1579: Cash over Country

In the morning to you Adam,

I appreciate your responses that you have given me and the hours of content you have provided for me. I will donate as soon as I get my raise. I will no longer be a Podcast Stealer.

I heard about your Meat Glue report and the correlation of celiacs disease. To me, that is the least shocking part of meat glue.

I’ve had over 5+ years in the culinary industry and I have used Meat Glue for certain applications in food. For example we used to make Chicken Saltimbocca. It is chicken breast that is butterflied and filled with Prosciutto, Sage, and Swiss Cheese. We used meat glue to seal the 2 ends of the chicken to make a “Chicken Log” per se. Afterwards we Sous Vided it to 155 and seared it to order.

While I myself have no problem using it in small quantities, if used on a mass scale in an improperly ventilated area, you can possibly breathe this stuff in and literally seal your throat or lungs together. Absolutely Haunting.

On the packaging there is usually a warning of if you breathe in you may experience allergic reactions or you may experience sensitivity in your lungs. (using the brand Moo Gloo* as an example)

I think it is absolutely horrible that they are changing the wording of:

“Your lungs will freaking shut if you breathe this crap in”

To:

“You may feel slight tingling or allergic reactions”

Thank you for everything that you do.

Sincerely,

Chef Matt

Dear Adam,

My son, David, told me to pay particular attention to the note at the beginning of the first donation segment because he thought it had the earmarks of AI. When I heard you read it, I had to agree. A couple of the clues were the repeated phrases, "with due respect" and "funding announcements at the end of the show". Our suspicion is that the note is not completely AI-generated. Either he wrote the note and used AI to rework it or he had AI generate a note and edited it.

Sincerely,

Your brothers in Christ,

Dan and David Gardner

San Antonio Texas

Hey Adam and John,

With all due respect, but man was I floored when I heard you read my email on the show. And then the roast that ensued! I don’t think I’ve gotten something like that since grade school!

But, seriously, with all due respect to you, John, but man are you skeptical! I’m glad Adam started off by assuming the best about my message, but then John absolutely demolished it!

Again, with the utmost respect to youse guys, you opened my eyes about the concept of ‘value for value.’

If you can, on the next show, please de-douchebag me as I'm becoming a regular contributor to the show. I'll start off by contributing $10 per month. I know it’s not much, but us shoplifters aren’t the wealthiest ‘patrons' in your local neighborhood Wal-Mart. I hope you understand that I gotta make a dollar out of fifteen cents on a regular basis.

With all due respect, your partner in crime,

Pete the shoplifter in Oakland, CA

1. Radiation and nuclear safety, focusing on restoring safety around Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, which is now-Russian occupied.

2. Food security, including protecting and ensuring Ukraine's grain exports to the world's poorest nations.

3. Energy security, with focus on price restrictions on Russian energy resources, as well as aiding Ukraine with restoring its power infrastructure, half of which has been damaged by Russian attacks.

4. Release of all prisoners and deportees, including war prisoners and children deported to Russia.

6. Withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, restoration of Ukraine's state borders with Russia.

8. Prevention of ecocide, need for protection of environment, with focus on demining and restoring water treatment facilities.

9. Prevention of escalation of conflict, and building security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic space, including guarantees for Ukraine.

10. Confirmation of the war's end, including a document signed by the involved parties.

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Meerdere Ministeries hebben een Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) dat zich bezighoudt met gedragsonderzoek en -beïnvloeding van de burger. Niet alleen ten tijde van de coronacrisis, maar permanent.

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But there are also a number of problems in Ukraine itself that are perceived critically in Russia. In particular, one of these now is the rights of Christians and the attempt to split the Orthodox Church, which is gaining momentum and is accompanied by the seizure of church property and the persecution of believers, and so on.

Moscow's main position is essentially an arrangement that can be called a ceasefire, based on Russia's retention of the Ukrainian territories now organized as four Russian regions. It is difficult to imagine that Moscow is prepared to abandon this as its main negotiating position.

No peace plan for Ukraine can become a reality without China's participation. The meeting in Saudi Arabia could be a precursor to a financial and economic assistance plan to rebuild Ukraine. This is how the plan to help Afghanistan began at the Bonn conference many years ago.

This conference is being held to force Africa and India to side with the West against Russia.

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But are the ocean temperatures really over 100 degrees?

The temperatures were obtained from a buoy at Manatee Bay just north of the Florida Keys where the 101.1 F was recorded.

Keep in mind, these are waters in the Everglades, not ocean waters near the beach, Lowry explains.

But the buoy reports did seem to be making waves.

Being a scientist himself, Lowry wanted to dig into the historical data for a number of the buoy stations that were recording the high temperatures. What he found was that the stations that record the numbers are in “very shallow water” surrounded by properties that could skew the readings very high.

Lowry explains that mud flats, mangroves, and other submerged aquatic vegetation more readily absorb the sunlight, which could account for the very high readings.

He reached out to colleagues at NOAA’s National Ocean Service and the National Data Buoy Center. “They agreed the numbers seemed high, especially compared to their nearby sensors which were reading 92-94°F,” says Lowry.

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Hi Adam I love the show. I am writing you to contribute some knowledge I have about the Fentanyl and xylazine epidemic. I am a MD licensed addictions counselor. I am the head of admissions and counseling at an outpatient medication assisted treatment center. And I’ve been working in this field and gathering research for almost 15 years.

Addicts also noticed that the fentanyl “hit” stronger but the “high” faded fast. This makes tolerances skyrocket since now they are using more times a day since after 3hrs they might get withdrawal symptoms (compared to 8hrs with heroin). So a way for dealers to combat that and make the effect last longer was to add a tranquilizer like xylazine to multiply the effects of the fentanyl. When mixed it slows down blood flow in the absorption area which also causes deoxygenation in the area. That leads to bacterial infections along with necrosis (rotting flesh), abscesses, and other health issues. Recently we have been noticing that to counteract the lack of blood flow dealers are now adding cocaine in the heroin. Another issue Pressed fentanyl (fake Percocets) known as “perc 30’s” are also being manufactured by the millions. A lot of overdoses are because they might try a perc 30 thinking it’s just a 30mg Percocet when in reality it’s fentanyl.

It’s sad but you guys have helped me remain grounded with what’s really happening out there vs what the put out in the public. I am still a douche bag but one day I will change that.

Thank you for letting me share this with you. -A

ITM Adam,

You asked, so as a former opiate addict (clean for 12 years) I think I can provide a bit of insight.

I don’t know anything about Tranq, although I suspect what we’re seeing isn’t the result of some dangerous new drug, but rather the effects of necrosis that is common in IV drug users being exploited for the clicks and fear.

You are absolutely right that drug dealers aren’t deliberately spiking their drugs with fentanyl. Drug dealers aren’t known for their generosity so they’re definitely not giving people free drugs, and the idea that they’re trying to get people more “addicted” to what they’re selling is absurd on it’s face. Drug dealers don’t want to kill their customers, and customers are never again going to buy from someone they think laced their dope. To be clear, the people who knowingly use fentanyl are dying because of improperly mixed powder which is then snorted/injected or pressed into pills.

As far as the accidental overdoses, IMO what is happening is cross-contamination. Typically people selling harder drugs like cocaine and meth also sell fentanyl, and because it takes such a small amount of fentanyl to kill (Google it, to the eye a fatal dose looks something like 8 or 10 grains of sugar), it’s as simple as a small amount being left behind on a scale or table finding it’s way into a bag of cocaine, a reused baggie, or an improperly cleaned pill press.

With cocaine specifically, this is sometimes called “The chocolate chip problem.” You have your bag of cocaine, but because fentanyl is a salt, and a neutral/clear colour, little nuggets (or chocolate chips) are undetectable to the eye and can be unevenly distributed in the baggie. What makes this extremely dangerous is, even if you test the cocaine, fentanyl can still be present in the bag but not in the sample being tested. So you think you have a clean bag, you chop out some lines, and the guy who was unlucky enough to get a chocolate chip overdoses. When I hear Joe Rogan’s buddy Ari talk about doing coke and say “Don’t worry, we test it” I just shake my head because people genuinely aren’t aware of this problem. The only way to be sure the bag is clean is to test the whole thing, which obviously destroys it, or to “clean” it, which is a time-consuming and somewhat involved process about which a casual or naive user wouldn’t be aware. Very scary stuff.

TYFYC,

(Anonymous)

Short answer. Yes, he meant adding things to allow police to trace the drug once it goes back into circulation.

it took a while for him to get back to me.

First of all, he said he was thinking more along the lines of barbiturates being added as a filler. And wasn't very familiar with Tranq. But after he looked at what it does, he said that's pretty serious stuff.

He did say that yes, police would mix it with some sort of filler which would a. dilute the potency of the drug and also b. make it easier for them to trace it should they find it in circulation somewhere.

I asked, would a drug dealer, add something like that which might kill their customer base? He said yes, this has been going on forever. He knew 7 guys from his small hometown in the 70s who died because they took drugs that which had a lethal drug added.

I said why would they do it. And he says because they're greedy or because they don't have enough and they need to increase revenue to pay back the person they bought from. and they will use whatever comes to hand. If they owe money they will resort to whatever to make the extra.

He said that in some cases addicts will just walk over the dead bodies of other addicts without really thinking about it. So there is something uniquely indifferent about the attitude to death amongst addicts once they are in the grip of addictive using.

He also said yes, he couldn't rule it out that there's something more nefarious or organised about the addition of Tranq into less dangerous drugs.

Meet with Meta about their server power consumption. Was told that AI is doubling their power consumption for their server farms in 1 year. Was told with out AI the power consumption would have been flat but AI increases power for their large server site by 2X.

0. sexual excitement from having a feminine body.

1. the superiority of female aesthetics.

2. access to the transbian dating pool.

3. full body orgasms.

4. multiple orgasms from penile stimulation.

5. you will feel emotions stronger and be happier on estrogen.

6. your breasts will become sensitive.

7. being able to attract cis lesbians (if you become attractive enough).

8. being able to attract high-quality males for sex.

9. softer skin and less/no acne.

10. being able to extract resources from males.

11. you will no longer be driven to do dangerous and idiotic things due to testosterone

12. stop and reverse hair loss.

13. people will treat you better if they think you are female.

14. females are less likely to become victims of crime.

15. access to female spaces (males are disgusting).

16. cheaper car insurance

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I was a special education teacher for 8 years in the city of Rochester and the past 10 years the director of special education for a rural district in upstate NY.

When I started 10 years ago, we would have one or no students at all enter kindergarten with a diagnosis of ASD (autism spectrum disorder). Most if not all of those students would go to a BOCES class, because we never had the economy of scale to open our own self-contained classrooms. These classes require a lot of additional resources, human and material.

Jumping forward through the years it slowly crept up to where now most years we have 2-3 students who already have or are in the process of getting this diagnosis by age 5.

As you mentioned on the last show, which I considered for many years, that maybe it’s just being recognized and diagnosed more often.

In a fairly small district we now have 3 classrooms K-6 designed specifically for kids on the spectrum.

I’m fortunate to work with amazing teachers, support staff, related service providers and parents, because it can be a very stressful to address the needs in this group. I give families a tremendous amount of credit, because it’s a full time job typically on top of their full time jobs.

ITM Adam!

Kory Santaella here with a “boots on the ground report,” for the “best podcast in the universe,” from the beverage industry. I am the bar manager for a casino in Tucson AZ and have seen bazar effects of the “Bud Light Situation.” All bars in the casino were known as “bud light” bars but it has taken a crazy turn. Daily, I witness or am told about guests going “crazy” about being offered or realizing we still serve Bud Light. The funniest part, is they almost always to purchase a Michelob Ultra (also produced by Anheuser Busch). Additionally, I don’t think people understand how their “protest” of Bud Light is affecting those who work for the company and have been laid off because of this event! I have lost two different “key account managers” and “one sales manager” as my distribution representatives due to layoffs. This has resulted in me doing all of the sales work for the distribution company, and it should be the other way around!!

Cheers!

Kory Santaella

Tucson AZ

The NHS announced last year that it would be closing the Tavistock transgender clinic after a review by Dr Hilary Cass found it was “not safe”.

It was the only NHS transgender clinic treating children and concerns were raised that young people were being rushed down a medical pathway.

The clinic is being replaced by a set of regional centres that will be led by medical doctors, rather than therapists, and consider the impact of other conditions such as autism and mental health issues.

The move came amid growing concern about the impact of gender ideology on children, including in schools where some were being socially transitioned without their parents’ consent.

NHS England said that a new service was needed because there was “scarce and inconclusive evidence to support clinical decision-making” at the Tavistock clinic.

As part of the new approach, medics have been reminded that for “most” young people, the feeling of being in the wrong body is just a “phase” and does not persist into adulthood.

Officials have now set out their plan for how children will be able to access the service, which has been sent to experts for their input. The plans have been seen by The Telegraph.

The plans state: “Children under seven years of age may not be expected to have sufficiently developed their intellectual understanding of, and comprehension of, sex and gender to be able to understand the reasons for, and potential consequences of, a referral to a specialist gender incongruence service.”

By seven, children will “be more established within school, and education professionals and school nurses will be able to contribute to a general observational view as to the appropriateness of a referral”.

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Closing Statement It is with a heavy heart and a determined spirit that I stand, under oath, before you today, having made the decision based on the data I collected, and reported, to provide this information to the committee. I am driven in this duty by a conviction to expose what I viewed as a grave congressional oversight issue and a potential abuse of executive branch authorities. This endeavor was not born out of malice or dissatisfaction, but from an unwavering commitment to truth and transparency, an endeavor rooted in our inherent duty to uphold the United States Constitution, protect the American People, and seek insights into this matter that have the potential to redefine our understanding of the world. In an era, fraught with division and discord, our exploration into the UP subject seems to resonate with an urgency and fascination that transcends political, social, and geographical boundaries. A democratic process must be adhered to when evaluating the data and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that public involvement is encouraged and respected. Indeed, the future of our civilization and our comprehension of humanity's place on earth and in the cosmos depends on the success of this very process. It is my hope that the revelations we unearth through investigations of the Non-Human Reverse Engineering Programs I have reported will act as an ontological (earth-shattering) shock, a catalyst for a global reassessment of our priorities. As we move forward on this path, we might be poised to enable extraordinary technological progress in a future where our civilization surpasses the current state-of-the-art in propulsion, material science, energy production and storage. The knowledge we stand to gain should spur us toward a more enlightened and sustainable future, one where collective curiosity is ignited, and global cooperation becomes the norm, rather than the exception. Thank You

Alpha-gal allergy has been reported in 17 countries on all six continents where humans are bitten by ticks, particularly the United States and Australia.[6] As of November 2019 Australia has the highest rate of mammalian meat allergy and tick anaphylaxis in the world.[7] In the US, the allergy most often occurs in the central and southern regions, which corresponds to the distribution of the lone star tick.[8] In the Southern United States, where the tick is most prevalent, allergy rates are 32% higher than elsewhere.[9] However, as doctors are not required to report the number of patients with alpha-gal allergy, the true number of affected individuals is unknown.[10] Alpha-gal has also been shown to exist in the saliva of Ixodes scapularis but not Amblyomma maculatum.[11]

Alpha-gal allergies are the first known food allergies that present the possibility of delayed anaphylaxis.[12][13][14] It is also the first known food-related allergy associated with a carbohydrate, rather than a protein.[13][15]

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Archived Version

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 16:18

The U.S. military is unable to fly drones from a base in Niger because the country's airspace has been closed after a coup overthrew the government in late July, a U.S. official said.

Known as ''Nigerien Air Base 201,'' the installation cost $110 million to build and it features a 6,200-foot runway for MQ-9 Reapers as well as manned aircraft. The U.S. military began conducting drone flights from the base in November 2019.

About 1,100 U.S. troops are currently deployed to Niger, according to the Defense Department. The country is an important partner in the U.S. military's efforts to counter the Islamic State group and other terrorist organizations in Africa. In October 2017, four U.S. soldiers were killed near the Nigerien village of Tongo Tongo after being attacked by more than 100 ISIS fighters.

Politico first reported that U.S. military drones were unable to fly from a base near Agadez, Niger, after the country's armed forces ousted Niger's president in a July 26 coup.

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The base serves as a critical intelligence and surveillance hub for the U.S. military's efforts to combat violent extremism in North and West Africa, said Jocelyn Trainer, an expert on sub-Saharan Africa with the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington, D.C.

A U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules takes off from the new runway at Nigerien Air Base 201, Agadez, Niger, Aug. 3, 2019. (Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer/U.S. Air Force)''With a limited U.S. base presence in Africa '' restricted to Djibouti and Niger '' losing access to Base Aerienne 201[Niger Air Base 201] would be a detrimental blow to U.S. and African joint efforts to counter violent extremist groups connected to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda operating in the area,'' Trainer told Task & Purpose. ''This setback coincides with France diminishing its presence in the region. A reduced U.S. and French presence could create space for Wagner, or other actors, to fill a security vacuum.''

It is too early to determine how the closure of Niger's airspace will affect U.S. military operations in Africa, a second U.S. official told Task & Purpose.

In the short term, not being able to use of Nigerien Air Base 201 will limit the U.S. military's visibility over the Sahel region of Africa where ISIS and al-Qaida's branch in West Africa known as Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, both have a strong presence, said Caleb Weiss, an expert on jihadism in Africa and the Middle East.

''It definitely affects their ability to support troops on the ground, whether that be Special Forces ODAs [Operational Detachment Alphas], or the French in Niger and certainly keeping tabs on JNIM and ISGS [the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara] throughout the entire Sahel,'' said Weiss, a senior analyst with the Bridgeway Foundation, a nonprofit organization that seeks to end genocide.

Al-Qaeda and ISIS are ''incredibly strong and growing stronger'' in the Sahel, and both groups will be the main benefactors of the coup in Niger, Weiss told Task & Purpose.

A U.S. Army Special Forces weapons sergeant observes a Niger Army soldier during marksmanship training as part of Exercise Flintlock 2017 in Diffa, Niger, Feb. 28, 2017. (Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Klutts/U.S. Army)The future of the U.S. military's presence in Niger is also uncertain in the wake of the country's recent political instability. So far, President Joe Biden's administration has not described the Nigerien military's actions as a ''coup,'' a legal definition that would trigger an end to U.S. aid to the country.

''Our economic and security partnership with Niger '' which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars '' depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last '' in the last few days,'' Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on July 29. ''So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed.''

However, the security situation in Niger is at risk of deteriorating further. On July 30, several West African countries threatened to invade Niger unless its president was returned to power. In response, the military juntas running Burkina Faso and Mali have warned that they will treat any outside military intervention in Niger as a ''declaration of war'' against them.

Until the recent coup, Niger had been one of the U.S. military's most important partners in Africa for counterterrorism operations, said Bill Roggio, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank in Washington, D.C.

Now Niger's ruling military junta appears to be hostile toward the United States and more concerned with consolidating its power than extending the government's authority into areas where terrorist groups operate, Roggio told Task & Purpose.

Roggio noted that French troops left Mali following that country's 2021 coup, so the political turmoil in Niger only adds to the region's instability.

''This is a region that's already on the downslide,'' Roggio said. ''The jihadist threat has metastasized in the region from both al-Qaida and the Islamic State. The ability to observe and react to these groups has decreased significantly with the loss of Mali, and this is yet another blow. If the airspace remains closed, the impact of this incalculable '' bit it certainly isn't positive.''

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Archived Version

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 16:11

Key PointsA potentially life-threatening allergy called the Mammalian Meat Allergy is induced by a tick bite.Unlike other allergies, the symptom onset is delayed, appearing up to six hours after eating red meat.No cure or treatment exists, but the illness is preventable by avoiding ticks or safely removing them if bitten. Experts are urging Australians to be more aware of the protective strategies around tick bites to decrease vulnerability to a potentially fatal meat allergy induced by a tick bite. Tick season in Australia begins in July and continues into the summer. With that comes the increased risk of tick-borne illness. In the absence of vaccines, experts say that risk can be reduced - and even eliminated - with tick bite prevention.

What is the link between tick bites and red meat allergy?

Tick bites can induce an allergic reaction called the Mammalian Meat Allergy (MMA). Symptoms can show up between four and six hours after eating mammalian meat, including red and white meat such as beef, lamb, pork, kangaroo and rabbit. Other items that can set off symptoms include mammalian milk products and animal-derived gelatin, which is also found in intravenous blood substitutes such as gelatin colloid. A full list of foods to be avoided if an individual has MMA is . The delayed onset of symptoms is what distinguishes it from a tick allergy that occurs at the time of bite from an adult tick. Professor David Christ from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research has studied the structure of the allergen - a sugar molecule called alpha-galactose or alpha-gal - and also the antibody response.

Professor Daniel Christ (right) says identifying the antibody at play reveals a common pattern in different people that points to a genetic contribution in MMA. Credit: Garvan Institute

The alpha-gal molecule is found in meat from all mammals, but isn't found in humans, great apes and old world monkeys. That is part of why it triggers the antibody response it does, says Christ. "Almost all living beings, including other mammals, in fact, produce this sugar. It's really only humans and higher primates that lost the capacity to produce this sugar molecule during evolution. We don't quite know why this happens," he said. "When we get bitten, our immune system recognises this molecule as foreign and we get sensitised. And then at a later stage - and that could be weeks to months later - after we eat meat, we can then have this reaction. And that reaction can be quite severe." The associated gut symptoms are similar to irritable bowel syndrome. Avoiding further tick bites can allow a person to recover and return to meat consumption within three to four years. Once free of symptoms, another tick bite can reactivate the process again.

Is there a treatment for the Mammalian Meat Allergy?

Christ says he and his colleagues are working on a treatment, but that it's still in an early stage. "We're working on in vitro models. We would hope that within a range of years, this would come into clinical trials, and then eventually treatments." Clinical immunologist Professor Sheryl van Nunen documented the first global case of MMA in Sydney in 2007. The convenor of the Tick Induced Allergies Research & Awareness (TiARA) says immune susceptibility will differ among individuals along a spectrum, adding that many are likely unaware they have the allergy.

"We did a study some years ago and it showed our [Australia's] prevalence [for MMA] is 113 per 100,000. But it is probably higher than that at the moment", she said. "About 60 per cent of Australians are potentially exposed to tick bites in that they live in the 30 kilometres or so east of the Great Dividing Range. The tick requires humidity and a wet autumn for numbers to be in plague proportions." A population survey has yet to be produced to aid surveillance efforts due to funding barriers. She says at this stage the most cost-effective public health intervention is tick bite prevention.

"This is the only allergen in the world where we know what causes it, and therefore the only allergen in the world where we can stop you getting it in the first place - and prevent it." In its Australia's national science organisation CSIRO found that climate change and changing land use are increasing the global incidence of tick-transmitted diseases. Cases have been recorded in more than 32 countries across six continents. How can you protect yourself from tick bites?

The number one prevention strategy is to avoid areas where ticks live. Wearing protective clothing, particularly bonded with permethrin, covering the arms and legs when in outdoor areas is also strongly recommended. Light-coloured clothes make it easier to see ticks, while tucking shirts into trousers and trouser legs into socks reduces skin exposure.

Tick-related allergies are the reason people present to hospital emergency departments, particularly in places where the ticks are most abundant. Globally, there are almost 900 species of tick. Source: AAP / Julian Stratenschulte

In addition to this, using tick repellant that contains the active ingredient DEET is also advised. It is recommended that the entire body - particularly the neck and scalp - is checked daily for tick bites. Humans and pets may not feel the tick bite initially, but once it starts to feed on blood there can be reactions to the salivary compounds.

What should you do if you get a tick bite?

Care needs to be taken when removing a tick bite to avoid more tick saliva being injected, which risks death from a severe case of tick anaphylaxis or MMA. Van Nunen says the key action is to refrain from touching or forcibly dislodging the tick. "Freeze it, don't squeeze it," she said, advising against people using their own household tweezers to remove the tick.

"You freeze the tick [where it is] and you wait for it to drop off." Ether-containing sprays available at pharmacies can be used to freeze the tick. The tick must be sprayed five times, holding the spray 1cm above it. If the tick fails to dislodge itself after being sprayed, a health professional can use fine-tipped forceps to safely remove it without risking further saliva being injected into you. Improper or unsafe removal risks tick anaphylaxis or MMA, both of which could be potentially fatal.

What is the most dangerous tick species in Australia?

In Australia, there are 70 types of ticks, but the tick that is most implicated in medically significant tick bites is the Australian paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus). This tick is responsible for more than 95 per cent of tick bites in humans in eastern Australia. Saliva from this tick can result in "fatal anaphylaxis, paralysis, and death", according to the federal health department.

There were four deaths from tick anaphylaxis in Australia between 1997 and 2013. Tick-related allergies are the reason people present to hospital emergency departments, particularly in places where the ticks are most abundant. The Australian paralysis tick is found in high numbers on almost the entire length of the eastern seaboard of Australia, within 20 kilometres of the coast. It has also been found inland, including the Bunya Mountains, Barcaldine, and Thargomindah in Queensland and the Lower Blue Mountains in New South Wales.

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Archived Version

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 14:36

Two of humanity's most ubiquitous historical materials, cement and carbon black (which resembles very fine charcoal), may form the basis for a novel, low-cost energy storage system, according to a new study. The technology could facilitate the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and tidal power by allowing energy networks to remain stable despite fluctuations in renewable energy supply.

The two materials, the researchers found, can be combined with water to make a supercapacitor '-- an alternative to batteries '-- that could provide storage of electrical energy. As an example, the MIT researchers who developed the system say that their supercapacitor could eventually be incorporated into the concrete foundation of a house, where it could store a full day's worth of energy while adding little (or no) to the cost of the foundation and still providing the needed structural strength. The researchers also envision a concrete roadway that could provide contactless recharging for electric cars as they travel over that road.

The simple but innovative technology is described this week in the journal PNAS, in a paper by MIT professors Franz-Josef Ulm, Admir Masic, and Yang-Shao Horn, and four others at MIT and at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

Capacitors are in principle very simple devices, consisting of two electrically conductive plates immersed in an electrolyte and separated by a membrane. When a voltage is applied across the capacitor, positively charged ions from the electrolyte accumulate on the negatively charged plate, while the positively charged plate accumulates negatively charged ions. Since the membrane in between the plates blocks charged ions from migrating across, this separation of charges creates an electric field between the plates, and the capacitor becomes charged. The two plates can maintain this pair of charges for a long time and then deliver them very quickly when needed. Supercapacitors are simply capacitors that can store exceptionally large charges.

The amount of power a capacitor can store depends on the total surface area of its conductive plates. The key to the new supercapacitors developed by this team comes from a method of producing a cement-based material with an extremely high internal surface area due to a dense, interconnected network of conductive material within its bulk volume. The researchers achieved this by introducing carbon black '-- which is highly conductive '-- into a concrete mixture along with cement powder and water, and letting it cure. The water naturally forms a branching network of openings within the structure as it reacts with cement, and the carbon migrates into these spaces to make wire-like structures within the hardened cement. These structures have a fractal-like structure, with larger branches sprouting smaller branches, and those sprouting even smaller branchlets, and so on, ending up with an extremely large surface area within the confines of a relatively small volume. The material is then soaked in a standard electrolyte material, such as potassium chloride, a kind of salt, which provides the charged particles that accumulate on the carbon structures. Two electrodes made of this material, separated by a thin space or an insulating layer, form a very powerful supercapacitor, the researchers found.

The two plates of the capacitor function just like the two poles of a rechargeable battery of equivalent voltage: When connected to a source of electricity, as with a battery, energy gets stored in the plates, and then when connected to a load, the electrical current flows back out to provide power.

''The material is fascinating,'' Masic says, ''because you have the most-used manmade material in the world, cement, that is combined with carbon black, that is a well-known historical material '-- the Dead Sea Scrolls were written with it. You have these at least two-millennia-old materials that when you combine them in a specific manner you come up with a conductive nanocomposite, and that's when things get really interesting.''

As the mixture sets and cures, he says, ''The water is systematically consumed through cement hydration reactions, and this hydration fundamentally affects nanoparticles of carbon because they are hydrophobic (water repelling).'' As the mixture evolves, ''the carbon black is self-assembling into a connected conductive wire,'' he says. The process is easily reproducible, with materials that are inexpensive and readily available anywhere in the world. And the amount of carbon needed is very small '-- as little as 3 percent by volume of the mix '-- to achieve a percolated carbon network, Masic says.

