed-wing aircraft. With the two ships and their new planes, Tokyo could be abl... more »

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Apologies for Mocking Biden's Stutter

Shelby Talcott at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Shelby Talcott* *Politics, Americas* [image: U.S. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks to the news media after giving an interview to Fox News outside of the White House in Washington, U.S. May 22, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis] Oops... Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders apologized to former Vice President Joe Biden for making fun of a stutter he did during Thursday’s Democratic debate. Biden spoke about people he has encountered throughout his presidential campaign towards the end of Thursday’s debate. At one point, the former vice presi... more »

Fake Fighter News: The Failure of Iran's "New" Saeqeh Jet Fighter

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Middle East* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/IRAN-WARPLANE-GM1DTLARJZAA.html] Don't trust the Iranian propaganda. *Key Point:* Iran is trying to fool people by presenting an old plane as new. In February 2017 I published an article on the Iranian Saeqeh (“Thunderbolt”) fighter. Billed as Iran’s first domestically-built jet fighter to enter operational service, the Saeqeh. Fast forward a year and a half later and we are again greeted with headlines for yet another “100% indigenously made” fighter jet, this time a “state of the art” two... more »

Klobuchar Under Fire for Backing Trump Judges

Kevin Daley at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Kevin Daley* *Politics, Americas* [image: Democratic U.S. presidential candidates Senator Amy Klobuchar criticizes South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg at the 2020 campaign debate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, U.S., December 19, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake] She had an awkward debate... Moderator Judy Woodruff pressed Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota about her past support for some of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees during Thursday night’s presidential debate. Woodruff noted one Trump nominee Klobuchar voted for, Judge Kurt Engelhardt, j... more »

How the Navy Is Preparing Its Carriers for the F-35

Military and Aerospace Electronics at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Military and Aerospace Electronics* *Technology, Americas* [image: Reuters] An important step forward. WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy is preparing its first two new Ford-class aircraft carriers to launch air attacks with the F-35C stealth fighter -- a move expected to transform maritime air attack and bring new mission options to Commanders. Kris Osborn at Warrior Maven reports. Continue reading original article The Military & Aerospace Electronics take: 17 Dec. 2019 -- The F-35C joint strike fighter, which reached its initial operational capability earlier this year, not only brin... more »

Russian Gun DNA: How American M4 Rifles Are Inspiring Redesigns of the AK-47

Charlie Gao at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Charlie Gao* *Security, * You only copy the best. *Key Point:* The Russians are upgrading their rifles with "Picatinny" rails. If one compares the rifle of an average American soldier from the 1990s to one of a soldier today, the biggest outward change is the attachment rails. Gone are the fixed iron sights of old; nowadays almost every American weapon has the distinctive chunky blocks of an M1913 “Picatinny” rail somewhere on top. Rails are also often present on the handguards, where they are used to mount a variety of accessories necessary for the modern soldier: infrared la... more »

Democratic Candidates Surprised When Asked to Give Another Candidate a Gift

Mary Margaret Olohan at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Mary Margaret Olohan* *Politics, Americas* [image: Former Vice President Joe Biden waves from among the seven Democratic presidential candidates...during the sixth 2020 U.S. Democratic presidential candidates campaign debate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, U.S.] Bernie wants you to have a 'very, very different vision of the reality of the Trump administration' for Christmas. *Moderator Judy Woodruff offered Democratic candidates the chance to give one another a gift or ask for forgiveness. * - *Candidates reacted in stunned silence to the offer at t... more »

How Should President Trump Respond To North Korea's 'Christmas Gift'?

James Holmes at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*James Holmes* *Security, Asia* As strategist Edward Luttwak might put it, the United States and its allies can harness military capability and political resolve to cast a “shadow” across strategic deliberations in North Korea, biasing decision-making against aggression. But—unlike Christmas-morning gift-giving around the tree—shadows seldom yield immediate, tangible, or unequivocal results. Merry Christmas! Kim Jong-Un, the maximal leader of an atheist regime, has promised to deliver a “Christmas gift” to Americans. Even better, the Trump administration gets to choose the Yuleti... more »

Operation Vapor Lock: DEA Cracks Down On 44 Websites Advertising Illicit THC Vaping Cartridges

News Staff at Science 2.0 blogs - 11 hours ago
The CDC has updated its fatality and illness list due to illicit marijuana vaping. Now there have been 54 deaths and 2,506 hospitalizations. The culprit is Vitamin E acetate, needed to make marijuana tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)products into a vapor because, unlike nicotine, it does not dilute readily. read more

Falcons See Prey At Twice The Speed Of Humans - And What That Means For All Bird Care

News Staff at Science 2.0 blogs - 11 hours ago
You may be aware that film runs at 25 frames per second because humans will then not see it as individual images. These 'blinks per second' are measured in Hertz and some humans can see up to 60 Hz. You may not sleep well if you have a light blinking all night. And a new study shows that in bird care, light control is even more important than realized. A new study has found that birds of prey have much greater visual acuity but a peregrine falcon is over twice as adept as humans - 129 Hz, which would be like being able to see the details of a race car driver's face as they zoom by ... more »

KY Gov. Proudly Defends Decision to Pardon Multiple Convicted Child Rapists, Murderers

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 11 hours ago
[image: governor pardon]On his way out of office, the governor of pardoned multiple convicted child rapists, child pornographers, as well as child murderers.

"Reindeer Games"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*"Reindeer Games"* by Jim Kunstler "The WashPo staffers had barely finished toasting “merry impeachmas” - and then quickly deleting the incriminating tweet + photo that signaled their self-owned chagrin - when the implications of the day’s solemn work started sifting through those quarters of the alt-news media where the chronically self-owned don’t dare to go, or even look: Nancy Pelosi and her too-clever-by-half Lawfare grunts had engineered a Hanging Chad Impeachment. Apparently, Mrs. Pelosi wants to play Hide the Salami with the impeachment bill. She invoked some slippery proce... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff, United Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by!

The Poet: Robinson Jeffers"Love That (Not Man Apart From That)"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*"Love That (Not Man Apart From That)"* "Then what is the answer? Not to be deluded by dreams. To know that great civilizations have broken down into violence, and their tyrants come, many times before. When open violence appears, to avoid it with honor or choose the least ugly faction; these evils are essential. To keep one’s own integrity, be merciful and uncorrupted and not wish for evil; and not be duped By dreams of universal justice or happiness. These dreams will not be fulfilled. To know this, and know that however ugly the parts appear the whole remains beautiful. A severed hand... more »

"Life Is Hard?"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
"Life is hard? True - but let's love it anyhow, though it breaks every bone in our bodies." - Edward Abbey

"I Will Gladly Change..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
“If any man is able to show me and prove to me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change, for I seek the truth, by which no man was ever injured. It is only persistence in self delusion and ignorance that does harm.” - Marcus Aurelius

The Meaning of Generations of Winter

Bryan Caplan at Econlib - 11 hours ago
Vassily Aksyonov was a Soviet dissident writer and GMU professor. His most famous work was probably Generations of Winter, a sprawling historical novel about three generations of a Soviet family. GMU history professor Steven Barnes, a great admirer of the book, doesn’t just assign the book in his class on modern Russian and Soviet history; an […] The post The Meaning of Generations of Winter appeared first on Econlib.

