1587: Comely

These are the European countries you’ll have to pay to enter, as the ETIAS scheme seeks to “increase security" across the bloc.

Brits and Americans travelling to most EU countries next summer will not need to apply in advance, after a delay to the bloc’s new ‘e-visa’.

The European Commission has postponed the introduction of the ETIAS scheme from May until November 2023.

From this point, the ‘European Travel Information and Authorisation System’ will require non-residents to fill out a €7 application form before they travel.

Under the so-called ‘90 day rule’, non-EU nationals are allowed to spend up to 90 days in every 180 in the Schengen area. Any longer and they need a visa.

That’s not changing fundamentally, as people are still entitled to spend this much time inside the zone, but the visa waiver process will no longer be completely admin-free.

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Hi Adam,

We have chatted a bit on twitter

I wanted to briefly tell you while reviewing our company healthcare plan. The provider mentioned “an uptick in stage 3 cancers in young people” and i knew then I was I'm good hands and responded TYFYC.

The programming runs deep.

I know a nurse that works at this hospital and she's saying it's a "hack". They can only offer simple services. They can't do any imaging (CT Scans, MRIs, X-rays). Everything is back to paper based. Sounds to me like a test run. We're under attack. All Biden can do at this point to save face is go to war (like we're not already?). I have a bad feeling about this.

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Nous ne voulons pas from 1969

Nous ne voulons pas d'un monde où la certitude de ne pas mourir de faim s'échange contre le risque de mourir d'ennui.

(We don't want a world where freedom from dying from hunger comes at the risk of dying of boredom.)

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ITM Adam,

You played a clip on 1587 about student loans and the whole thing was bull crap. Here's why:

- The new income based payment plan called SAVE is a total scam to allow everyone not to pay and make it legal. All they did was push out the loan forgiveness for 20 years instead of it being instantaneous.

- I have minimal student loans (less than $10K) and make plenty of money to pay them off (~$95K per year) but I'm not about to start paying unless they make me. I applied for the SAVE plan and my monthly payment is $0. That is not a typo.

- There is exactly no one that should not be able to either afford the loan payment based on their income or do the same scam I did and have no monthly payment.

- The other catch for the SAVE plan is they decreased the forgiveness term from 30 years to 20 years. They back load it so you pay more towards the end but even in my circumstance the total estimated payment is $190 with my max payment being $15. So around year 19 of the 20 year term they'll ask me to start paying $10 bucks a month and then just forgive the rest.

- There's another catch that I'm not totally read up on but they even found a way to eliminate interest accrual by removing the interest if your monthly payment is less than the accrued amount. Translation $0 payment equals zero interest.

Hope this helps.

Eric

If 1,000 people were really missing, there would be 10,000 family members raising hell about it.

How many of those houses are empty in the summer, foreign owners, kids enrolled half year in school?

The black fence is there to protect the missing bodies, gold teeth, wall safes, perceived indigenous graves, adrenochrome milking dungeons and any weapons collections on the ground.

Without the fence, people would accuse utilities workers of grave robbery.

A moron called "Pasta" on the Jimmy Dore Show says "space lasers" started the fires because golf course developers want to take water from indigenous farmers.

(I think National Geographic was the only dirty magazine these guys had access to when they were teens)

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Archived Version

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 17:31

Cable giant Charter Communications and Disney are in a battle over contract fees that has left millions of people without access to U.S. Open, college football and potentially "Monday Night Football," with the NFL's season starting in just days.

On Thursday, Disney said that the two companies have been in ongoing negotiations but yet to agree to a new deal. That resulted in Charter's customers losing access to its networks, including broadcaster ABC and pay-TV channels such as ESPN and FX. Charter and Disney's stocks were each down more than 2% on Friday.

Charter's Spectrum TV service has roughly 14.7 million customers across 41 states, with some of its top TV markets being New York, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta.

These sorts of battles, which can lead to so-called blackouts for pay-TV customers, are common in the industry. But, in the age of streaming, this one is different.

"This is not a typical carriage dispute," Charter CEO Chris Winfrey said Friday on a call with investors.

Early Friday, Charter executives called the pay-TV ecosystem "broken." They said they pushed for a revamped deal with Disney that would see Charter cable customers receive access to Disney's ad-supported streaming services like Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost.

This seemed to be the sticking point as Charter said it accepted Disney's request for higher fees, although Charter executives didn't provide specifics on the negotiations as they remain hopeful to get a deal done.

Disney shot back in a statement Friday that Charter refused to enter into a deal after it offered favorable terms and proposed "creative ways" to make Disney streaming services available to Spectrum customers, including "opportunities for new and flexible packages where those services become a focal point." The company didn't elaborate on specifics.

ESPN is said to reap high fees. ESPN receives $9.42 per subscriber a month, while other Disney networks like ESPN2, FX and Disney Channel gets $1.21, $0.93 and $1.25, respectively, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. A Disney representative didn't immediately comment on the fees. The media giant has more than 20 networks.

Winfrey noted that in the last five years the entire pay-TV ecosystem has lost nearly 25 million customers, or almost 25% of total industry customers. "It's staggering," he said.

Between the high cost of the traditional bundle and the option to switch to more affordable streaming options '' most of which are provided by the same companies behind the networks on pay-TV '' the speed at which cord-cutting is only accelerating.

Disney's traditional TV channels and streaming services "are not one and the same, per Charter's assertions, but rather complementary products," the company said Friday, adding it has exclusive content on each platform, and Charter is "demanding these services for free" without anything in exchange.

Disney said in its Friday statement that Charter rejected their offer to extend the contract amid the U.S. Open, and called it a disservice to customers also ahead of college football season on ABC and ESPN.

In response, a Charter spokesperson said Friday, "Disney knows this is not the case. But we'll leave it at that so we can get back to more productive conversations for the benefit of our mutual customers."

Live sports, particularly those shown on ESPN, have long been considered the glue holding the pay-TV bundle together, especially as customers flee for streaming services.

The two companies renewed their contract in 2019, which also included Charter integrating Disney+ and ESPN+, as well as Hulu, into its set-top boxes to give customers more seamless access to those apps, CNBC previously reported.

Charter, which also provides broadband and mobile services but is not in the content business, has said it values its pay-TV business and wants to see it thrive, even if it takes on a different form than the past.

The company took a step toward that earlier this summer when it announced it will offer a sports-lite package '' without regional sports networks, but would still include ESPN '' to customers at a cheaper rate.

Winfrey said on Friday that was not an option it presented to Disney, although he "would love that," but believed it was "a stretch too far" for Disney.

Instead, Winfrey said the company sees the option it presented to Disney as a "glidepath" forward to a new business model that keeps the cost of the traditional bundle down for customers who still want it, and puts more eyeballs on Disney's ad-supported streaming services.

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently said on CNBC that assessing its traditional TV business is at the top of his list, and opened the door to potentially unloading these assets in a sale. The CEO, who returned to the helm late last year, said he realized the company is facing a lot of challenges, many of which are "self-inflicted."

Iger did note that ESPN is in a different bucket and Disney was instead open to selling a stake in the network while also moving toward a direct-to-consumer streaming service of its live feed.

Still, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said at a CNBC event this summer that while this is the future for ESPN, it wouldn't be in a way that would leave pay-TV distributors behind and nix the traditional pay-TV model that has supported the business for so long.

"The [traditional TV] model has been very good to Disney," Pitaro said at CNBC x Boardroom's inaugural Game Plan sports business summit.

Despite the public feud, Disney said in a statement on Friday it was "ready to get back to the negotiation table to restore access to our unrivaled content to their customers as quickly as possible."