Supercapacitors made of this material have great potential to aid in the world's transition to renewable energy, Ulm says. The principal sources of emissions-free energy, wind, solar, and tidal power, all produce their output at variable times that often do not correspond to the peaks in electricity usage, so ways of storing that power are essential. ''There is a huge need for big energy storage,'' he says, and existing batteries are too expensive and mostly rely on materials such as lithium, whose supply is limited, so cheaper alternatives are badly needed. ''That's where our technology is extremely promising, because cement is ubiquitous,'' Ulm says.

The team calculated that a block of nanocarbon-black-doped concrete that is 45 cubic meters (or yards) in size '-- equivalent to a cube about 3.5 meters across '-- would have enough capacity to store about 10 kilowatt-hours of energy, which is considered the average daily electricity usage for a household. Since the concrete would retain its strength, a house with a foundation made of this material could store a day's worth of energy produced by solar panels or windmills and allow it to be used whenever it's needed. And, supercapacitors can be charged and discharged much more rapidly than batteries.

After a series of tests used to determine the most effective ratios of cement, carbon black, and water, the team demonstrated the process by making small supercapacitors, about the size of some button-cell batteries, about 1 centimeter across and 1 millimeter thick, that could each be charged to 1 volt, comparable to a 1-volt battery. They then connected three of these to demonstrate their ability to light up a 3-volt light-emitting diode (LED). Having proved the principle, they now plan to build a series of larger versions, starting with ones about the size of a typical 12-volt car battery, then working up to a 45-cubic-meter version to demonstrate its ability to store a house-worth of power.

There is a tradeoff between the storage capacity of the material and its structural strength, they found. By adding more carbon black, the resulting supercapacitor can store more energy, but the concrete is slightly weaker, and this could be useful for applications where the concrete is not playing a structural role or where the full strength-potential of concrete is not required. For applications such as a foundation, or structural elements of the base of a wind turbine, the ''sweet spot'' is around 10 percent carbon black in the mix, they found.

Another potential application for carbon-cement supercapacitors is for building concrete roadways that could store energy produced by solar panels alongside the road and then deliver that energy to electric vehicles traveling along the road using the same kind of technology used for wirelessly rechargeable phones. A related type of car-recharging system is already being developed by companies in Germany and the Netherlands, but using standard batteries for storage.

Initial uses of the technology might be for isolated homes or buildings or shelters far from grid power, which could be powered by solar panels attached to the cement supercapacitors, the researchers say.

Ulm says that the system is very scalable, as the energy-storage capacity is a direct function of the volume of the electrodes. ''You can go from 1-millimeter-thick electrodes to 1-meter-thick electrodes, and by doing so basically you can scale the energy storage capacity from lighting an LED for a few seconds, to powering a whole house,'' he says.

Depending on the properties desired for a given application, the system could be tuned by adjusting the mixture. For a vehicle-charging road, very fast charging and discharging rates would be needed, while for powering a home ''you have the whole day to charge it up,'' so slower-charging material could be used, Ulm says.

''So, it's really a multifunctional material,'' he adds. Besides its ability to store energy in the form of supercapacitors, the same kind of concrete mixture can be used as a heating system, by simply applying electricity to the carbon-laced concrete.

Ulm sees this as ''a new way of looking toward the future of concrete as part of the energy transition.''

The research team also included postdocs Nicolas Chanut and Damian Stefaniuk at MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, James Weaver at the Wyss Institute, and Yunguang Zhu in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering. The work was supported by the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, with sponsorship by the Concrete Advancement Foundation.

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Archived Version

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 14:29

>>

Report on the Biden Laptop

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Sun, 06 Aug 2023 14:08

Harry reportedly earns seven figures as chief impact officer of BetterUp But employees have said that his day-to-day responsibilities consist of 'zero' By Daniel Bates In New York For The Mail On Sunday

Published: 17:07 EDT, 5 August 2023 | Updated: 22:03 EDT, 5 August 2023

Staff at a life-coaching company have started questioning the Duke of Sussex's work there.

They have turned on the Duke '' who reportedly earns a seven-figure salary as chief impact officer '' after more than 100 San Francisco-based BetterUp employees were laid off last week.

The staff claim he has become a 'distraction' with one concluding that with Harry 'the juice isn't worth the squeeze'.

Another BetterUp employee was asked about Harry's day-to-day responsibilities.

'From what I see I'm going to go with zero things,' he replied.

Staff at a life-coaching company have started questioning the Duke of Sussex's work there. Harry and Meghan leave celebrity hotspot restaurant Tre Lune, in Montecito

The Duke of Sussex taking part in a Q&A with the San Francisco-based company BetterUp

The employees spoke out as media experts have suggested Harry and wife Meghan should rebrand themselves to salvage their faltering Hollywood careers.

Recent setbacks have blown their attempt to crack America off course and celebrities are reportedly fearful of endangering their popularity by being too close to the couple.

Their lucrative Spotify deal was axed and Meghan was criticised by top Hollywood agent Jeremy Zimmer as 'not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent'.

Commentator and Royal podcast host Kinsey Schofield advised the couple to change direction and explore reality television.

She said it would give people an authentic insight into their lives and 'would take all of the power away from these tabloids and paparazzi that Harry and Meghan claim to loathe'.

Controversy over an alleged car chase in New York in May is also said to have damaged the couple's reputation in the States. Mitchell Jackson, a celebrity publicist, claimed the couple had too much baggage and organisers of red carpet events were wary of their clients being overshadowed.

He said for those promoting a film or fashion product the 'problem with Meghan and Harry is after the whole car chase thing in New York, people just feel like they're untrustworthy and melodramatic and it's just going to revolve around them and they will distract from what they're trying to promote'.

Their lucrative Spotify deal was axed and Meghan was criticised by top Hollywood agent Jeremy Zimmer as 'not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent'

Harry and Meghan attend the 2021 Salute To Freedom Gala at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum

According to US website The Daily Beast, the Duke has now become a 'target' for angry BetterUp staff. A former employee said he initially thought Harry's arrival was 'cool'.

But they added that staff soon began to find him a distraction with many fearing his ongoing dramas might impact on the company's reputation.

The employee said: 'Every article mentions his role at BetterUp then goes on to roast [him and Meghan Markle]... The juice isn't worth the squeeze.'

Another said the company treat staff poorly while pushing woke credentials.

'We're all there because of the same bull**** story they keep telling us: 'We're mission driven, and the mission is going to change the world',' said the employee. Harry's publicly known work at BetterUp appears to mostly comprise of speaking engagements.

In March, he appeared at the company's 'Uplift' conference where he talked about 'what gets me out of bed every day'.

At another event he spoke about the dangers of burnout and how he likes to meditate.

Schofield said: 'The more and more we get to know Harry and Meghan, we realise that they speak in extremes and that all of their descriptions are a little bit exaggerated.'

The Duke of Sussex backstage at the Masters of Scale Summit with BetterUp executives

The employees spoke out as media experts have suggested Harry and wife Meghan should rebrand themselves to salvage their faltering Hollywood careers. Pictured on their Netflix documentary

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Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:59

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Dec 28 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been vigorously promoting his 10-point peace plan, discussing it with U.S. President Joe Biden among others, and urging world leaders to hold a Global Peace Summit based on it.

Here is an explainer on the plan and world reaction:

WHAT IS ZELENSKIY'S 10-POINT PEACE PLAN?Zelenskiy first announced his peace formula at a November summit of the Group of 20 major economies.

The plan calls for:

1. Radiation and nuclear safety, focusing on restoring safety around Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, which is now-Russian occupied.

2. Food security, including protecting and ensuring Ukraine's grain exports to the world's poorest nations.

3. Energy security, with focus on price restrictions on Russian energy resources, as well as aiding Ukraine with restoring its power infrastructure, half of which has been damaged by Russian attacks.

4. Release of all prisoners and deportees, including war prisoners and children deported to Russia.

5. Restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity and Russia reaffirming it according the U.N. Charter, which Zelenskiy said is "not up to negotiations".

6. Withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, restoration of Ukraine's state borders with Russia.

7. Justice, including the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes.

8. Prevention of ecocide, need for protection of environment, with focus on demining and restoring water treatment facilities.

9. Prevention of escalation of conflict, and building security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic space, including guarantees for Ukraine.

10. Confirmation of the war's end, including a document signed by the involved parties.

WHAT IS ZELENSKIY'S GLOBAL PEACE SUMMIT PROPOSAL?In December, Zelenskiy urged the leaders of the Group of Seven nations to support his Global Peace Summit idea in winter that would focus on the peace plan "as a whole or some specific points in particular".

WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORLD'S RESPONSE?Russia rejected Zelenskiy's peace proposal this month and Moscow reiterated on Tuesday that it would not give up any territory it has taken by force, around a fifth of Ukraine, which it says it has annexed.

Zelenskiy has been on a diplomatic flurry presenting his plan to leaders including Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose country has assumed the G20 presidency.

The Western world's support for Ukraine's military has run into billions of dollars, led by Washington, and nations have rushed to help Kyiv with demining and fixing power infrastructure.

But the response to Zelenskiy's peace plan and his proposed peace summit has been more cautious.

During Zelenskiy's visit to Washington on Dec. 22, Biden said in public remarks only that he and Zelenskiy "share the exact same vision" for peace and that the United States is committed to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself.

Modi, whose government has not explicitly condemned Russia's invasion on Ukraine, said after Zelenskiy's presentation of the plan he "strongly reiterated" his call for an immediate end to hostilities and conveyed India's support for any peace efforts.

The G7 leaders said they were committed to bringing peace to Ukraine "in line with its rights enshrined in the U.N. Charter."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that chances for any peace talks are small any time soon.

"I do believe that the military confrontation will go on, and I think we'll have still to wait for a moment in which serious negotiations for peace will be possible," he said in late December.

Reporting in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Michael Perry

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Archived Version

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 10:29

De coronarespons was internationaal vrijwel gelijkgeschakeld. Maatregelen zoals de anderhalve meter, handen wassen, niezen in de elleboog en later de mondkapjes, werden wereldwijd ingevoerd. Voor deze maatregelen was geen wetenschappelijke onderbouwing en later werd zelfs aangetoond dat de meeste maatregelen geen enkel nut hebben gehad voor het bestrijden van het luchtwegvirus. Het doel dat men voor de burger voor ogen had, was gehoorzaamheid ofwel compliance. De Corona Gedragsunit was een team met gedragsdeskundigen van het RIVM. Dit team hield zich bezig met het adviseren, analyseren, en rapporteren over de gehoorzaamheid van de burger ten aanzien van de gedragsadviezen die de overheid gaf.

Uit vrijgegeven WOB-documenten blijkt dat deze operatie van gedragsbe¯nvloeding veel groter was dan burgers zich wellicht beseft hebben. Minstens negen (9) overheidsinstanties, waaronder vijf ministeries, beschikken over zo'n Behavioural Insights Team (BIT). Zij stemden de gedragsanalyses op elkaar af en bedachten 'nudges'. Prikkels die men de burger gaf om gewenst gedrag te vertonen. Daarnaast vond ook afstemming plaats met buitenlandse BIT teams.

In maart 2020 werd het Nationaal Kernteam Gedragsexpertise (NKG) direct onder de centrale crisisaansturing geplaatst. De co¶rdinatie nam de nieuwe Corona Gedragsunit als onderdeel van het RIVM op zich.

Opvallend is dat men in de onderstaande oprichtingsmemo uitgaat van langdurige maatregelen en dat al vaststaat dat gedragsinterventies het belangrijkste middel zijn in de strijd tegen het virus.

De kosten van de eerste vier maanden werden gedekt door een subsidie via ZonMW. Vanaf augustus 2020 werd de Corona Gedragsunit rechtstreeks door VWS betaald.

De subsidie voor de eerste vier maanden werd door ZonMW binnen 24 uur op basis van (C)(C)n A4-tje goedgekeurd. Los van de vraag of het subsidieplatform ZonMW correct handelde, toont deze gang van zaken de prioriteit die men stelde aan de oprichting van de Corona Gedragsunit.

Medio 2020 kreeg de Nationaal Co¶rdinator Terrorismebestrijding en Veiligheid (NCTV) de centrale rol in de covidrespons van Nederland. Kenmerken van deze aansturende rol zijn zichtbaar in verschillende WOB-documenten. Ook de Gedragsteams rapporteerden aan de terrorismewaakhond. Handhaving en compliance kregen een prominente rol in de rapportages ten koste van wetenschappelijk onderzoek.

In onderstaande mailwisseling valt op dat de Gedragsunit rechtstreeks rapporteerde aan de NCTV. Indien het aantal toegestane bezoekers tijdens de feestdagen omlaag zou gaan, kon dit nog op de website worden aangepast.

Naast het Nationaal Kernteam Gedragsexpertise (NKG) en de Corona Gedragsunit (CGU), is van vijf ministeries en twee andere overheidsinstellingen bekend dat zij ook een BIT hadden dat zich met gedragsbe¯nvloeding bezighield.

Uit bovenstaand WOB-document blijkt het bestaan van BIT-teams binnen de volgende overheidsinstanties:

Ministerie van Economische Zaken (EZK);

Ministerie van Onderwijs Cultuur en Wetenschappen (OC&W);

Ministerie van Financin (FIN);

Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid (SZW);

Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport (VWS);

Autoriteit Consument en Markt ( ACM );

Dienst Publiek en Communicatie ( DPC ).

Met het NKG en de CGU komt het totaal op negen BIT-teams. Zoals uit bovenstaand WOB-document blijkt, waren ook adviesbureau's betrokken die in gedragsbe¯nvloeding waren gespecialiseerd. De BIT-teams zijn aangesloten bij het Behavioural Insights Netwerk ( BIN-NL ). Dit is een netwerkorganisatie van de overheid waar alle gedragsbe¯nvloedende interventies worden onderzocht, bedacht en geadviseerd. Een voorbeeld hiervan is de recente campagne om energie te besparen .

Uit een analyse van de overheidsuitgaven aan gedragsbe¯nvloeding tussen 2017 en 2021 blijkt dat het ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid relatief het meeste uitgaf aan bedrijven die gespecialiseerd zijn in gedragsbe¯nvloeding. In 2019 werd ruim twee keer zo veel uitgegeven als gebruikelijk.

Verder valt op dat het omstreden bedrijf SCL vanwege de Cambridge Analytica-affaire door het ministerie van Defensie is ingehuurd voor het geven van training in Behavioural Dynamics Methodology.

Het bedrijf SUE, waar voormalig VVD-politicus Klaas Dijkhoff werkzaam is, werd ook ingehuurd door de overheid.

Zo blijkt uit onderstaand overzicht, dat wellicht niet alle uitgaven aan gedragsbe¯nvloeding bevat.

Er was ook sprake van internationale samenwerking tussen de BIT-teams. Dit blijkt uit verschillende WOB-documenten waarvan onderstaande rapportage een voorbeeld is.

Het Engelse Behavioural Insights Team heeft binnen de gedragsbe¯nvloeders groot aanzien. De Britten refereren op hun website aan zichzelf als 'Global leaders and pioneers in applied behavioural science'. Verder is op hun website te lezen dat zij ´levens en gemeenschappen verbeteren door overheden op alle niveau's te helpen.' Dit doen zij door de hulp vanuit de private sector en die van filantropen. Het Britse BIT is opgericht in 2010 en heeft kantoren over de hele wereld. Zij leveren diensten aan tal van foundations, financile instellingen, toezichthouders, techbedrijven zoals Meta (Facebook) en overheden. Eind 2021 is het Engelse BIT overgegaan in Nesta .

De producten van de BIT-teams bestonden uit gedragsanalyses, communicatiestrategien, infographics en voorgestelde 'nudges´. Nudging betekent letterlijk ´een duwtje geven´. Deze duwtjes in de gewenste richting zouden bijdragen in de gewenste gedragsverandering van de burger.

In een presentatie van de BIT-teams zijn diverse voorbeelden te zien van campagnes met stickers en infographics.

Opmerkelijk is het enigszins infantiele niveau van de nudging adviezen die door de BIT-teams werden gegeven. Zo werd ook nagedacht over hoe burgers zich in de priv(C)-setting moesten gedragen. Dit resulteerde in ideen als een loterij, armbandjes en zelfs een hulppakket met allerlei folders, stickers en flyers.

Nudges zoals de cirkels met een straal van anderhalve meter in het park en de zeeppompjes om de handen te desinfecteren, kwamen ook van de gedragsexperts.

Van veel coronamaatregelen is inmiddels bekend dat de wetenschappelijke onderbouwing ervan ontbreekt. Toch werden deze maatregelen ingevoerd, wellicht onder internationale druk of omdat de bevolking voldoende angst was ingeboezemd dat men dergelijke maatregelen verwachtte. Het Outbreak Management Team (OMT) werd om adviezen gevraagd, waarvan de wetenschappelijke onderbouwing in veel gevallen van het RIVM moest komen. Uit verschillende mailwisselingen blijkt dat het RIVM en de aangesloten wetenschappelijke instituten hier vaak niet toe in staat bleken.

Voor de anderhalve meter, ofwel social distancing, was geen wetenschappelijke onderbouwing.

Uit onderstaande mailwisselingen blijkt zelfs dat het RIVM morele bezwaren had om onderbouwing van maatregelen te leveren die hun oorsprong in een ´politieke wens' hadden.

Van de niet-medische mondkapjes was al vrij snel bekend dat deze geen effect hadden op de verspreiding van het virus. Toch deed men in samenwerking met de BIT-teams onderzoek of het dragen van de maskertjes misschien een effect op de gehoorzaamheid van de burger ten aanzien van de andere gedragsaanwijzingen had. Wanneer men veel mensen met angstige ogen boven een masker zag rondlopen, zou men er continue aan herinnerd worden dat er een gevaarlijk virus de ronde deed, zo was de gedachte.

Ook dit effect van bewustwording bleek niet aanwezig bij de mondkapjes. Men hield zich niet meer of minder aan de anderhalve meter. De anderhalve meter was op zichzelf zoals uit het voorgaande bleek, ook niet wetenschappelijk onderbouwd.

Van de overige gedragsinterventies zoals handen wassen en winkelwagentjes reinigen, is inmiddels ook aangetoond dat ze niet bij hebben gedragen aan de bestrijding van het coronavirus.

Uit een onderzoek dat werd uitgevoerd door de Universiteit Twente bleek dat het niezen in de elleboog, dat vanaf begin 2020 werd ge¯ntroduceerd, zelfs een averechts effect had. Saillant is de laatste opmerking in onderstaande mailconversatie, waaruit blijkt dat men onderbouwing zocht voor reeds gegeven gedragsregels.

In een eerder verschenen artikel over de bestrijding van 'desinformatie' wordt het verband beschreven tussen de gedragswetenschappen en het BDM-wapen dat men gebruikt tegen de burgerbevolking. De BDM-methode heeft als doel: Gedragsbe¯nvloeding. Zorgen dat de burgers het gewenste gedrag vertonen. De gedragsanalyses en de potentile interventies die het resultaat van de BIT-teams zijn, passen perfect in het vijf fasendiagram van de BDM-methode.

De gedragsadviezen kwamen niet alleen van de Corona Gedragsunit;

De overheid voert grootschalige gedragsbe¯nvloedingscampagnes uit;

Bij de organisatie van gedragsbe¯nvloeding waren negen BIT-teams betrokken, waarvan vijf ministeries en twee andere overheidsinstellingen;

Gedragsbe¯nvloeding is permanent, dus niet alleen ten tijde van de coronacrisis;

Tijdens de coronacrisis viel de aansturing onder de NCTV;

Financiering van de Corona Gedragsunit vond plaats middels subsidieorgaan ZonMW op onduidelijke gronden en procedures. Toekenning vond binnen 24 uur plaats;

Er wordt internationaal samengewerkt op het gebied van gedragsbe¯nvloeding;

Er was g(C)(C)n wetenschappelijke onderbouwing voor de gedragsbeinvloeding voor zover het de bijdrage aan virusbestrijding betreft;

Opvallende overeenkomsten met BDM, de methode voor psychologische oorlogsvoering.

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Archived Version

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 22:49

A Super Pac affiliated with Robert F Kennedy Jr, the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist running for president as a Democrat, owes half its cash to a longtime Republican mega-donor and Trump backer, according to campaign finance reports filed on Monday.

The group, American Values 2024, reported receiving $5m from Timothy Mellon, a wealthy businessman from Wyoming, according to NBC News and Politico. It registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) in April, days before Kennedy officially launched his campaign, according to FEC records.

Mellon, 81, is the grandson of Andrew Mellon, a former US treasury secretary who made his fortune in banking. The Texas Tribune reported that Mellon, a top donor to Donald Trump's 2020 re-election effort, supported controversial immigration laws and was responsible for 98% of the contributions to the Texas governor Greg Abbott's fund to build a border wall. Mellon, who twice gave $10m to the Trump-aligned America First Action Super Pac in 2020, also used racist stereotypes to describe Black people in an autobiography he self-published in 2015.

''The fact that Kennedy gets so much bipartisan support tells me two things: that he's the one candidate who can unite the country and root out corruption and that he's the one Democrat who can win in the general election,'' Mellon said in a press release by the Super Pac circulated ahead of the reporting deadline.

Kennedy's campaign attracted a considerable amount of support from Republican donors in the weeks since he announced his run in April. A political watchdog found that Kennedy has a ''long history'' of antisemitism, racism and xenophobia.

The Super Pac, which described federal policies aimed at containing Covid-19 as ''draconian'', received nearly all of the rest of its funding from another billionaire donor, Gavin de Becker, an author and security specialist associated with Jeff Bezos. De Becker has given to both Republican and Democratic candidates, according to FEC records, more recently including Ron Johnson, a Republican senator of Wisconsin, and businessman and the failed 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang.

Together, Mellon and De Becker account for about 97% of total donations to the Super Pac.

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Kennedy is the son of former US attorney general and Senator Robert F Kennedy, who was assassinated on the campaign trail for the Democratic nomination. He is the nephew of former US president John F Kennedy, who was assassinated in office.

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Archived Version

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 22:48

Image source, PA Media Image caption, There has been a dramatic rise in homelessness in London

By Adriana Elgueta & Aurelia Foster

BBC News

About one in 50 Londoners are believed to have been placed in emergency accommodation by their local authority after being made homeless.

Based on homelessness data, the cross-party group London Councils estimates nearly 170,000 people in the capital are now living in hostels, bedsits, or other temporary accommodation.

The group believes that number has increased of 17,000 in a year.

The organisation estimates that this includes more than 83,000 children.

Many more people in London are homeless and sofa-surfing or sleeping rough.

The number of children living in emergency accommodation in London equates to one child in every classroom in the capital, London Councils believes.

People are placed in temporary accommodation by councils if they have been made homeless. They may then be permanently housed by their local authority, but most councils have a waiting list of several years.

Councils record this data by household, rather than by individual people. Figures are calculated based on average statistics for the number of people and children per house.

Over a five-year period, the number of people in temporary accommodation in the capital rose by an estimated 5,400. But a decline in that number in 2021-2022 was followed by a large rise of 17,000 in the year 2022-2023.

London Councils believes this is due to the cost-of-living crisis.

London Councils is warning the "crisis is increasingly unmanageable" due to rising living costs and lack of permanent housing.

Researchers also found a big rise in the number of London families who were placed in unsuitable B&B accommodation for more than the six-week limit councils are legally allowed to place them there for.

In the year to April 2023, this figure rose 782%, from 146 to 1,287.

The overall figure for the number of families placed in B&Bs after losing their homes more than doubled between April 2022 and April 2023 - up from 1,543 to 3,242.

London Councils, which represents 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation, surveyed all London local authorities for their latest homelessness data, taken in March this year, and received responses from 28 boroughs.

The organisation said it estimated figures for the remaining four boroughs by applying the average year-on-year increase from the responses received to the official homelessness statistics from March 2022.

'Homelessness disaster'

Darren Rodwell, London Councils' executive member for regeneration, housing and planning, said: "This is the latest evidence of the homelessness disaster unfolding in the capital.

"One in 50 Londoners homeless and living in temporary accommodation is an appalling statistic."

He said the group was "especially concerned by the skyrocketing numbers of families stuck in B&Bs", but "more and more often boroughs face a total lack of other options for keeping a roof over these families' heads".

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "We are giving councils across London £350m through the homelessness prevention grant, this can be used to help people find new homes and out of temporary accommodation.

"We recognise that times are tough for many families, but in addition to wider support we are also funding specialist teams across the country to provide bespoke support to councils.

"This will help to end the placement of families in temporary accommodation for long periods and includes advice on managing homelessness pressures and eliminating the use of B&Bs."

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Archived Version

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 22:48

One in 50 Londoners are now homeless and the capital's housing crisis is becoming ''unmanageable'', it was warned on Thursday.

Boroughs are housing almost 170,000 people in temporary accommodation, including 83,500 children, according to data collected by cross-party umbrella group London Councils.

The growing crisis now collectively costs the city's town halls £60million every month.

The number of households needing homelessness support swelled by over 15 per cent in the last year due to cost of living pressures, figures show.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Council's executive member for housing, called for emergency action from the government to help low-income families meet housing costs and to address the enormous financial pressures facing local services.

''This is the latest evidence of the homelessness disaster unfolding in the capital,'' he said. ''One in 50 Londoners homeless and living in temporary accommodation is an appalling statistic.''

Huge shortages of homes mean town halls are becoming reliant on B&B accommodation.

The number of homeless families placed in last resort hotel rooms more than doubled between April 2022 and April 2023 - from 1,543 to 3,242.

They are also increasingly being forced to live in B&Bs well beyond the six-week limit set by government.

London Councils said this meant another 1,141 extra London families stuck in unsuitable hotel accommodation in April 2023 compared to the same month last year.

It has asked the government to increase Local Housing Allowance to help people meet rents, support for councils to buy accommodation sold by private landlords and for a boost in homelessness prevention grant funding.

Mr Rodwell added: ''We are especially concerned by the skyrocketing numbers of families stuck in B&Bs. Nobody wants this happening and boroughs do everything we can to support homeless families into suitable accommodation. However, more and more often boroughs face a total lack of other options for keeping a roof over these families' heads.

''Homelessness pressures across the capital are fast becoming unmanageable.

''Ministers need to treat this as the emergency it clearly is. Much more action is needed to help low-income households avoid homelessness and to reverse the rising numbers relying on temporary accommodation.''

It comes after recent research, commissioned by London boroughs, found a 41 per cent reduction in properties available for private rent in the city since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The study, undertaken by Savills and the LSE, also found that only 2.3 per cent of listings in the capital on Rightmove in 2022-23 were affordable to low-income households using Local Housing Allowance to pay their rent.

A government spokesman said: ''Temporary accommodation ensures no family is without a roof over their heads. However, we have been clear the long-term use of B&Bs for families with children is unlawful and we are determined to stop this.

''We are giving councils across London £350 million through the Homelessness Prevention Grant, this can be used to help people find new homes and out of temporary accommodation.

''We recognise that times are tough for many families, but in addition to wider support we are also funding specialist teams across the country to provide bespoke support to councils. This will help to end the placement of families in temporary accommodation for long periods and includes advice on managing homelessness pressures and eliminating the use of B&Bs.''

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 22:47

Children as young as seven will get transgender treatment on the NHS, according to plans seen by The Telegraph.

In details of the new service to replace the controversial Tavistock clinic, NHS England has set out how it will limit the use of puberty blockers and ban activists and teachers from referring children for treatment.

For the first time, it has set a minimum age of seven for referral to the gender identity clinics.

These children will be offered psychological support and therapy that will focus on issues that may have led to their feelings about their gender.

However, experts have warned that the age restriction could still put young children with mental health problems on a ''pathway to medical transition''.

Campaigners welcomed the ''move toward an evidence-based approach'', but said there was still work to be done to ensure children are kept safe.

'Structural problem'The NHS announced last year that it would be closing the Tavistock transgender clinic after a review by Dr Hilary Cass found it was ''not safe''.