New study blames underwater volcanism for catastrophic global cooling, famine, civil upheavals in Medieval times

Robert at Ice Age Now - 11 hours ago
This confirms what I’ve been saying years, that underwater volcanoes can lead, not only to cooling, but to ice ages. _______________ Researchers presented underwater volcanism as the reason why the sky went dark for more than a year beginning 536 A.D. At that time, some parts of Europe and Asia saw the Sun for only ... Read moreNew study blames underwater volcanism for catastrophic global cooling, famine, civil upheavals in Medieval times The post New study blames underwater volcanism for catastrophic global cooling, famine, civil upheavals in Medieval times appeared first on Ice ... more »

Free Download: Erich Fromm, "The Sane Society"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*"The Sane Society: The Great Humanistic Philosopher and * *Psychologist Erich Fromm on How to Save Us From Ourselves"* by Maria Popova “Every advance of intellect beyond the ordinary measure,” Schopenhauer wrote in examining the relationship between genius and insanity, “disposes to madness.” But could what is true of the individual also be true of society - could it be that the more so-called progress polishes our collective pride and the more intellectually advanced human civilization becomes, the more it risks madness? And, if so, what is the proper corrective to restore our col... more »

"It's A Mess, Ain't It?"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*Deputy Wendell:* "It's a mess, ain't it, sheriff?" *Sheriff Bell:* "If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here." - "No Country For Old Men"

"The Inertia of 'Normalcy'"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*"The Inertia of 'Normalcy'"* by Rhetoricism "What is normal? Normal is yesterday, last week and last month and last year, blended together to create a puree of what we assume is the world and the way it works. Even if last week, or last month, are changed, the brain is easily persuaded; to forget, that last year, last decade, is truly normal. Normal isn't a single, cohesive thought, it's a conglomeration of experiences and suspicions, and someone found out how to trim the parts of it that were still getting settled. What an -absolute- bastard. The trouble is, that bastard isn't r... more »

Battle footage from Syrian Army’s offensive in southeastern Idlib

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:00 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) kicked off their long-awaited offensive in southeastern Idlib on Thursday morning. Not long after launching their offensive, the Syrian Arab Army’s 25th Special Mission Forces Division (formerly Tiger Forces) announced the capture of the small town of Umm Jalal after a short battle with the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

ISIS launches powerful attack against Syrian troops near east Homs oil field

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:45 P.M.) – On Thursday, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) responded to a violent attack that was launched by Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) militants on the axis of Wadi Al-Dabbiyat in the vicinity of the Al-Hayl Oil Field in the eastern countryside of Homs. According to a field report from eastern Homs, the Islamic […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Turkey’s Erdogan slams Libya’s Haftar, says he cannot keep silent on Russian mercenaries

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:30 P.M.) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) chief, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has no political legitimacy in Libya, warning of attempts to legitimize him at the expense of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). This statement to reporters came after his visit to […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Syrian Army troops approaching Turkish base in southeastern Idlib: source

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:20 P.M.) – A source from the military forces in southeastern Idlib told Al-Masdar News this afternoon that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is quickly approaching the large Turkish observation post in the Ma’arat Al-Nu’man District. According to the source, the Syrian Arab Army has already established control over several towns, villages, and […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Syrian Army blocks US forces from using highway in northeast Syria: video

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:00 P.M.) – For the second time this month, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has blocked a U.S. military vehicle from using the Hasakah-Qamishli Road in northeastern Al-Hasakah. The Syrian Arab Army soldiers at a checkpoint in the village of Damkhi near Qamishli forced a military convoy of the U.S. military to turn […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Haftar-led Libyan Army gives Turkish-backed forces 72 hours to leave Tripoli

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
The Libyan National Army of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar has given forces loyal to Government of National Accord Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj 72 hours to evacuate Tripoli and Sirte, Haftar spokesman Ahmed Al-Mismari has announced. “The strikes on Misrata will continue intensively non-stop both day and night if [the Misratan militias] do not withdraw their […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Syrian Army scores massive advance in Idlib as jihadist defenses collapse: map

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:30 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) kicked off their long-awaited offensive on Thursday, targeting the small town of Umm Jalal in the southeastern countryside of the Idlib Governorate. Led by the 25th Special Mission Forces (formerly Tiger Forces), the Syrian Arab Army was able to establish full control of Umm Jalal […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

The Daily Brief 2019-12-18

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
This is a summary of 20 AMN articles on the following subjects: Idlib, Russia, Syria, Iran, Mediterranean, Libya, Tripoli, Hariri, Lebanon, Hasakah, Hamas, Israel, Palestine, Turkey, NATO, Aleppo, Deir_Ezzor, ISIS, LNA, South_Korea. Categories covered in this brief: Syria, Iran, Middleeast, World-News, North-Africa, Lebanon, Turkey, Palestine Let us know how you like this brief in the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Inside Journalist Tareq Haddad’s Spectacular Departure from Newsweek

Alan Macleod at MintPress News - 11 hours ago
Tareq Haddad’s exposé of the corruption and collusion at the heart of modern journalism is something long-discussed by academics, but rarely does such a clear example present itself. The post Inside Journalist Tareq Haddad’s Spectacular Departure from Newsweek appeared first on MintPress News.

The Real Reasons Tulsi Gabbard Did Not Vote to Impeach Donald Trump

Alan Macleod at MintPress News - 11 hours ago
Gabbard's decision had much more to do with a desire to censure Trump over his real crimes: carrying out wars without congressional approval, illegally “occupying and pillaging” Syria, “ and continuing to support Saudi Arabia’s “genocidal war” in Yemen. The post The Real Reasons Tulsi Gabbard Did Not Vote to Impeach Donald Trump appeared first on MintPress News.