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Archived Version

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 16:56

After they struggled with COVID-19 symptoms for two weeks, Joel Mahoney drove his parents to Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport, where his mother, Nancy Mahoney, was admitted on Dec. 19, 2021 for complaints of labored breathing, fatigue and a cough. She was treated for COVID pneumonia that required supplemental oxygen.

She told the hospitalist treating her that a doctor, Ellsworth internist Meryl Nass, had diagnosed her with COVID ''over the phone'' earlier that month and prescribed a five-day supply of the antiparasitic drug ivermectin.

The proponents of using the drug to treat COVID have been roundly criticized, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned it should not be used to prevent or treat the virus.

The hospitalist reported Nass to the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine the same day Nancy Mahoney was hospitalized, according to disciplinary documents, and the board subsequently suspended Nass' license.

In the 18 months since, Nass and her disciplinary case have become a cause for anti-vaccination advocates, like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and far-right publications. She's vigorously fighting her suspension, and RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine advocacy group is paying Nass' legal fees, she said.

She appears to welcome the publicity.

Dr. Meryl NassAt one point, when Nass informed Joel Mahoney in a text message that the board subpoenaed his mother's medical records, Nass wrote, ''I know some crack attorneys. I certainly was hoping to make a public spectacle of an investigation.''

On Friday, Nass' adjudicatory hearing wrapped up its sixth full day. The first hearing date was over nine months ago. Closing arguments and board deliberations will be scheduled for a later date.

The board's grounds for disciplinary actions '-- which have been amended three times, with some allegations removed '-- include 13 violations related to patient care and competence, medical recordkeeping, ''truth-telling and misrepresentation'' and failure to comply with the board's complaint notification and subpoenas in a timely manner.

The violations are based on her care of three patients, including Nancy Mahoney. Each was prescribed ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, to prevent or treat COVID-19. In each instance, disciplinary records say, Nass never met the patients and only conducted care via telehealth, in which, among other allegations, Nass failed to establish a proper physician-patient relationship, and maintain complete medical records and documentation.

She is also accused of ''fraud, deceit or misrepresentation'' for allegedly lying to a pharmacist that a prescription for hydroxychloroquine was to treat Lyme disease; the patient was not diagnosed with Lyme disease. Nass told the board in a Dec. 11, 2021, email that she was ''forced'' to lie ''as this was the only way to get a potentially life-saving drug for my patient.'' She repeated that she lied in a virtual hearing with state lawmakers days later.

Despite her displeasure with the length of the proceedings, Nass said following Friday's hearing that she has succeeded in making her case a ''spectacle.''

Each day of the hearing has been live streamed on the website and YouTube channel of Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine advocacy group chaired by Kennedy, which Nass said has garnered 180,000 viewers on at least one occasion. Kennedy, a longshot candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, has been sharply denounced for spreading anti-vaccine misinformation.

The Epoch Times, a far-right international media company, made a documentary claiming Nass is ''one of many doctors whose medical license is being threatened for deviating from official COVID guidelines.''

Earlier this year she appeared on media personality Drew Pinsky's podcast and YouTube show, ''Ask Dr. Drew,'' where she claimed the complaints the board received about her ''were fabricated by activists using targeted harassment to censor her freedom of speech.''

The Washington Post included the Nass case in an article last week that analyzed disciplinary records from medical boards in all 50 states. ''Across the country, doctors who jeopardized patients' lives by pushing medical misinformation during the pandemic and its aftermath have faced few repercussions,'' the Post reported.

Nass' practice has alarmed healthcare professionals. For example, Renata Moise, a certified nurse-midwife in Ellsworth, told the board that one of her pregnant patients was taking hydroxychloroquine prescribed by Nass.

In an email to the board, a copy of which she shared with The Post, Moise wrote: ''When Dr. Nass promotes, prescribes, or advises treatments for COVID-19 which are not among the approved or recommended treatments, it hampers our ability here '... to promote the public health factors necessary for controlling the pandemic.''

Nass said Friday that she has treated ''hundreds'' more patients with ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Ivermectin is most commonly used to treat worm infections in humans but also has veterinary applications, primarily for horses. Hydroxychloroquine is similarly an antiparasitic drug, and is typically used for malaria treatment and prevention, and to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The FDA has not approved ivermectin for treatment of COVID-19 and issued a warning against using hydroxychloroquine outside of hospital settings or clinical trials due to serious heart risks.

Mike Balos, a pastor at Maine Street Church in Brunswick, and Sarah Bishop, a mother of four in Ellsworth and Moise's patient, said at Friday's hearing they found Nass' name in a provider directory on Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance's website. FLCCCA was founded in the early days of the pandemic and endorses widely discredited ''treatment protocols'' for COVID.

Nass' team called Mahoney, Balos and Bishop, identified as patients 1, 2 and 3, respectively, in the disciplinary documents, to testify Friday. Each said they were satisfied with Nass' care.

Balos, like Mahoney, sought Nass for an ivermectin prescription to use ''prophylactically'' and he, too, was hospitalized in December 2021 with severe COVID. According to patient records subpoenaed by the board, Balos was admitted to Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick on Dec. 16. He was intubated two days later and was on mechanical ventilation for 13 days. He was discharged Jan. 4.

Nass said the allegations against her have ''no legal justification'' and is a ''spurious, illegal, unjustified, without-grounds prosecution'' to go after her license.

The medical board did not respond to a request for comment Friday evening.

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Archived Version

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 15:46

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Type of intense dust storm

Haboob in Big Spring, TXA haboob (Arabic: هَبÙب , romanized: habÅb , lit.'‰'blasting/drifting') is a type of intense dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current, also known as a weather front. Haboobs occur regularly in dry land area regions throughout the world.

Description [ edit ] During thunderstorm formation, winds move in a direction opposite to the storm's travel, and they move from all directions into the thunderstorm. When the storm collapses and begins to release precipitation, wind directions reverse, gusting outward from the storm and generally gusting the strongest in the direction of the storm's travel.[1][2][3]

When this downdraft of cold air, or downburst, reaches the ground, it blows dry, loose silt and clay (collectively, dust) up from the desert, creating a wall of airborne sediment that precedes the storm cloud. This wall of dust can be up to 100 km (62 mi) wide and several kilometers in elevation. At their strongest, haboob winds often travel at 35''100 km/h (22''62 mph), and they may approach with little or no warning. Often rain does not appear at ground level as it evaporates in the hot, dry air (a phenomenon known as virga). The evaporation cools the rushing air even further and accelerates it. Occasionally, when the rain does persist, it can contain a considerable quantity of dust. Severe cases are called mud storms. Eye and respiratory system protection is advisable for anyone who must be outside during a haboob. Moving to shelter is highly advised during a strong event.

Occurrence [ edit ] Middle East [ edit ] Haboobs have been observed in the Sahara, Sahel (typically Sudan, where they were named and described), as well as across the Arabian Peninsula, throughout Kuwait, and in the most arid regions of Iraq.[4] Haboob winds in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Kuwait are frequently created by the collapse of a thunderstorm.

North Africa [ edit ] Small boat in River Nile SudanAfrican haboobs result from the northward summer shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone into North Africa, bringing moisture from the Gulf of Guinea.

Australia [ edit ] Haboobs in Australia may be frequently associated with cold fronts. The deserts of Central Australia, especially near Alice Springs, are particularly prone to haboobs, with sand and debris reaching several kilometers into the sky and leaving up to 30 centimetres (1 ft) of sand in the haboob's path.