It was the only NHS transgender clinic treating children and concerns were raised that young people were being rushed down a medical pathway.

The clinic is being replaced by a set of regional centres that will be led by medical doctors, rather than therapists, and consider the impact of other conditions such as autism and mental health issues.

The move came amid growing concern about the impact of gender ideology on children, including in schools where some were being socially transitioned without their parents' consent.

NHS England said that a new service was needed because there was ''scarce and inconclusive evidence to support clinical decision-making'' at the Tavistock clinic.

As part of the new approach, medics have been reminded that for ''most'' young people, the feeling of being in the wrong body is just a ''phase'' and does not persist into adulthood.

Officials have now set out their plan for how children will be able to access the service, which has been sent to experts for their input. The plans have been seen by The Telegraph.

The plans state: ''Children under seven years of age may not be expected to have sufficiently developed their intellectual understanding of, and comprehension of, sex and gender to be able to understand the reasons for, and potential consequences of, a referral to a specialist gender incongruence service.''

By seven, children will ''be more established within school, and education professionals and school nurses will be able to contribute to a general observational view as to the appropriateness of a referral''.

Previously, there was no minimum age for referral and children as young as three were treated by the Tavistock. On average, three children aged under seven were being referred every month.

Dr David Bell, a consultant psychiatrist and former governor at the Tavistock before he became a whistleblower about the clinic's work, said: ''For me, there is a structural problem which needs particular caution: referring a child to a gender service, even if they are seen in the context of a multidisciplinary team, in that the mere fact of referral is consequential.

''It risks the child's difficulties being viewed by themselves and their family as primarily to do with gender. Labelling the problem as a gender problem can easily be the first step on a pathway to medical transition.

''My view is that certainly for the younger ages, children should be managed within the context of the ordinary Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

''Their difficulties should not be designated as a gender problem, it is much more appropriate that they be seen as individuals who are distressed and this is one way in which that distress is expressed.''

Dr Bell also described the definition of gender incongruence in childhood included in the specification as ''dangerous''. It says it is characterised by ''make-believe or fantasy play, toys, games, or activities and playmates that are typical of the experienced gender rather than the assigned sex''.

The definition, which comes from the World Health Organisation, is ''completely the wrong way of looking at it'', said Dr Bell.

He added: ''We are corrupting a child's capacity to have an imagination and imposing a gender stereotype on them.''

'Devil is in the detail'The new service plan also states that a child can only be sent for gender treatment by specialist NHS mental health or paediatric services.

It comes after revelations by this newspaper that Susie Green, then chairman of controversial charity Mermaids, had been able to refer children even when their GP repeatedly refused. Teachers and social workers had also previously been able to refer children to the Tavistock.

The Government is set to release transgender guidance for schools that will make it harder for children to socially transition in the classroom.

NHS England said that the change will ensure children are receiving help while on the waiting list, which currently stands at three years.

In recent days, NHS England has also released further details on its ban on prescribing puberty blockers outside of clinic trials, saying it has ''concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty suppressing hormones to make the treatment routinely available at this time''.

Only children who have experienced early-onset gender dysphoria starting at a young age will be eligible for the trials.

Blockers have previously only been prescribed when children start to develop secondary sex characteristics.

NHS England says that the ban will impact children aged between around 10 and 17. As of July 2022, there were 378 children and young people being treated by the NHS endocrine clinic that prescribes blockers.

Stephanie Davies-Arai, founder of Transgender Trend, said there were still questions about the age at which the children would be allowed onto the trial. She said the ''devil is in the detail''.

''This new service is a huge step forward,'' she said.

''But there is still a lot of work to do and a lot of detail to be worked out.

''I have still got questions about children being enrolled in an experiment on puberty blockers where the benefits haven't been proven and the long-term risks are huge.''

Sajid Javid, the former health secretary, said: ''I welcome the NHS finally taking a cautious, research-driven approach to assessing these treatments. This should be handled as carefully as any other child protection issue.

''The extent to which these hormones have been officially prescribed for this purpose is concerning given the lack of evidence base on their long-term effects.

''While that remains the case, there should be a very high bar for their usage with children.''

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 22:45

''Pentagon May Have Released Weaponized Ticks That Helped Spread of Lyme Disease: Investigation Ordered'' was the Newsweek headline last month. The article below it was about the U.S. House of Representatives having ''quietly passed a bill requiring the Inspector General of the Department of Defense to conduct a review into whether the Pentagon experimented with ticks and other blood-sucking insects for use as biological weapons between 1950 and 1975.''

The article continued: ''If the Inspector General finds that such experiments occurred, then, according to the bill, they must provide the House and Senate Armed Services committees with a report on the scope of the research and 'whether any ticks or insects used in such experiments were released outside of any laboratory by accident or experimental design''...potentially leading to the spread of diseases such as Lyme.''

The measure was introduced by Representative Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, ''who was 'inspired' by several books and articles claiming that the U.S. government had conducted research at facilities such as Fort Detrick, Maryland, and Plum Island, New York, for this purpose.''

One of the books, published earlier this year, was Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons by Stanford University science writer Kris Newby. It includes interviews with Willy Burgdorfer who is credited with having discovered the pathogen that causes Lyme disease and earlier developed bioweapons for the Department of Defense. Said Smith on the House floor: ''Those interviews combined with access to Dr. Burdorfer's lab files suggest that he and other bioweapons specialists stuffed ticks with pathogens to cause severe disability, disease'--even death'--to potential enemies. With Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases exploding in the United States'...Americans have a right to know whether any of this is true.''

Whether Lyme disease resulted from activities on Plum Island, a mile-and-a-half off the North Fork of Long Island, New York and 10 miles from Old Lyme, Connecticut'--where the first cases surfaced in 1975 and thus where the disease got its name'--is an issue I've pursued since tick-borne Lyme disease became widespread on Long Island where I have long been based as a journalist. I've been writing articles and doing television programs about Plum Island for decades.

A 1982 book linking Plum Island and Lyme disease was The Belarus Secret: The Nazi Connection in America written by John Loftus, an attorney specializing in pursuing Nazis for the Office of Special Investigations of the U.S. Department of Justice. He tells of former ''Nazi germ warfare scientists'' brought to the U.S. after World War II who ''experimented with poison ticks dropped from planes to spread rare diseases. I have received some information suggesting that the U.S. tested some of these poison ticks on the Plum Island artillery range during the early 1950s'...Most of the germ warfare records have been shredded, but there is a top secret U.S. document confirming that 'clandestine attacks on crops and animals' took place at this time.''

Loftus points to ''the hypothesis that the poison ticks are the source of the Lyme disease spirochete.'' And adds: ''Sooner or later the whole truth will come out, but probably not in my lifetime.''

In 1995, with Lyme disease epidemic on Long Island, indeed in many areas of the U.S., a just-elected congressman from Long Island, Michael Forbes, conducted what he told me would be a ''raid'' on Plum Island. He would go to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center and demand information about tick weaponization there and a link to Lyme disease as related by Loftus. He took John McDonald, an investigative reporter at the Long Island newspaper Newsday, and me.

McDonald has also focused on Plum Island. In a November 21, 1993 article in Newsday, McDonald documented the biological warfare mission of Plum Island with records he obtained. The piece began: ''A 1950s military plan to cripple the Soviet economy by killing horses, cattle and swine called for making biological warfare weapons out of exotic animal diseases at a Plum Island laboratory, now-declassified Army records reveal.'' A facsimile of one of the records, dated 1951, covered the front page of that issue of Newsday.

The article went on: ''Documents and interviews disclose for the first time what officials have denied for years: that the mysterious and closely guarded animal lab off the East End of Long Island was originally designed to conduct top-secret research into replicating dangerous viruses that could be used to destroy enemy livestock.''

When Representative Forbes on his ''raid'' on Fire Island confronted the center's director, Dr. Harley Moon, in the presence of McDonald and me, under intensive questioning Moon took the position that ''we don't have any paperwork on that.''

Then in 2004 came another book, Lab 257, also by an attorney, Michael Carroll, formerly a law firm associate of the late New York State Governor Mario Cuomo. Using documents he found in the National Archives, he exposes a full story about Plum Island. He detailed how Erich Traub during World War II was the ''lab chief of Insel Riems'--a secret Nazi biological warfare laboratory'' in the Baltic with a mission in World War II of poisoning cattle in the Soviet Union.

Traub and hundreds of other Nazi scientists among them Wernher von Braun were brought to the U.S. in the U.S. government's ''Project Paperclip'' after the war. Traub was the ''father'' of the establishment of a biowarfare center on Plum Island, says Lab 257, with the same mission Insel Riems had'--going after Soviet livestock now with the Cold War having begun.

Lab 257 relates how ''animal handlers and a scientist released ticks outdoors on the island. They called him the Nazi scientist'...they were inoculating these ticks.'' Carroll, too, points to the possibility of Lyme disease emerging from activities on Plum Island with ticks.

Before the war, Traub spent time in the U.S. ''Ironically, Traub spent the prewar period of his scientific career on a fellowship at the Rockefeller Institute in Princeton, New Jersey, perfecting his skills in viruses and bacteria under the tutelage of American experts before returning to Nazi Germany on the eve of war,'' writes Carroll. While in the U.S. in the 1930s, too, relates the book, Traub was a member of the Amerika-Deutscher Volksbund which was involved in pro-Nazi rallies held weekly in Yaphank on Long Island for Nazis from the New York Metropolitan Area.

Making use of scientific contacts he had made before the war, when Traub came back to the U.S. under Project Paperclip, Traub's ''detailed explanation of the secret operation on Insel Riems'' given to officials at Fort Detrick in Maryland, the Army's biological warfare headquarters, and to the CIA, ''laid the groundwater for Fort Detrick's offshore germ warfare animal disease lab on Plum Island,'' says Lab 257.

Lab 257 also tells of why in 1954 suddenly Plum Island was transferred from the Department of Defense to the Department of Agriculture: the Pentagon becoming concerned about having to feed millions of people in the Soviet Union if it destroyed their food animals. The Joint Chiefs of Staff ''found that a war with the U.S.S.R. would best be fought with conventional and nuclear means, and biological warfare against humans not against food animals,'' says Lab 257. ''Destroying the food supply meant having to feed millions of starving Russians after winning a war''

Still, Lab 257 questions whether there ever was a clean break. Officials at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center have insisted over the years'--including to me'--that the center's function after the Army ended its management has been to conduct research into foreign animal diseases not found in the U.S. especially foot-and-mouth disease'--but ''defensive'' biological warfare research remains being done, they also say.

Largely because of security concerns involving Plum Island in the wake of the 9/11 attack'--a 2003 a report by the Government Accountability Office cited the ease of terrorists to land on the island which sits amidst busy marine traffic lanes and close by the population center of the U.S.'--New York City to the west, Boston to the north'--the U.S. government moved to move Plum Island's activities to a new federal laboratory to be built in Kansas. What is to be called the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility, a $1.25 billion project, is ''expected to be operational by 2022-2023'' on the campus of Kansas State University, according to the university's website.

But the congressman now representing the New York district in which Plum Island is located, Lee Zeldin, close personally and politically to President Trump, has introduced legislation and been pushing hard for the federal government not to sell Plum Island but to hold on to it as a ''nature preserve'''--and allowing research to continue on it.

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 22:41

Jun 19, 2020Table of contentWhy you should transition (1)How medical transition affects mating options (1)The experience of becoming female (3)The male gender role is broken (5)Avoiding social difficulties while transitioning (5)Medical transition and reproduction (6)How society benefits from people transitioning (6)People improving their lives by transitioning is a beautiful thing (7)Forced feminization (7)Innate gender identity? (8)Direct vs indirect gender dysphoria (8)Alternatives to medical transition (9)Therapists and psychiatrists cannot be trusted (9)Do not let anyone gatekeep you from transitioning (9)Trapped in the wrong body? (10)Female sexuality? (10)Denial and paranoia among repressors (12)Which individuals actually benefit from transitioning? (12)Ideal length as a female (13)Dating as trans girlfriend (13)Is SRS a good idea? (14)Preeach Aesthetic institute (16)What does it mean to be female? (17)Biological sex is bimodal, not binary (17)How a girldick differ from a male penis (18)Transwomen have way better sex than 'chad' (18)Benefits of transmaxxing as sissy (20)A trans girl replied (21)Transmaxxing works even if you do not improve your personality (22)Some people need a male to take care of them (22)How to extract resources from men (22)Sex work (23)How to attract chad (24)Transmaxxing success stories (24)Not only did transitioning save my life, it got me out of inceldom (26)I'm not a woman trapped in a mans body. I'm just a man with bad genetics and childhood traumas (26)I love being a cute girl (27)I didn't feel like i was a girl until i was on estrogen (27)Leslie's story (28)Most males are already obsolete (29)Involuntary Celibacy (30)Sexual reasons to transition are valid (30)Transition due to mental illness? (31)Being cis can be a mental illness (31)The degeneracy factor (31)How to do Hormone Replacement therapy (32)Estrogen and mental health (35)Safety (36)Suicide attempt rate (36)

Jun 22, 2020Someone wrote:There are german surgeons that adapted suporns technique of creating neovags with scrotal skin for more depth. Its also possible to line a neovag with urethral tissue that would otherwise be discarded. This works for self lubrication.But from what I've gathered it doesn't only lubricate when aroused, it tends to lubricate constantlyBut maybe the tranny I met was so agp that having a lubricating vagina made her constantly arousedI don't know how the logic is thereBut she claimed to need 3 pads a day

Jun 22, 2020From

http://boobpedia.com/ we see that breasts with implants do not look the same as natural breasts, you can easily tell if breasts are fake.

You can get nice size breasts just from HRT.

Shortly after publishing this document i realized that when it comes to HRT it might be better to use low dose injections instead of oral. Dr will powers though that the estrone would result in better breast developing when starting on oral pills but maybe it's just that oral is less potent and thus you get more growth for that reason.

If this theory is correct then dosage estradiol valerate injections combined with bicalutamide would be a cheaper and better regime.

It is worth noting that while there is elevated blod clotting risk with oral estradiol it's still safer than taking birth control as cis female and if you start on pills it will probably be less than 2 years before you switch to injections.

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 22:38

Are Florida's ocean waters really more than 100 degrees F.? (WPLG)MANATEE BAY, Fla. '' There are a number of factors that are playing into Florida's extreme water temperatures and while these statistics are certainly a reason to give pause, Local 10 Hurricane Specialist and Storm Surge Expert Michael Lowry says there are some things to keep in mind.

''I've been investigating this over the past several weeks,'' says Lowry, ''as near triple-digit water temperatures struck me as suspiciously high, even with the record Gulf warmth.''

Headlines such as ''Waters temperatures hit 'hot tub' levels in Florida Keys,'' ''Water temperatures off Florida soar over 100 degrees, stunning experts!'' were the topic of conversation from Miami to Milwaukee.

But are the ocean temperatures really over 100 degrees?

The temperatures were obtained from a buoy at Manatee Bay just north of the Florida Keys where the 101.1 F was recorded.

Keep in mind, these are waters in the Everglades, not ocean waters near the beach, Lowry explains.

But the buoy reports did seem to be making waves.

Being a scientist himself, Lowry wanted to dig into the historical data for a number of the buoy stations that were recording the high temperatures. What he found was that the stations that record the numbers are in ''very shallow water'' surrounded by properties that could skew the readings very high.

Lowry explains that mud flats, mangroves, and other submerged aquatic vegetation more readily absorb the sunlight, which could account for the very high readings.

He reached out to colleagues at NOAA's National Ocean Service and the National Data Buoy Center. ''They agreed the numbers seemed high, especially compared to their nearby sensors which were reading 92-94°F,'' says Lowry.

Lowry created a graphic using the data he received from Everglades National Park South Florida Natural Resources Center (SFNRC), which maintains the network of stations.

''Amazingly,'' he wrote on Twitter, the water temperature at Manatee Bay, FL on Monday, while historically high, may not be a record for the station. Back in August 2017, it hit 102°F according to Everglades National Park South Florida Natural Resources Center (SFNRC) . . .''

Amazingly, the water temperature at Manatee Bay, FL on Monday, while historically high, may not be a record for the station. Back in August 2017, it hit 102°F according to Everglades National Park South Florida Natural Resources Center (SFNRC) that maintains this sensor network. https://t.co/YP6BBcTPQr pic.twitter.com/SbL7efp8Dl

'-- Michael Lowry (@MichaelRLowry) July 26, 2023He pointed out that this isn't a reason to minimize the records we're seeing but it's important that we ''put the triple digit numbers into context. Yes, it's still really hot relative to the record books.''

The statistics do not lessen or diminish that the high water temperatures in the Gulf and around South Florida are harming reefs and creating other ecological distress, but a way to provide context to the stunning reports of Florida's waters reaching over 100 degrees F.

For example, according to the tides and currents readings from NOAA, the water temperature at Virginia Key at 11:18 a.m. Friday was 87.1 degrees F.

No doubt, it will get hotter as the day goes on.

Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 22:01

Over the summer I was lucky enough to be invited to a 60th birthday at which the after-dinner entertainment was a private performance by one of the UK's leading male pop stars. More eye-popping than the actual show, though, was how incredible said star looked. He was a mere shadow of his former self, prancing around the stage in a silver catsuit. His secret? Semaglutide, or Ozempic as it is branded, a new diet drug that everybody '' but everybody, darling, including one of the world's most famous supermodels '' is apparently taking.

Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, it is used off-label (for a purpose other than that for which it was licensed) in both the US and the UK to treat obesity. In research conducted by its billionaire manufacturer, the Danish-based pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, patients lost an average of 17 per cent of their overall body weight over 68 weeks. This compares with five to nine per cent for 'oldschool' anti-obesity drugs such as Metformin.

Only available in the UK on the NHS if you have type 2 diabetes, Ozempic can be obtained through a private doctor, and if you are willing to take it without medical supervision '' not recommended by doctors (see panel) '' you can get it online through various weight-loss programmes. It is sometimes taken in tablet form but more commonly as an injection.

Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, Semaglutide is used off-label. It has been branded as a new diet drug that everybody is apparently taking

Predictably, Hollywood has been aware of Ozempic for a lot longer than us '' Variety magazine recently quipped that the drug deserved its own thank-you speech at the Emmys, as so many stars on the podium had obviously been taking it. Elon Musk raved about its more powerful sister drug, Wegovy, on Twitter; Kim Kardashian, it is hotly rumoured, used semaglutide to lose 16lb in order to fit into Marilyn Monroe's dress for the Met Ball. On TikTok the hashtag #ozempic has had more than 285 million views.

Thanks to the hype, there has been a surge in demand, causing shortages on both sides of the Atlantic, with a backlash against influencers and celebrities hogging supplies ahead of desperate diabetes sufferers. Predictably, Big Pharma has come up with an alternative '' tirzepatide (brand name Mounjaro), manufactured by Eli Lilly '' but it has yet to be approved by the US Food & Drug Administration for weight loss.

Novo Nordisk has issued a statement to say its supplies will be replenished by the end of the year, but it hasn't quelled anxiety. At least two middle-aged male friends of mine who started using it in September are getting themselves in a twist about being caught short before the holidays. As one private London GP remarked to me: 'It's like the H RT panic last spring.'

So what exactly is this drug? Semaglutide belongs to a class called GLP-1 agonists, which not only regulate blood sugar but, as was discovered about a decade ago, also mimic the gut hormones that regulate our appetites '' the ones that tell the brain when we are hungry or full. There are, of course, side effects: acid reflux, nausea, exacerbation of IBS symptoms and fatigue (but much less so than in earlier GLP-1 agonists such as Saxenda), as well as pancreatitis, gallstones and, in very high doses, it has caused thyroid tumours in rats. Meanwhile, when you stop using it the effect wears off immediately and in some cases it won't work at all.

'I would describe semaglutide as an example of very smart science,' says leading consultant endocrinologist Dr Efthimia Karra from her private practice off London's Harley Street. 'But it is not a panacea for everyone. Around a fifth of users do not respond to it. This is because the human body favours weight gain, thus when you lose weight the body will do anything to revert to its highest BMI. The heavier you are the harder it is to lose weight. If a patient has made no progress in three months, I will take them off it.'

Banker's wife Laura, a native New Yorker in her mid-50s who had hovered between decades, started using it in January. 'The Paleo diet, 5:2, CBT, NLP, bootcamp, diet delivery services '' I've tried them all,' she says from the family home in Hampshire, 'and I've always yo-yoed right back. After my last annual checkup I seriously contemplated giving up. Then my doctor suggested semaglutide.'

After only a month she noticed her clothes had become looser. From then on, the weight started dropping off. 'The strange thing was, I wasn't eating anything different. I just couldn't physically have seconds any more, and the idea of pudding after a full meal had lost its allure.' Three months on, she is two stone lighter '' though occasionally she suffers heartburn if she eats too late at night or drinks alcohol '' and when we spoke in autumn, she was looking forward to losing another stone by Christmas.

'There is a niggling voice that tells me it is both risky and lazy to take a drug to lose weight, and I worry that it will all pile on again if I stop taking it. But if it does, I will seriously consider taking it indefinitely.'

Private London GP Dr Martin Galy has been prescribing semaglutide for about a year to clients who cannot lose the weight they gained in menopause. He has seen it have a transformational effect, too, on much younger women who suffer polycystic ovary syndrome. 'PCOS sufferers are difficult to treat, and you can imagine how body image plays a very important part when it comes to self-esteem.'

But according to Tom Sanders, professor of nutrition and dietetics at King's College London, it is not a magic bullet. Commenting on a study on semaglutide published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2021, he says, 'The challenge post-weight loss is to prevent a regain in weight,' he wrote. It may prove to be useful in the short term, but 'public health measures that encourage behavioural changes such as regular physical activity and moderating dietary energy intake are still needed'.

That said, given our rising national obesity statistics and the escalation in accompanying health issues such as heart failure, cancer and obstructive sleep apnoea clogging up hospital beds, we're going to need something. Semaglutide may be the rich person's drug today, but might it be approved for more widespread use? Only time will tell.

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 21:42

A s over-leveraged investment houses began to fail in September 2008, the leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties, of major corporations, and opinion leaders stretching from the National Review magazine (and the Wall Street Journal) on the right to the Nation magazine on the left, agreed that spending some $700 billion to buy the investors' ''toxic assets'' was the only alternative to the U.S. economy's ''systemic collapse.'' In this, President George W. Bush and his would-be Republican successor John McCain agreed with the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. Many, if not most, people around them also agreed upon the eventual commitment of some 10 trillion nonexistent dollars in ways unprecedented in America. They explained neither the difference between the assets' nominal and real values, nor precisely why letting the market find the latter would collapse America. The public objected immediately, by margins of three or four to one.

When this majority discovered that virtually no one in a position of power in either party or with a national voice would take their objections seriously, that decisions about their money were being made in bipartisan backroom deals with interested parties, and that the laws on these matters were being voted by people who had not read them, the term ''political class'' came into use. Then, after those in power changed their plans from buying toxic assets to buying up equity in banks and major industries but refused to explain why, when they reasserted their right to decide ad hoc on these and so many other matters, supposing them to be beyond the general public's understanding, the American people started referring to those in and around government as the ''ruling class.'' And in fact Republican and Democratic office holders and their retinues show a similar presumption to dominate and fewer differences in tastes, habits, opinions, and sources of income among one another than between both and the rest of the country. They think, look, and act as a class.

Although after the election of 2008 most Republican office holders argued against the Troubled Asset Relief Program, against the subsequent bailouts of the auto industry, against the several ''stimulus'' bills and further summary expansions of government power to benefit clients of government at the expense of ordinary citizens, the American people had every reason to believe that many Republican politicians were doing so simply by the logic of partisan opposition. After all, Republicans had been happy enough to approve of similar things under Republican administrations. Differences between Bushes, Clintons, and Obamas are of degree, not kind. Moreover, 2009-10 establishment Republicans sought only to modify the government's agenda while showing eagerness to join the Democrats in new grand schemes, if only they were allowed to. Sen. Orrin Hatch continued dreaming of being Ted Kennedy, while Lindsey Graham set aside what is true or false about ''global warming'' for the sake of getting on the right side of history. No prominent Republican challenged the ruling class's continued claim of superior insight, nor its denigration of the American people as irritable children who must learn their place. The Republican Party did not disparage the ruling class, because most of its officials are or would like to be part of it.

Never has there been so little diversity within America's upper crust. Always, in America as elsewhere, some people have been wealthier and more powerful than others. But until our own time America's upper crust was a mixture of people who had gained prominence in a variety of ways, who drew their money and status from different sources and were not predictably of one mind on any given matter. The Boston Brahmins, the New York financiers, the land barons of California, Texas, and Florida, the industrialists of Pittsburgh, the Southern aristocracy, and the hardscrabble politicians who made it big in Chicago or Memphis had little contact with one another. Few had much contact with government, and ''bureaucrat'' was a dirty word for all. So was ''social engineering.'' Nor had the schools and universities that formed yesterday's upper crust imposed a single orthodoxy about the origins of man, about American history, and about how America should be governed. All that has changed.

Today's ruling class, from Boston to San Diego, was formed by an educational system that exposed them to the same ideas and gave them remarkably uniform guidance, as well as tastes and habits. These amount to a social canon of judgments about good and evil, complete with secular sacred history, sins (against minorities and the environment), and saints. Using the right words and avoiding the wrong ones when referring to such matters '-- speaking the ''in'' language '-- serves as a badge of identity. Regardless of what business or profession they are in, their road up included government channels and government money because, as government has grown, its boundary with the rest of American life has become indistinct. Many began their careers in government and leveraged their way into the private sector. Some, e.g., Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, never held a non-government job. Hence whether formally in government, out of it, or halfway, America's ruling class speaks the language and has the tastes, habits, and tools of bureaucrats. It rules uneasily over the majority of Americans not oriented to government.

The two classes have less in common culturally, dislike each other more, and embody ways of life more different from one another than did the 19th century's Northerners and Southerners '-- nearly all of whom, as Lincoln reminded them, ''prayed to the same God.'' By contrast, while most Americans pray to the God ''who created and doth sustain us,'' our ruling class prays to itself as ''saviors of the planet'' and improvers of humanity. Our classes' clash is over ''whose country'' America is, over what way of life will prevail, over who is to defer to whom about what. The gravity of such divisions points us, as it did Lincoln, to Mark's Gospel: ''if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.''

The Political Divide

Important as they are, our political divisions are the iceberg's tip. When pollsters ask the American people whether they are likely to vote Republican or Democrat in the next presidential election, Republicans win growing pluralities. But whenever pollsters add the preferences ''undecided,'' ''none of the above,'' or ''tea party,'' these win handily, the Democrats come in second, and the Republicans trail far behind. That is because while most of the voters who call themselves Democrats say that Democratic officials represent them well, only a fourth of the voters who identify themselves as Republicans tell pollsters that Republican officeholders represent them well. Hence officeholders, Democrats and Republicans, gladden the hearts of some one-third of the electorate '-- most Democratic voters, plus a few Republicans. This means that Democratic politicians are the ruling class's prime legitimate representatives and that because Republican politicians are supported by only a fourth of their voters while the rest vote for them reluctantly, most are aspirants for a junior role in the ruling class. In short, the ruling class has a party, the Democrats. But some two-thirds of Americans '-- a few Democratic voters, most Republican voters, and all independents '-- lack a vehicle in electoral politics.

Sooner or later, well or badly, that majority's demand for representation will be filled. Whereas in 1968 Governor George Wallace's taunt ''there ain't a dime's worth of difference'' between the Republican and Democratic parties resonated with only 13.5 percent of the American people, in 1992 Ross Perot became a serious contender for the presidency (at one point he was favored by 39 percent of Americans vs. 31 percent for G.H.W. Bush and 25 percent for Clinton) simply by speaking ill of the ruling class. Today, few speak well of the ruling class. Not only has it burgeoned in size and pretense, but it also has undertaken wars it has not won, presided over a declining economy and mushrooming debt, made life more expensive, raised taxes, and talked down to the American people. Americans' conviction that the ruling class is as hostile as it is incompetent has solidified. The polls tell us that only about a fifth of Americans trust the government to do the right thing. The rest expect that it will do more harm than good and are no longer afraid to say so.