Christianity Today stumbles badly

Norma at Collecting My Thoughts - 12 hours ago
Although I'd never call *Christianity Today* a "far left" magazine, it poked a hornet's nest by attacking President Trump. Trump has done more for Christians, Jews, Muslims and atheists by protecting their religious liberty from socialism and appointing judges to balance out our leftist courts than any other president in my life time. I’m so old I remember when conservatives were horrified that a Roman Catholic could be president; I’m so old I remember that Ronald Reagan’s divorce and remarriage was a topic of media gossip; I’m so old I remember when Gerald Ford’s wife’s divorce yea... more »

Spending is up on education, and especially on administration

Norma at Collecting My Thoughts - 12 hours ago
Funding at the federal, state and local levels has increased between the 1980s and 2019. Democrats and the teacher unions lie about that. In real dollars, total government spending per pupil increased from $7,359 in 1980 to $9,850 by 1990, reaching $13,180 per pupil by 2015. Taking a longer view, real spending per student in public schools has increased from $2,763 in 1960 to more than $13,000 today. So if you have questions about learning, don't blame the funding. Plus, government spending does little to change student out come. It's the homes. What really has been jumping ahead... more »

Last night’s debates

Norma at Collecting My Thoughts - 12 hours ago
I rarely watch political debates. I've heard a few filtered comments from last night, but oiy, another 11 months of this? A small town gay mayor, a fake Indian college professor, and an elderly socialist with a recent heart attack? It's proof that anyone in America can grow up to be president. Any one, even a billionaire business man who can - lower taxes, - restore freedom of religion, - deregulate and cut red tape, - strengthen the military, - appoint outstanding judges, - negotiate trade deals with countries which had been cheating us, - recognize Israe... more »

M.I.C., Wall St. :Boeing space plane in trouble

Brother Jonah at Not My Tribe - 12 hours ago
My grandfather was an engineer (normally would have been a commissioned officer but he was a sergeant…) on the U.S. team working on rocketry with the von Braun team at Taiwan, Austria, White Sands, Aberdeen, a bunch of completely classified, the last was in Germany with no dependents allowed… 1966-67 and while he never blabbed,... more »

Trump may make federally funded science instantly accessible for free

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 12 hours ago
Willie Soon just sent me this report that should be seen as amusingly surprising if not ironic: Trump might help free science that’s locked behind paywalls In the 1990s, when the fanatical leftists weren't big players yet, Democrats at universities – people like Paul Ginsparg or my adviser Tom Banks – worried about different things than the hate speech revolving around the 42nd gender, the right to say Trans Bat Woman cannot marry Queer Superman, and other fascinating things that rule the contemporary leftist minds. Instead, they were dissatisfied that journals such as Nuclear Physi... more »

7 Republican Senators In Big Trouble Over Healthcare

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
A few hours after the House voted to impeach Trump on Wednesday, *The Atlantic* published a piece by Trump critic George Conway, Donald Trump Made His Own Impeachment Inevitable, asserting that Trump's "narcissism renders him unable to comply with his duties to the nation... In essence, Trump thinks everything should be about him, for him, for his benefit and glorification-- and he can’t comprehend, and doesn’t care about, anything that isn’t... [S]enators-- especially the Republicans-- will face a choice that they should understand goes far beyond politics. They must choose wheth... more »

From Vietnam to Afghanistan, all US governments lie

Gordon Adams, Professor Emeritus, American University School of International Service at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 12 hours ago
US officials have consistently lied over decades about progress in the Afghanistan war. The lies are no surprise, writes a foreign affairs scholar – but they have profound consequences.

How being 'tough on crime' became a political liability

Jody D. Armour, Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law, University of Southern California at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 12 hours ago
More and more district attorney candidates are running on reversing the government's traditional approach to crime and punishment. And they’re winning.

MISSISSIPPI MUDDLE: At the Times, this looks like "cognitive science!"

bob somerby at the daily howler - 12 hours ago
*FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2019In the end, nobody cares:* Viewed one way, the test scores in question are remarkably good. Viewed from a different perspective, the test scores are very bad. Since no one actually cares about this, you'll see these test scores reported, and discussed, nowhere else. Still and all, here they are. These are scores from Mississippi's public schools, and those of the nation as a whole, on the 2019 Naep: *Average scores, Grade 4 readingLow-income students, 2019 Naep* Low-income black kids, Mississippi: 208.10 Low-income black kids, nationwide: 199.03 Low-in... more »

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 20

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 12 hours ago
1983 Reagan envoy to Middle East Rumsfeld met with Saddam as part of new US policy to back Iraq in Iran-Iraq War (Musings On Iraq book review *The Saddam Tapes*) 2001 NYT article with Iraqi defector Haideri provided by INC claimed he went to 20 WMD sites Haideri’s claims used in CIA DIA and White House reports Later found to be unreliable by US intel May 02 labeled fabricator by DIA 2002 IAEA inspectors said Tuwaitha facility involved in civilian nuclear research not involved in weapons program (Musings On Iraq article UN Inspectors Were Right Iraq Was Not A Threat) (Musings On I... more »

Woman Offers $7K Reward, Hires Plane in Search of Stolen Dog

AP News at Snopes.com - 12 hours ago
A San Francisco woman is offering a $7,000 reward and has hired a plane to fly over the city to search for her blue-eyed miniature Australian Shepherd stolen from outside a grocery store last weekend.

Boeing Capsule Goes Off Course, Won’t Dock at Space Station

AP News at Snopes.com - 12 hours ago
Boeing's new Starliner capsule went off course during its first test flight, spoiling a crucial dress rehearsal for launching astronauts next year.

US court sentences Israeli CEO for scamming Americans, media ignore it

contact@ifamericansknew.org at If Americans Knew Blog - 12 hours ago
Israeli media (not US newspapers) report that an Israeli CEO has been sentenced in a US court for defrauding Americans out of millions of dollars. The company specifically targeted the elderly and the vulnerable, one of over 100 Israeli companies perpetrating a scam called "binary options"... Israel permitted the scam for a decade... The post US court sentences Israeli CEO for scamming Americans, media ignore it appeared first on If Americans Knew Blog.

Trump not really impeached?

Bienvenido Oplas Jr at Government and Taxes - 12 hours ago
Trump technically impeached, really? A good article and opinion here. *House-Senate Impeachment Impasse Would Mean Trump Wasn't Impeached At All: Harvard Law Prof* by Tyler Durden Fri, 12/20/2019 - 05:25 https://www.zerohedge.com/political/house-senate-impeachment-impasse-would-mean-trump-wasnt-impeached-all-harvard-law-prof *“If the House does not communicate its impeachment to the Senate, it hasn’t actually impeached the president. If the articles are not transmitted, Trump could legitimately say that he wasn’t truly impeached at all.* *“That’s because “impeachment” under the Cons... more »

Boris Johnson wins Commons vote on Brexit deal in time for Christmas

Just In - 12 hours ago
Boris Johnson has won approval for his Brexit deal in the House of Commons, the first step towards fulfilling his election pledge to deliver Britain's departure from the European Union by January 31.

Prince Philip admitted to London hospital as 'precautionary measure'

Just In - 12 hours ago
The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to a London hospital for treatment, but Buckingham Palace says it is not an emergency situation.