North America [ edit ] As with haboobs in the Middle East, haboob occurrences in North America are often created by the collapse of a thunderstorm. This is a local or mesoscale event, and at times of extreme drought they can originate in agricultural regions. Some of the most famous dust storms of the Dust Bowl and similar conditions later were in fact synoptic scale events typically generated by a strong cold frontal passage, with storms on 11 November 1911, 9''11 May 1934, 14 April 1935, and 19 February 1954 having been particularly vivid examples.

The arid and semiarid regions of North America'--in fact, any dry region'--may experience haboobs. In North America, the most common terms for these events are either dust storm or sandstorm. In the U.S., they frequently occur in the deserts of Arizona, including around the cities of Yuma and Phoenix;[5][6] in New Mexico, including Albuquerque, eastern California, and Texas. They also occur with moderate frequency in other states of the west and in the Great Plains.[7] Per the Washington State Department of Ecology they also occur in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington, and can impact on the cities such as Walla Walla[8] and Spokane.[9] though its noted that improved farming practices has led to a decline in large duststorms and haboobs since the 1990s,[10] with the largest likelihood of formation between late March through April, corresponding to the beginning of field tilling in Eastern Washington.[11] In Mexico, they occur in the northern part of the country in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert. Most recently, a haboob impacted the cities of Guaymas, San Carlos, and Empalme, Sonora on 20 July 2023.[12]

Mars [ edit ] Global dust storms on Mars have been compared to haboobs on Earth.[13]

Titan [ edit ] Dust storms of Titan observed in 2009 and 2010 have been compared to haboobs.[14][15] However, the convective storm clouds are composed of liquid methane droplets, and the dust is likely composed of organic tholins.[15]

See also [ edit ] weather portal References [ edit ] ^ Farquharson, J. S. (1937). "Haboobs and instability in the sudan". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 63 (271): 393''414. Bibcode:1937QJRMS..63..393F. doi:10.1002/qj.49706327111. ^ Lawson, T. J. (1971). "Haboob Structure at Khartoum". Weather. 26 (3): 105''112. Bibcode:1971Wthr...26..105L. doi:10.1002/j.1477-8696.1971.tb07402.x. ^ Membery, D. A. (1985). "A Gravity-Wave Haboob?". Weather. 40 (7): 214''221. Bibcode:1985Wthr...40..214M. doi:10.1002/j.1477-8696.1985.tb06877.x. ^ Sutton, L. J. (1925). "Haboobs". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 51 (213): 25''30. Bibcode:1925QJRMS..51...25S. doi:10.1002/qj.49705121305. ^ Idso, S.B.; Ingram, R.S.; Pritchard, J.M. (1972). "An American Haboob". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 53 (10): 930''935. Bibcode:1972BAMS...53..930I. doi:10.1175/1520-0477(1972)053<0930:AAH>2.0.CO;2 . ^ Idso, Carolyn W. (1973). "Haboobs in Arizona". Weather. 28 (4): 154''155. Bibcode:1973Wthr...28..154I. doi:10.1002/j.1477-8696.1973.tb02253.x. ^ Chen, W.; Fryrear, D.W. (2002). "Sedimentary characteristics of a haboob dust storm". Atmospheric Research. 61 (1): 75''85. Bibcode:2002AtmRe..61...75C. doi:10.1016/S0169-8095(01)00092-8. ^ Ellison, Jake (18 September 2013). "Photos: Major 'haboob' '' dust and windstorm '' strikes eastern Washington". Seattle PI . Retrieved 22 June 2023 . ^ Loyd, Nic; Weiford, Linda (12 August 2021). "Weathercatch: Dust-filled drama of past teaches lesson for future". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved 22 June 2023 . ^ Vaughn, Kim (1 April 2021). "Get ready, it's haboob season". Department of Ecology State of Washington . Retrieved 22 June 2023 . ^ Vaughn, Kim (1 April 2021). "What you need to know about dust storms in Washington". Department of Ecology State of Washington . Retrieved 22 June 2023 . ^ Grupo Healy (July 20, 2023). "Tormenta de arena cubre Guaymas; Protecci"n Civil Sonora emite medidas para la poblaci"n" [Dust storm covers Guaymas; Protecci"n Civil Sonora issues safety measures]. El Imparcial (in Spanish) . Retrieved July 21, 2023 . ^ Boyle, R. (9 March 2017). "Everything About Mars Is the Worst". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 9 March 2017. ^ Keane, James Tuttle (October 2018). "Haboobs on Titan". Nature Geoscience. 11 (10): 705. Bibcode:2018NatGe..11..705K. doi:10.1038/s41561-018-0240-3 . ISSN 1752-0908. S2CID 135135003. ^ a b Rodriguez, S.; Le Mou(C)lic, S.; Barnes, J. W.; Kok, J. F.; Rafkin, S. C. R.; Lorenz, R. D.; Charnay, B.; Radebaugh, J.; Narteau, C.; Cornet, T.; Bourgeois, O. (October 2018). "Observational evidence for active dust storms on Titan at equinox". Nature Geoscience. 11 (10): 727''732. Bibcode:2018NatGe..11..727R. doi:10.1038/s41561-018-0233-2. ISSN 1752-0908. S2CID 134006536. External links [ edit ] Wikimedia Commons has media related to

Haboobs .

Haboob Photos @ HikeArizona.COMHaboobs, Arizona Department of Transportation.The Bibliography of Aeolian ResearchHaboob on Winds of the World Short Video of the 5 July 2011 Arizona Haboob (Flash Video software or a web browser supporting H.264/MPEG-4 AVC is necessary to see the content) on YouTubeTime-lapse video of the 5 July 2011 Arizona Haboob

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Archived Version

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 14:38

A coalition of more than 1,600 scientists critical of their peers' hyperbolic claims about climate change drew a prominent recruit to sign their 2019 declaration that the climate ''emergency'' is a myth.

John Clauser, who won last year's Nobel Prize in physics, became the second Nobel laureate last month to sign the document with 1,607 other scientists rebuking the idea of a climate crisis.

''Climate science should be less political, while climate policies should be more scientific,'' the declaration organized by the Climate Intelligence Foundation (CLINTEL) reads. ''Scientists should openly address uncertainties and exaggerations in their predictions of global warming, while politicians should dispassionately count the real costs as well as the imagined benefits of their policy measures.''

Last year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) debuted a roadmap to net-zero emissions that became the model for corporate bishops of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. A June report from the Energy Policy Research Foundation criticized the initiatives outlined as a ''green mirage.'' The IEA roadmap, researchers wrote, ''will dramatically increase energy costs, devastate Western economies, and increase human suffering.''

''The aim of global policy should be 'prosperity for all' by providing reliable and affordable energy at all times,'' reads CLINTEL's World Climate Declaration. ''There is no climate emergency. Therefore, there is no cause for panic and alarm.''

Norwegian-American engineer Ivan Giaever, who won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1973, is also a signatory to the declaration.

''The popular narrative about climate change reflects a dangerous corruption of science that threatens the world's economy and the well-being of billions of people. Misguided climate science has metastasized into massive shock-journalistic pseudoscience,'' Clauser said. ''In turn, the pseudoscience has become a scapegoat for a wide variety of other unrelated ills. It has been promoted and extended by similarly misguided business marketing agents, politicians, journalists, government agencies, and environmentalists.''

The document makes several claims that contradict popular narratives peddled by climate hysterics. For example, the planet is warming slower than predicted and has not driven a spike in natural disasters.

Mega-disasters are actually on the decline, while the destruction from natural events such as hurricanes and wildfires is on the rise. The increase in billion-dollar disasters, however, is a result of there being more to destroy. But that hasn't stopped legacy outlets from blaming every natural event on the ''climate crisis.'' Two years ago, The New York Times published ''Postcards From A World On Fire'' despite natural disaster deaths declining by 90 percent.