While Europeans are accustomed to being ruled by presumed betters whom they distrust, the American people's realization of being ruled like Europeans shocked this country into well nigh revolutionary attitudes. But only the realization was new. The ruling class had sunk deep roots in America over decades before 2008. Machiavelli compares serious political diseases to the Aetolian fevers '-- easy to treat early on while they are difficult to discern, but virtually untreatable by the time they become obvious.

Far from speculating how the political confrontation might develop between America's regime class '-- relatively few people supported by no more than one-third of Americans '-- and a country class comprising two-thirds of the country, our task here is to understand the divisions that underlie that confrontation's unpredictable future. More on politics below.

The Ruling Class

Who are these rulers, and by what right do they rule? How did America change from a place where people could expect to live without bowing to privileged classes to one in which, at best, they might have the chance to climb into them? What sets our ruling class apart from the rest of us?

The most widespread answers '-- by such as the Times's Thomas Friedman and David Brooks '-- are schlock sociology. Supposedly, modern society became so complex and productive, the technical skills to run it so rare, that it called forth a new class of highly educated officials and cooperators in an ever less private sector. Similarly fanciful is Edward Goldberg's notion that America is now ruled by a ''newocracy'': a ''new aristocracy who are the true beneficiaries of globalization '-- including the multinational manager, the technologist and the aspirational members of the meritocracy.'' In fact, our ruling class grew and set itself apart from the rest of us by its connection with ever bigger government, and above all by a certain attitude.

Other explanations are counterintuitive. Wealth? The heads of the class do live in our big cities' priciest enclaves and suburbs, from Montgomery County, Maryland, to Palo Alto, California, to Boston's Beacon Hill as well as in opulent university towns from Princeton to Boulder. But they are no wealthier than many Texas oilmen or California farmers, or than neighbors with whom they do not associate '-- just as the social science and humanities class that rules universities seldom associates with physicians and physicists. Rather, regardless of where they live, their social-intellectual circle includes people in the lucrative ''nonprofit'' and ''philanthropic'' sectors and public policy. What really distinguishes these privileged people demographically is that, whether in government power directly or as officers in companies, their careers and fortunes depend on government. They vote Democrat more consistently than those who live on any of America's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Streets. These socioeconomic opposites draw their money and orientation from the same sources as the millions of teachers, consultants, and government employees in the middle ranks who aspire to be the former and identify morally with what they suppose to be the latter's grievances.

Professional prominence or position will not secure a place in the class any more than mere money. In fact, it is possible to be an official of a major corporation or a member of the U.S. Supreme Court (just ask Justice Clarence Thomas), or even president (Ronald Reagan), and not be taken seriously by the ruling class. Like a fraternity, this class requires above all comity '-- being in with the right people, giving the required signs that one is on the right side, and joining in despising the Outs. Once an official or professional shows that he shares the manners, the tastes, the interests of the class, gives lip service to its ideals and shibboleths, and is willing to accommodate the interests of its senior members, he can move profitably among our establishment's parts.

If, for example, you are Laurence Tribe in 1984, Harvard professor of law, leftist pillar of the establishment, you can ''write'' your magnum opus by using the products of your student assistant, Ron Klain. A decade later, after Klain admits to having written some parts of the book, and the other parts are found to be verbatim or paraphrases of a book published in 1974, you can claim (perhaps correctly) that your plagiarism was ''inadvertent,'' and you can count on the Law School's dean, Elena Kagan, to appoint a committee including former and future Harvard president Derek Bok that issues a secret report that ''closes'' the incident. Incidentally, Kagan ends up a justice of the Supreme Court. Not one of these people did their jobs: the professor did not write the book himself, the assistant plagiarized instead of researching, the dean and the committee did not hold the professor accountable, and all ended up rewarded. By contrast, for example, learned papers and distinguished careers in climatology at MIT (Richard Lindzen) or UVA (S. Fred Singer) are not enough for their questions about ''global warming'' to be taken seriously. For our ruling class, identity always trumps.

Much less does membership in the ruling class depend on high academic achievement. To see something closer to an academic meritocracy consider France, where elected officials have little power, a vast bureaucracy explicitly controls details from how babies are raised to how to make cheese, and people get into and advance in that bureaucracy strictly by competitive exams. Hence for good or ill, France's ruling class are bright people '-- certifiably. Not ours. But didn't ours go to Harvard and Princeton and Stanford? Didn't most of them get good grades? Yes. But while getting into the Ecole Nationale d'Administration or the Ecole Polytechnique or the dozens of other entry points to France's ruling class requires outperforming others in blindly graded exams, and graduating from such places requires passing exams that many fail, getting into America's ''top schools'' is less a matter of passing exams than of showing up with acceptable grades and an attractive social profile. American secondary schools are generous with their As. Since the 1970s, it has been virtually impossible to flunk out of American colleges. And it is an open secret that ''the best'' colleges require the least work and give out the highest grade point averages. No, our ruling class recruits and renews itself not through meritocracy but rather by taking into itself people whose most prominent feature is their commitment to fit in. The most successful neither write books and papers that stand up to criticism nor release their academic records. Thus does our ruling class stunt itself through negative selection. But the more it has dumbed itself down, the more it has defined itself by the presumption of intellectual superiority.

The Faith

Its attitude is key to understanding our bipartisan ruling class. Its first tenet is that ''we'' are the best and brightest while the rest of Americans are retrograde, racist, and dysfunctional unless properly constrained. How did this replace the Founding generation's paradigm that ''all men are created equal''?

The notion of human equality was always a hard sell, because experience teaches us that we are so unequal in so many ways, and because making one's self superior is so tempting that Lincoln called it ''the old serpent, you work I'll eat.'' But human equality made sense to our Founding generation because they believed that all men are made in the image and likeness of God, because they were yearning for equal treatment under British law, or because they had read John Locke.

It did not take long for their paradigm to be challenged by interest and by ''science.'' By the 1820s, as J. C. Calhoun was reading in the best London journals that different breeds of animals and plants produce inferior or superior results, slave owners were citing the Negroes' deficiencies to argue that they should remain slaves indefinitely. Lots of others were reading Ludwig Feuerbach's rendition of Hegelian philosophy, according to which biblical injunctions reflect the fantasies of alienated human beings or, in the young Karl Marx's formulation, that ethical thought is ''superstructural'' to material reality. By 1853, when Sen. John Pettit of Ohio called ''all men are created equal'' ''a self-evident lie,'' much of America's educated class had already absorbed the ''scientific'' notion (which Darwin only popularized) that man is the product of chance mutation and natural selection of the fittest. Accordingly, by nature, superior men subdue inferior ones as they subdue lower beings or try to improve them as they please. Hence while it pleased the abolitionists to believe in freeing Negroes and improving them, it also pleased them to believe that Southerners had to be punished and reconstructed by force. As the 19th century ended, the educated class's religious fervor turned to social reform: they were sure that because man is a mere part of evolutionary nature, man could be improved, and that they, the most highly evolved of all, were the improvers.

Thus began the Progressive Era. When Woodrow Wilson in 1914 was asked ''can't you let anything alone?'' he answered with, ''I let everything alone that you can show me is not itself moving in the wrong direction, but I am not going to let those things alone that I see are going down-hill.'' Wilson spoke for the thousands of well-off Americans who patronized the spas at places like Chautauqua and Lake Mohonk. By such upper-middle-class waters, progressives who imagined themselves the world's examples and the world's reformers dreamt big dreams of establishing order, justice, and peace at home and abroad. Neither were they shy about their desire for power. Wilson was the first American statesman to argue that the Founders had done badly by depriving the U.S. government of the power to reshape American society. Nor was Wilson the last to invade a foreign country (Mexico) to ''teach [them] to elect good men.''

World War I and the chaos at home and abroad that followed it discredited the Progressives in the American people's eyes. Their international schemes had brought blood and promised more. Their domestic management had not improved Americans' lives, but given them a taste of arbitrary government, including Prohibition. The Progressives, for their part, found it fulfilling to attribute the failure of their schemes to the American people's backwardness, to something deeply wrong with America. The American people had failed them because democracy in its American form perpetuated the worst in humanity. Thus Progressives began to look down on the masses, to look on themselves as the vanguard, and to look abroad for examples to emulate.

The cultural divide between the ''educated class'' and the rest of the country opened in the interwar years. Some Progressives joined the ''vanguard of the proletariat,'' the Communist Party. Many more were deeply sympathetic to Soviet Russia, as they were to Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. Not just the Nation, but also the New York Times and National Geographic found much to be imitated in these regimes because they promised energetically to transcend their peoples' ways and to build ''the new man.'' Above all, our educated class was bitter about America. In 1925 the American Civil Liberties Union sponsored a legal challenge to a Tennessee law that required teaching the biblical account of creation. The ensuing trial, radio broadcast nationally, as well as the subsequent hit movie Inherit the Wind, were the occasion for what one might have called the Chautauqua class to drive home the point that Americans who believed in the Bible were willful ignoramuses. As World War II approached, some American Progressives supported the Soviet Union (and its ally, Nazi Germany) and others Great Britain and France. But Progressives agreed on one thing: the approaching war should be blamed on the majority of Americans, because they had refused to lead the League of Nations. Darryl Zanuck produced the critically acclaimed movie [Woodrow] Wilson featuring Cedric Hardwicke as Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, who allegedly brought on the war by appealing to American narrow-mindedness against Wilson's benevolent genius.

Franklin Roosevelt brought the Chautauqua class into his administration and began the process that turned them into rulers. FDR described America's problems in technocratic terms. America's problems would be fixed by a ''brain trust'' (picked by him). His New Deal's solutions '-- the alphabet-soup ''independent'' agencies that have run America ever since '-- turned many Progressives into powerful bureaucrats and then into lobbyists. As the saying goes, they came to Washington to do good, and stayed to do well.

As their number and sense of importance grew, so did their distaste for common Americans. Believing itself ''scientific,'' this Progressive class sought to explain its differences from its neighbors in ''scientific'' terms. The most elaborate of these attempts was Theodor Adorno's widely acclaimed The Authoritarian Personality (1948). It invented a set of criteria by which to define personality traits, ranked these traits and their intensity in any given person on what it called the ''F scale'' (F for fascist), interviewed hundreds of Americans, and concluded that most who were not liberal Democrats were latent fascists. This way of thinking about non-Progressives filtered down to college curricula. In 1963-64 for example, I was assigned Herbert McCloskey's Conservatism and Personality (1958) at Rutgers's Eagleton Institute of Politics as a paradigm of methodological correctness. The author had defined conservatism in terms of answers to certain questions, had defined a number of personality disorders in terms of other questions, and run a survey that proved ''scientifically'' that conservatives were maladjusted ne'er-do-well ignoramuses. (My class project, titled ''Liberalism and Personality,'' following the same methodology, proved just as scientifically that liberals suffered from the very same social diseases, and even more amusing ones.)

The point is this: though not one in a thousand of today's bipartisan ruling class ever heard of Adorno or McCloskey, much less can explain the Feuerbachian-Marxist notion that human judgments are ''epiphenomenal'' products of spiritual or material alienation, the notion that the common people's words are, like grunts, mere signs of pain, pleasure, and frustration, is now axiomatic among our ruling class. They absorbed it osmotically, second '-- or thirdhand, from their education and from companions. Truly, after Barack Obama described his opponents' clinging to ''God and guns'' as a characteristic of inferior Americans, he justified himself by pointing out he had said ''whateverybody knows is true.'' Confident ''knowledge'' that ''some of us, the ones who matter,'' have grasped truths that the common herd cannot, truths that direct us, truths the grasping of which entitles us to discount what the ruled say and to presume what they mean, made our Progressives into a class long before they took power.

The Agenda: Power

Our ruling class's agenda is power for itself. While it stakes its claim through intellectual-moral pretense, it holds power by one of the oldest and most prosaic of means: patronage and promises thereof. Like left-wing parties always and everywhere, it is a ''machine,'' that is, based on providing tangible rewards to its members. Such parties often provide rank-and-file activists with modest livelihoods and enhance mightily the upper levels' wealth. Because this is so, whatever else such parties might accomplish, they must feed the machine by transferring money or jobs or privileges '-- civic as well as economic '-- to the party's clients, directly or indirectly. This, incidentally, is close to Aristotle's view of democracy. Hence our ruling class's standard approach to any and all matters, its solution to any and all problems, is to increase the power of the government '-- meaning of those who run it, meaning themselves, to profit those who pay with political support for privileged jobs, contracts, etc. Hence more power for the ruling class has been our ruling class's solution not just for economic downturns and social ills but also for hurricanes and tornadoes, global cooling and global warming. A priori, one might wonder whether enriching and empowering individuals of a certain kind can make Americans kinder and gentler, much less control the weather. But there can be no doubt that such power and money makes Americans ever more dependent on those who wield it. Let us now look at what this means in our time.

Dependence EconomicsBy taxing and parceling out more than a third of what Americans produce, through regulations that reach deep into American life, our ruling class is making itself the arbiter of wealth and poverty. While the economic value of anything depends on sellers and buyers agreeing on that value as civil equals in the absence of force, modern government is about nothing if not tampering with civil equality. By endowing some in society with power to force others to sell cheaper than they would, and forcing others yet to buy at higher prices '-- even to buy in the first place '-- modern government makes valuable some things that are not, and devalues others that are. Thus if you are not among the favored guests at the table where officials make detailed lists of who is to receive what at whose expense, you are on the menu. Eventually, pretending forcibly that valueless things have value dilutes the currency's value for all.

Laws and regulations nowadays are longer than ever because length is needed to specify how people will be treated unequally. For example, the health care bill of 2010 takes more than 2,700 pages to make sure not just that some states will be treated differently from others because their senators offered key political support, but more importantly to codify bargains between the government and various parts of the health care industry, state governments, and large employers about who would receive what benefits (e.g., public employee unions and auto workers) and who would pass what indirect taxes onto the general public. The financial regulation bill of 2010, far from setting univocal rules for the entire financial industry in few words, spends some 3,000 pages (at this writing) tilting the field exquisitely toward some and away from others. Even more significantly, these and other products of Democratic and Republican administrations and Congresses empower countless boards and commissions arbitrarily to protect some persons and companies, while ruining others. Thus in 2008 the Republican administration first bailed out Bear Stearns, then let Lehman Brothers sink in the ensuing panic, but then rescued Goldman Sachs by infusing cash into its principal debtor, AIG. Then, its Democratic successor used similarly naked discretionary power (and money appropriated for another purpose) to give major stakes in the auto industry to labor unions that support it. Nowadays, the members of our ruling class admit that they do not read the laws. They don't have to. Because modern laws are primarily grants of discretion, all anybody has to know about them is whom they empower.

By making economic rules dependent on discretion, our bipartisan ruling class teaches that prosperity is to be bought with the coin of political support. Thus in the 1990s and 2000s, as Democrats and Republicans forced banks to make loans for houses to people and at rates they would not otherwise have considered, builders and investors had every reason to make as much money as they could from the ensuing inflation of housing prices. When the bubble burst, only those connected with the ruling class at the bottom and at the top were bailed out. Similarly, by taxing the use of carbon fuels and subsidizing ''alternative energy,'' our ruling class created arguably the world's biggest opportunity for making money out of things that few if any would buy absent its intervention. The ethanol industry and its ensuing diversions of wealth exist exclusively because of subsidies. The prospect of legislation that would put a price on carbon emissions and allot certain amounts to certain companies set off a feeding frenzy among large companies to show support for a ''green agenda,'' because such allotments would be worth tens of billions of dollars. That is why companies hired some 2,500 lobbyists in 2009 to deepen their involvement in ''climate change.'' At the very least, such involvement profits them by making them into privileged collectors of carbon taxes. Any ''green jobs'' thus created are by definition creatures of subsidies '-- that is, of privilege. What effect creating such privileges may have on ''global warming'' is debatable. But it surely increases the number of people dependent on the ruling class, and teaches Americans that satisfying that class is a surer way of making a living than producing goods and services that people want to buy.

Beyond patronage, picking economic winners and losers redirects the American people's energies to tasks that the political class deems more worthy than what Americans choose for themselves. John Kenneth Galbraith's characterization of America as ''private wealth amidst public squalor'' (The Affluent Society, 1958) has ever encapsulated our best and brightest's complaint: left to themselves, Americans use land inefficiently in suburbs and exurbs, making it necessary to use energy to transport them to jobs and shopping. Americans drive big cars, eat lots of meat as well as other unhealthy things, and go to the doctor whenever they feel like it. Americans think it justice to spend the money they earn to satisfy their private desires even though the ruling class knows that justice lies in improving the community and the planet. The ruling class knows that Americans must learn to live more densely and close to work, that they must drive smaller cars and change their lives to use less energy, that their dietary habits must improve, that they must accept limits in how much medical care they get, that they must divert more of their money to support people, cultural enterprises, and plans for the planet that the ruling class deems worthier. So, ever-greater taxes and intrusive regulations are the main wrenches by which the American people can be improved (and, yes, by which the ruling class feeds and grows).

The 2010 medical law is a template for the ruling class's economic modus operandi: the government taxes citizens to pay for medical care and requires citizens to purchase health insurance. The money thus taken and directed is money that the citizens themselves might have used to pay for medical care. In exchange for the money, the government promises to provide care through its ''system.'' But then all the boards, commissions, guidelines, procedures, and ''best practices'' that constitute ''the system'' become the arbiters of what any citizen ends up getting. The citizen might end up dissatisfied with what ''the system'' offers. But when he gave up his money, he gave up the power to choose, and became dependent on all the boards and commissions that his money also pays for and that raise the cost ofcare. Similarly, in 2008 the House Ways and Means Committee began considering a plan to force citizens who own Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) to transfer those funds into government-run ''guaranteed retirement accounts.'' If the government may force citizens to buy health insurance, by what logic can it not force them to trade private ownership and control of retirement money for a guarantee as sound as the government itself? Is it not clear that the government knows more about managing retirement income than individuals?

Who Depends on Whom?

In Congressional Government (1885) Woodrow Wilson left no doubt: the U.S. Constitution prevents the government from meeting the country's needs by enumerating rights that the government may not infringe. (''Congress shall make no law'...'' says the First Amendment, typically.) Our electoral system, based on single member districts, empowers individual voters at the expense of ''responsible parties.'' Hence the ruling class's perpetual agenda has been to diminish the role of the citizenry's elected representatives, enhancing that of party leaders as well as of groups willing to partner in the government's plans, and to craft a ''living'' Constitution in which restrictions on government give way to ''positive rights'' '-- meaning charters of government power.

Consider representation. Following Wilson, American Progressives have always wanted to turn the U.S. Congress from the role defined by James Madison's Federalist #10, ''refine and enlarge the public's view,'' to something like the British Parliament, which ratifies government actions. Although Britain's electoral system '-- like ours, single members elected in historic districts by plurality vote '-- had made members of Parliament responsive to their constituents in ancient times, by Wilson's time the growing importance of parties made MPs beholden to party leaders. Hence whoever controls the majority party controls both Parliament and the government.

In America, the process by which party has become (almost) as important began with the Supreme Court's 1962 decision in Baker v. Carr which, by setting the single standard ''one man, one vote'' for congressional districts, ended up legalizing the practice of ''gerrymandering,'' concentrating the opposition party's voters into as few districts as possible while placing one's own voters into as many as possible likely to yield victories. Republican and Democratic state legislatures have gerrymandered for a half century. That is why today's Congress consists more and more of persons who represent their respective party establishments '-- not nearly as much as in Britain, but heading in that direction. Once districts are gerrymandered ''safe'' for one party or another, the voters therein count less because party leaders can count more on elected legislators to toe the party line.

To the extent party leaders do not have to worry about voters, they can choose privileged interlocutors, representing those in society whom they find most amenable. In America ever more since the 1930s '-- elsewhere in the world this practice is ubiquitous and long-standing '-- government has designated certain individuals, companies, and organizations within each of society's sectors as (junior) partners in elaborating laws and administrative rules for those sectors. The government empowers the persons it has chosen over those not chosen, deems them the sector's true representatives, and rewards them. They become part of the ruling class.

Thus in 2009-10 the American Medical Association (AMA) strongly supported the new medical care law, which the administration touted as having the support of ''the doctors'' even though the vast majority of America's 975,000 physicians opposed it. Those who run the AMA, however, have a government contract as exclusive providers of the codes by which physicians and hospitals bill the government for their services. The millions of dollars that flow thereby to the AMA's officers keep them in line, while the impracticality of doing without the billing codes tamps down rebellion in the doctor ranks. When the administration wanted to bolster its case that the state of Arizona's enforcement of federal immigration laws was offensive to Hispanics, the National Association of Chiefs of Police '-- whose officials depend on the administration for their salaries '-- issued a statement that the laws would endanger all Americans by raising Hispanics' animosity. This reflected conversations with the administration rather than a vote of the nation's police chiefs.

Similarly, modern labor unions are ever less bunches of workers banding together and ever more bundled under the aegis of an organization chosen jointly by employers and government. Prototypical is the Service Employees International Union, which grew spectacularly by persuading managers of government agencies as well as of publicly funded private entities that placing their employees in the SEIU would relieve them of responsibility. Not by being elected by workers' secret ballots did the SEIU conquer workplace after workplace, but rather by such deals, or by the union presenting what it claims are cards from workers approving of representation. The union gets 2 percent of the workers' pay, which it recycles as contributions to the Democratic Party, which it recycles in greater power over public employees. The union's leadership is part of the ruling class's beating heart.

The point is that a doctor, a building contractor, a janitor, or a schoolteacher counts in today's America insofar as he is part of the hierarchy of a sector organization affiliated with the ruling class. Less and less do such persons count as voters.

Ordinary people have also gone a long way toward losing equal treatment under law. The America described in civics books, in which no one could be convicted or fined except by a jury of his peers for having violated laws passed by elected representatives, started disappearing when the New Deal inaugurated today's administrative state '-- in which bureaucrats make, enforce, and adjudicate nearly all the rules. Today's legal '-- administrative texts are incomprehensibly detailed and freighted with provisions crafted exquisitely to affect equal individuals unequally. The bureaucrats do not enforce the rules themselves so much as whatever ''agency policy'' they choose to draw from them in any given case. If you protest any ''agency policy'' you will be informed that it was formulated with input from ''the public.'' But not from the likes of you.

Disregard for the text of laws '-- for the dictionary meaning of words and the intentions of those who wrote them '-- in favor of the decider's discretion has permeated our ruling class from the Supreme Court to the lowest local agency. Ever since Oliver Wendell Holmes argued in 1920 (Missouri v. Holland) that presidents, Congresses, and judges could not be bound by the U.S. Constitution regarding matters that the people who wrote and ratified it could not have foreseen, it has become conventional wisdom among our ruling class that they may transcend the Constitution while pretending allegiance to it. They began by stretching such constitutional terms as ''interstate commerce'' and ''due process,'' then transmuting others, e.g., ''search and seizure,'' into ''privacy.'' Thus in 1973 the Supreme Court endowed its invention of ''privacy'' with a ''penumbra'' that it deemed ''broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.'' The court gave no other constitutional reasoning, period. Perfunctory to the point of mockery, this constitutional talk was to reassure the American people that the ruling class was acting within the Constitution's limitations. By the 1990s federal courts were invalidating amendments to state constitutions passed by referenda to secure the ''positive rights'' they invent, because these expressions of popular will were inconsistent with the constitution they themselves were construing.

By 2010 some in the ruling class felt confident enough to dispense with the charade. Asked what in the Constitution allows Congress and the president to force every American to purchase health insurance, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi replied: ''Are you kidding? Are you kidding?'' No surprise then that lower court judges and bureaucrats take liberties with laws, regulations, and contracts. That is why legal words that say you are in the right avail you less in today's America than being on the right side of the persons who decide what they want those words to mean.

As the discretionary powers of officeholders and of their informal entourages have grown, the importance of policy and of law itself is declining, citizenship is becoming vestigial, and the American people become ever more dependent.

Disaggregating and Dispiriting

The ruling class is keener to reform the American people's family and spiritual lives than their economic and civic ones. In no other areas is the ruling class's self-definition so definite, its contempt for opposition so patent, its Kulturkampf so open. It believes that the Christian family (and the Orthodox Jewish one too) is rooted in and perpetuates the ignorance commonly called religion, divisive social prejudices, and repressive gender roles, that it is the greatest barrier to human progress because it looks to its very particular interest '-- often defined as mere coherence against outsiders who most often know better. Thus the family prevents its members from playing their proper roles in social reform. Worst of all, it reproduces itself.

Since marriage is the family's fertile seed, government at all levels, along with ''mainstream'' academics and media, have waged war on it. They legislate, regulate, and exhort in support not of ''the family'' '-- meaning married parents raising children '-- but rather of ''families,'' meaning mostly households based on something other than marriage. The institution of no-fault divorce diminished the distinction between cohabitation and marriage '-- except that husbands are held financially responsible for the children they father, while out-of-wedlock fathers are not. The tax code penalizes marriage and forces those married couples who raise their own children to subsidize ''child care'' for those who do not. Top Republicans and Democrats have also led society away from the very notion of marital fidelity by precept as well as by parading their affairs. For example, in 1997 the Democratic administration's secretary of defense and the Republican Senate's majority leader (joined by the New York Times et al.) condemned the military's practice of punishing officers who had extramarital affairs. While the military had assumed that honoring marital vows is as fundamental to the integrity of its units as it is to that of society, consensus at the top declared that insistence on fidelity is ''contrary to societal norms.'' Not surprisingly, rates of marriage in America have decreased as out-of-wedlock births have increased. The biggest demographic consequence has been that about one in five of all households are women alone or with children, in which case they have about a four in 10 chance of living in poverty. Since unmarried mothers often are or expect to be clients of government services, it is not surprising that they are among the Democratic Party's most faithful voters.

While our ruling class teaches that relationships among men, women, and children are contingent, it also insists that the relationship between each of them and the state is fundamental. That is why such as Hillary Clinton have written law review articles and books advocating a direct relationship between the government and children, effectively abolishing the presumption of parental authority. Hence whereas within living memory school nurses could not administer an aspirin to a child without the parents' consent, the people who run America's schools nowadays administer pregnancy tests and ship girls off to abortion clinics without the parents' knowledge. Parents are not allowed to object to what their children are taught. But the government may and often does object to how parents raise children. The ruling class's assumption is that what it mandates for children is correct ipso facto, while what parents do is potentially abusive. It only takes an anonymous accusation of abuse for parents to be taken away in handcuffs until they prove their innocence. Only sheer political weight (and in California, just barely) has preserved parents' right to homeschool their children against the ruling class's desire to accomplish what Woodrow Wilson so yearned: ''to make young gentlemen as unlike their fathers as possible.''

At stake are the most important questions: What is the right way for human beings to live? By what standard is anything true or good? Who gets to decide what? Implicit in Wilson's words and explicit in our ruling class's actions is the dismissal, as the ways of outdated ''fathers,'' of the answers that most Americans would give to these questions. This dismissal of the American people's intellectual, spiritual, and moral substance is the very heart of what our ruling class is about. Its principal article of faith, its claim to the right to decide for others, is precisely that it knows things and operates by standards beyond others' comprehension.

While the unenlightened ones believe that man is created in the image and likeness of God and that we are subject to His and to His nature's laws, the enlightened ones know that we are products of evolution, driven by chance, the environment, and the will to primacy. While the un-enlightened are stuck with the antiquated notion that ordinary human minds can reach objective judgments about good and evil, better and worse through reason, the enlightened ones know that all such judgments are subjective and that ordinary people can no more be trusted with reason than they can with guns. Because ordinary people will pervert reason with ideology, religion, or interest, science is ''science'' only in the ''right'' hands. Consensus among the right people is the only standard of truth. Facts and logic matter only insofar as proper authority acknowledges them.