Interview with Senator Black: The Afghanistan Papers

adam at LaRouchePAC Feed - 12 hours ago
London-Saudi Global Terror Stop WWIII Interview with Senator Black: The Afghanistan Papers Video of Interview with Senator Black: The Afghanistan Papers Today's discussion with Virginia State Senator Richard Black is on the recently leaked "Afghanistan Papers."

Parallels in the U.K. of American Revolt

adam at LaRouchePAC Feed - 12 hours ago
[image: President Donald J. Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson continue to talk at the conclusion of their working breakfast meeting Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019, at Hotel du Palais Biarritz in Biarritz, France, site of the G7 Summit. (Official WH Photo)] The insanity continues in the U.S. impeachment process, showing once again that it is nothing but an orchestrated coup attempt by the British intelligence authors of the “Russiagate” hoax and their assets in the Democratic Party. Nancy Pelosi, clearly aware that the ridiculous articles of impeachment are neither true, and are ... more »

Court Awards $137,500 After 8 Vaccines Kill Infant In Just 12 Hours

Pam Vernon at Rangitikei Environmental Health Watch - 12 hours ago
From stopmandatoryvaccination.com Kara Krause tragically lost her baby girl, Peyton, 12 hours after being injected with eight vaccines in 2008. Through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) and Special Master’s “Vaccine” Court, it was proven the DTaP, Hib, Hepatitis B, PCV, IPV, and Rotavirus vaccines killed her daughter. Kara describes her darling daughter, “She was a normal, … Continue reading Court Awards $137,500 After 8 Vaccines Kill Infant In Just 12 Hours →

Be Bold And Fear Not - A Quotation by M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 12 hours ago
*To read clearly, please click on the image abov*e. *Be bold and fear not. Arise and feel again yourSelf and reconnect to Heaven and Earth. See the beauty that abounds and transform back to your original intentions that directed all before this age of darkness came to be.* *© **M.N. Hopkins* *Note: I wrote this many years ago as part of a longer discourse and decided to publish it separately as a meme. To read the entire discourse, please click on the link below:* *You Have Entered The Ring Of Fire - A Discourse by M.N. Hopkins*

Two years ago, end of radiation

Norma at Collecting My Thoughts - 12 hours ago
Two years ago Bob ended his radiation for prostate cancer and Phil was with him to ring the bell. [image: Image may contain: 2 people, including P Vincent Bruce, people smiling]

Remain In The Light - A Poem by Dominic Windram

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 13 hours ago
*Remain In The Light * *We seek the things of wonder in our wildest dreams.* *We are bored by mundane routines; cold plans and schemes.* *We know that art/ poetry expresses the soul.* *In acts of creation, we connect with the whole.* *We move away from separation/ division;* *As long as we remain true to our bright visions.* *Although we're tempted by the dark agents of night,* *We should seek wondrous things and remain in the light.* *Dominic Windram* *If you wish to read more poetry by Dominic, please click on the link provided below:* *Poetry by Dominic Windram*

Plastic: The Largest Predator in Our Oceans

LONDON, Dec 20 (IPS) - Janaya Wilkins is the founder and CEO of SLO* active, the lifestyle brand dedicated to protecting the ocean by selling sustainable luxury ocean wear. Plastic pollution is currently the largest global threat to marine life. Each year, 10-20 million tonnes of plastic ends up in our oceans, killing approximately 100,000 marine mammals and over a million seabirds. Read the full story, “Plastic: The Largest Predator in Our Oceans”, on globalissues.org →

Impeachment: An Ordinary Citizen’s View

DENVER, Colorado, Dec 20 (IPS) - When I decided to become a US citizen in 1990s, it was a deliberate decision to spend my life fighting for preserving and deepening democratic freedoms at a place where I have spent all my adult life. Having struggled against a brutal military dictatorship while I was a teenager, I knew that democracy is something you have to fight hard for. Therefore, when I became a citizen, for the swearing in event I took with me key documents of US democratic heritage. These included the constitution, the federalist papers and related documents from the 1780s.... more »

More Women in Tech Will Lead to Peaceful Gender Equal World

ISLABAMAD, Dec 20 (IPS) - It will take around 100 years for the world to reach gander parity according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020 just published by World Economic Forum. Read the full story, “More Women in Tech Will Lead to Peaceful Gender Equal World”, on globalissues.org →

WATCH: Cops Frame Innocent Brothers for Cocaine, Try to Destroy Video—But it Survived

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 13 hours ago
[image: brothers]Two innocent brothers were arrested and spent over a month in jail after cops framed them for cocaine trafficking and destroyed the video. Luckily it survived.

Sustainable Pulse: Global Breaking News on GMOs and Pesticides

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 13 hours ago
20 December 2019 — Sustainable Pulse Editors’ picks The Future of Wheat Farming is Glyphosate Residue Free – Exclusive Interview with Axis Farms Sustainable Pulse interview with Axis Farms’ Partner, Mark Sanders, discussing the future of wheat farming in Canada and why they decided it is important to certify their harvest as Glyphosate Residue Free. … Continue reading Sustainable Pulse: Global Breaking News on GMOs and Pesticides

Gerald Celente Gives His 2020 Financial Forecast and It’s Not Pretty Folks

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
Kitco NEWS Markets will be roiled next year by a new “world disorder”, the likes of which we’ve never seen before, this according to Gerald Celente, publisher of The Trends Journal. “People are up in arms, the world’s on fire, and what’s it all about, mostly? Income inequality, corruption, violence, I’ve never seen anything like …

Fed “Glitch” Causes Panic Among Banks Across U.S! Yield Curve 100% Perfect Recession Pattern

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
The Money GPS It looks we have another yield curve signal continuing its trend. It has been pushing its way further and further into line perfectly and there’s no denying it. yet, we have watched countless individuals inside and outside of the Fed tell us that this indicator means nothing anymore because they’re in control. …

Keiser Report: Central Banks Will Push Gold Higher in 2020 (E1477)

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
RT In this episode of the Keiser Report from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Max and Stacy discuss the many root causes of the frequent economic and monetary crises in Argentina. In the second half, Max continues his interview with Nick Giambruno of CaseyResearch.com about the economy of Argentina. They also discuss his recent piece arguing that …

CHEOPS Enters the Game

Paul Gilster at Centauri Dreams - 13 hours ago
The Egyptian monarch Khufu was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, which dates him back to the earlier years of the Old Kingdom period around the 26th century BC. I mention this figure, about which all too little is known, because his name is a link between the great monuments of an early culture […]

UKC News: 2019 Year in Review Special

21wire at 21st Century Wire - 13 hours ago
*UKC News* | 2019 has been a year of upheavals, scandals and revelations - here are some of the important ones.