The World Climate Declaration also notes that carbon dioxide is plant food, ''not a pollutant.''

''It is essential to all life on Earth,'' the document reads.

In fact, reforestation is on the rise, promoted by a global ''greening'' effect proliferating plant growth.

Deforestation is not unique to the modern world. Humans have been cutting down trees for millennia.Reforestation, however, is modern. Once countries reach a certain level of economic development, forests begin to rebound.

Explore the data: https://t.co/GzKlzeUE1H pic.twitter.com/47XExXVLoA

'-- HumanProgress.org (@HumanProgress) August 31, 2023 Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com. Sign up for Tristan's email newsletter

here.

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Sun, 03 Sep 2023 14:32

FILE -A box of ivermectin is shown in a pharmacy as pharmacists work in the background, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, in Ga. A federal appeals court Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 revived a lawsuit by three doctors who say the Food and Drug Administration overstepped its authority in a campaign against treating COVID-19 with the anti-parasite drug ivermectin(AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) '-- A federal appeals court Friday revived a lawsuit by three doctors who say the Food and Drug Administration overstepped its authority in a campaign against treating COVID-19 with the anti-parasite drug ivermectin.

Ivermectin is commonly used to treat parasites in livestock. It can also be prescribed for humans and it has been championed by some conservatives as a treatment for COVID-19. The FDA has not approved ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment because studies have not proven it is effective.

The agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Friday's ruling from a panel of three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal in New Orleans focused on various aspects of an FDA campaign against ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment.

The ruling acknowledged FDA's receiving reports of some people requiring hospitalization after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for livestock. But the ruling said the campaign '-- which at times featured the slogan ''You are not a horse!'' '-- too often left out that the drug is sometimes prescribed for humans.

The doctors can proceed with their lawsuit contending that the FDA's campaign exceeded the agency's authority under federal law, the ruling said.

''FDA is not a physician. It has authority to inform, announce, and apprise'--but not to endorse, denounce, or advise,'' Judge Don Willett wrote for a panel that also included Jennifer Walker Elrod and Edith Brown Clement. ''The Doctors have plausibly alleged that FDA's Posts fell on the wrong side of the line between telling about and telling to.''

Drs. Robert L. Apter, Mary Talley Bowden and Paul E. Marik filed the lawsuit last year. All three said their reputations were harmed by the FDA campaign. Bowden lost admitting privileges at a Texas hospital, the ruling noted. Marik alleged he lost his positions at a medical school and at a hospital for promoting the use of ivermectin.

The lawsuit was dismissed in December by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown, who ruled that the complaints didn't overcome the FDA's ''sovereign immunity,'' a concept that protects government entities from many civil lawsuits regarding their responsibilities. The appellate panel said the FDA's alleged overstepping of its authority opened the door for the lawsuit.

Willett was nominated to the 5th Circuit by former President Donald Trump; Clement and Elrod, by former President George W. Bush. Brown was nominated to the district court bench by Trump.

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Archived Version

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 14:14

Alderman wants city to be able to use threat of deportation as deterrent to crime

Alderman wants city to be able to use threat of deportation as deterrent to crime 02:28 CHICAGO (CBS) -- Tens of thousands of asylum seekers have already arrived in Chicago '' and hundreds more are coming every week.

Meanwhile, there have been growing concerns about crimes being committed by some of the migrants. As CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reported Monday night, one alderman is proposing a deterrent.

Chicago is officially a Welcoming City. Three years ago, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot put the brakes on undocumented residents being turned over to immigration authorities after being charged with a crime.

Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) wants to reverse that.

"I think we need to send the message loud and clear that there are certain things that are unacceptable in our society," Lopez said.

Lopez said the message is laid out in his ordinance proposal '' follow the law or risk deportation.

"I think if we have the looming threat of deportation for anyone who engages in gang, drug, prostitution, or anything else more egregious '' you know, hopefully, that will deter some of the bad behavior that we're seeing," Lopez said.

Specifically, Lopez's ordinance would put some provisions back into Chicago's Welcoming City ordinance that would allow the city to contact immigration authorities - or Immigration and Customs Enforcement '' if migrants or other undocumented residents were arrested for gang, drug, prostitution, or sex crimes against minors.

Mayor Lightfoot banned that communication in 2021.

"We can still be welcoming," Lopez said. "We can also welcome with parameters."

Lopez's proposal comes as concerns about behavior and criminal activity in and around migrant shelters are growing in some neighborhoods. In June, residents near the migrant shelter in the old Wadsworth Elementary School in Woodlawn complained about disruptive behavior.

"They disrespect us, they rob us, they harass us," a woman said at a meeting in June.

Nineteen other alderpeople support the ordinance Lopez has proposed. But Ald. Andrew Vasquez (40th), chairman of the City Council Immigration and Refugee Rights Committee, does not.

"I think it's very fair to have concerns. I think this isn't the way to address it," Vasquez said, "and I do think that we need the federal government to help, but we don't need ICE."

Vasquez said he is also concerned the ordinance would allow migrants to face deportation without a conviction.

"There's a whole due process that already exists for these situations," Vasquez said.

Kozlov noted to Lopez that police will already arrest anyone who commits a crime and gets caught '' and such people will be charged. But Lopez said that does not go far enough.

"I don't think that's enough," Lopez said. "You're still here. You're still allowed to stay here."

Lopez plans to introduce the ordinance at the next City Council meeting on Sept. 13.

If it gets out of committee, he would need six more supporters to get it passed.

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In: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chicago City Council Migrants Dana Kozlov Dana Kozlov is an Emmy Award-winning political investigative reporter for CBS2 Chicago. Prior to joining the station in 2003, she worked at WGN, CNN Chicago and WEEK-TV in Peoria, where she began her journalism career in 1992.

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Archived Version

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 14:11

Chicago's ongoing struggle to house and care for an influx of migrants sent north from the southern border remained in the spotlight this week, as residents of three South Side lakefront communities demanded information from the city staff and elected officials Wednesday night about a soon-to-be-reestablished migrant shelter off DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

The meeting at the Promontory music venue days ahead of the shelter's planned opening, was the latest in a string of tense neighborhood forums in which residents have pushed back on hosting migrants in shuttered high schools and other city buildings.

Hours earlier, state and city officials had formally requested more assistance from the federal government in order to keep welcoming migrants.

''Since the first bus arrived (in Chicago) a year ago, it's become increasingly clear that welcoming new arrivals is not a short-term crisis, but it's a long-term dynamic,'' Mayor Brandon Johnson said Wednesday. Without more resources, he said, ''the city of Chicago cannot go on welcoming new arrivals safely and capably.''

The Lake Shore Hotel, in the 4900 block of South DuSable Lake Shore Drive, hosted migrants between January and April, according to the city staff. This week its reopening became the latest flashpoint in the migrant crisis, as one of many emergency facilities set up to relieve pressure on police stations and other ad hoc solutions to the mushrooming number of asylum-seekers from Venezuela and other parts of Central and South America.

[ Mayor Brandon Johnson warns city would be unable to support more migrants without federal help ]

About 200 people were on hand as residents questioned city officials about everything from whether new arrivals would be vaccinated and fingerprinted to how their children would be educated to the food they would eat to whether migrants were being housed in other parts of Chicago.

Many wondered whether the city could use federal disaster funding or expansive federal buildings, such as the downtown post office. City staff members responded that because the U.S. government hasn't designated the influx of migrants as a federal emergency, those resources are currently off-limits.

Johnson, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Democratic members of the Illinois congressional delegation held an event Wednesday to ask the Biden administration for ''significant support and immigration policy changes.''