That is why the ruling class is united and adamant about nothing so much as its right to pronounce definitive, ''scientific'' judgment on whatever it chooses. When the government declares, and its associated press echoes that ''scientists say'' this or that, ordinary people '-- or for that matter scientists who ''don't say,'' or are not part of the ruling class '-- lose any right to see the information that went into what ''scientists say.'' Thus when Virginia's attorney general subpoenaed the data by which Professor Michael Mann had concluded, while paid by the state of Virginia, that the earth's temperatures are rising ''like a hockey stick'' from millennial stability '-- a conclusion on which billions of dollars' worth of decisions were made '-- to investigate the possibility of fraud, the University of Virginia's faculty senate condemned any inquiry into ''scientific endeavor that has satisfied peer review standards'' claiming that demands for data ''send a chilling message to scientists '... and indeed scholars in any discipline.'' The Washington Post editorialized that the attorney general's demands for data amounted to ''an assault on reason.'' The fact that the ''hockey stick'' conclusion stands discredited and Mann and associates are on record manipulating peer review, the fact that science-by-secret-data is an oxymoron, the very distinction between truth and error, all matter far less to the ruling class than the distinction between itself and those they rule.

By identifying science and reason with themselves, our rulers delegitimize opposition. Though they cannot prevent Americans from worshiping God, they can make it as socially disabling as smoking '-- to be done furtively and with a bad social conscience. Though they cannot make Americans wish they were Europeans, they continue to press upon this nation of refugees from the rest of the world the notion that Americans ought to live by ''world standards.'' Each day, the ruling class produces new ''studies'' that show that one or another of Americans' habits is in need of reform, and that those Americans most resistant to reform are pitiably, perhaps criminally, wrong. Thus does it go about disaggregating and dispiriting the ruled.

Meddling and Apologies

America's best and brightest believe themselves qualified and duty bound to direct the lives not only of Americans but of foreigners as well. George W. Bush's 2005 inaugural statement that America cannot be free until the whole world is free and hence that America must push and prod mankind to freedom was but an extrapolation of the sentiments of America's Progressive class, first articulated by such as Princeton's Woodrow Wilson and Columbia's Nicholas Murray Butler. But while the early Progressives expected the rest of the world to follow peacefully, today's ruling class makes decisions about war and peace at least as much forcibly to tinker with the innards of foreign bodies politic as to protect America. Indeed, they conflate the two purposes in the face of the American people's insistence to draw a bright line between war against our enemies and peace with non-enemies in whose affairs we do not interfere. That is why, from Wilson to Kissinger, the ruling class has complained that the American people oscillate between bellicosity and ''isolationism.''

Because our ruling class deems unsophisticated the American people's perennial preference for decisive military action or none, its default solution to international threats has been to commit blood and treasure to long-term, twilight efforts to reform the world's Vietnams, Somalias, Iraqs, and Afghanistans, believing that changing hearts and minds is the prerequisite of peace and that it knows how to change them. The apparently endless series of wars in which our ruling class has embroiled America, wars that have achieved nothing worthwhile at great cost in lives and treasure, has contributed to defining it, and to discrediting it '-- but not in its own eyes.

Rather, even as our ruling class has lectured, cajoled, and sometimes intruded violently to reform foreign countries in its own image, it has apologized to them for America not having matched that image '-- their private image. Woodrow Wilson began this double game in 1919, when he assured Europe's peoples that America had mandated him to demand their agreement to Article X of the peace treaty (the League of Nations) and then swore to the American people that Article X was the Europeans' non-negotiable demand. The fact that the U.S. government had seized control of transatlantic cable communications helped hide (for a while) that the League scheme was merely the American Progressives' private dream. In our time, this double game is quotidian on the evening news. Notably, President Obama apologized to Europe because ''the United States has fallen short of meeting its responsibilities'' to reduce carbon emissions by taxation. But the American people never assumed such responsibility, and oppose doing so. Hence President Obama was not apologizing for anything that he or anyone he respected had done, but rather blaming his fellow Americans for not doing what he thinks they should do while glossing over the fact that the Europeans had done the taxing but not the reducing. Wilson redux.

Similarly, Obama ''apologized'' to Europeans because some Americans '-- not him and his friends '-- had shown ''arrogance and been dismissive'' toward them, and to the world because President Truman had used the atom bomb to end World War II. So President Clinton apologized to Africans because some Americans held African slaves until 1865 and others were mean to Negroes thereafter '-- not himself and his friends, of course. So assistant secretary of state Michael Posner apologized to Chinese diplomats for Arizona's law that directs police to check immigration status. Republicans engage in that sort of thing as well: former Soviet dictator Mikhail Gorbachev tells us that in 1987 then vice president George H. W. Bush distanced himself from his own administration by telling him, ''Reagan is a conservative, an extreme conservative. All the dummies and blockheads are with him'...'' This is all about a class of Americans distinguishing itself from its inferiors. It recalls the Pharisee in the Temple: ''Lord, I thank thee that I am not like other men'...''

In sum, our ruling class does not like the rest of America. Most of all does it dislike that so many Americans think America is substantially different from the rest of the world and like it that way. For our ruling class, however, America is a work in progress, just like the rest the world, and they are the engineers.

The Country Class

Describing America's country class is problematic because it is so heterogeneous. It has no privileged podiums, and speaks with many voices, often inharmonious. It shares above all the desire to be rid of rulers it regards inept and haughty. It defines itself practically in terms of reflexive reaction against the rulers' defining ideas and proclivities '-- e.g., ever higher taxes and expanding government, subsidizing political favorites, social engineering, approval of abortion, etc. Many want to restore a way of life largely superseded. Demographically, the country class is the other side of the ruling class's coin: its most distinguishing characteristics are marriage, children, and religious practice. While the country class, like the ruling class, includes the professionally accomplished and the mediocre, geniuses and dolts, it is different because of its non-orientation to government and its members' yearning to rule themselves rather than be ruled by others.

Even when members of the country class happen to be government officials or officers of major corporations, their concerns are essentially private; in their view, government owes to its people equal treatment rather than action to correct what anyone perceives as imbalance or grievance. Hence they tend to oppose special treatment, whether for corporations or for social categories. Rather than gaming government regulations, they try to stay as far from them as possible. Thus the Supreme Court's 2005 decision in Kelo, which allows the private property of some to be taken by others with better connections to government, reminded the country class that government is not its friend.

Negative orientation to privilege distinguishes the corporate officer who tries to keep his company from joining the Business Council of large corporations who have close ties with government from the fellow in the next office. The first wants the company to grow by producing. The second wants it to grow by moving to the trough. It sets apart the schoolteacher who resents the union to which he is forced to belong for putting the union's interests above those of parents who want to choose their children's schools. In general, the country class includes all those in stations high and low who are aghast at how relatively little honest work yields, by comparison with what just a little connection with the right bureaucracy can get you. It includes those who take the side of outsiders against insiders, of small institutions against large ones, of local government against the state or federal. The country class is convinced that big business, big government, and big finance are linked as never before and that ordinary people are more unequal than ever.

Members of the country class who want to rise in their profession through sheer competence try at once to avoid the ruling class's rituals while guarding against infringing its prejudices. Averse to wheedling, they tend to think that exams should play a major role in getting or advancing in jobs, that records of performance '-- including academic ones '-- should be matters of public record, and that professional disputes should be settled by open argument. For such people, the Supreme Court's 2009 decision in Ricci, upholding the right of firefighters to be promoted according to the results of a professional exam, revived the hope that competence may sometimes still trump political connections.

Nothing has set the country class apart, defined it, made it conscious of itself, given it whatever coherence it has, so much as the ruling class's insistence that people other than themselves are intellectually and hence otherwise humanly inferior. Persons who were brought up to believe themselves as worthy as anyone, who manage their own lives to their own satisfaction, naturally resent politicians of both parties who say that the issues of modern life are too complex for any but themselves. Most are insulted by the ruling class's dismissal of opposition as mere ''anger and frustration'' '-- an imputation of stupidity '-- while others just scoff at the claim that the ruling class's bureaucratic language demonstrates superior intelligence. A few ask the fundamental question: Since when and by what right does intelligence trump human equality? Moreover, if the politicians are so smart, why have they made life worse?

The country class actually believes that America's ways are superior to the rest of the world's, and regards most of mankind as less free, less prosperous, and less virtuous. Thus while it delights in croissants and thinks Toyota's factory methods are worth imitating, it dislikes the idea of adhering to ''world standards.'' This class also takes part in the U.S. armed forces body and soul: nearly all the enlisted, non-commissioned officers and officers under flag rank belong to this class in every measurable way. Few vote for the Democratic Party. You do not doubt that you are amidst the country class rather than with the ruling class when the American flag passes by or ''God Bless America'' is sung after seven innings of baseball, and most people show reverence. The same people wince at the National Football League's plaintive renditions of the ''Star Spangled Banner.''

Unlike the ruling class, the country class does not share a single intellectual orthodoxy, set of tastes, or ideal lifestyle. Its different sectors draw their notions of human equality from different sources: Christians and Jews believe it is God's law. Libertarians assert it from Hobbesian and Darwinist bases. Many consider equality the foundation of Americanism. Others just hate snobs. Some parts of the country class now follow the stars and the music out of Nashville, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri '-- entertainment complexes larger than Hollywood's '-- because since the 1970s most of Hollywood's products have appealed more to the mores of the ruling class and its underclass clients than to those of large percentages of Americans. The same goes for ''popular music'' and television. For some in the country class Christian radio and TV are the lodestone of sociopolitical taste, while the very secular Fox News serves the same purpose for others. While symphonies and opera houses around the country, as well as the stations that broadcast them, are firmly in the ruling class's hands, a considerable part of the country class appreciates these things for their own sake. By that very token, the country class's characteristic cultural venture '-- the homeschool movement '-- stresses the classics across the board in science, literature, music, and history even as the ruling class abandons them.

Congruent Agendas?

Each of the country class's diverse parts has its own agenda, which flows from the peculiar ways in which the ruling class impacts its concerns. Independent businesspeople are naturally more sensitive to the growth of privileged relations between government and their competitors. Persons who would like to lead their community rue the advantages that Democratic and Republican party establishments are accruing. Parents of young children and young women anxious about marriage worry that cultural directives from on high are dispelling their dreams. The faithful to God sense persecution. All resent higher taxes and loss of freedom. More and more realize that their own agenda's advancement requires concerting resistance to the ruling class across the board.

Not being at the table when government makes the rules about how you must run your business, knowing that you will be required to pay more, work harder, and show deference for the privilege of making less money, is the independent businessman's nightmare. But what to do about it? In our time the interpenetration of government and business '-- the network of subsidies, preferences, and regulations '-- is so thick and deep, the people ''at the table'' receive and recycle into politics so much money, that independent businesspeople cannot hope to undo any given regulation or grant of privilege. Just as no manufacturer can hope to reduce the subsidies that raise his fuel costs, no set of doctors can shield themselves from the increased costs and bureaucracy resulting from government mandates. Hence independent business's agenda has been to resist the expansion of government in general, and of course to reduce taxes. Pursuit of this agenda with arguments about economic efficiency and job creation '-- and through support of the Republican Party '-- usually results in enough relief to discourage more vigorous remonstrance. Sometimes, however, the economic argument is framed in moral terms: ''The sum of good government,'' said Thomas Jefferson, is not taking ''from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.'' For government to advantage some at others' expense, said he, ''is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association.'' In our time, more and more independent businesspeople have come to think of their economic problems in moral terms. But few realize how revolutionary that is.

As bureaucrats and teachers' unions disempowered neighborhood school boards, while the governments of towns, counties, and states were becoming conduits for federal mandates, as the ruling class reduced the number and importance of things that American communities could decide for themselves, America's thirst for self-governance reawakened. The fact that public employees are almost always paid more and have more generous benefits than the private sector people whose taxes support them only sharpened the sense among many in the country class that they now work for public employees rather than the other way around. But how to reverse the roles? How can voters regain control of government? Restoring localities' traditional powers over schools, including standards, curriculum, and prayer, would take repudiating two generations of Supreme Court rulings. So would the restoration of traditional ''police'' powers over behavior in public places. Bringing public employee unions to heel is only incidentally a matter of cutting pay and benefits. As self-governance is crimped primarily by the powers of government personified in its employees, restoring it involves primarily deciding that any number of functions now performed and the professional specialties who perform them, e.g., social workers, are superfluous or worse. Explaining to one's self and neighbors why such functions and personnel do more harm than good, while the ruling class brings its powers to bear to discredit you, is a very revolutionary thing to do.

America's pro-family movement is a reaction to the ruling class's challenges: emptying marriage of legal sanction, promoting abortion, and progressively excluding parents from their children's education. Americans reacted to these challenges primarily by sorting themselves out. Close friendships and above all marriages became rarer between persons who think well of divorce, abortion, and government authority over children and those who do not. The homeschool movement, for which the Internet became the great facilitator, involves not only each family educating its own children, but also extensive and growing social, intellectual, and spiritual contact among like-minded persons. In short, the part of the country class that is most concerned with family matters has taken on something of a biological identity. Few in this part of the country class have any illusion, however, that simply retreating into private associations will long save their families from societal influences made to order to discredit their ways. But stopping the ruling class's intrusions would require discrediting its entire conception of man, of right and wrong, as well as of the role of courts in popular government. That revolutionary task would involve far more than legislation.

The ruling class's manifold efforts to discredit and drive worship of God out of public life '-- not even the Soviet Union arrested students for wearing crosses or praying, or reading the Bible on school property, as some U.S. localities have done in response to Supreme Court rulings '-- convinced many among the vast majority of Americans who believe and pray that today's regime is hostile to the most important things of all. Every December, they are reminded that the ruling class deems the very word ''Christmas'' to be offensive. Every time they try to manifest their religious identity in public affairs, they are deluged by accusations of being ''American Taliban'' trying to set up a ''theocracy.'' Let members of the country class object to anything the ruling class says or does, and likely as not their objection will be characterized as ''religious,'' that is to say irrational, that is to say not to be considered on a par with the ''science'' of which the ruling class is the sole legitimate interpreter. Because aggressive, intolerant secularism is the moral and intellectual basis of the ruling class's claim to rule, resistance to that rule, whether to the immorality of economic subsidies and privileges, or to the violation of the principle of equal treatment under equal law, or to its seizure of children's education, must deal with secularism's intellectual and moral core. This lies beyond the boundaries of politics as the term is commonly understood.

The ruling class's appetite for deference, power, and perks grows. The country class disrespects its rulers, wants to curtail their power and reduce their perks. The ruling class wears on its sleeve the view that the rest of Americans are racist, greedy, and above all stupid. The country class is ever more convinced that our rulers are corrupt, malevolent, and inept. The rulers want the ruled to shut up and obey. The ruled want self-governance. The clash between the two is about which side's vision of itself and of the other is right and which is wrong. Because each side '-- especially the ruling class '-- embodies its views on the issues, concessions by one side to another on any issue tend to discredit that side's view of itself. One side or the other will prevail. The clash is as sure and momentous as its outcome is unpredictable.

In this clash, the ruling class holds most of the cards: because it has established itself as the fount of authority, its primacy is based on habits of deference. Breaking them, establishing other founts of authority, other ways of doing things, would involve far more than electoral politics. Though the country class had long argued along with Edmund Burke against making revolutionary changes, it faces the uncomfortable question common to all who have had revolutionary changes imposed on them: are we now to accept what was done to us just because it was done? Sweeping away a half century's accretions of bad habits '-- taking care to preserve the good among them '-- is hard enough. Establishing, even reestablishing, a set of better institutions and habits is much harder, especially as the country class wholly lacks organization. By contrast, the ruling class holds strong defensive positions and is well represented by the Democratic Party. But a two to one numerical disadvantage augurs defeat, while victory would leave it in control of a people whose confidence it cannot regain.

Certainly the country class lacks its own political vehicle '-- and perhaps the coherence to establish one. In the short term at least, the country class has no alternative but to channel its political efforts through the Republican Party, which is eager for its support. But the Republican Party does not live to represent the country class. For it to do so, it would have to become principles-based, as it has not been since the mid-1860s. The few who tried to make it so the party treated as rebels: Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. The party helped defeat Goldwater. When it failed to stop Reagan, it saddled his and subsequent Republican administrations with establishmentarians who, under the Bush family, repudiated Reagan's principles as much as they could. Barack Obama exaggerated in charging that Republicans had driven the country ''into the ditch'' all alone. But they had a hand in it. Few Republican voters, never mind the larger country class, have confidence that the party is on their side. Because, in the long run, the country class will not support a party as conflicted as today's Republicans, those Republican politicians who really want to represent it will either reform the party in an unmistakable manner, or start a new one as Whigs like Abraham Lincoln started the Republican Party in the 1850s.

The name of the party that will represent America's country class is far less important than what, precisely, it represents and how it goes about representing it because, for the foreseeable future, American politics will consist of confrontation between what we might call the Country Party and the ruling class. The Democratic Party having transformed itself into a unit with near-European discipline, challenging it would seem to require empowering a rival party at least as disciplined. What other antidote is there to government by one party but government by another party? Yet this logic, though all too familiar to most of the world, has always been foreign to America and naturally leads further in the direction toward which the ruling class has led. Any country party would have to be wise and skillful indeed not to become the Democrats' mirror image.

Yet to defend the country class, to break down the ruling class's presumptions, it has no choice but to imitate the Democrats, at least in some ways and for a while. Consider: The ruling class denies its opponents' legitimacy. Seldom does a Democratic official or member of the ruling class speak on public affairs without reiterating the litany of his class's claim to authority, contrasting it with opponents who are either uninformed, stupid, racist, shills for business, violent, fundamentalist, or all of the above. They do this in the hope that opponents, hearing no other characterizations of themselves and no authoritative voice discrediting the ruling class, will be dispirited. For the country class seriously to contend for self-governance, the political party that represents it will have to discredit not just such patent frauds as ethanol mandates, the pretense that taxes can control ''climate change,'' and the outrage of banning God from public life. More important, such a serious party would have to attack the ruling class's fundamental claims to its superior intellect and morality in ways that dispirit the target and hearten one's own. The Democrats having set the rules of modern politics, opponents who want electoral success are obliged to follow them.

Suppose that the Country Party (whatever its name might be) were to capture Congress, the presidency, and most statehouses. What then would it do? Especially if its majority were slim, it would be tempted to follow the Democrats' plan of 2009-2010, namely to write its wish list of reforms into law regardless of the Constitution and enact them by partisan majorities supported by interest groups that gain from them, while continuing to vilify the other side. Whatever effect this might have, it surely would not be to make America safe for self-governance because by carrying out its own ''revolution from above'' to reverse the ruling class's previous ''revolution from above,'' it would have made that ruinous practice standard in America. Moreover, a revolution designed at party headquarters would be antithetical to the country class's diversity as well as to the American Founders' legacy.

Achieving the country class's inherently revolutionary objectives in a manner consistent with the Constitution and with its own diversity would require the Country Party to use legislation primarily as a tool to remove obstacles, to instruct, to reintroduce into American life ways and habits that had been cast aside. Passing national legislation is easier than getting people to take up the responsibilities of citizens, fathers, and entrepreneurs.

Reducing the taxes that most Americans resent requires eliminating the network of subsidies to millions of other Americans that these taxes finance, and eliminating the jobs of government employees who administer them. Eliminating that network is practical, if at all, if done simultaneously, both because subsidies are morally wrong and economically counterproductive, and because the country cannot afford the practice in general. The electorate is likely to cut off millions of government clients, high and low, only if its choice is between no economic privilege for anyone and ratifying government's role as the arbiter of all our fortunes. The same goes for government grants to and contracts with so-called nonprofit institutions or non-governmental organizations. The case against all arrangements by which the government favors some groups of citizens is easier to make than that against any such arrangement. Without too much fuss, a few obviously burdensome bureaucracies, like the Department of Education, can be eliminated, while money can be cut off to partisan enterprises such as the National Endowments and public broadcasting. That sort of thing is as necessary to the American body politic as a weight reduction program is essential to restoring the health of any human body degraded by obesity and lack of exercise. Yet shedding fat is the easy part. Restoring atrophied muscles is harder. Reenabling the body to do elementary tasks takes yet more concentration.

The grandparents of today's Americans (132 million in 1940) had opportunities to serve on 117,000 school boards. To exercise responsibilities comparable to their grandparents', today's 310 million Americans would have radically to decentralize the mere 15,000 districts into which public school children are now concentrated. They would have to take responsibility for curriculum and administration away from credentialed experts, and they would have to explain why they know better. This would involve a level of political articulation of the body politic far beyond voting in elections every two years.

If self-governance means anything, it means that those who exercise government power must depend on elections. The shorter the electoral leash, the likelier an official to have his chain yanked by voters, the more truly republican the government is. Yet to subject the modern administrative state's agencies to electoral control would require ordinary citizens to take an interest in any number of technical matters. Law can require environmental regulators or insurance commissioners, or judges or auditors to be elected. But only citizens' discernment and vigilance could make these officials good. Only citizens' understanding of and commitment to law can possibly reverse the patent disregard for the Constitution and statutes that has permeated American life. Unfortunately, it is easier for anyone who dislikes a court's or an official's unlawful act to counter it with another unlawful one than to draw all parties back to the foundation of truth.

How, for example, to remind America of, and to drive home to the ruling class, Lincoln's lesson that trifling with the Constitution for the most heartfelt of motives destroys its protections for all? What if a country class majority in both houses of Congress were to co-sponsor a ''Bill of Attainder to deprive Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, and other persons of liberty and property without further process of law for having violated the following ex post facto law'...'' and larded this constitutional monstrosity with an Article III Section 2 exemption from federal court review? When the affected members of the ruling class asked where Congress gets the authority to pass a bill every word of which is contrary to the Constitution, they would be confronted, publicly, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's answer to a question on the Congress's constitutional authority to mandate individuals to purchase certain kinds of insurance: ''Are you kidding? Are you kidding?'' The point having been made, the Country Party could lead public discussions around the country on why even the noblest purposes (maybe even Title II of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964?) cannot be allowed to trump the Constitution.

How the country class and ruling class might clash on each item of their contrasting agendas is beyond my scope. Suffice it to say that the ruling class's greatest difficulty '-- aside from being outnumbered '-- will be to argue, against the grain of reality, that the revolution it continues to press upon America is sustainable. For its part, the country class's greatest difficulty will be to enable a revolution to take place without imposing it. America has been imposed on enough.

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 21:28

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Back-to-school shopping hasn't been easy this year for Lauren Cyr.

The mother of three has searched for deals and spread out her shopping across multiple paychecks. Still, the 31-year-old sees higher price tags on everything from backpacks to paper '-- and the summer ritual is squeezing her family budget more than it did in prior years.

"Before I even went shopping, I will tell you, I had a full-on panic attack and cried," said Cyr, a customer service manager living in Ruskin, Florida. "It's just a headache."

Cyr isn't alone. An average family with children in elementary through high school plans to spend a record $890.07 on back-to-school items this year, according to a survey of more than 7,800 consumers released last month by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics. Total spending on school-related items for students in these grades is expected to climb to a new high of $41.5 billion.

There is, however, a silver lining: Back-to-school shoppers were less likely to say they are spending more because of higher prices in 2023 than in 2022, according to the NRF data. Instead, consumers have reported that purchases of more supplies and bigger-ticket items have contributed to higher spending this year.

Still, rising costs can leave millions of Americans in a lurch as they try to fill the backpacks of school-age children this year. While inflation has broadly slowed, consumers may not feel any respite as prices of school supplies are still rising.

"For the average family, there's going to be sticker shock," said Jay Zagorsky, a professor at Boston University's Questrom School of Business.

He said shoppers should not insist on buying a specific item or brand as prices rise. "By being flexible in what you're purchasing, you can actually come away with both a happy child and a happy wallet."

CNBC used the producer price index '-- a closely followed gauge of inflation on businesses measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics '-- to track how the costs of making items typically purchased for students has changed between 2019 and 2023. PPI data breaks out the changing costs of specific items through a sampling of wholesalers.

Those producers can then pass added expenses onto consumers in the form of smaller products or higher prices.

Retailers from Gap to Kohl's are trying to woo consumers with deals as prices go up. Walmart said it has kept the school supply basket at the same price as last year by offering common items such as backpacks starting at $6. Target kicked off the back-to-school season in early July with a special sale for customers who belong to its loyalty program.

The federal data is not a perfect representation of the change in spending, as the amount customers pay can vary by brand, store or location. Prices may also not perfectly match the path of inflation because the products are made and ordered by retailers months before back-to-school season ramps up, according to Zagorsky.

But the federal data can offer insight into how much more consumers across the country are paying for key items as children head back to the classroom.

PaperTwo data points measure the changing cost of paper.

First, there's the classic writing and printing paper. There are also tablets and pads of paper.

Prices of both fell early during the Covid-19 pandemic before surging. Paper cost producers about 24% more in June 2023 than it did the same month four years prior, while tablets and pads were up 33.1% during that period.

Writing, art and office suppliesThe price of products such as glue and pencils is also rising.

Inflation for pens, markers and mechanical pencils '-- as well as parts associated with these products '-- appears to have peaked. But prices were 13% higher in June 2023 than in the same month in 2019.

The rate of inflation for a group of goods that includes lead pencils and other supplies typically used in offices and for art has moved similarly. Prices climbed 23.2% from June 2019 to June 2023.

BackpacksPerhaps the most iconic symbol of a student is also more expensive to produce.

Backpack prices have increased less than they have for other goods, but they are still 10.5% higher in June 2023 than they were in the same month in 2019.

'-- CNBC's Gabriel Cortes and Melissa Repko contributed to this report.

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 21:26

Key PointsA potentially life-threatening allergy called the Mammalian Meat Allergy is induced by a tick bite.Unlike other allergies, the symptom onset is delayed, appearing up to six hours after eating red meat.No cure or treatment exists, but the illness is preventable by avoiding ticks or safely removing them if bitten. Experts are urging Australians to be more aware of the protective strategies around tick bites to decrease vulnerability to a potentially fatal meat allergy induced by a tick bite. Tick season in Australia begins in July and continues into the summer. With that comes the increased risk from tick-borne illness, which in the case of the meat allergy can be potentially life-threatening. In the absence of vaccines, experts say that risk can be reduced - and even eliminated - with tick bite prevention.

What is the link between tick bites and red meat allergy?

Tick bites can induce an allergic reaction called the Mammalian Meat Allergy (MMA). Symptoms can show up between four and six hours after eating mammalian meat, including red and white meat such as beef, lamb, pork, kangaroo and rabbit. Other items that can set off symptoms include mammalian milk products and animal-derived gelatin, which is also found in intravenous blood substitutes such as gelatin colloid. A full list of foods to be avoided if an individual has MMA is . The delayed onset of symptoms is what distinguishes it from a tick allergy that occurs at the time of bite from an adult tick. Professor David Christ from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research has studied the structure of the allergen - a sugar molecule called alpha-galactose or alpha-gal - and also the antibody response.

Professor Daniel Christ (right) says identifying the antibody at play reveals a common pattern in different people that points to a genetic contribution in MMA. Credit: Garvan Institute

The alpha-gal molecule is found in meat from all mammals, but isn't found in humans, great apes and old world monkeys. That is part of why it triggers the antibody response it does, says Christ. "Almost all living beings, including other mammals, in fact, produce this sugar. It's really only humans and higher primates that lost the capacity to produce this sugar molecule during evolution. We don't quite know why this happens," he said. "When we get bitten, our immune system recognises this molecule as foreign and we get sensitised. And then at a later stage - and that could be weeks to months later - after we eat meat, we can then have this reaction. And that reaction can be quite severe." The associated gut symptoms are similar to irritable bowel syndrome. Avoiding further tick bites can allow a person to recover and return to meat consumption within three to four years. Once free of symptoms, another tick bite can reactivate the process again.

Is there a treatment for the Mammalian Meat Allergy?

Christ says he and his colleagues are working on a treatment, but that it's still in an early stage. "We're working on in vitro models. We would hope that within a range of years, this would come into clinical trials, and then eventually treatments." Clinical immunologist Professor Sheryl van Nunen documented the first global case of MMA in Sydney in 2007. The convenor of the Tick Induced Allergies Research & Awareness (TiARA) says immune susceptibility will differ among individuals along a spectrum, adding that many are likely unaware they have the allergy.

"We did a study some years ago and it showed our [Australia's] prevalence [for MMA] is 113 per 100,000. But it is probably higher than that at the moment", she said. "About 60 per cent of Australians are potentially exposed to tick bites in that they live in the 30 kilometres or so east of the Great Dividing Range. The tick requires humidity and a wet autumn for numbers to be in plague proportions." A population survey has yet to be produced to aid surveillance efforts due to funding barriers. She says at this stage the most cost-effective public health intervention is tick bite prevention.