Biden Won't Say If He Plans to Run Again in 2024: 'Let's See What Happens'

Chris White at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Chris White* *Politics, Americas* [image: Democratic U.S. presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden pauses near the end of the 2020 campaign debate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, U.S., December 19, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake] 'It's a nice thought,' he said. Former Vice President Joe Biden declined to commit Thursday night to a second presidential term if voters elect him in 2020. “No, I’m not willing to commit one way or another,” Biden said during the presidential debate to a muted response. “I’m not even elected one term yet. Let’s see w... more »

Justice Dept Wants Former CIA Head Honcho Brennan's Call and Email Records

Chuck Ross at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Chuck Ross* *Politics, Americas* [image: Former CIA director John Brennan speaks during a forum on election security titled, “2020 Vision: Intelligence and the U.S. Presidential Election” at the National Press Club in Washington, U.S., October 30, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts] The probe into the Trump-Russia investigation continues... U.S Attorney John Durham is seeking the emails, call logs and other communications of former CIA Director John Brennan as part of a broad investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, according to a report. The New York Times, citing ... more »

How China Could Use Civilian Ships and Quantum Computing to Fight America at Sea

Austin Reid at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Austin Reid* *Technology, Asia* [image: Reuters] It would be a bad day for America. This fictional story shows how it would all go down. 0545 Shenzhen, China The building was drab on the exterior; a nondescript office complex on the fringe of Shenzhen outside of Hong Kong. Li Zhou opened the door and got out of her small car. She eyed the revolving door and made her way to the entrance as the vehicle moved along to its next user. She had reached the pinnacle of her career. It all started with an acceptance to MIT, the job in Silicon Valley, a high paying research fellowship w... more »

Billions Spent and a Million Dead: The Iran-Iraq War Was An Enormous Waste Of Everything

Warfare History Network at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Warfare History Network* *Security, Middle East* Over $350 billion spent and one million dead. For what? *Key Point*: Neither country came anywhere near achieving even the most modest of its war aims. The world awoke to ominous news on September 22, 1980. Iraqi despot Saddam Hussein had launched a massive armored and air attack across the Iraq-Iran border. Believing that his Islamic fundamentalist neighbor to the east had been weakened by the ongoing revolutionary turmoil that in February 1979 had toppled the Shah, Hussein was confident that his forces would win a lightning vic... more »

NATO: A Dying Alliance or About to Get a Reboot?

David Axe at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*David Axe* *Security, * One former top official sketches out a path forward. NATO needs a new strategy. The 70-year-old alliance should engage Russia and China, hash out a new approach in Afghanistan and upgrade its member states’ technology, Rose Gottemoeller, the alliance’s former deputy secretary-general, wrote in *Foreign Affairs*. “The alliance has faced growing challenges in recent years,” Gottemoeller explained. “In 2014, NATO responded simultaneously to Russia’s seizure of Crimea and to the emergence of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq by putting in place quick-resp... more »

PROBLEM: For 1 U.S. Ally, Stealth F-35 Costs Are Rising Fast

Marcus Hellyer at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Marcus Hellyer* *Security, Asia* The F-35 is expensive. We seem to have been both naughty and nice this year. The Australian National Audit Office isn’t going to put its much-anticipated report on the future submarine program in our stocking before Christmas and we’ll have to keep our breath bated until January. That’s a shame, since the ANAO’s website says, ‘The objective of this audit is to examine the effectiveness of Defence’s administration of the Future Submarine program to date.’ That’s an $80 billion issue that many Australians would be interested in. On the other hand,... more »

‘Tic Tac’ UFO In Pilot’s Own Words

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
Photo: Chad Underwood *NYMag: **Navy Pilot Who Filmed the ‘Tic Tac’ UFO Speaks: ‘It Wasn’t Behaving by the Normal Laws of Physics’* In the 15 years since Chad Underwood recorded a bizarre and erratic UFO — now called “the Tic Tac,” a name Underwood himself came up with — from the infrared camera on the left wing of his F/A-18 Super Hornet, he’s become a flight instructor, a civilian employee in the aerospace industry, and a father. But he has not yet spoken publicly about what he saw that day, even now, two years after his video made the front page of the New York Times. As he exp... more »

Untitled

Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 13 hours ago
From Jenna Orkin French strikers angry about pension reform cut power to homes, companies - including Bank of France US Concedes Defeat on Nordstream 2 PipelineMargaret Thatcher's Amazing Prophecy on the EU Exclusive: Hamas plots attacks on Israel from Turkey as Erdogan turns blind eye People in Japan are wearing exoskeletons to keep working as they age Greta Thunberg Documentary Set At Hulu, Chronicling Climate Activist’s Global Rise Prison surveillance footage from Jeffrey Epstein's first suicide attempt has gone missing "Very Serious" - 30,000 Pigs Dead As Pig Ebola Spreads In Indon... more »

BWorld 395, Culion the movie and SMB

Bienvenido Oplas Jr at Government and Taxes - 13 hours ago
* My column in BusinessWorld, December 17, 2019. Leprosy or Hansen’s disease, ketong in Tagalog and aro in Ilongo, was a dreaded disease. People with the disease, or even just suspected of having it, were avoided, even ridiculed and ostracized. And the Culion leper colony in Palawan became the national dumping ground of people with leprosy, even those without the disease but who were victims of witch hunts by some politicians or envious neighbors. Over bottles of beer, a former dorm-mate in the Narra Residence Hall in UP Diliman, Peter Sing, mentioned his observations about the Cul... more »

UK Charges US Diplomat’s Wife over Teen’s Death in Crash

AP News at Snopes.com - 13 hours ago
An American diplomat's wife who left Britain after being involved in a fatal road accident that killed a British teenager has been charged.

Marijuana tech

John Rebchook at Marijuana Business Daily - 13 hours ago
Consumers shopping at cannabis stores in California are being encouraged by a state agency to use their smartphone cameras to scan a quick response (QR) code to confirm the retailers are licensed. Marijuana tech is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Putin: ‘Dems DREAMT UP idea of pressure being exerted on Ukraine’ (Video)

Alex Christoforou at The Duran - 13 hours ago
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 409. More The post Putin: ‘Dems DREAMT UP idea of pressure being exerted on Ukraine’ (Video) appeared first on The Duran.

Corrupt Romanian Duo, exported to EU Secret Service

Serban V.C. Enache at The Duran - 13 hours ago
The EU’s secret service project is supported among others by the former Justice Commissar, Viviane Reding and ALDE leader Guy Verhofstadt – and faced opposition from the United Kingdom. However, this opposition will be gone after Brexit finalizes. More The post Corrupt Romanian Duo, exported to EU Secret Service appeared first on The Duran.

Thursday marked the beginning of the end of the United Kingdom

InfoBrics at The Duran - 13 hours ago
Scotland has asked Boris Johnson for the right to hold a second independence referendum… More The post Thursday marked the beginning of the end of the United Kingdom appeared first on The Duran.