Among other things, Johnson and Pritzker called on the Department of Homeland Security to speed up its processing for asylum-seekers' work permits. That application process can take several months or more than a year, experts told the Tribune in July.

At the meeting about the Lake Shore Hotel, city staff members and elected officials explained how Chicago was using the resources at its disposal to aid and supervise newcomers, from medical assistance to curfew rules.

The explanations received mixed reception from residents, who accused city representatives of being insensitive to the concerns about migrants who will be staying in the area. They said they were fearful that they would see an uptick in criminal activity, traffic and parking issues, and problems with the upkeep of the areas where migrants stay.

Adrienna Edwards, 48, said she and her neighbors had witnessed recent arrivals involved in illegal activity and she asked whom they should hold accountable for what they were seeing.

''There's been a lot of experience with disturbances in our communities,'' she said. ''(Our) current experience is totally different from the bullet points you've given us.''

Deputy police Chief Stephen Chung and newly seated Ald. Desmon Yancy, 5th, responded with a discussion of preceding incidents with migrants at the Lake Shore Hotel and what residents should do when they witness criminal activity, but Edwards was not satisfied with their answers.

''You all are just tragically tone-deaf to everything you're saying,'' she said.

The Lake Shore Hotel in Chicago, pictured on Aug. 30, 2023. The city held a meeting Wednesday for community input on plans to turn it into a shelter for recently arrived migrants. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

Much of the dissatisfaction hinged on the level of services the city was providing to current residents, particularly in predominantly Black areas of the city.

Dee Walker, of East Hyde Park, asked about the predominantly white, wealthy neighborhood of Lincoln Park and whether that area was hosting migrants. ''Are they being asked to give in the same way the South Side of Chicago is being asked to give?'' she asked.

Others asked about how the city was assisting residents who already live in the city, particularly those who are homeless or have mental health difficulties.

Owen Lawson, 54, said he'd passed homeless people sleeping under the Metra tracks on his way to the meeting. ''Will they have access to these facilities?'' he asked.

Throughout the meeting, attendees applauded '-- or shouted back at questions and comments they disagreed with. Yancy pleaded with the crowd for order several times.

''We cannot have a conversation if people are not respectful,'' he said.

Gerry Bouey, 70, said he'd come to the meeting in hopes of having a conversation and had been dismayed at the level of tension in the room. ''They're just screaming at each other,'' he said.

Lucy Ascoli, 81, asked about who would be running the shelter so she could contact them and help aid migrant families.

''We believe every community should support the asylum-seekers,'' she said.

Ald. Andre Vazquez, 40th, who attended the meeting as a representative of the mayor's migrant task force, told the crowd that any neighborhood was entitled to more of an advance warning than what south lakefront residents had received about the coming migrant shelter.

He also promised the crowd that the city was working toward reopening mental health clinics, increasing job opportunities for Black youths and a unified shelter system for any Chicagoan without a place to live.

Shortly before the end of the meeting, Yancy invited residents to participate in the upcoming city budget process and express their opinions about other elements of Chicago government.

Where to house the waves of migrants that have been arriving in Chicago since last year has been a contentious question at times.

In the adjacent neighborhoods of South Shore and Woodlawn, residents have pushed back against the city's plans to house new arrivals in shuttered high schools.

Many migrants have spent their first days and weeks in Chicago sleeping on the floors of police stations, where they've been transferred between stations to accommodate events like the Lollapalooza music festival.

In other cases, the city has relocated migrants out of police stations after complaints alleged that a CPD officer had sexual contact with at least one migrant at a West Side police station.

In the Pilsen neighborhood, a newly formed aid group running a shelter at 21st Street and Racine Avenue said it would shut down the shelter Sept. 3 due to staffing issues and difficulties getting the Illinois Department of Human Services to recognize the operation as a shelter.

The people who were staying at the shelter will have to go back to sleeping on police station floors, volunteers told the Tribune.

An earlier version incorrectly stated Adrienna Edwards' name.

ckubzansky@chicagotribune.com

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Sun, 03 Sep 2023 14:08

A wildfire that has ravaged Louisiana for nearly two weeks, becoming the largest in the state's history, was caused by arson, officials determined Saturday.

The Tiger Island fire, which broke out in southwestern Louisiana on Aug. 22 and has damaged nearly 50 square miles so far, was determined by the state's Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) to have been the result of arson, the agency announced in a press release. (RELATED: 'We Are Dealing With Global Warming': Hawaii Gov. Once Again Blames Deadly Wildfire On Climate Change)

At least one person has died, as four wildfires rage across Louisiana, including the so-called Tiger Island Fire, the largest in state history, which has forced 12,000 residents to evacuate. https://t.co/dpFtfXyGEO pic.twitter.com/AoXFIcivwq

'-- CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) August 28, 2023

''LDAF investigators, Louisiana State Fire Marshal deputies, and the Beauregard Parish Sheriff's Office detectives are actively investigating this matter,'' the release stated.

The fire, which has burned a staggering 33,000 acres, has destroyed approximately 20 buildings and forced the evacuation of the entire town of Merryville Aug. 24., CBS News reported. Efforts to contain the fire allowed residents to cautiously make their way back to their homes this week, with volunteer firefighter Gabe Kemp remarking they were ''fortunate [to] still have a town'' despite the ''scary'' situation, according to NOLA.com.

Though the blaze is 50% contained, Red Flag warnings are in place ahead of a forecast of hot, dry conditions coupled with 15 mph wind gusts, KLFY reported. Louisiana's Air National Guard has dropped more than 1.1 million gallons of water over various parishes within the affected zone in an effort to contain the blaze while bulldozers work to knock down trees and create soil berms to contain the fire's spread, the outlet stated.

Investigators are asking anyone with any information regarding the suspect or suspects involved starting the fire to alert LDAF authorities. A $2,000 cash reward is available to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the blaze, the release stated.

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Sun, 03 Sep 2023 13:53

Sep 2, 2023, 08:35pm EDT

Viral Video Of 'Fire Tornado' At Burning Man Is From 2022","scope":{"topStory":{"index":1,"title":"Viral Video Of 'Fire Tornado' At Burning Man Is From 2022","image":"https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/64f3d2f3fb06ffe3c21e813e/290x0.png","isHappeningNowArticle":false,"date":{"monthDayYear":"Sep 2, 2023","hourMinute":"08:35","amPm":"pm","isEDT":true,"unformattedDate":1693701319895},"uri":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattnovak/2023/09/02/viral-video-of-fire-tornado-at-burning-man-is-from-2022/"}},"id":"35o3k0c8pm1800"},{"textContent":"

Sep 2, 2023, 07:05pm EDT

Win The Weekend With The EcoFlow Glacier Portable Fridge And Icemaker","scope":{"topStory":{"index":2,"title":"Win The Weekend With The EcoFlow Glacier Portable Fridge And Icemaker","image":"https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/64f3bd3ba6519501601e813e/290x0.jpg","isHappeningNowArticle":false,"date":{"monthDayYear":"Sep 2, 2023","hourMinute":"07:05","amPm":"pm","isEDT":true,"unformattedDate":1693695935732},"uri":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykarcz/2023/09/02/win-the-weekend-with-the-ecoflow-glacier-portable-fridge-and-icemaker/"}},"id":"eljnp4d45jm800"},{"textContent":"

Sep 2, 2023, 04:41pm EDT

Forget The New MacBook Pro, Apple Has Something Much Better","scope":{"topStory":{"index":3,"title":"Forget The New MacBook Pro, Apple Has Something Much Better","image":"https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1193593212/290x0.jpg","isHappeningNowArticle":false,"date":{"monthDayYear":"Sep 2, 2023","hourMinute":"04:41","amPm":"pm","isEDT":true,"unformattedDate":1693687293083},"uri":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2023/09/02/apple-macbook-pro-ipad-pro-macbook-air-m3-upgrade/"}},"id":"j609q64redfc0"},{"textContent":"