"This is the only allergen in the world where we know what causes it, and therefore the only allergen in the world where we can stop you getting it in the first place - and prevent it." In its Australia's national science organisation CSIRO found that climate change and changing land use are increasing the global incidence of tick-transmitted diseases. Cases have been recorded in more than 32 countries across six continents. How can you protect yourself from tick bites?

The number one prevention strategy is to avoid areas where ticks live. Wearing protective clothing, particularly bonded with permethrin, covering the arms and legs when in outdoor areas is also strongly recommended. Light-coloured clothes make it easier to see ticks, while tucking shirts into trousers and trouser legs into socks reduces skin exposure.

Tick-related allergies are the reason people present to hospital emergency departments, particularly in places where the ticks are most abundant. Globally, there are almost 900 species of tick. Source: AAP / Julian Stratenschulte

In addition to this, using tick repellant that contains the active ingredient DEET is also advised. It is recommended that the entire body - particularly the neck and scalp - is checked daily for tick bites. Humans and pets may not feel the tick bite initially, but once it starts to feed on blood there can be reactions to the salivary compounds.

What should you do if you get a tick bite?

Care needs to be taken when removing a tick bite to avoid more tick saliva being injected, which risks death from a severe case of tick anaphylaxis or MMA. Van Nunen says the key action is to refrain from touching or forcibly dislodging the tick. "Freeze it, don't squeeze it," she said, advising against people using their own household tweezers to remove the tick.

"You freeze the tick [where it is] and you wait for it to drop off." Ether-containing sprays available at pharmacies can be used to freeze the tick. The tick must be sprayed five times, holding the spray 1cm above it. If the tick fails to dislodge itself after being sprayed, a health professional can use fine-tipped forceps to safely remove it without risking further saliva being injected into you. Improper or unsafe removal risks tick anaphylaxis or MMA, both of which could be potentially fatal.

What is the most dangerous tick species in Australia?

In Australia, there are 70 types of ticks, but the tick that is most implicated in medically significant tick bites is the Australian paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus). This tick is responsible for more than 95 per cent of tick bites in humans in eastern Australia. Saliva from this tick can result in "fatal anaphylaxis, paralysis, and death", according to the federal health department.

There were four deaths from tick anaphylaxis in Australia between 1997 and 2013. Tick-related allergies are the reason people present to hospital emergency departments, particularly in places where the ticks are most abundant. The Australian paralysis tick is found in high numbers on almost the entire length of the eastern seaboard of Australia, within 20 kilometres of the coast. It has also been found inland, including the Bunya Mountains, Barcaldine, and Thargomindah in Queensland and the Lower Blue Mountains in New South Wales.

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 18:21

Christel Yardley/Stuff

Lee Bloor thought she had to wait 40-years for gender-affirming genital surgery, but funding has seen that possibly brought forward.

The number of people wanting to access gender-affirming genital surgery has leapt more than 100% since the Government introduced a public funding service.

The service started on January 1, 2020, and the number of patients referred to the service increased by 160% between October 2018 and September 30th, 2020, with this number continuing to rise.

With $3million in funding announced in the Government's 2019 budget as a response to a 50-year waiting list, demand is growing.

Te Whatu Ora group manager '' planned care, hospital and specialist services, Duncan Bliss said the Gender Affirming genital Surgery service has been established to help more transgender and non-binary people access publicly-funded gender-affirming genital surgery in Aotearoa.

READ MORE: * The fight for gender-affirming surgeries: 'I want to crawl out of my skin' * Gender-affirming surgery not a 'nice to have' but 'absolutely essential' * Rainbow Youth welcome Government funding for gender affirming surgery

He said there is currently one surgeon in New Zealand that is trained and capable of performing gender-affirming surgery.

The waiting list is for patients waiting to access a first specialist assessment (FSA) with the provider of gender-affirming genital surgery.

It is not a waiting list for surgery.

As of June 2023, there were 421 referrals for a first specialist assessment and out of that number 78 have had their appointment.

Te Whatu Ora

As of June 2023, there were 421 referrals for a first specialist assessment and out of that number 78 have had their appointment.

''Not all people referred and placed on the current waiting list meet surgical criteria, a significant number of people have not responded to attempts to contact, or are not providing the requested GP Health updates.''

Hamilton woman, Lee Bloor is one who has benefited from the funding. The 30-year-old had been looking at 40-year wait to have gender-affirming surgery.

She began to make the transition in her early 20s by taking hormones. She was preparing to be 66-years-old when she would get the call for assessment.

However, Bloor met with the surgeon in Wellington last week and is tentatively preparing for surgery in January.

''It was like wow I've waited this long, but I never expected it to be this quick. I knew they had more funding, but I didn't expect it to be brought forward this much.'' Read an in depth interview with Lee Bloor in the Waikato Times.

Bliss said due to the complex nature of these cases, it takes time to work through the assessment process.

Patients must also meet clinical surgical criteria and be assessed by the service provider prior to any agreed surgery being confirmed and undertaken.

''Although wait times remain long, waiting times for patients to access an FSA with the service provider have decreased. It may take between one and two years to proceed to surgery.

''The preparation time for surgery can be lengthy as patients may require weight loss, co-morbidities to be addressed, readiness assessment and/or hair removal prior to proceeding to surgery.''

The cost can vary from patient to patient Bliss said, as some patients may need more than one surgery, and some procedures are staged due to the complexity of the surgery and healing required between stages.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Intergovernmental economic union

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an area of 5,114,162 km2 (1,974,589 sq mi), and in 2019 had an estimated population of over 387 million.

Considered one of the pillar regional blocs of the continent-wide African Economic Community (AEC), the stated goal of ECOWAS is to achieve "collective self-sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trade bloc by building a full economic and trading union. The union was established on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, with its stated mission to promote economic integration across the region. A revised version of the treaty was agreed and signed on 24 July 1993 in Cotonou.

ECOWAS also serves as a peacekeeping force in the region, with member states occasionally sending joint military forces to intervene in the bloc's member countries at times of political instability and unrest.[5][6]

Member states [ edit ] As of February 2017, ECOWAS has 15 member states; eight of these are French-speaking, five are English-speaking, and two Portuguese-speaking. All current members joined the community as founding members in May 1975, except Cape Verde which joined in 1977.[7][8]

The only former member of ECOWAS is Arabic-speaking Mauritania, which was also one of the founding members in 1975 and decided to withdraw in December 2000.[7] Mauritania recently signed a new associate-membership agreement in August 2017.[9]

Morocco officially requested to join ECOWAS in February 2017.[10] The application was endorsed in principle at the summit of heads of state in June 2017,[11][12] but Morocco's bid for membership was stalled.[13]

Mali was suspended from ECOWAS on 30 May 2021, following its second military coup within nine months.[14] Guinea was also suspended on 8 September 2021, shortly after a military coup took place in the country.[15][16] Sanctions were placed on both countries on 16 September.[17] On 10 January 2022, Mali announced its decision to close its borders and recalled several ambassadors with ECOWAS in response to sanctions imposed for deferring elections for four years.[18] On 28 January 2022, Burkina Faso was suspended from ECOWAS following a military coup.[19] Niger was suspended from ECOWAS after the 2023 coup d'(C)tat and threatened with military intervention if President Mohamed Bazoum is not restored to office.[20] causing the Nigerien crisis.

Statistics for population, nominal GDP and purchasing power parity GDP listed below are taken from World Bank estimates for 2015, published in December 2016.[21][22][23] Area data is taken from a 2012 report compiled by the United Nations Statistics Division.[24]

History [ edit ] Flag of ECOWASECOWAS was formed initially from the region's former French, British and Portuguese colonies, and independent Liberia, following post-colonial independence throughout the region (particularly in the 1960s and 1970s). It was formed to provide regional economic cooperation, but has since evolved to include political and military cooperation, as well. [25]

The union was established on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, with its stated mission to promote economic integration across the region. A revised version of the treaty was agreed and signed on 24 July 1993 in Cotonou.[26] Considered one of the pillar regional blocs of the continent-wide African Economic Community (AEC), the stated goal of ECOWAS is to achieve "collective self-sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trade bloc by building a full economic and trading union.[27]

ECOWAS also serves as a peacekeeping force in the region, with member states occasionally sending joint military forces to intervene in the bloc's member countries at times of political instability and unrest. In recent years these included interventions in Ivory Coast in 2003, Liberia in 2003, Guinea-Bissau in 2012, Mali in 2013, and The Gambia in 2017.[5][6]

Covering a region known as a "coup belt", ECOWAS, since the 1990s, has attempted to defend the region's shift towards democracy against authoritarian attacks. However, the group has been cited for mild and ineffective responses in the early 2020s, when three member countries experienced military coups d'(C)tat '' two in Mali, one in Guinea, and two in Burkina Faso.[15][16][28][29] When a fourth member, Niger, experienced a coup d'(C)tat in July 2023, ECOWAS was vocal in its condemnation and raised the possibility of military action if the deposed president was not reinstated by 7 August 2023.[30][31]

In 2011, ECOWAS adopted its development blueprint for the next decade, Vision 2020, and, to accompany it, a Policy on Science and Technology (ECOPOST).[32] However, it has had trouble achieving the goals outlined in the policy.[33]

Structure [ edit ] Overall [ edit ] ECOWAS consists of two operating institutions to implement policies: the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) '' formerly known as the Fund for Cooperation, until it was renamed in 2001.[34]

In addition, ECOWAS includes the following institutions: ECOWAS Commission, Community Court of Justice,[35] Community Parliament,[36] ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID),[36] West African Health Organisation (WAHO),[37] and the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in West Africa (GIABA).[38]

ECOWAS includes two sub-regional blocks:

The West African Economic and Monetary Union (also known by its French-language acronym UEMOA) is an organisation of eight, mainly French-speaking, states within ECOWAS which share a customs union and currency union.[39] Established in 1994 and intended to counterbalance the dominance of English-speaking economies in the bloc (such as Nigeria and Ghana), members of UEMOA are mostly former territories of French West Africa. The currency they all use is the CFA franc, which is pegged to the euro.[39]The West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ), established in 2000, comprises six mainly English-speaking countries within ECOWAS which plan to work towards adopting their own common currency, the eco.[39]ECOWAS operates in three co-official languages'--French, English, and Portuguese.[39]

Executive secretaries and presidents of the commission [ edit ] Chairpersons [ edit ] Regional security co-operation [ edit ] ECOWAS nations assigned a non-aggression protocol in 1990 along with two earlier agreements in 1978 and 1981. They also signed a Protocol on Mutual Defence Assistance in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 29 May 1981, that provided for the establishment of an Allied Armed Force of the Community.[40]

[ edit ] The Community Parliament consists of 115 members, distributed based on the population of each member state.[41] This body is headed by the Speaker of the Parliament, who is above the Secretary General.

Expanded ECOWAS Commission [ edit ] For the third time since its inception in 1975, ECOWAS is undergoing institutional reforms. The first was when it revised its treaty on 24 July 1993; the second was in 2007 when the Secretariat was transformed into a Commission. As of July 2013, ECOWAS now has six new departments (Human Resources Management; Education, Science and Culture; Energy and Mines; Telecommunications and IT; Industry and Private Sector Promotion. Finance and Administration to Sierra Leone has been decoupled, to give the incoming Ghana Commissioner the new portfolio of Administration and Conferences).[42]

[ edit ] ECOWAS Community Court of Justice was created by a protocol signed in 1991 and was later included in Article 6 of the Revised Treaty of the Community in 1993.[43] However, the Court did not officially begin operations until the 1991 protocol came into effect on 5 November 1996. The jurisdiction of the court is outlined in Article 9 and Articles 76 of the Revised Treaty and allows rulings on disputes between states over interpretations of the Revised Treaty. It also provides ECOWAS Council with advisory opinions on legal issues (Article 10). Like its companion courts, the European Court of Human Rights and East African Court of Justice, it has jurisdiction to rule on fundamental human rights breaches.[43]

Sporting and cultural exchange [ edit ] ECOWAS nations organise a broad array of cultural and sports events under the auspices of the body, including the CEDEAO Cup in football, the 2012 ECOWAS Games and the Miss CEDEAO beauty pageant.[44]The Community Heads of State and Government adopted African Traditional Wrestling as the Community Sport, and through its Specialised Agency in charge of youth and sports development, the Ouagadougou-based ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), has consistently organised the yearly ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament mainly in Dakar (Senegal) and Niamey ((Niger) based on a harmonized African wrestling code.The Community, through the EYSDC, also organized 2 editions of ECOWAS International Cycling tour, taking close to 100 riders from all member States, from Lagos to Accra and then from Lagos o Abidjan. In addition to the sports and well-being objective of the tour, the race also served to demonstrate and put into practice ECOWAS protocol on free movement of goods and persons.In 2019, the EYSDC instituted ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon. The first edition brought together international marathoners from West Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and Cameroon.Similarly, the Community, through its specialised agency, promotes regional sports development by offering sponsorship to regional sports federations and specialized disciplines such as the West African Deaf Sports Union ((WADSU), the West African Liaison Office of the International Council for Military Sports (WALO-CISM), the Region 2 of the African Athletics Federation, the West African University Games (WAUG), among others.

Youth [ edit ] The ECOWAS Youth Policy Strategic Plan of Action (SPAO) is a 10-year plan that aims to promote youth development and empowerment in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The SPAO was adopted in 2016 and is based on the pillars of education and training, employment and entrepreneurship, health and well-being, peace and security, and governance and participation.[45][46]

The SPAO identifies a number of challenges facing youth in ECOWAS, including high unemployment rates, lack of access to education and training, and poor health outcomes. The plan sets out a number of strategies to address these challenges, including investing in education and training, creating jobs and supporting entrepreneurship, improving access to health care, promoting peace and security, and strengthening youth participation in governance.[45][46]

Economic integration [ edit ] West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) [ edit ] UEMOA

WAMZ

The West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU,[47] also known as UEMOA from its name in French, Union (C)conomique et mon(C)taire ouest-africaine) is an organisation of eight, mainly francophone West African states within ECOWAS, previously colonies of French West Africa, that were dominated otherwise by Anglophone heavyweights like former British colonies Nigeria and Ghana.[48] It was established to promote economic integration among countries that share the CFA franc as a common currency. UEMOA was created by a Treaty signed at Dakar, Senegal, on 10 January 1994, by the heads of state and governments of Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. On 2 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony, became the organisation's eighth (and only non-francophone) member state.

UEMOA is a customs union and currency union between the members of ECOWAS. Its objectives include:[49]

Greater economic competitiveness, through open markets, in addition to the rationalisation and harmonisation of the legal environmentThe convergence of macro-economic policies and indicatorsThe creation of a common marketThe co-ordination of sectoral policiesThe harmonisation of fiscal policiesAmong its achievements, the UEMOA has successfully implemented macro-economic convergence criteria and an effective surveillance mechanism. It has adopted a customs union and common external tariff and has combined indirect taxation regulations, in addition to initiating regional structural and sectoral policies. A September 2002 IMF survey cited the UEMOA as "the furthest along the path toward integration" of all the regional groupings in Africa.[50]

ECOWAS and UEMOA have developed a common plan of action on trade liberalisation and macroeconomic policy convergence. The organizations have also agreed on common rules of origin to enhance trade, and ECOWAS has agreed to adopt UEMOA's customs declaration forms and compensation mechanisms.[51]

Membership [ edit ] West African Monetary Zone [ edit ] Formed in 2000, the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) is a group of six countries within ECOWAS that plan to introduce a common currency called the Eco.[52] The six member states of WAMZ are Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone who founded the organisation together in 2000 and Liberia who joined on 16 February 2010. Apart from Guinea, which is francophone, they are all English-speaking countries. Along with Mauritania, Guinea opted out of the CFA franc currency shared by all other former French colonies in West and Central Africa.

The WAMZ attempts to establish a strong stable currency to rival the CFA franc, whose exchange rate is tied to that of the euro and is guaranteed by the French Treasury. The eventual goal is for the CFA franc and eco to merge, giving all of West and Central Africa a single, stable currency. The launch of the new currency is being developed by the West African Monetary Institute based in Accra, Ghana.

Membership [ edit ] Transport [ edit ] A Trans-ECOWAS project, established in 2007, plans to upgrade railways in this zone.[55]

Tourism [ edit ] In 2019, ECOWAS unveiled its Ecotour Action Plan 2019 '' 2029. It focuses on tourism heritage protection and development, and on the development of standards, regulations and control systems.[56][57][58] The plan includes five programmes for implementation, and detailed mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation. Ecotourism is not specifically developed, yet it has been mentioned that the program has the opportunity to create linkages between institutions and stakeholder collaboration, to suit ecotourism projects that prioritize community, biodiversity, and socioeconomics.[59]

See also [ edit ] Brown card system '' motor insurance scheme of ECOWASEast African CommunityEconomy of AfricaIntergovernmental Authority on DevelopmentSouthern African Development Community (SADC)Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)ECOWAS Peace PageantReferences [ edit ] ^ "African Union". Archived from the original on 17 October 2015 . Retrieved 26 October 2014 . ^ Data. "GDP, PPP (current international $) | Table". World Bank . Retrieved 8 August 2014 . ^ Data. "GNI per capita, PPP (current international $) | Table". World Bank . Retrieved 8 August 2014 . ^ Data. "Enoch Randy Aikins (2023) West Africa/ECOWAS. Updated 7 June 2023. (current US$) | Table". futures.issafrica.org . Retrieved 18 June 2023 . ^ a b Adeyemi, Segun (6 August 2003). "West African Leaders Agree on Deployment to Liberia". Jane's Defence Weekly. ^ a b "The 5 previous West African military interventions". Yahoo News. AFP. 20 January 2017. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020 . Retrieved 27 January 2017 . ^ a b Pazzanita, Anthony (2008). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania. Scarecrow Press. pp. 177''178. ISBN 978-0-8108-6265-4. ^ Odeyemi, Temitayo Isaac (2020), Oloruntoba, Samuel Ojo (ed.), "Regional Integration and the Political Economy of Morocco's Desire for Membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)", Pan Africanism, Regional Integration and Development in Africa, Springer International Publishing, pp. 97''123, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-34296-8_6, ISBN 978-3-030-34295-1, S2CID 216250685 ^ Okanla, Karim. "Like a magnet". D+C, Development and Cooperation. ^ "Afrique". Diplomatie.ma. 24 February 2017. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. ^ "Togolese president Faure Gnassingbe takes the reins of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government". 7 June 2017. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017 . 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JSTOR 523653. ^ Odeyemi, Temitayo Isaac (2020), Oloruntoba, Samuel Ojo (ed.), "Regional Integration and the Political Economy of Morocco's Desire for Membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)", Pan Africanism, Regional Integration and Development in Africa, Springer International Publishing, pp. 97''123, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-34296-8_6, ISBN 978-3-030-34295-1, S2CID 216250685 ^ "Basic information | Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS)". ecowas.int . Retrieved 5 April 2022 . ^ Durmaz, Mucahid. "As militarisation spreads, ECOWAS faces credibility crisis". www.aljazeera.com . Retrieved 30 July 2023 . ^ "The "politics of coups" shape the response to West Africa´s military juntas | DIIS". www.diis.dk. 18 May 2023 . Retrieved 30 July 2023 . ^ "West African leaders threaten intervention in Niger after military coup". Radio France Internationale. 30 July 2023 . 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Introduction: Reflections on an Agenda for Regional Integration and Cooperation in West Africa ^ "Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)" fact sheet from the US Department of State's Bureau of African Affairs ^ "Annual Report on Integration in Africa 2002" All Africa, 1 March 2002 ^ "Common West Africa currency: ECO in 2015". MC Modern Ghana. ^ "The Supplementary Wamz Payment System Development Project the Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia". Africa Development Bank Group. 2011 . Retrieved 7 May 2011 . ^ "WAMZ gets US$7.8 million grant". Accra Daily Mail. 2011 . Retrieved 7 May 2011 . ^ Proposed Ecowas railway Archived 24 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine railwaysafrica.com ^ ECOWAS Regional Tourism Action Plan westafricatourism.com Archived 4 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine ^ ECOWAS ECOTOUR pdf www.ecowas.int Archived 3 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine ^ ECOWAS to promote regional development through tourism apanews.net ^ West Africa's (eco)tourism initiative: Last chance to protect African biodiversity trade4devnews.enhancedif.org External links [ edit ] Official website

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  By Steve Goldstein

  As the investment world still comes to grips with the Fitch Ratings decision to downgrade the U.S. debt rating, here's an eye-popping stat: the U.S. government's debt will rise by $5.2 billion -- every single day for the next decade.

  That's according to the latest missive from Bank of America strategist Michael Hartnett, in which he references Congressional Budget Office projections to come up with the number.

  Importantly, debt is set to grow much faster than the broader economy. On the CBO's numbers, the debt held by the public will reach 118.9% of GDP by 2033, up from 98.2% this year.

  Hartnett says central banks are still in the business of bailing out Wall Street, and governments are very much in the business of bailing out Main Street. "Ultimately policy destination is yield curve control across G7 once next recession provokes fiscal policy panic and ever high government default risk," he says.

  It should be noted that the one major economy with yield curve control, Japan, is starting to take baby steps to get out of it. The U.S. had yield curve control during World War II, and it's a policy that has been considered more recently by Federal Reserve officials.

  Since the debt-ceiling resolution on May 31, commodities have been the best performing asset, Hartnett points out. The main catalyst is a lack of recession but a combination of supply factors are also helping -- including the lowest U.S. oil inventories since 1985, India's rice export ban, China's export restrictions on germanium and gallium, Russia and Saudi Arabia's oil supply moves and the military coup in uranium-rich Niger.

  His analysis of Bank of America's private clients is that they're shifting to a risk-off mode, as the past two weeks has seen the strongest inflows into bonds since October 2022, and the second straight week of equity outflows. These clients are buying investment-grade debt, Japanese stocks, volatility products and selling growth stocks, bank loans, financials and tech exchange-traded funds.

  -Steve Goldstein

  This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

   (END) Dow Jones Newswires

  08-04-23 0556ET

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Fri, 04 Aug 2023 19:10

View the entire Explainers collection January 21, 2020 will mark a decade since the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a controversial decision that reversed century-old campaign finance restrictions and enabled corporations and other outside groups to spend unlimited funds on elections.

While wealthy donors, corporations, and special interest groups have long had an outsized influence in elections, that sway has dramatically expanded since the Citizens United decision, with negative repercussions for American democracy and the fight against political corruption.

What was Citizens United about?A conservative nonprofit group called Citizens United challenged campaign finance rules after the FEC stopped it from promoting and airing a film criticizing presidential candidate Hillary Clinton too close to the presidential primaries.

A 5''4 majority of the Supreme Court sided with Citizens United, ruling that corporations and other outside groups can spend unlimited money on elections.

What was the rationale for the ruling?In the court's opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that limiting ''independent political spending'' from corporations and other groups violates the First Amendment right to free speech. The justices who voted with the majority assumed that independent spending cannot be corrupt and that the spending would be transparent, but both assumptions have proven to be incorrect.

With its decision, the Supreme Court overturned election spending restrictions that date back more than 100 years. Previously, the court had upheld certain spending restrictions, arguing that the government had a role in preventing corruption. But in Citizens United, a bare majority of the justices held that ''independent political spending'' did not present a substantive threat of corruption, provided it was not coordinated with a candidate's campaign. As a result, corporations can now spend unlimited funds on campaign advertising if they are not formally ''coordinating'' with a candidate or political party.

How has Citizens United changed elections in the United States?The ruling has ushered in massive increases in political spending from outside groups, dramatically expanding the already outsized political influence of wealthy donors, corporations, and special interest groups.

In the immediate aftermath of the Citizens United decision, analysts focused much of their attention on how the Supreme Court designated corporate spending on elections as free speech. But perhaps the most significant outcomes of Citizens United have been the creation of super PACs, which empower the wealthiest donors, and the expansion of dark money through shadowy nonprofits that don't disclose their donors.

A Brennan Center report by Daniel I. Weiner pointed out that a very small group of Americans now wield ''more power than at any time since Watergate, while many of the rest seem to be disengaging from politics.''

''This is perhaps the most troubling result of Citizens United: in a time of historic wealth inequality,'' wrote Weiner, ''the decision has helped reinforce the growing sense that our democracy primarily serves the interests of the wealthy few, and that democratic participation for the vast majority of citizens is of relatively little value.''

An election system that is skewed heavily toward wealthy donors also sustains racial bias and reinforces the racial wealth gap. Citizens United also unleashed political spending from special interest groups.

What are PACs and super PACs?Political action committees, or ''PACs,'' are organizations that raise and spend money for campaigns that support or oppose political candidates, legislation, or ballot initiatives. Traditional PACs are permitted to donate directly to a candidate's official campaign, but they are also subject to contribution limits, both in terms of what they can receive from individuals and what they can give to candidates. For example, PACs are only permitted to contribute up to $5,000 per year to a candidate per election.

In the 2010 case Speechnow.org v. FEC, however, a federal appeals court ruled '-- applying logic from Citizens United '-- that outside groups could accept unlimited contributions from both individual donors and corporations as long as they don't give directly to candidates. Labeled ''super PACs,'' these outside groups were still permitted to spend money on independently produced ads and on other communications that promote or attack specific candidates.

In other words, super PACs are not bound by spending limits on what they can collect or spend. Additionally, super PACs are required to disclose their donors, but those donors can include dark money groups, which make the original source of the donations unclear. And while super PACs are technically prohibited from coordinating directly with candidates, weak coordination rules have often proven ineffective.

Super PAC money started influencing elections almost immediately after Citizens United. From 2010 to 2018, super PACs spent approximately $2.9 billion on federal elections. Notably, the bulk of that money comes from just a few wealthy individual donors. In the 2018 election cycle, for example, the top 100 donors to super PACs contributed nearly 78 percent of all super PAC spending.

What is dark money?Dark money is election-related spending where the source is secret. Citizens United contributed to a major jump in this type of spending, which often comes from nonprofits that are not required to disclose their donors.

In its decision, the Supreme Court reasoned that unlimited spending by wealthy donors and corporations would not distort the political process, because the public would be able to see who was paying for ads and ''give proper weight to different speakers and messages.'' But in reality, the voters often cannot know who is actually behind campaign spending.

That's because leading up to Citizens United, transparency in U.S. elections had started to erode, thanks to a disclosure loophole opened by the Supreme Court's 2007 ruling in FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life, along with inaction by the IRS and controversial rulemaking by the FEC.

Citizens United allowed big political spenders to exploit the growing lack of transparency in political spending. This has contributed to a surge in secret spending from outside groups in federal elections. Dark money expenditures increased from less than $5 million in 2006 to more than $300 million in the 2012 election cycle and more than $174 million in the 2014 midterms. In the top 10 most competitive 2014 Senate races, more than 71 percent of the outside spending on the winning candidates was dark money. These numbers actually underestimate the impact of dark money on recent elections, because they do not include super PAC spending that may have originated with dark money sources, or spending that happens outside the ''electioneering communications window'' 30 days before a primary or 60 days before a general election.

Finally, because they can hide the identities of their donors, dark money groups also provide a way for foreign countries to hide their activity from U.S. voters and law enforcement agencies. This increases the vulnerability of U.S. elections to international interference.

How can reformers address the consequences of Citizens United?In the short term, a Supreme Court reversal or constitutional amendment to undo Citizens United is extremely unlikely, and regardless, it would leave many of the problems of big money in politics unsolved. But even without a full reversal of Citizens United in the near future, there are policy solutions to help combat the dominance of big money in politics and the lack of transparency in the U.S. campaign finance system.

First, publicly funded elections would help counter the influence of the extremely wealthy by empowering small donors. Specifically, a system that matches small-dollar donations with public funds would expand the role of small donors and help candidates rely less on big checks and special interests. In recent years, public financing has gained support across the United States. As of 2018, 24 municipalities and 14 states have enacted some form of public financing, and at least 124 winning congressional candidates voiced support for public financing during the 2018 midterm election cycle.