The Lancet’s Duplicitous Climate Report

Paul Homewood at NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT - 13 hours ago
By Paul Homewood The Lancet has published its latest annual report on health and climate change, which inevitably orders us to stop using fossil fuels or the kids will get it! https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)32596-6/fulltext#seccestitle70 It is the usual load of overhyped rubbish of the sort we have seen in previous years. The Executive Summary contains a […]

161 US House members call for trade agreement with Taiwan

bilaterals.org - 14 hours ago
20-Dec-2019 One hundred and sixty-one members of the US House of Representatives sent a letter to US Trade Representative, urging him to open negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan.

Govt told not to collect CGT from Ncell

bilaterals.org - 14 hours ago
20-Dec-2019 A US-based international court issues interim order directing the Nepal government not to impose capital gains tax on Ncell buyout deal for the time being.

House passage of USMCA marks major shift away from free-trade policies

bilaterals.org - 14 hours ago
20-Dec-2019 The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the new North American trade deal.

Libre-échange : les Etats-Unis en passe de ratifier l'accord avec le Canada et le Mexique

bilaterals.org - 14 hours ago
20-Dec-2019 Le texte, qui a reçu un large soutien des deux bords politiques, doit encore être approuvé par le Sénat américain, alors que le Mexique l'a déjà ratifié et que le Canada a promis de le faire après les Etats-Unis.

Boris Johnson reduces parliament to a rubber stamp using Brexit bill similar to Enabling Act of Adolf Hitler in 1933

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*Adolf Hitler did not abolish the German parliament when he assumed the powers of a dictator. He just curtailed its capacity to scrutinize his actions, turning it into a rubber stamp for his actions. * *Boris Johnson's new Brexit bill includes provisions** that reduce the power of parliament to scrutinize his actions and which gives the government freedom to conduct negotiations without parliamentary approval which are similar to Hitler's Enabling Act of 1933 ahead of a no deal Brexit disaster, to be accomplished by 2020 at the latest.* *The Enabling Act (German: Ermächtigungsgese... more »

The Northern Pulp saga is a “really, really, really, really difficult time” for Pictou Landing First Nation

Tim Bousquet at Halifax Examiner - 14 hours ago
News 1. A “really, really, really, really difficult time” Joan Baxter wrote this item. About 300 people gathered yesterday in the school gymnasium at Pictou Landing First Nation for a rally to support the Boat Harbour Act. That legislation, passed in 2015 by Premier Stephen McNeil’s Liberal government with support of the Progressive Conservatives and NDP, […]

Dutch Judges Dictate Energy Policy

Ron Clutz at Science Matters - 14 hours ago
From Fortune Climate Change Litigation Enters a New Era as Court Rules That Emissions Reduction Is a Human Right Excerpts in italics with my bolds. The Supreme Court of the Netherlands in The Hague on Friday delivered what may be the most unequivocal legal statement so far that governments are responsible for acting to address […]

Boris Johnson unveils plans to demolish the independent Supreme Court and rule of law in the UK

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*From media* *The outgoing president of the Supreme Court has defended the independence of the UK’s highest court, as she issued a warning against politicians being involved in the appointment of judges.* *Urging Boris Johnson not to follow a route similar to the Supreme Court of the United States, where the president nominates justices, Lady Hale made the intervention ahead of her retirement from the benches.* *In her valedictory remarks, Lady Hale, who delivered the explosive verdict of the Supreme Court that Mr Johnson's suspension of parliament was unlawful, said: “Judges have... more »

Boris Johnson prepares to introduce political courts in the UK, follows Nazi German model

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*Boris Johnson plans to pack the UK courts with political appointees and make it "illegal to secretly work for a foreign power to undermine Britain through political disruption or spreading disinformation" could lead to a situation where former British army chiefs are arrested for expressing legitimate doubts about the government's official narrative concerning military events.* *In 2018, **a former Royal Navy chief, **Lord West was accused by a BBC s Annita McVeigh of being a Russian disinformation agent after he questioned the since debunked story of a chemical attack in Syria.* ... more »

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan? Regime Change Does Not Work

Medea Benjamin at MintPress News - 14 hours ago
The debacle in Afghanistan is only one case in a fundamentally flawed U.S. policy with worldwide consequences. New quasi-governments installed by U.S. "regime change" in country after country have proven more corrupt, less legitimate and less able to control their nation’s territory than the ones the U.S. has destroyed. The post The Real Lesson of Afghanistan? Regime Change Does Not Work appeared first on MintPress News.

What Is an ‘Old-Growth’ Forest?

Yves Smith at naked capitalism - 14 hours ago
The absence of a universally accepted definition for 'old-growth' makes it more challenging to manage and preserve the carbon-rich ecosystems.

REPORTERS REVEAL HOW THE FUNDS OF BILL GATES, FRIEND OF EUGENICIST JEFF EPSTEIN, HAS BEEN THE SINGLE BIGGEST FACTOR IN ESTABLISHING WHO'S GLOBAL EPIDEMIC MARTIAL LAW AND VACCINE PLAN

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 14 hours ago
*An investigation by Vox has revealed the extent to which Bill Gates, friend of eugenicist Jeff Epstein, has shaped WHO's global vaccine policies, specifically in relation to epidemic vaccines, by spending billions of dollars, although the precise sums are shrouded in mystery.* *https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/12/13/21004456/bill-gates-mckinsey-global-public-health-bcg* *McKinsey, funded by Bill Gates, has been "** involved in the response to the biggest international disease outbreaks of recent years, from Mers in Saudi Arabia to Zika in Brazil. During the 2014-2016 Ebol... more »

Pentagon Completes Screening Of All Foreign Students In Military Training And Finds No Threat

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
*Photo:* On December 6, Second Lieutenant Mohammed Alshamrani, a 21-year-old Saudi Air Force officer, killed three US sailors and injured eight other people at Naval Air Station Pensacola *Daily Mail: Pentagon screens ALL foreign students in military training in the United States and finds NO threat, two weeks after Saudi gunman killed three on a Navy base* * Defense Department completes security screenings of Saudi Arabian students * Officials say there is no immediate threat from foreigners doing military training * Screenings come two weeks after shooting in at naval base in P... more »

Ford's Mike Envy

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 14 hours ago
Like premiers before him, Doug Ford has gone to war with Ontario's teachers. Martin Regg Cohn writes that Ford is hoping for his Mike Harris moment: For months, the Progressive Conservative government has scorned the teachers as ungrateful and greedy. Now, they are raising the rhetoric to fever pitch, fantasizing that they can replay the Mike Harris playbook from 1995, when another PC premier took teachers on. But Ontarians have seen this scenario one time too many. Ford is in no position — politically or fiscally — to reprise the Harris role of pretend Robin Hood, purportedly ta... more »