Sep 2, 2023, 12:54pm EDT

Apple Loop: iPhone 15 Pro Launch Confirmed, iPhone 15 Pro Max Delay, Apple's Gaming Failure","scope":{"topStory":{"index":4,"title":"Apple Loop: iPhone 15 Pro Launch Confirmed, iPhone 15 Pro Max Delay, Apple's Gaming Failure","image":"https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/64f25a82504f3b0bad17eea1/290x0.jpg","isHappeningNowArticle":false,"date":{"monthDayYear":"Sep 2, 2023","hourMinute":"12:54","amPm":"pm","isEDT":true,"unformattedDate":1693673653331},"uri":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2023/09/02/apple-headlines-iphone-15-pro-max-launc-confirmed-airpods-macbook-leak-specs/"}},"id":"ecch7dcki8rc00"},{"textContent":"

Sep 2, 2023, 12:52pm EDT

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Sep 2, 2023, 11:58am EDT

New Google Leak Reveals Revolutionary Pixel 8 Pro UpgradeSep 2, 2023, 09:28am EDT

Google Leak Reveals Surprising Pixel Watch 2 Design","scope":{"topStory":{"index":7,"title":"Google Leak Reveals Surprising Pixel Watch 2 Design","image":"https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/64f3378d0f167d84d01e8142/290x0.jpg","isHappeningNowArticle":false,"date":{"monthDayYear":"Sep 2, 2023","hourMinute":"09:28","amPm":"am","isEDT":true,"unformattedDate":1693661327753},"uri":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2023/09/02/google-leak-rumor-pixel-watch-2-design-sepcs/"}},"id":"8ha2f4kkd9kg00"}],"breakpoints":[{"breakpoint":"@media all and (max-width: 767px)","config":{"enabled":false}},{"breakpoint":"@media all and (max-width: 768px)","config":{"inView":2,"slidesToScroll":1}},{"breakpoint":"@media all and (min-width: 1681px)","config":{"inView":6}}]};

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Sun, 03 Sep 2023 13:13

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - The health providers HSHS and Prevea say their systems are still offline after working through the issue Monday.

In an update Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for the healthcare providers says the Prevea Health main phone line is now back online and working, however, both their administrative and clinical applications still do not work. A representative says the providers at their clinics and hospitals are following procedures they have put in place so patients are cared for.

They say they will provide updates to the situation as they learn more.

Below is a statement from HSHS and Prevea Health:

HSHS hospitals and Prevea Health continue to work through our temporary system outage. Currently, access to our phone system is sporadic and MyChart and MyPrevea communications are temporarily unavailable.

HSHS and Prevea have well-established downtime policies and procedures when we experience technology outages and we are following those protocols and continuing to care for our patients with the same level of quality, safe and effective care.

We acknowledge this outage is causing inconvenience for some patients and that services may take longer to schedule or receive. We are grateful to our caregivers, colleagues and physicians, who are doing everything possible to ensure we can continue to serve our community while we work diligently to resolve the outages.

We will provide updates on the situation as they become available.

The Prevea Health main phone line at 920-496-4700 is currently working, however those calling may experience delays or connectivity issues.

Copyright 2023 WEAU. All rights reserved.

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Archived Version

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 04:28

Ukraine's National Corruption Prevention Agency added major food corporations PepsiCo and Mars to the "international sponsors of war" list on Sept. 1.

Despite pledging to reduce their businesses, suspend advertising activities and production in Russia, the companies continue to work in the country, "paying significant taxes to its state budget, thereby supporting the aggressor's economy," the Agency wrote.

PepsiCo is an American multinational producer of food, snacks, and beverages sold in over 200 countries. The company's brand portfolio includes Lay's Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, SodaStream, and others. Lay's chips were reportedly found in Russian soldiers' food rations.

In terms of net profit, PepsiCo is the fourth largest company in the given industry in Russia, with 19 factories and around 20,000 employees.

Over the first year of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian division of PepsiCo increased its net profit by 333% compared to 2021, reaching $525 million, and paid over $115 million to the state budget, according to the report.

Ukraine designates Bacardi as 'international sponsor of war'

Ukraine's National Corruption Prevention Agency (NACP) added the world's largest private alcohol company Bacardi Limited to the ''international sponsors of war'' list on Aug. 10. The Bermudian company continues to do business in Russia during its all-out war against Ukraine.

PepsiCo has more than 500 vacancies in Russia advertised on its website. "By creating jobs, foreign companies free the Kremlin from the burden of unemployment benefits and related social problems," the Agency argued.

Meanwhile, Mars reportedly received $377 million in net profit from its Russian business in 2022, which was 59% more than the previous year. The company has over 100 jobs available in Russia.

Investigative Stories from Ukraine: Massive leak reveals how Putin's oligarchs evaded Western sanctions imposed due to Ukraine invasion

Welcome to Investigative Stories from Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent's newsletter that walks you through the most prominent investigations of the past week. If you are fond of in-depth journalism that exposes war crimes, corruption and abuse of power across state organizations in Ukraine and beyond,'...

These numbers contradict Mars' pledge to scale down its Russian market after the all-out war against Ukraine started. "Any profit from Russian business will be used for humanitarian purposes. The company will not import or export products," the corporation wrote in a statement cited by the Agency.

Mars is the U.S.'s fourth-largest privately owned company, with its most well-known brands being Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, Bounty, M&M's, Whiskas, etc.

The Ukrainian authority added that Mars had worked in Russia for over 30 years, invested $2.5 billion in the country's economy, and opened 10 factories on Russian territory.

A year into full-scale invasion, West struggles to seize Russian assets for Ukraine

Hundreds of potential international investors met with top Ukrainian and Western officials in London in late June to discuss how to rebuild the country, ravaged by Russia's war. Those attending the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) were unanimous '-- Russia should foot the bill. Said bill is devast'...

Dinara Khalilova News Editor

Dinara Khalilova is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She has previously worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master's degree in media and communication from Bournemouth University in the UK.

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Sun, 03 Sep 2023 04:10

A self-hosted, offline, ChatGPT-like chatbot, powered by Llama 2. 100% private, with no data leaving your device. New: Support for Code Llama models and Nvidia GPUs. umbrel.com (we're hiring) >>

ContentsDemoSupported ModelsHow to installOn umbrelOS home serverOn M1/M2 MacAnywhere else with DockerKubernetesOpenAI-compatible APIBenchmarksRoadmap and contributingAcknowledgementsDemo LlamaGPT.mp4 Supported modelsCurrently, LlamaGPT supports the following models. Support for running custom models is on the roadmap.

Model nameModel sizeModel download sizeMemory requiredNous Hermes Llama 2 7B Chat (GGML q4_0)7B3.79GB6.29GBNous Hermes Llama 2 13B Chat (GGML q4_0)13B7.32GB9.82GBNous Hermes Llama 2 70B Chat (GGML q4_0)70B38.87GB41.37GBCode Llama 7B Chat (GGUF Q4_K_M)7B4.24GB6.74GBCode Llama 13B Chat (GGUF Q4_K_M)13B8.06GB10.56GBPhind Code Llama 34B Chat (GGUF Q4_K_M)34B20.22GB22.72GBHow to installInstall LlamaGPT on your umbrelOS home serverRunning LlamaGPT on an umbrelOS home server is one click. Simply install it from the Umbrel App Store.