Lawmakers on the national, state, and local level can also push to increase transparency in election spending. For example, the DISCLOSE Act, which has been introduced several times in Congress, would strengthen disclosure and disclaimer requirements, enabling voters to know who is trying to influence their votes. Congress could also pass stricter rules to prevent super PACs and other outside groups from coordinating directly with campaigns and political parties.

Fixing the U.S. elections system will also require fixing the FEC.Long dysfunctional thanks to partisan gridlock, the FEC is out of touch with today's election landscape and has failed to update campaign finance safeguards to reflect current challenges. For example, FEC rules do not even include the term ''super PAC,'' and it has declined to find violations or even open an investigation in high-profile allegations of coordination. The agency's failure to enforce federal disclosure laws helped allow dark money to pour into U.S. federal elections since 2010.

In an April 2019 report, the Brennan Center outlined a number of structural reforms that Congress can pursue to help tackle dysfunction in the FEC.

Finally, addressing the impacts of Citizens United requires building a movement in favor of campaign finance reform. There's public support for such reforms. In recent polls, 94 percent of Americans blamed wealthy political donors for political dysfunction, and 77 percent of registered voters said that ''reducing the influence of special interests and corruption in Washington'' was either the ''single most'' or a ''very important'' factor in deciding their vote for Congress.

Citizens United was a blow to democracy '-- but it doesn't have to be the final word. Politicians can listen to what the vast majority of the public wants, even if big donors don't like it.

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Sun, 06 Aug 2023 15:07

Ron DeSantis promises to combat antisemitism if elected president

Conversation with the Candidate

CONTINUES RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU FOR CLICKING ON OUR EXTENDED CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE WITH REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT, GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS OF FLORIDA. THE NEXT 30 MINUTES IS COMMERCIAL FREE. WE WANT TO GET TO AS MANY AUDIENCE QUESTIONS HERE FROM OUR TOWN HALL, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. WE'RE GOING TO START THINGS OFF WITH JOAN WENTWORTH. GOOD EVENING, GOVERNOR. HI. IN CONGRESS, YOU SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO REPEAL OBAMACARE AND AS GOVERNOR, YOU HAVEN'T SUPPORTED MEDICAID EXPANSION. SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT ROLE, IF ANY, DO YOU BELIEVE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PLAY IN MAKING HEALTH CARE AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE? WELL, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO THINK RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, THE PATIENT HAS BEEN LEFT BEHIND. THE DOCTOR PATIENT RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN LEFT BEHIND. YOU HAVE BIG PHARMA COMPANIES, BIG INSURANCE COMPANIES AND BIG GOVERNMENT HAVE FORMED AN IRON TRIANGLE. THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT GETS MADE THAT CAUSES THE AVERAGE PERSON TO HAVE TO PAY MORE. AND INDEED, IT MAKES IT OUT OF REACH FOR THE AVERAGE AMERICAN. NOW, PART OF WHAT WE'VE DONE IN FLORIDA IS, YOU KNOW, OUR ECONOMY IS THE NUMBER ONE ECONOMY IN THE COUNTRY. ANYONE THAT WANTS A JOB, YOU KNOW, CAN GET A JOB. AND SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ABLE BODIED MEN, MOSTLY WHO WOULD HAVE QUALIFIED FOR MEDICAID EXPANSION, BUT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO WORK IN JOBS WHERE THEY CAN GET EMPLOYER PROVIDED INSURANCE. AND WE THINK THAT IS A BETTER MODEL TO TRY TO HAVE THEIR OWN RATHER THAN NECESSARILY HAVE GOVERNMENT. BUT WE NEED TO REDUCE THE COST OF HEALTH CARE. THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE INCENTIVES, BUT YOU GOT TO BE WILLING TO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE BIG PHARMA. THEY CANNOT CONTINUE TO JUST RUN THE SHOW AND DRIVE THE COST OF EVERYTHING UP THROUGH THE ROOF. SO WE ARE GOING TO WORK ON THAT IRON TRIANGLE TO TRY TO BREAK THAT UP AND RETURN MORE POWER TO THE PATIENT AND TO THE PHYSICIAN. THANK YOU. QUICK FOLLOW UP, GOVERNOR. WHAT'S A SPECIFIC THING YOU'D LIKE TO DO WITH, QUOTE UNQUOTE, BIG PHARMA IF YOU'RE PRESIDENT? WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE PAY MORE FOR DRUGS IN THE UNITED STATES THAN ANY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRY. WHY? BECAUSE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, THEY DO SPEND MONEY TO DEVELOP THESE THINGS, BUT THEN THE OTHER COUNTRIES GET THEM CHEAPER AND THEY CHARGE US HIGHER TO BE ABLE TO RECOUP THAT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND THE INVESTMENT. I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE SPREAD AROUND ON ALL THESE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. WHY SHOULD WE BE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE PAYING THROUGH OUR NOSE AND THEY GET TO PAY LESS? AND SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT IN THAT SENSE WE SHOULD DO. I ACTUALLY WORKED WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. THERE WAS A PROVISION OF LAW THAT ALLOWED STATES TO BUY PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FROM CANADA. THEY WERE THE SAME DRUGS AND THEY'RE LIKE 25%. THE COST. AND I COULD HAVE SAVED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FLORIDA TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENDED. BIDEN SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT. HERE WE ARE, TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS LATER, THEY STILL HAVE NOT APPROVED OUR ABILITY TO PURCHASE THOSE DRUGS. AND SO I JUST THINK THAT THE WAY PHARMACEUTICALS HAVE DRIVEN THE COST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO GET THE COST UNDER CONTROL IF WE CONTINUE WITH THIS SAME FAILED MODEL. NEXT QUESTION FROM BENJAMIN BOLGER. GOVERNOR DESANTIS, REALLY GREAT TO SEE YOU. SURE. YOU ATTENDED YALE FOR YOUR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES AND THEN LATER, HARVAR LAW SCHOOL, TWO VERY IMPRESSIVE INSTITUTIONS. MY QUESTION IS, SHOULD ELITE ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND ALL FORMS OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND ANY ADMISSION PREFERENCES FOR ALUMNI AND OR WEALTHY DONORS? YEAH, THINK THAT THEY SHOULD DO THAT. BUT BUT THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND RACE BECAUSE RACE IS PRESCRIBED IN THE CONSTITUTION. YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE GETTING ALL THIS FEDERAL MONEY AND WORKING AT THE AND EVEN HARVARD THAT HAVE MASSIVE ENDOWMENTS, THEY GET MASSIVE FEDERAL MONEY. YOU CAN'T DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE THAT IS IN OUR CONSTITUTION. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO HONOR. THOSE OTHER THINGS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE MORE DISCRETIONARY. AND I AGREE THEY CAN BE CONSISTENT. AND DO THAT. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THOSE WOULD WOULD IMPLICATE THE CONSTITUTION. YOU KNOW, INCIDENTALLY, WHEN I WAS RUNNING FOR I SHOWED UP AT YALE. I'D NEVER BEEN TO NEW ENGLAND IN MY LIFE. I GOT RECRUITED TO PLAY BASEBALL. AND I'M UP THERE AND I SHOWED UP MY FIRST DAY WITH FLIP FLOPS, JEAN SHORTS, AND A T SHIRT. LET ME TELL YOU, THE KIDS FROM EXETER AND ANDOVER WERE NOT DRESSED LIKE THAT. I WAS THE FISH OUT OF THE WATER. IT WAS KIND OF A CULTURE SHOCK FOR ME AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW COLLEGES WERE LIBERAL AT THE TIME. MEAN I WAS SO GREEN. BUT I GOT TO SEE SOME OF THIS REALLY MILITANT LEFTISM. YOU KNOW, YALE'S MOTTO WAS FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY, FOR YALE. AND I'D BE IN CLASS AND THEY WOULD ATTACK GOD, ATTACK THE COUNTRY, AND I'M LIKE, THAT'S NOT THE VALUES THAT I WANT. AND SO WHEN I FIRST RAN FOR OFFICE, PEOPLE LIKE THE FACT IN FLORIDA, OH, YOU'RE A MILITARY VETERAN, IRAQ, ALL THIS STUFF. YOU GOT A NICE, YOU KNOW, WIFE, WHATEVER, ALL THIS STUFF, YOUNG FAMILY. BUT THEY'RE LIKE, MAN, DON'T KNOW ABOUT HARVARD AND YALE. LIKE, ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE GUYS? AND SAID, LISTEN, I'M ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH BOTH HARVARD AND YALE AND CAME OUT MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN WHEN I WENT IN THAT IS NOT EASY TO DO. THANK YOU. NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM CHARLES JESSE. HELLO, GOVERNOR. WE'VE ALREADY HEARD TODAY ABOUT A FEW OF THE FLORIDA BASED LAWS AND POLICIES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND TO THE UNITED STATES. WHICH POLICIES AND LAWS REALLY STICK WITH THE STATES AND WHICH OTHER POLICIES MIGHT ACTUALLY WOULD YOU EXTEND TO THE U.S? WELL, I THINK THAT WE'LL KEEP WITH THE CONSTITUTION. THE POWERS DELEGATED UNDER THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION. JAMES MADISON WROTE, ARE FEW AND DEFINED. THOSE REMAINING TO THE STATES ARE NUMEROUS AND INDEFINITE. SO YES, THERE'S THINGS WE'VE DONE IN FLORIDA. WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THEIR JUST NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO BE AS APPLICABLE. THERE'S OTHER THINGS IN FLORIDA THAT WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE APPLICABLE. BUT I WOULD SAY THE MOST THING THAT'S APPLICABLE IS JUST JUST THE APPROACH TO GOVERNING. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE THE SECOND LOWEST PER CAPITA DEBT TO PERSON RATIO IN AMERICA, SECOND LOWEST TAX PER CAPITA IN AMERICA. WE RUN BIG BUDGET SURPLUSES AND WE'VE PAID DOWN ALMOST A QUARTER OF OUR OUTSTANDING STATE DEBT. I'VE VETOED WASTEFUL SPENDING THROUGHOUT MY TIME AS GOVERNOR. WHY CAN'T WE TAKE THAT SAME FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO WASHINGTON AND DISCIPLINE THE CONGRESS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE CONGRESS STOPS SPENDING US INTO OBLIVION IF THEY PUT A BLOATED BILL ON YOUR DESK AS PRESIDENT, YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO VETO THAT BILL. SEND IT BACK TO THEM AND TELL THEM TO DO BETTER. SO THAT'S AN APPROACH WE WOULD DEFINITELY TAKE. YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE STUFF WE'VE DONE WITH RESPECT TO SAY, EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ELIMINATED CRITICAL RACE THEORY IN OUR K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS. WE'VE SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE GENDER IDEOLOGY WHERE THEY'RE TELLING A SECOND GRADER THEY CAN CHANGE GENDERS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE. BUT THE CURRICULUM IS A STATE AND LOCAL ISSUE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DEVELOP A NATIONAL CURRICULUM BECAUSE THINK COULD DO A BETTER JOB NATIONALLY THAN PROBABLY OAKLAND AND SAN FRANCISCO WOULD DO. BUT THE MINUTE THE DEMOCRATS GET IN, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO OVERTAKE MY CURRICULUM IN FLORIDA. AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO DO THAT. SO STICK WITH THE CONSTITUTION WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS THE AUTHORITY AND THE POWER TO USE IT ROBUSTLY. DO GOOD, STRONG POLICY. BUT WHERE IT LEAVES IT TO THE STATES, YOU KNOW, SO SO WE'LL BE DOING THINGS LIKE GETTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFF THE BACK OF THE STATE AND LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE. THANK YOU. YEAH. NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM THALIA FLORES. WELCOME, GOVERNOR. YES. WHAT QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS WILL YOU EXPECT IN YOUR CABINET AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION? AND HOW WILL YOU SET THE EXAMPLE AS PRESIDENT? THAT IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE HUMILITY AS A LEADER TO KNOW YOU CAN'T DO IT BY YOURSELF. YOU CAN MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS IN THE WORLD. YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST VISION IN THE WORLD. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CADRE OF PEOPLE SURROUNDING YOU WHO SHARE THE VISION AND ARE WILLING TO WORK HARD TO IMPLEMENT THE AGENDA, NONE OF THIS IS GOING TO MATTER. THE SWAMP WILL EAT YOUR LUNCH. AND SO WHAT I WANT ARE PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND, LOOK, WE'RE THE INSURGENT FORCE IN WASHINGTON. WHEN WE GET IN THERE, THE BUREAUCRACY DOESN'T WANT TO GIVE UP POWER. THE MEDIA IS NOT GOING TO LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING. THE LEFT ISN'T GOING TO LIKE IT. AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF OLD GUARD REPUBLICANS. THEY LIKE THE WAY DC OPERATES. YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, FIVE OF THE EIGHT WEALTHIEST COUNTIES IN OUR COUNTRY ARE SUBURBS OF WASHINGTON, DC. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? IT HAPPENS BECAUSE THERE'S POWER, PATRONAGE AND A LOT OF MONEY SPENT UP THERE. SO WE WANT TO TAKE THAT POWER AND BRING IT BACK TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. NOW, WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO FACE OPPOSITION. SO I NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE A BACKBONE. I NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE IN IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. I NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT GOING TO TRY TO BE LOVED BY OFFICIAL WASHINGTON, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE A STRONG ATTORNEY GENERAL AND YOU'RE TURNING THE DOJ INSIDE AND OUT, WHICH WE NEED TO DO, IF YOU'RE GETTING THE FBI IN LINE, WHICH WE NEED TO DO, YOU'RE GOING TO FACE BLOWBACK. THEY'RE GOING TO ATTACK YOU. THE NEWSPAPERS WILL ATTACK YOU. THE CNN. THEY'RE GOING TO ATTACK YOU. SO NOT EVERYONE IS CUT OUT FOR THAT. YOU KNOW ME. I VIEW IT AS POSITIVE FEEDBACK WHEN THEY'RE ATTACKING ME, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE OVER THE TARGET, THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE TAKING THE FLAK. AND IF YOU WEREN'T EFFECTIVE, THEY WOULD NOT EVEN BOTHER ATTACKING YOU. SO YOU GOT TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY. IT'S GOING TO BE TURBULENCE. BUT KEEP YOUR EYE ON TRUE NORTH AND THAT GOES FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A NEW FBI DIRECTOR WITH ME ON DAY ONE. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOMEBODY, THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, THAT IS GOING TO WORK TO GET RID OF THE WOKENESS. THAT'S GONE OUT ON THE MILITARY, THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENTAL MILITARY NEEDS TO FOCUS ON MISSION. THAT'S WHEN I WAS THERE. WE FOCUSED ON MISSION. THEY'RE NOT FOCUSING ON MISSION FIRST. AND NOW RECRUITING IS IN THE TOILET. SO WE'VE GOT TO DO BETTER ON ALL THAT. BUT IT JUST YOU GOT TO HAVE THAT RECOGNITION. YOU GOT TO BE TOUGH. YOU GOT TO DIG IN AND YOU CAN'T GIVE AN INCH. THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. AM I CORRECT? UNDERSTANDING YOU RECENTLY SAID YOU MIGHT CONSIDER RFK JR FOR THE CDC. NO, THAT WAS MISREPORTED. I WAS ASKED WHETHER I CONSIDER HIM FOR VICE PRESIDENT. I SAID, LOOK, I AGREE WITH THEM ON FAUCI AND THE LOCKDOWNS AND AND SOME OF THE STUFF WITH THE MEDICAL SWAMP. BUT ULTIMATELY, HE'S A LIBERAL ON 90% OF ISSUES. AND I'M NOT GOING TO CHOOSE A LIBERAL AS VICE PRESIDENT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, LET HIM GO, YOU KNOW, GO AFTER THESE ORGANIZATIONS. BUT THAT WASN'T THAT HE WOULD HEAD THE THE ORGANIZATIONS. IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, I LIKE THE FACT THAT HE'S WILLING TO HOLD FAUCI ACCOUNTABLE. VERY FEW DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN WILLING TO COME OUT AND SAY COVID LOCKDOWNS WERE A MISTAKE. FAUCI'S POLICIES WERE DESTROYED, ACTIVE LOCKING KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL LIKE THEY DID IN CALIFORNIA AND ILLINOIS FOR A YEAR WAS INCREDIBLY DAMAGING. AND THE REASON WHY FLORIDA'S NUMBER ONE FOR NET IN-MIGRATION, NUMBER ONE ECONOMY, ALL THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS. BUT ONE OF THE BIG REASONS IS WE FOUGHT BACK AGAINST THAT. WE FOUGHT BACK AGAINST FAUCI. WE FOUGHT BACK AGAINST TWO DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS TO KEEP THE STATE FREE, TO KEEP OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL, TO KEEP OUR BUSINESSES OPEN. WE'RE PROUD THAT WE TOOK THAT STAND. BUT I THINK THERE'S TOO MANY PEOPLE THAT ACT LIKE, OH, WELL, THAT'S IN THE PAST, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. WELL, HERE'S THE THING. IF THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR WHAT WAS DONE WRONG, THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO IT AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. AND WE CAN NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN IN OUR COUNTRY EVER AGAIN. NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM LAURA GARBER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. WE ALL DO. THIS QUESTION IS TOUGH FOR ME TO ASK, SO I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE IF I GET A LITTLE CHOKED UP. MY FAMILY LIVES IN FLORIDA, IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA. THEY LIVE IN A RELIGIOUS JEWISH COMMUNE. ME AND MY FAMILY, WE LIKE MANY FAMILIES THERE IS, INCLUDING THE LITTLE ONES. AND I HAVE A LOT OF LITTLE ONES. THEY HAVE TO TAKE INCREDIBLE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE RISING ANTI-SEMITISM AND ASYMMETRIC ATTACKS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. IT'S IT'S REALLY HEARTBREAKING AND TRAGIC TO ME. I APOLOGIZE. RECENTLY, MAYBE IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, THERE WAS A GATHERING OF SOME OF YOUR SUPPORTERS OR SAY THEY'RE YOUR SUPPORTERS SAY THEY SAY YOUR SUPPORTERS AND THEY THEY HAD FLAGS THAT HAD DESANTIS 2024. THEY ALSO HAD NAZI SWASTIKA FLAGS. THE FLAGS THAT TORE MY FAMILY AND 6 MILLION AND THEN 10 MILLION PEOPLE TO DEATH. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO MY FAMILY AND TO MY GRANDCHILDREN? PLEASE, SIR, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU WOULD SAY TO THEM DIRECTLY, THEIR LITTLE. SURE. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WHEN THEY'RE DOING THAT, UNDERSTAND, THOSE ARE NOT TRUE SUPPORTERS OF MINE. THAT IS A THAT IS AN OPERATION TO TRY TO LINK ME TO SOMETHING SO THAT IT SMEARS ME. I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE'VE DONE SINCE I'VE BEEN GOVERNOR. YOU KNOW, WE'VE PUT IN $12 MILLION FOR SECURITY AT JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET THOSE SCHOOLS BE ATTACKED. WE BEEFED UP HOLOCAUST EDUCATION STANDARDS. WE HAVE THE STRONGEST HOLOCAUST EDUCATION STANDARDS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. I GAVE THE FLORIDA MEDAL OF FREEDOM TO BEN FRIENDS, THE LAST SURVIVING PROSECUTOR AT NUREMBERG. HE'S SINCE PASSED AWAY, BUT HE WAS SOMEBODY THAT THAT WE LOOKED UP TO AND WE'RE PROUD OF THAT HE WAS A FLORIDIAN. WE'VE ENACTED UNIVERSAL SCHOOL CHOICE SO THAT PARENTS CAN SEND THEIR KIDS TO JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS AND TO OTHER SCHOOLS, WHICH WE THINK IS ARE IMPORTANT. I SIGNED THE FIRST BILL IN AMERICA TO GO AFTER ANTI-SEMITISM IN OUR UNIVERSAL. I ACTUALLY SIGNED THAT IN THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN JERUSALEM IN 2019. AND WE SAID, LISTEN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET OUR UNIVERSITIES BECOME A HOTBED OF ANTI-SEMITISM. WE'RE GOING TO TREAT THAT JUST LIKE WE TREAT RACISM. AND WE LED THE WAY ON THAT. AND MOST RECENTLY, I WAS IN ISRAEL FOR THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY. I NOTED AN EVENT AT THE MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE AND I SIGNED ANOTHER PIECE OF LEGISLATION TO GO AFTER PEOPLE THAT ARE COMMANDEERING THE PROPERTY OF OTHERS, INCLUDING SYNAGOGUES, TO DO THINGS LIKE SHOW SWASTIKAS. SO WE'RE GOING TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. I SAID WHEN I WAS RUNNING, WE'D BE THE MOST PRO-ISRAEL STATE IN AMERICA. I DELIVERED ON THAT. AND WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE STATE FOR JEWISH IN MIGRATION OF ANY STATE IN THIS COUNTRY. SO WE'VE GOTTEN ALL THOSE POLICIES RIGHT. AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THINGS LIKE THAT. THEY ARE TRYING TO DIVIDE BY USING THAT AS A WEAPON AGAINST ME. THOSE WERE NOT MY SUPPORTERS BECAUSE IF THEY WERE MY SUPPORTERS, THEY WOULD BE ON THE SIDE OF EVERY STEP I'VE TAKEN. THERE'S BEEN NOBODY THAT'S BEEN STRONGER ON THESE ISSUES IN ANY PART OF THE COUNTRY THAN ME. WE'RE PROUD OF THAT. AND AS PRESIDENT, WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE UNITED NATIONS. WHEN THEY TARGET ISRAEL, WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT AGAINST THE BDS MOVEMENT. WHEN THEY TRY TO SINGLE OUT ISRAEL AS THE WORLD'S ONLY JEWISH STATE, WE'RE GOING TO GO AFTER THESE THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES THAT HAVE BECOME HOTBEDS OF ANTI-SEMITISM. WE'VE ALWAYS STOOD STRONG. WE'LL CONTINUE TO STAND STRONG AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT'S GOING TO BE. WE'RE PROUD IN FLORIDA THAT THERE'S MORE ORTHODOX -- MOVING INTO MY STATE THAN IT IS MOVING INTO ANY OTHER STATE IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY WOULD NOT BE DOING THAT IF THEY DIDN'T SEE POLICIES THAT WERE VERY POSITIVE. ALTHOUGH MY GRANDCHILDREN CAN'T VOTE YET. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY DIRECTLY TO THEM? THERE'S SEVEN. WE ARE GOING TO DEFEAT THE SCOURGE OF ANTI SEMITISM. I THINK WE IN FLORIDA MEAN, YOU LOOK, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE THAT HAVE MOVED FROM LIKE NEW YORK BECAUSE IF THEY HAVE A KIPPAH ON, THEY GET ATTACKED. AND THEN THE PEOPLE DON'T DON'T GET PROSECUTED. I CAN TELL YOU, YOU DO THAT IN FLORIDA. YOU'RE ENDING UP IN JAIL. WE'RE GOING TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK FOR THAT. AND AS PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO LEAN IN AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM AND CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE IT IN ALL OF ITS FORMS, INCLUDING WITH THINGS LIKE THE BDS MOVEMENT. THANK YOU. LAURA, QUICK FOLLOW UP FOR YOU, GOVERNOR. AS PRESIDENT, WOULD YOU MAINTAIN THAT UNIT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT TARGETS SO-CALLED HATE GROUPS? I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT IT IS MEAN. CLEARLY, IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING TARGETED ON THEIR RACE OR RELIGION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT WE NEED TO SNUFF OUT AND WE WOULD WANT TO DO IT. I THINK THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IN INJUSTICE IS THEY VIEW ANYBODY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM AS A POTENTIAL TARGET. THERE WAS A MEMO IN ONE OF THE FIELD OFFICES SAID, OH, THESE THESE CATHOLICS THAT ARE ATTENDING LATIN MASS ARE POTENTIALLY A PROBLEM. NO, THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT. THEY WILL SAY, WE HAVE A PARENTS RIGHTS GROUP IN FLORIDA CALLED MOMS FOR LIBERTY. AND YOU HAVE SOME OF THESE LEFT WING GROUPS HAVE CALLED THEM A HATE GROUP. THEY ARE NOT HATE GROUP JUST BECAUSE THEY DISAGREE WITH YOU, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE ADVOCATING CONSERVATIVE POSITIONS, YOU DON'T LABEL THEM A HATE GROUP. SO THINK THOSE AGENCIES HAVE GONE WAY OUT OF BOUNDS. WE WILL USE IT TO GO AGAINST RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. WE WILL USE IT TO GO AGAINST RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION. BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO LET THE FBI AND THE DOJ BE WEAPONIZED AGAINST POLITICAL FACTIONS THAT THEY DISAGREE WITH. THAT IS WRONG. AND THAT IS AN IMPULSE THAT HAS REALLY BEEN NURTURED OVER THE LAST DECADE OR SO IN WASHINGTON, IN THE BOWELS OF THE BUREAUCRACY. THESE ARE ALL PEOPLE THAT THINK ONE WAY THEY HAVE THESE VIEWS ON THE LEFT AND THEY THINK IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THAT, SOMEHOW YOU'RE A THREAT TO SOCIETY. THAT IS WRONG AND THAT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN MY ADMINISTRATION. NEXT QUESTION FROM SEAN VAN ENGLAND. GOVERNOR, THAT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK. IN THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, MENTAL HEALTH IS A SERIOUS ISSUE IN THIS COUNTRY AND IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. YOU HAVE THE BAKER ACT. COULD YOU SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT YOUR PLAN ON HOW YOU CAN HELP THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN THIS COUNTRY? SURE. WELL, ONE, I THINK WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT MANY HEALTH GOT A LOT WORSE BECAUSE OF COVID LOCKDOWNS, SCHOOL CLOSURES AND COVID RESTRICTIONS MEAN THAT'S JUST THE REALITY. AND WE'RE SEEING THE CARNAGE NOW. THE MEDIA IS NOW SAYING, OH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE KIDS ARE DOING POORLY. YEAH, YOU GUYS WERE THE ONE THAT WERE ATTACKING ME WHEN I HAD THE SCHOOLS OPEN. YOU WERE SAYING IT WAS WRONG TO HAVE THE SCHOOLS OPEN. WE ALSO HAVE MORE DEATHS OF DESPAIR. WE HAVE MORE OVERDOSE DEATHS. WE HAVE MORE SUICIDES. PART OF THAT WAS COVID. BUT I THINK THAT HAPPENED BEFORE COVID. I THINK WITH THE WAY OUR SOCIETY HAS BECOME FRAGMENTED, I THINK PEOPLE END UP MORE LONELY THAN THEY USED TO BE. YOU KNOW, IN PRIOR YEARS. I THINK IT'S PROBLEM WITH OUR KIDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ALL THE TIME. THAT IS NOT HEALTHY TO HAVE YOUR YOUR FACE BURIED IN A PHONE FOR 7 OR 8 HOURS A DAY. YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN FLORIDA IS WE'VE MADE A FOCUS ON FIRST RESPONDERS, ON VETERANS, ON PEOPLE THAT HAVE SUFFERED POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS. WE HAVE MOBILE UNITS THAT CAN GO RESPOND WHEN THERE'S A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN IN SOCIETY. IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE. BUT I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW. BAKER, BASICALLY IS AN INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT. YOU KNOW, IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT IF YOU GO BACK TO LIKE THE 50S AND YOU COMPARE THE INSTITUTIONALIZED POPULATION TO TODAY, THERE WERE WAY MORE PEOPLE IN LIVES BACK THEN THAN THERE ARE NOW. AND SO WHAT HAS CHANGED? WELL, THE LAWS HAVE GOTTEN MORE LIBERAL. AND THE QUESTION IS, HAS THAT BEEN GOOD? HERE'S WHAT I'LL TELL YOU JUST FROM DEALING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE WE'RE VERY PRO LAW ENFORCEMENT STATE, I THINK WHAT A LOT OF POLICE OFFICERS WOULD TELL YOU IS A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT GO THROUGH THE SYSTEM HAVE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. AND SO THE QUESTION IS, IS, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO TREAT THAT IN WAYS THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE RECOGNIZING THAT THESE PEOPLE NEED ASSISTANCE OR THEY NEED INTERVENTION, OR ARE WE JUST GOING TO KIND OF LET IT GO AND YOU END UP HAVING HOMELESS, YOU END UP HAVING CRIME, YOU END UP HAVING ALL THESE THINGS. YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A ROLE, BUT THINK A LOT OF THAT IS BOTTOM UP. THINK IT'S GOING TO BE LOCALITIES AND STATES. YOU KNOW, MY WIFE LAUNCHED A PROGRAM AS FIRST LADY OF FLORIDA FOR THE SCHOOLS TO TRY TO TAKE THE STIGMA OUT OF, YOU KNOW, NEEDING HELP FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE IT'S NOT ALWAYS AN EASY THING TO DO FOR SOMEBODY THAT MAY BE 13, 14, 15 YEARS OLD. SO SHE'S CREATED A PROGRAM WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO BE WE CALL IT BUILDING RESILIENCY IN YOUNG PEOPLE. AND IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL. THERE HAVE BEEN MORE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THAT HAVE GONE INTO IT. BUT THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE IN THIS SOCIETY. WE'VE INVESTED A LOT OF RESOURCES AT IN FLORIDA. WE'VE TRIED DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES. SOME OF THEM HAVE WORKED WELL. SOME OF THEM HAVE NEEDED AN ADJUSTMENT. BUT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT GOING AWAY. AND THEN FINALLY, I'LL SAY, WITH VETERANS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS IN IN IRAQ, THE ONE THING I NOTICED WAS YOU'D HAVE VETERANS WHO HAD BEEN ACTIVE DUTY, WHO HAD DONE MULTIPLE DEPLOYMENTS. SO I WAS IN IRAQ IN 2007. WE HAD GUYS THAT HAD BEEN IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN SINCE THEY WERE 18, MORE THAN THEY'VE BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES. THAT'S NOT NORMAL TO BE GOING THROUGH THINGS LIKE THAT, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A DRAFT. AND SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS PEOPLE WOULD COME BACK FROM IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN. WE WERE GOOD AT SEEING THE VISIBLE WOUNDS OF WAR. SOMEONE LOST AN ARM, SOMEONE LOST A LEG, AND THE COMMUNITY WOULD RALLY AND PEOPLE WOULD RALLY. WE WERE NOT AS GOOD AT UNDERSTANDING THE INVISIBLE WOUNDS OF WAR. PEOPLE THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM THINGS LIKE POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IN FLORIDA IS REALLY WORK TO MOBILIZE WAYS TO TREAT THOSE VETERANS APART FROM JUST PUMPING THEM WITH PHARMACEUTICALS. THAT'S WHAT'S DONE. IT HASN'T BEEN EFFECTIVE FOR MANY. SO WE HAVE PROGRAMS WHERE A VETERAN SUFFERING FROM POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS CAN GET A SPECIALLY TRAINED SERVICE DOG. I'LL TELL YOU WHEN THEY DO THAT, THE SUICIDE RATE GOES DOWN PRETTY DRAMATICALLY. SO WE NEED TO BE EMBRACING THINGS LIKE THAT. WE CANNOT HAVE A SITUATION IN WHICH 22 VETERANS ARE COMMITTING SUICIDE EVERY SINGLE DAY. THANK YOU. YEP. NEXT QUESTION COMING FROM THE ONLINE WORLD. JERRY YANG ASKS, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER? WOULD YOU EVER DENY THE RESULTS OF AN ELECTION THAT YOU LOST? AND ARE YOU WILLING TO SAY THAT JANUARY SIX WAS A VIOLENT ATTACK ON OUR CAPITOL THAT DONALD TRUMP ENCOURAGED SO I THINK THAT, YES, WE WILL HAVE A PEACEFUL TRANSITION OF POWER. WE DID THAT AS GOVERNOR. WE'LL DO IT AS PRESIDENT SO YOU CAN SET YOUR CLOCK TO JANUARY 20TH, 2025. I WILL ASSUME THE REINS FROM JOE BIDEN. WE WILL SERVE FOUR GREAT YEARS, GET REELECTED, AND THEN I WILL TURN OVER THE REINS ON JANUARY 20TH, 2023, TO SOMEONE I HOPE IS A WORTHY SUCCESSOR. SO YOU CAN JUST PUT THE YOU CAN JUST MARK YOUR CALENDAR TO THAT 100%. AND SO, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, NO ONE LIKES TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY SIXTH. I MEAN, DIDN'T LIKE TO SEE THAT I WAS DOWN IN FLORIDA, YOU KNOW, DOING DOING MY WORK IN TERMS OF IN TERMS OF ALL OF THAT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IN FLORIDA, WE'VE SHOWN HOW ELECTIONS WORK. WE HAVE VERY TRANSPARENT, EFFICIENT ELECTIONS. WE'VE BANNED BALLOT HARVESTING, WE'VE BANNED ZUCKERBERG. I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PUBLIC CONFIDENCE THAT YOU COUNT THE VOTES AND REPORT THE RESULTS IN FLORIDA. HOW CAN WE COUNT 11 MILLION, 12 MILLION VOTES BY MIDNIGHT ON ELECTION NIGHT? AND THEN IT TAKES CALIFORNIA THREE WEEKS. IT TAKES PENNSYLVANIA SEVEN DAYS. AND I'M NOT EVEN SAYING THERE'S THINGS WRONG. THERE MAY BE THINGS WRONG, BUT JUST IF YOUR CANDIDATES WINNING THE MORNING AFTER THE ELECTION AND THEY KEEP COUNTING AND THEN YOUR CANDIDATE LOSES THAT LEAVES A BITTER TASTE IN THE MOUTH OF PEOPLE. AND SO LET'S DO A BETTER JOB WITH THE ELECTIONS. SO THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN WHAT'S GOING ON. FLORIDA SHOWS THE WAY TO DO IT. AND IF ALL THESE OTHER STATES HAD JUST DONE WITH FLORIDA, DID, YOU KNOW, I THINK PEOPLE WOULD BE MUCH HAPPIER. GOVERNOR, TO JERRY'S QUESTION, DO YOU BELIEVE PRESIDENT TRUMP ENCOURAGED WHAT HAPPENED? I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HE SAID AT THE RALLY, HE SAID, GO PEACEFULLY. I MEAN, LIKE THAT'S WHAT HE SAID. SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THAT HE INCITED, YOU HAVE TO SHOW HOW HE SAID NOT PEACEFULLY. AND THAT'S JUST THE REALITY. NOW, DO I THINK WHAT I HAVE HELD THAT RALLY RIGHT? NO, I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT. BUT THE REALITY IS, IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO TAG THE INCITEMENT ANGLE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A VERY, VERY HIGH LEGAL HURDLE. AND I DID NOT SEE THE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT AND INCITEMENT CHARGE. NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM JOSHUA REEB. GOVERNOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE IN THE BEST STATE NORTH OF FLORIDA. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME HERE TODAY. AND ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. DO NOT STOP AND START AT BORDERS. BUT OFTENTIMES WITH OUR HODGEPODGE OF CONCEALED CARRY LICENSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IN PLACES LIKE NEW YORK, IT'S EFFECTIVELY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ONE AS AN OUT OF STATE RESIDENT. BUT AS TRAVEL TO FLORIDA AND OTHER PLACES WOULD YOU AS PRESIDENT, SIGNED A BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR A NATIONAL CONCEALED CARRY, A PERMITTED FIREARMS FOR RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS? YES. LIVE FREE OR DIE? MAN, COME ON. THIS IS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. YOU'RE HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR. YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING COMING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR FLORIDA, BECAUSE NORMALLY WHEN I GO NORTH, THE TAXES GO HIGHER AND THAT'S TRUE WITH NEW ENGLAND, EXCEPT FOR THIS LITTLE, LITTLE PLACE WHERE YOU DECIDED TO TAKE A STAND AND LIVE FREE OR DIE. SO APPRECIATE IT. BUT NO NEW HAMPSHIRE IS VERY CLEAR. VERMONT IS VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS. AND YES, STATES LIKE FLORIDA, WE HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY OTHER PLACES DO. YOU'RE JUST LIVING AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. YOU STOP AT LIKE A GAS STATION IN NEW YORK AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FACE A GUN CHARGE AS A LAW ABIDING CITIZEN WHO'S JUST SIMPLY EXERCISING YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. SO THINK PEOPLE DO DESERVE THAT PROTECTION AND WOULD HAPPILY SIGN IT. THANK YOU. YEP. NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM JUDITH ELLIOTT. GOVERNOR DESANTIS, FLORIDA SIERRA CLUB RECENTLY GAVE YOU AN F FOR ENVIRONMENT LEADERSHIP IN LIGHT OF THIS SUMMER'S DEVASTATING HEAT WAVES. DO YOU REGRET SIGNING LEGISLATION IN MAY TO PROHIBIT FLORIDA MUNICIPALITIES CITIES FROM RESTRICTING FOSSIL FUEL USE OR PROMOTING CLEAN ENERGY? SO FIRST OF ALL, SIERRA CLUB IS A FAR LEFT WING RADICAL ORGANIZATION. THEY ARE ABOUT PARTIZANSHIP. THEY ARE NOT RECOGNIZING WHAT WE'VE DONE WHEN I CAME IN, WE HAD A CRISIS WITH OUR EVERGLADES. OUR EVERGLADES WERE DRYING UP. WE HAD MASSIVE PROBLEMS WITH OUR ESTUARIES. BOTH THE CALOOSAHATCHEE AND THE SAINT LUCIE PEOPLE WERE ASKING FOR HELP. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED? YOU HAD BIG SUGAR COMPANIES THAT CALLED ALL THE SHOTS WHEN IT CAME TO FLORIDA'S ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY. I RAN IN 2018 SAYING WE WERE GOING TO CHANGE THAT. THEY SPENT TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AGAINST ME AND THEY COULDN'T STOP ME. SO I CAME IN AND WE FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED FLORIDA AS APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION. YOU NOW HAVE WATER GOING FROM LAKE OKEECHOBEE DOWN THROUGH THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES ALL THE WAY TO FLORIDA BAY, THE WAY NATURE INTENDED IT. AND THAT HAD NOT BEEN HAPPENING PRIOR TO ME BECOMING GOVERNOR. WE'VE DONE BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION FOR EVERGLADES RESTORATION AND TO CLEAN WATER QUALITY. AND I'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED BY GROUPS LIKE THE EVERGLADES FOUNDATION, ONES THAT AREN'T AS PARTIZAN AS SIERRA CLUB, AS REALLY HAVING BEEN THE FATHER OF MODERN EVERGLADES RESTORATION WATER IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA. WE HAVE THE BEST BOATING IN THE WORLD, BEST FISHING IN THE WORLD. IT HELPS REAL ESTATE VALUES. IT DRIVES TOURISM. WE HAVE TO DO OUR PART TO MAKE SURE WE LEAVE THAT BETTER TO GOD THAN WHAT WE FOUND IT. AND SO WE'VE DONE THAT AND WE'VE DONE DONE VERY WELL ON THAT. NOW, IN TERMS OF THE MUNICIPALITIES, NO, BECAUSE WHAT THEY WILL DO IS THEY WILL SAY, OH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T HAVE A GAS STATION HERE. YOU CAN'T DO THAT. THEY WILL TRY TO DO THINGS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO WORK FOR OUR ECONOMY. AND, YOU KNOW, I'LL TELL YOU, THE SIERRA CLUB, THERE WAS A POWER PLANT THAT WANTED TO GO FROM COAL TO NATURAL GAS THAT IS WAY CLEANER TO GO TO NATURAL GAS. AND IT SITS ON A HAD TO BE A PART OF THIS BOARD THAT ADJUDICATES IT. SIERRA CLUB OPPOSED GOING FROM COAL TO NATURAL GAS, EVEN THOUGH THE EMISSIONS GO WAY LESS WITH NATURAL GAS. WHY? BECAUSE AS IT'S ABOUT IDEOLOGY, THEY HAVE TAKEN THE POSITION YOU CANNOT BURN ANY MORE FOSSIL FUELS THAT WOULD DESTROY THIS ECONOMY AND IT WOULD DESTROY THIS COUNTRY. SO FLORIDA'S EMISSIONS HAVE GONE DOWN DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE OF USING TECHNOLOGY LIKE SOME OF THE SOLAR AND SOME OF THE SOME OF THE NATURAL GAS. BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN BECAUSE OF GOVERNMENT MANDATE. IT'S BECAUSE OF INNOVATION AND MARKET INGENUITY. AND THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO DO. BUT WE'RE PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE DONE. NO GOVERNOR IN FLORIDA HISTORY HAS MADE MORE OF A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR EVERGLADES RESTORATION AND OUR EVERGLADES AND OUR ESTUARIES THAN ME. NEXT QUESTION FROM CHRISTINE EDNEY. THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO PEOPLE THAT SAY NOW IS NOT YOUR TIME TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT? WELL, I'M NOT RUNNING TO PREP FOR PRESIDENT AND TO BE SOMEBODY I'M RUNNING TO DO SOMETHING. I THINK 2024 IS A HINGE POINT IN AMERICAN HISTORY. I THINK I'M THE ONLY CANDIDATE RUNNING WHO CAN WIN THE PRIMARY DEFEAT JOE BIDEN, AND THEN DELIVER ON ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE KNOW THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SO I FEEL A CALLING TO OFFER MYSELF TO SERVICE. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY, OH, IF YOU WAIT HERE, LOOK, THAT'S NOT HOW I THINK. I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE. HOLDING OFFICE, ALL THAT STUFF. YOU KNOW, I HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO GET THE JOB DONE FOR THE COUNTRY. NOW, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE FOR YEARS TO BE ABLE TO WAIT AND THINK IT COULD END UP GETTING A LOT WORSE IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING. NOW. IT'S ALSO THIS IS A REPUBLICAN LOOK, THIS ISN'T A MONARCHY. THERE'S NOT BLOODLINES. NOBODY'S CHOSEN FOR THEIR TERM. YOU GOT TO GO AND YOU GOT TO EARN IT. AND WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT STATES LIKE NEW HAMPSHIRE WITH THE FIRST IN THE NATION, YOU GOT TO SHOW UP AND ANSWER QUESTIONS. YOU GOT TO GO TO EVENTS, YOU GOT TO BE HERE. YOU GOT TO SHOW PEOPLE WHY YOU SHOULD BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NOBODY IS ENTITLED TO BE NOMINATED, MUCH LESS ELECTED PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. WE'VE GOT ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT. I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. WHAT'S THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION OUT THERE ABOUT RON DESANTIS? WHATEVER THE CORPORATE MEDIA SAYS IS A LIE MEAN SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S INTERESTING. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE AND PART OF IT GOES BACK TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE DIVISIONS IN SOCIETY. YOU KNOW, THE MEDIA HAS ALWAYS HAD NOT NECESSARILY LOCAL, BUT THE KIND OF THE NATIONAL CORPORATE, THEY'VE ALWAYS HAD AN IDEOLOGICAL BENT, LIKE I GET THAT. BUT THINK WHAT'S HAPPENED IN MORE RECENT YEARS IS THEY'VE PUT FACTS ASIDE TO DO NARRATIVES. SO IT'S ALL ABOUT CREATING NARRATIVES THAT CAN DRIVE THEIR PARTIZAN AGENDA. AND SO I CAN SHOW YOU A FACT THAT TOTALLY BLOWS UP THE NARRATIVE. MY PRESS PEOPLE CAN GIVE IT TO THEM. THEY'LL JUST IGNORE IT. THEY WON'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACTS. AND SO I THINK OUR JOB AS CITIZENS INS IS YOU AREN'T DOING THE JOB YOU NEED TO BE DOING AS A CITIZEN. IF YOU ARE ACCEPTING THESE CORPORATE MEDIA NARRATIVES UNCRITICALLY, YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW THEY'RE TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING. THEY'RE TRYING TO PUSH AN AGENDA. WHAT'S THE AGENDA? WHAT ARE THEY NOT TELLING YOU? WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS? WHY ARE THEY DOING THAT? AND IN FLORIDA, YOU KNOW, WE HAD IT THE WHOLE TIME. MEAN THEY ATTACKED US DURING COVID SAID THINGS WERE GOING SO BAD AND ALL THIS STUFF. MEANWHILE, I GOT PEOPLE FLOODING INTO MY STATE. IT MUST BE DOING PRETTY GOOD IF THAT'S THE CASE. YOU KNOW, THEY TRY TO CREATE DIFFERENT NARRATIVES, SO WHAT I WOULD JUST TELL PEOPLE IS COME TO OUR EVENTS, LISTEN TO WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT OUR RECORD AND TALK ABOUT OUR VISION. BUT THINK IT'S INTERESTING. NO, GOVERNOR WAS ATTACKED BY THESE PEOPLE MORE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAN ME NOT WHINING ABOUT IT. THAT GOES WITH THE TERRITORY. I'M A BIG BOY, BUT THEY CONSTANTLY TRIED TO DO THIS. AND YET THE RESULT IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA WAS THE GREATEST REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL LANDSLIDE VICTORY IN THE HISTORY OF OUR STATE. THAT TELLS ME CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY KNOW THAT THERE TRYING TO HAVE THE WOOL PULLED OVER THEIR EYES. AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE SHOOTING LIKE STRAIGHT TELLING THE TRUTH, PEOPLE DO SEE THAT AND THEY RESPOND POSITIVELY. SO WE'RE GOING TO KEEP TELLING THE TRUTH. WE DON'T CARE. WHEN YOU'RE OVER THE TARGET, THE MEDIA IS GOING TO ATTACK YOU. THAT'S JUST THE REALITY. ALL RIGHT, GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE. THANK YOU TO THE AUDIENCE. THEY COULD BE WATCHING AT HOME. IT WAS A GREAT DAY. GO