Holiday Workplace Misconceptions #AllHolidaysMatter

Unknown at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 14 hours ago
It's the holiday season, and there are lots of misconceptions about the laws relating to holidays in the workplace. Here are a few I'd like to clear up: *Extra pay for working holidays*: No federal law requires extra pay for working holidays. Some union contracts and employment contracts require extra pay, such as time and a half or double time for holidays, but most don't. I don't know of any state law requiring extra pay for holiday work. Florida certainly does not. *Holiday pay*: If you take the holidays off, maybe you get paid and maybe you don't. Some government employees get ... more »

Political Fundraising in the Era of Impeachment

A Political Junkie at Viable Opposition - 14 hours ago
With the Trump impeachment proceedings saturating the news cycle, there is a little reported metric that would suggest that the Republicans, with or without Donald Trump, are setting themselves up for a hard-fought race in November 2020. According to Open Secrets, the repository of the election fundraising database, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has had a very successful fund-raising campaign heading into the 2020 election as shown here: As you can see, the RNC has $61.38 million in cash on hand that can be spent to convince voters to vote Republican in 2020. As well, ac... more »

Spot The Manipulators In Your Own Life: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

Caitlin Johnstone at Caitlin Johnstone - 14 hours ago
The real underlying currency of our world is not gold, nor bureaucratic fiat, nor even military might. The real underlying currency of our world is narrative, and the ability to control it. Everything always comes down to this one real currency. If you look at […]

The Politics Of Trump’s Impeachment

Binoy KAMPMARK at OrientalReview.org - 14 hours ago
Several features stand out in the impeachment quest against President Donald J. Trump. There is constitutional discourse as mythology and fetish. There is outrage that the executive office could have been used to actually investigate political opponents through foreign agents. There is cattiness over whether the conduct of the president […]

"How It Really Is"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago

"Economic Market Snapshot AM 12/20/19"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*Updated frequently as available.* ◆ AM 12/20/19: Gregory Mannerino, "MELTUP" - https://www.traderschoice.net/ *Related:* "With Stocks In Full-Blown Melt Up, Here Are The Key Gamma And Delta Strikes To Watch" ◆ *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 12/20/19 (updates daily): The Stock Market is Significantly Overvalued. Based on his... more »

Virginia Biochemist Camille Schrier Is Crowned Miss America

AP News at Snopes.com - 14 hours ago
Organizers wanted to make it clear the 99th Miss America competition isn't your grandmother's beauty pageant, and their winner did just that.

Trump Blasts Christian Magazine that Called for His Removal

AP News at Snopes.com - 14 hours ago
President Donald Trump is blasting a prominent Christian magazine that published an editorial arguing that he should be removed from office.

Sadistic Cop Admits He Forced Homeless Man to Lick a Public Toilet to Avoid Arrest—NOT Fired

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 14 hours ago
[image: sadistic]A sadistic cop admitted to forcing a man to lick a disgusting urinal in exchange for not being kidnapped and caged and he's yet to be fired.

U.S. Diplomats Try To Defuse Tensions Ahead Of North Korea's Deadline

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
*Reuters: **'Before it is too late': Diplomats race to defuse tensions ahead of North Korea's deadline* SEOUL (Reuters) - A last minute flurry of diplomacy aimed at engaging with North Korea ahead of its declared year-end deadline for talks has been met with stony silence from Pyongyang so far, with the looming crisis expected to top the agenda at summits in China next week. The U.S. special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, was due to leave Beijing on Friday after meeting with Chinese officials. Earlier in the week, Biegun also made stops in Seoul and Tokyo for discussions ... more »

HAWAII: Mauna Kea Protectors Targeted for Arrest on Dec. 26, 2019

Unknown at CENSORED NEWS - 15 hours ago
HAWAII: Law enforcement told Mauna Kea Protectors they will be arrested Dec. 26, 2019. This comes after the Governor used false PR as a tactic, promising to withdraw law enforcement. A similar tactic was used against Standing Rock Water Protectors in 2016, when they were told, 'It's all over, go home.' Article by Brenda Norrell Censored News On Thursday, Day 160 of protecting Mauna Kea,

Chinese company jams drone signals to stop contamination of their pigs with Ebola like virus

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 15 hours ago
*The Ebola like virus which has killed about half of China's pigs has been spread by illegal vaccines and also by drones, prompting one Chinese company to jam drone signals.* *https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-22/illegal-vaccines-targeted-as-china-intensifies-pig-farm-scrutiny* *Commercial pig farm in China jams drone signal to combat swine fever crooks* *BEIJING (Reuters) - One of China’s biggest animal feed producers said it had used a radio transmitter to combat crooks using drones to drop pork products contaminated with African swine fever on its pig farms, as part... more »

LIKE A GOP OFFICEHOLDER, THE EDITOR OF CHRISTIANITY TODAY CONDEMNED TRUMP ON THE WAY OUT THE DOOR

Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog - 15 hours ago
I guess I should be impressed that Mark Galli, the editor in chief of *Christianity Today,* has written an editorial for the magazine that calls for President Trump's removal from office. But I can't help noting this fact about Galli: The editorial is also perhaps a final word from Mr. Galli, who announced his retirement in October. His departure is effective Jan. 3, 2020. It's what we see among Republican officeholders: Many of them are reportedly very uncomfortable with Trump, but while they're in office they don't dare criticize him. Many won't criticize him even after they leave ... more »

Hypothetical: A U.S.-China Battle Over the Senkakus Islands

Chen Pokong at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Chen Pokong* *Security, Asia* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/JAPAN-CHINA-ISLANDS-S1AETIVBNCAA.html] Would the two countries fight over Japan? *Editor’s note: The following is a translation of Chapter 7 of the book *If the U.S. and China Go to War*《**假如中美开战**》** by the author and analyst Chen Pokong. The current volume was published in Chinese in 2013 and was later translated to Japanese. It presents a range of potential conflict scenarios between China and the United States, including what may trigger conflict, and what the order of events may be.* *Key Point:* *... more »

The U.S. Army Is Preparing For A Brutal Land War In Asia

Kris Osborn at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Kris Osborn* *Security, * Against Russia and China. *Key Point:* This is the war Washington never wanted to fight. (Washington, D.C.) If a large mechanized unit of armored ground forces were “closing” with an enemy amid heavy artillery and cannon fire - but did not have overhead aircraft or satellite surveillance while transiting rigorous terrain - how could they fully discern the source of incoming fire? How might they pursue the safest and most lethal method of attack? This kind of scenario represents one of many contingencies now informing the Army’s development of a new Inf... more »

DATA FROM THE PALM STUDY SUGGESTS MERCK'S EBOLA VACCINE IS GIVING PEOPLE EBOLA

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 15 hours ago
*A study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that 25% of the Ebola patients reported they had received Merck's ** rVSV∆G-ZEBOV-GP , suggesting a causal link between the vaccine and Ebola.* *In addition, 38.7% reported that they had received the vaccine at least 10 days before the onset of clinical symptoms, further suggesting a causal link. Ebola is between 2 to 21 days according to WHO.* https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/ebola/frequently-asked-questions *Furthermore, 27% of that group died from Ebola in spite of seeking treatment earlier and h... more »

The Hidden Military Use of 5G Technology by Manlio Dinucci

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 15 hours ago
The operation organised by the "Five Eyes" against Huawei aims exclusively to ensure that 5G technology in the West will not be controlled by a Chinese company. As a Pentagon report attests, this civilian technology is primarily used for military purposes.