Install LlamaGPT on M1/M2 MacMake sure your have Docker and Xcode installed.

Then, clone this repo and cd into it:

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Sat, 02 Sep 2023 21:33

An American teenaged chess prodigy plagued by unsubstantiated rumors of cheating with vibrating anal beads after he defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen in September 2022 has reached a settlement in his defamation lawsuit.

While admitting to cheating in online chess games during his early teenage years, 20-year-old Hans Niemann vehemently denied any wrongdoing in over-the-board games, filing a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Carlsen and the online platform Chess.com in October 2022, the NY Post reported Tuesday.

Chess.com had launched an investigation into Niemann after the allegations surfaced. Rumors that Niemann used wireless anal beads that supposedly vibrated to indicate his next move were never substantiated, Insider reported in September 2022.

Chess prodigy Hans Niemann settles legal fight over sex toy cheating claims https://t.co/ZLh5IwfEQ4 pic.twitter.com/PfPHcHRJHP

'-- New York Post (@nypost) August 29, 2023

The legal dispute has now been resolved, with all parties agreeing to drop the lawsuit, Chess.com confirmed in a joint statement with Carlsen and Niemann on Monday. Chess.com said it stands by its report from October 2022, which ''found no determinative evidence that [Niemann] has cheated in any in-person games.'' (RELATED: Hans Niemann: The Scandal Rocking The World Of Chess)

''I acknowledge and understand Chess.com's report, including its statement that there is no determinative evidence that Niemann cheated in his game against me at the Sinquefield Cup,'' Carlsen said in response, according to Chess.com. The Norwegian chess player added that he would be ''willing to play Niemann in future events, should we be paired together.''

Niemann's account on Chess.com has been reinstated as part of the resolution, and he is welcome to participate in future events, according to the platform.

''I am pleased that my lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen and Chess.com has been resolved in a mutually acceptable manner, and that I am returning to Chess.com,'' Niemann said. ''I look forward to competing against Magnus in chess rather than in court and am grateful to my attorneys at Oved & Oved for believing in me and helping me resolve the case.''

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Sat, 02 Sep 2023 20:26

London's streets are seeing a peculiar transformation. Thanks to the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) policy, there's been a surge in the purchase of classic cars. The reason? Vehicles manufactured before 1983 are exempt from the £12.50 ULEZ charge, being classified as 'historic vehicles'.

Echoes of Cuba's Classic Car Streets

''Londoners are snapping up classic cars in a bid to dodge Sadiq Khan's ULEZ charge that will be expanded to cover all of the capital's boroughs next week,''

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12437769/Londoners-snap-classic-cars-dodge-ULEZ-Dealers-surge-older-models-capital-braces-expansion-12-50-zone.htmlreports the Daily Mail. This move by Londoners to sidestep the ULEZ charge is eerily reminiscent of Cuba's streets filled with classic cars from the 1950s, following the cut-off of auto imports from the United States.

The Ironic Outcome of a Misguided Policy

Dealers across London have noted a significant uptick in sales of cars from this era. Merlin McCormack, owner of Duke of London, a vintage car dealership in Brentford, pointed out the irony, stating that while these cars are exempt from the ULEZ charge,

''the older cars are more polluting than its modern equivalent.''

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12437769/Londoners-snap-classic-cars-dodge-ULEZ-Dealers-surge-older-models-capital-braces-expansion-12-50-zone.htmlIt's almost humorous how a policy, supposedly aimed at reducing emissions, is inadvertently promoting the use of vehicles that might just be exacerbating the problem.

A Policy's Unintended Loophole

Resale and auctioning websites are showcasing a variety of classic cars that will be exempt from the ULEZ charge. From a 1970 Hillman Imp Super to a 1973 Alfa Romeo 2000, the options are plenty for those looking to dodge the charge. As the article mentions,

''Under traffic calming scheme, that hopes to reduce the number of polluting vehicles from the capitals roads, Transport for London allows a 40-year window that allows exemptions for cars made in the early 1980s.''

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12437769/Londoners-snap-classic-cars-dodge-ULEZ-Dealers-surge-older-models-capital-braces-expansion-12-50-zone.htmlWhile some might argue that the intention behind the ULEZ policy is to tackle toxic air pollution, this is clearly cover for implementing Central Planning Command and Control Green Climate Policies. The likelihood of increased toxic air pollution under the policies is simply hilarious. The unintended consequence of promoting older, more polluting vehicles, and these old vehicles REALLY do pollute, is a testament to the unforeseen outcomes of such misguided policies. One can't help but smirk at the irony of it all.

Source: Daily Mail

H/T bnice2000

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Sat, 02 Sep 2023 19:05

Tens of thousands of ''burners''' at the Burning Man festival have been told to stay in the camps, conserve food and water and are being blocked from leaving Nevada's Black Rock desert after a slow-moving rainstorm turned the event into a mud bath.

Organizers responding to the unusual weather indicated the closures could endure, as local reports described the conditions at the festival as ''treacherous'' with ''thick, slimy mud clung to shoes and anything else it touched''.

''No driving is permitted on playa except for emergency vehicles,'' event organizers said in a 5am statement on Saturday. ''If you are in [Black Rock City], please shelter in place and stay safe.''

In a separate communication, they warned burners '' as festival-goers are known '' to ''conserve food and water, shelter in a warm space'' as temperatures in the desert dipped into the 50s.

The weather-related disruptions have caused suspension of the cleaning and emptying of thousands of portable toilets. Event organizers have said more rain was expected through Sunday before the festivals ends on Monday.

The rains have already forced the cancellation of multiple large-scale art burns, the Reno Gazette Journal reported and the festival centerpieces '' in which a huge human effigy is set alight followed by the burning of a ''Temple of the Heart'' '' are in doubt.

The festival this year was already taking place under unusual circumstances with the desert floor flooded by the remnants of Hurricane Hilary as the event was being set up.

Alongside anti-capitalist environmental protesters who briefly blocked entrance to the festival, there were also reports that thousands of regular attendees were trying to get rid of their tickets before it started.

Last year, Burning Man drew approximately 80,000 people. This year, only about 60,000 were expected '' with many citing the usual heat and dust and eight-hour traffic jams when they tried to leave.

Burning Man attendee Bonnie Bliess told the New York Post: ''It's really hot during the day and it's cold at night and the dust is really intense,'' she said.

But this year the story is not about heat, cold and dust, but about rain, cold and mud. The Reno Gazette reported that conditions were drawing comparisons to the 2017 Fyre Festival during which partiers in the Bahamas were stranded without food or shelter.

But there may be other comparisons, too, including the ill-fated Woodstock '94 when rain cause the event to be renamed Mudstock '94.

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Sat, 02 Sep 2023 14:45

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is one of the nation's most critical intelligence tools used to protect the homeland and the American people. Thanks to intelligence obtained under this authority, the United States has been able to understand and respond to threats posed by the People's Republic of China, rally the world against Russian atrocities in Ukraine, locate and eliminate terrorists intent on causing harm to America, enable the disruption of fentanyl trafficking, mitigate the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, and much more.

With Section 702 set to expire on December 31, 2023, absent renewal, the President asked the President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) to conduct a review of the effectiveness of Section 702 collection and oversight and to provide recommendations as to potential reforms. In order to inform ongoing discussions about Section 702's reauthorization, today the Biden-Harris administration is publicly releasing, in unclassified form, the vast majority of the report delivered to the President by the PIAB.