Ron DeSantis promises to combat antisemitism if elected president

Conversation with the Candidate

During the ''Conversation with the Candidate'' segment that aired exclusively online, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis was asked by voter Laura Landerman-Garber about what his response was to displays of antisemitism. She said swastika flags were being waved alongside DeSantis 2024 signs, to which the Florida governor said, ''Those are not true supporters of mine.'' DeSantis defended his record on policies to protect the Jewish community, saying he sent funding to increase security at Jewish day schools and beefed up Holocaust education efforts. He also said he feels Florida is the most pro-Israel state in the country. He added, ''We are going to defeat the scourge of antisemitism.''Also, during this portion of the event, DeSantis answered questions about health care costs, college admission policies and the country's mental health crisis.Watch the full conversation in the video player above or the links below. Included is a 30-minute, online-only portion of the conversation:Watch Part 1: DeSantis defends Florida education standards regarding slaveryWatch Part 2: DeSantis says he would use 'deadly force' against drug cartelsWatch online exclusive: DeSantis touts record on policies to protect Jewish communityOther "Conversation with the Candidate" events will be held throughout the campaign season. The full list of candidates who participate will be updated here.Conversation with the Candidate is a town hall style program recorded in advance of when it airs. It is intended to allow the candidate to convey their points of view on a wide range of topics. During the program, the moderator may challenge the candidates' assertions, but every fact may not be checked in real time. WMUR News 9 is committed to holding the candidates accountable on their claims throughout the election cycle.

MANCHESTER, N.H. '--During the ''Conversation with the Candidate'' segment that aired exclusively online, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis was asked by voter Laura Landerman-Garber about what his response was to displays of antisemitism.

She said swastika flags were being waved alongside DeSantis 2024 signs, to which the Florida governor said, ''Those are not true supporters of mine.''

DeSantis defended his record on policies to protect the Jewish community, saying he sent funding to increase security at Jewish day schools and beefed up Holocaust education efforts.

He also said he feels Florida is the most pro-Israel state in the country.

He added, ''We are going to defeat the scourge of antisemitism.''

Also, during this portion of the event, DeSantis answered questions about health care costs, college admission policies and the country's mental health crisis.

Watch the full conversation in the video player above or the links below. Included is a 30-minute, online-only portion of the conversation:

Watch Part 1: DeSantis defends Florida education standards regarding slaveryWatch Part 2: DeSantis says he would use 'deadly force' against drug cartelsWatch online exclusive: DeSantis touts record on policies to protect Jewish communityOther "Conversation with the Candidate" events will be held throughout the campaign season. The full list of candidates who participate will be updated here.

Conversation with the Candidate is a town hall style program recorded in advance of when it airs. It is intended to allow the candidate to convey their points of view on a wide range of topics. During the program, the moderator may challenge the candidates' assertions, but every fact may not be checked in real time. WMUR News 9 is committed to holding the candidates accountable on their claims throughout the election cycle.

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original sound - IslandSmooth🌴

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r/AHomeForPlagueRats Conspiracies, theories, predictions. We do not allege anything posted here is true or be considered true by any reader, participant, or third party. We indulge in fiction for the sake of fiction. We do not allege it to be anything other than fiction, what you find here. Don't take what we say seriously. Beliefs are arrived at by the individual. r/bikinibottomtwitter has 4m members.

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00:00 / 00:00

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sephcadiz sephcadiz · 6-27 original sound - sephcadiz

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 20:59

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Over this past weekend, a South African political leader made headlines this week when he lead a stadium of 90,000 people in chanting for a genocide of white farmers in Africa.

But now he's gone too far. Now he's attacking everyone's favorite African American.

After the video went viral, Elon Musk called out the South African President, demanding he condemn the calls to violence.

Malema doubles down on the song, AND he calls out Elon Musk for opposing the mass genocide of whites in his homeland.

I will sing this song ['kill the Boer, kill the farmer']... when I feel like. It's not my song, it's a struggle song...

Why must I educate Elon Musk? He looks like an illiterate. The only thing that protects him is his white skin! Elon Musk wants to learn about this song, the records are there in court.

This guy... this is not my kind of guy.

He's a genocidal Marxist (surprise!) who wants to shed a lot of blood so he can have power.

Isn't it interesting that he's getting so little media attention when the media has been obsessed with a country song for two weeks?

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July 30, 2023 at 11:30am AM EDT

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The more we learn about former US President John F. Kennedy's personal life, the more it makes us raise our eyebrows. Right when you think you know everything there is to know about the controversial, mysterious Kennedy family, especially JFK, you get another allegation that has legs. while almost everyone knows about the rumored affair between JFK and Marilyn Monroe, did you know he also allegedly had a very brief fling with another old Hollywood legend?

Buckle up, because this one is a wild ride. It is alleged that JFK had a brief liason with Marlene Dietrich.

Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images.

According to a report from ABCNews, per journal entries acquired by Kenneth Tynan's journal entries he submitted to the New Yorker, the Witness for the Prosecution star was invited to the White House for drinks with JFK. Tynan was allegedly told the story by Dietrich, who claimed she and JFK were in bed within an hour of meeting one another.

Allegedly, JFK said to Dietrich, ''I hope you aren't in a hurry,'' but she was, claiming ''2,000 Jews were waiting to give her a plaque at 7 p.m., and it was now 6:30.''

As the story goes via Tynan's journal entries, JFK responded by saying, ''That doesn't give us much time, does it?''

Dietrich told Tynan that ''it was all over sweetly and very soon. And then he went to sleep. I looked at my watch and it was 6:50.'' She also recounted that she had to wake him up to guide her back to her car so she could make it to the ceremony.

Related story Where Ron & Casey DeSantis Got Married Will Seriously Surprise You Given His Politics

And here's another alleged bombshell: JFK reportedly asked Dietrich if she ever slept with his father Joseph Kennedy back in the 1930s.

Pictorial Parade/Getty Images.

He asked her, ''Just one thing'...did you ever make it with my father?'' And she denied it'... but that was allegedly a lie. Dietrich said she was just telling him what he wanted to hear and implied that she did sleep with Joseph, according to the biography Kick: The True Story of JFK's Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth.

Now, in the same biography, it detailed Dietrich's daughter Maria Sieber's unlikely friendship with Rosemary Kennedy, and how it crumbled when Sieber allegedly discovered her mother and Joseph's affair.

Before you go, click here to see the biggest presidential scandals in US History.

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Sat, 05 Aug 2023 12:01

Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson's second interview with Hunter Biden's business associate Devon Archer came out Friday morning.

Archer revealed new details about his association with Hunter in an hour-long interview with Carlson. Archer said he is under the assumption that Hunter spoke to his father about Ukrainian energy company Burisma, where the first son served as a board of directors.

''Did you ever, were you aware, do you have knowledge that Hunter spoke to his dad about Burisma?'' Carlson asked.

''Do I have knowledge?'' Archer responded.

''Yes. Do you have know that spoke to his dad about Burisma? Did you ever see them talk about it? Hear them talk about it?'' Carlson asked.

''No, I don't have knowledge of that, though I assume it,'' Archer said.

Ep. 13 Part 2. Devon Archer pic.twitter.com/R1sxSuPrKq

'-- Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) August 4, 2023

He told Carlson ''it was a very big strategic mistake'' to form a business partnership with Hunter.

''Looking back at the body of work, it was a very big strategic mistake for me to be involved with him and so it was my fault because quite frankly I was pitching Burisma Rosemont Realty and that ended up, the genesis, that was me but the trajectory of my life would've been far different and arguable far better if I have never met him,'' Archer said.

Archer also told Carlson that Ukrainian diplomat Vadym Prystaiko talked to Biden, the then-vice president, at a May 2014 economic conference dinner at Cafe Milano in Lake Como, Italy, and he had frequently requested to speak on the phone with him. The former business associate said he is unaware of any specific phone calls or whether there are conversations between Biden and Vadym about Burisma. (RELATED: Tucker Sits Down With Hunter Biden's Business Associate Devon Archer)

Archer confirmed in the interview that former Ukrainian Prosecutor Viktor Shokin was a threat to Burisma, who later got fired allegedly at the behest of the Biden family. An FD-1023 form leaked by a Department of Justice whistleblower alleged Zlochevsky bribed Biden and Hunter with $5 million to get Shokin fired.

Prior to the 2020 presidential election, Biden denied having any knowledge or communication with his son about his business dealings. Whistleblowers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) testimony before Congress providing details indicating Biden's involvement with Hunter's business dealings, and how the agencies refused to prosecute Hunter for his tax crimes.

Archer testified before the House Oversight Committee Monday that Hunter called his father on speakerphone while surrounded by foreign business associates on over twenty occasions in the span of ten years.

The former business associate also described James ''Jimmy'' Biden, who had also been involved in the overseas dealings.

''He [James] really picked up, you know, post my issues and worked with him in business, that business that he got into in China and Romania kind of after my tenure at Rosemont Seneca Partners,'' Archer told Carlson. ''But he was, I think, he probably filled some void of companionship and business companionship, you know, in the years after I was, you know, basically'...''

''Did you ever spend time with him?'' Carlson asked.

''Not a lot, you know, three or four times,'' Archer replied.

He added he has no real opinion on James or did any business deal with him. James partnered with Hunter in his business deals with CEFC China Energy.

A previously released portion of Carlson's interview with Archer revealed that then-Vice President Biden sent him a letter apologizing for not speaking to him at a dinner event where he hosted former Chinese President Hu Jintao. The letter was dated January 20, 2011, right at the beginning of Archer and Hunter's business partnership.

He appeared to confirm about Hunter's involvement in Burisma's U.S. visa deal in May 2014. Archer and Hunter worked with former Boies Schiller & Flexner LLP partner Heather King and other business associates to influence government officials in an attempt to secure a U.S. visa for Zlochevsky.

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Fri, 04 Aug 2023 03:54

Oh, my goodness, this is side-splitting funny. No one has ever accused Al Sharpton of extreme intellectualism, but this one even beats his epic ''resist we much, we must and we will much, about that be committed'' monologue. {Direct Rumble Link}

During an MSNBC pundit round panel, the ever smart Al Sharpton has thunk up just the right metaphor for the moment, as he turns deliberately to his fellow panelists and declares, ''can you imagine our reading that James Madison or Thomas Jefferson tried to overthrow the government?''

lolol'... And he's looking so pleased with himself. The funniest part is no one on the panel had the nerve to say, ''um, Al, they did''! Oh, it's too funny'... WATCH:

.

Lord, thank you. Give them exactly these tongues. I needed that giggle today and just can't stop laughing.