Julian Assange News Links 20 December 2019

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 15 hours ago
20 December 2019 — The New Dark Age There may be some duplication due to cross-posting and may be updated throughout the day, so please check back Connecting the Dots https://dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/connecting-the-dots/ Medical observers blocked from attending Assange hearing http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/20/doct-d20.html Women Politicals — Still Defiant Assange’s Defense Outlines Extradition Arguments Assange CANNOT be extradited because of treaty … Continue reading Julian Assange News Links 20 December 2019

The Radical Underuse of Impeachment

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 15 hours ago
By David Swanson Al Capone wasn’t prosecuted for tax evasion because it’s cool or smart or strategic to prosecute murderers for lesser crimes, but because proving murder in court was going to be more difficult. That’s not analogous to a Congressional impeachment, but the opposite of how Congress operates. Congress sits on indisputable evidence of the greatest crimes while impeaching presidents for lesser offenses that are harder to prove. Andrew Johnson publicly did everything he could to limit “freedom” for African Americans to a meaningless word. He was impeached for firing th... more »

Friday's Follies

LL at Virtual Mirage - 15 hours ago
*Did you know that the Donkeys Debated?* I was on the road and missed most of the Democrat debate. The big take aways would seem to be that Yang doesn't like circumcised males, Bernie is still an angry old communist (he's consistent), Warren is angry at the Butt Guy for hanging out with billionaires, and Biden's doctor told him that he is every bit as healthy as some people. It's no wonder that the donkeys voted to impeach President Trump for things that aren't crimes even if their absurd accusations had merit. Kabuki theater. Unfortunately for the donkeys, theatrical moves such... more »

French telecom company Orange found guilty over workers' suicides

Just In - 15 hours ago
French phone and internet provider Orange has been found guilty of "moral harassment" that resulted in a string of employee suicides during the late 2000s, a Paris court has ruled.

Hail falls in parts of Adelaide as catastrophic fires burn across SA

Just In - 15 hours ago
As bushfires raged in catastrophic conditions across parts of South Australia on Friday, hail began to fall over Adelaide's suburbs bringing with it some relief but also high wind gusts.

Homes lost, person killed as bushfires burn throughout South Australia

Just In - 15 hours ago
A person has been killed and an unknown number of homes have been destroyed in fires burning throughout South Australia. More than 120 blazes have broken out in the catastrophic conditions, with four firefighters being treated for burns and smoke inhalation.

Friday Morning Links

Unknown at Accidental Deliberations - 15 hours ago
Assorted content to end your week. - Brigid Delaney writes about the significance of the truth about climate breakdown. Graham Readfearn reports on the risk of outright firestorms as bush fires burn out of control. And Geoff Dembicki writes about a case from the Philippines seeing oil companies held responsible for the damage they've caused from a human rights perspective. - Linda McQuaig highlights the absurdity of the financial sector whining about having been handed $15 billion in bonuses: (D)espite their privileged perch, Canada’s big six banks have gotten away with paying ext... more »

RED ALERT! FDA APPROVES MERCK EBOLA VACCINE, TO BE STOCKPILED IN THE USA WITH THE HELP OF JEFF EPSTEIN'S PAL BILL GATES AND GAVI

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 15 hours ago
*From media* *The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday it has approved an Ebola vaccine developed by Merck, making it the first for the deadly disease approved in the United States.* *The vaccine, Ervebo, protects against Zaire ebolaviruses, (MISLEADING STATEMENT CONTRADICTED BY FINAL PARAGRAPH WHICH REVEALS THE VACCINE HAS NOT UNDERGONE STANDARD CLINICAL TRIALS PROVING IT PROTECTS) he species of the virus that has been the most common cause of Ebola outbreaks. Ebola Zaire is the virus responsible for the current long-running outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the C... more »

FDA FAST TRACKS MAB114 FOR APPROVAL, SAFE AND EFFECTIVE DRUG SHOULD BE STOCKPILED

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 15 hours ago
F*rom media* *Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted the mAb114 experimental treatment for Ebola, Breakthrough Therapy designation. * *This announcement on September 6, 2019, says ‘Breakthrough Therapy designation was based on interim data from the Pamoja Tulinde Maisha (PALM) study.* *“The substantial survival improvement seen with mAb114 in the PALM trial catalyzed this important regulatory milestone,” said Wendy Holman, CEO of Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, in this press release.* *mAb114 is a monoclonal antibody, which ... more »

MAB114 AND REGN EB3 ARE THE ONLY TWO SAFE AND EFFECTIVE EBOLA DRUGS, SAYS NEJM STUDY

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 15 hours ago
*Read the study at the link below showing that mab114 (antibodies from Ebola survivors blood) and **REGN-EB3 were found to be safe and effective.* *https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1910993?query=recirc_curatedRelated_article* *EDITORIAL* *Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Ebola Virus Disease* *Just 2 Ebola Medicines Found Safe and Effective* *The efficacy of MAb114 and REGN-EB3 Ebola Zaire medicines in the PALM study opens potential paths toward licensure* *And on November 27, 2019, a new study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine that found 2 therapeutic m... more »

The Echo-Chambers of Public Health

Age of Autism at AGE OF AUTISM - 15 hours ago
By John Stone Some readers may recall back in August following the pronouncements of British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, about clamping down on vaccine misinformation. I tried to help by reviewing our National Health Service webpage 'Vaccines are safe and... more »

On the Cliff Edge of a New Stage of the Libyan Conflict

fsfasanotti at Lawfare - 15 hours ago
Photo Credit: Mahmud Turkia/AFP/Getty via Bloomberg *Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on *Order from Chaos*.* For much of its course, the war in Libya passed through deserts and rural areas, rarely reaching cities. The war has been carried out by relatively few combatants—rather, the conflict has been marked by the use of drones, as well as long stalls on the battlefield. In April of this year, Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar—who leads the armed wing of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives—launched an offensive on the capital of Tripoli, marking a major new... more »

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