We agree with the unanimous conclusion reached by this group of independent, deeply experienced experts that failure to reauthorize Section 702 could be ''one of the worst intelligence failures of our time.'' We also agree with the Board's recommendation that Section 702 should be reauthorized without new and operationally damaging restrictions on reviewing intelligence lawfully collected by the government and with measures that build on proven reforms to enhance compliance and oversight, among other improvements. We look forward to reviewing the Board's recommendations for how we can secure this critical national security authority and to working with Congress to ensure its reauthorization.Read the full report here.

###

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Archived Version

Sat, 02 Sep 2023 04:57

In this photo illustration, the Charter Communications logo is displayed on a smartphone screen.

Rafael Henrique | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Charter Communications CEO Chris Winfrey wants the pay-TV bundle to live.

He also thinks the industry should get on board with a new model.

The CEO of one of the largest cable companies in the U.S. on Friday put media content companies on notice that negotiations would look different after Disney -owned networks went dark on Charter's Spectrum service.

The so-called blackouts have gone on for decades and usually stem from a battle over rising fees '-- when programmers like Disney want higher rates and pay-TV distributors like Charter balk at paying up. Usually, the demand for sports events like the U.S. Open, which is in full swing, or the upcoming NFL season, help to prevent channels going dark for customers.

But this time it's different, Winfrey said on a Friday call with investors.

The pay-TV model is broken, said Winfrey, the CEO of a company that has 14.7 million customers subscribed to its bundle but sees that number drop every year.

For Charter, a company that doesn't produce content itself, the TV bundle is still a big part of its business, even as broadband grows. Charter is pushing to keep the bundle alive with new options '-- flexible packages and improved technology to tie streaming and traditional TV together '-- as high prices and streaming have driven customers to cut the cord.

Pay-TV bundle as we know it is deadStreaming has upended the economics of television, as cheap memberships offer boatloads of content '-- a lot of which is already featured on pay-TV channels. Consumers are cutting pay-TV bundles and opting for streaming options at a rate that's only intensified over the last five years.

And while companies like Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery , Paramount Global and Comcast 's NBCUniversal are trying to make streaming businesses profitable, they still rely on their TV networks for not only the lucrative fees they reap from pay-TV providers, but also for the content produced for the channels themselves, which often carries over to streaming.

Media mogul Barry Diller said recently the legacy media companies should revert back to focusing on their broadcast and pay-TV networks, which are profitable, unlike streaming.

Winfrey, as well as his predecessor Tom Rutledge, have often spoken publicly of the high fees pay-TV providers have to send the networks, which get passed down to customers as price increases. Those in turn often accelerate cord-cutting.

The growth of streaming has made it less fruitful for Charter to pay those costs, even as the company loses fewer pay-TV customers than its peers each quarter.

Often, series and movies that air on cable channels run on streaming services shortly after '-- sometimes just a day. Meanwhile, more and more live sports are making their way onto streaming.

NBCUniversal airs Sunday Night Football, one of the top-rated programs on live TV, simultaneously on its streaming service Peacock. Paramount follows suit with its Sunday package of football games on Paramount+, while Disney offers some, but not all, Monday Night Football games on ESPN+.

Charter said Friday it was willing to pay the rate increase that Disney was asking for in exchange for a lower minimum penetration term '-- meaning Charter guarantees fewer customers to stem costs. Some of Disney's networks fetch the highest prices in the bundle, such as ESPN, which receives $9.42 per subscriber a month, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The company is also pushing to offer Disney's ad-supported streaming services '-- Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu '-- at no additional cost so its customers don't have to pay twice for similar content.

On Friday, Disney said in a statement that it had proposed "creative ways" to make Disney streaming services available to Spectrum customers without giving it away for free. It did not provide further details.

Disney said on Friday its traditional TV channels and streaming services "are not one and the same, per Charter's assertions, but rather complementary products." It noted its investment in "original content that premieres exclusively" on traditional TV, such as live sports, news and other programming. Disney also noted its multi-billion dollar investments in exclusive content for Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu.

Charter also said it would be willing to market Disney streaming apps to its broadband-only customers, something it views as a way to help Disney move toward making ESPN's live feed a direct-to-consumer streaming service. Disney has said it's a matter of time before it offers ESPN outside of the pay-TV bundle. ESPN+ offers only limited content from the network.

On a Friday call with investors, Winfrey said the talks with Disney are what negotiations with content providers would look like moving forward '-- a stark change for the pay-TV provider.

Long live pay-TVDuring Charter's second-quarter earnings call in July, Winfrey said that the company was "committed to trying to find a path forward" for traditional TV bundles.

"And if we can have the flexibility to package and price it in the right way, we think it's good for customers and it's good for us. And ultimately, it's much better for programmers over time as opposed to having the cord cutting continue to accelerate at the pace it's going," Winfrey said.

Charter's recent negotiations aren't the only example of the company trying to find a new path for pay-TV.

In July, the company announced it would soon offer a cheaper, sports-lite bundle option.

Live sports often carry the highest ratings but come with the most costs for pay-TV companies. The sports-lite offering will remove regional sports networks from the equation, giving customers who don't watch their local teams a cheaper option rather than cutting the bundle altogether.

The pivotal move happened as the regional sports networks business has declined a faster speed. Diamond Sports Group, the largest owner of these channels, filed for bankruptcy protection this year. Other networks are offering streaming options, too.

Still, major national sports networks like ESPN remained in both bundles. While Winfrey said he would "love" to put ESPN in a sports-only bundle, he knew it was "a stretch too far" for Disney.

In another step to revamp the pay-TV model and stem losses, Charter entered into a joint venture with Comcast, the largest pay-TV provider in the U.S.

The venture launches later this year and will give customers the option to take the pay-TV bundle without a cable box. Winfrey noted in July that two-thirds of Charter's pay-TV sales come without a clunky cable box, meaning customers are using the Spectrum TV app on their own devices, like Roku or Apple 's Apple TV.

Branded with Comcast's Xumo, the product will mean Charter can provide a smaller streaming device that integrates the traditional TV bundle with streaming apps in one place, making it a more seamless transition between the two for consumers.

The company is betting that service, plus cheaper and more flexible bundle rates, will keep pay-TV alive and kicking.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, which owns CNBC.

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Sat, 02 Sep 2023 04:51

Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge, MA in 1984.

Rick Friedman | Corbis News | Getty Images

JPMorgan Chase notified the Treasury Department of more than $1 billion in transactions related to "human trafficking" by Jeffrey Epstein dating back 16 years after the notorious sex predator killed himself in 2019, a lawyer for the U.S. Virgin Islands told a federal judge at a hearing.

"Epstein's entire business with JPMorgan and JPMorgan's entire business with Epstein was human trafficking," Mimi Liu, an attorney for the Virgin Islands, told Judge Jed Rakoff in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Thursday, according to a transcript reviewed by CNBC.

Liu cited the bank's notification to the Treasury Department as she argued that Rakoff should issue a summary judgment against JPMorgan.

The huge bank is being sued by the Virgin Islands government for allegedly facilitating sex trafficking by Epstein of young women when he was a JPMorgan customer from 1998 through 2013.

The attorney, referring to a $9 million block of transfers to women and suspicious withdrawals from Epstein's accounts at JPMorgan, said it related to "facilitating" more than 20,000 sexual acts, given Epstein's habit of paying several hundred dollars for each sexual encounter.

"JPMorgan was a full-service bank for Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking," Liu said at the hearing.

"The only reason that JPMorgan after 16 years reported the $1 billion in suspicious transactions was because he was arrested and then he was dead," she said"This was a CYA [cover your a--] reporting after 16 years of all of the monies flowing in his JPMorgan accounts after he was dead.

The Virgin Islands has accused the bank of continuing to do business with Epstein for years despite repeated red flags internally and his 2008 guilty plea to a Florida sex crime.

"By 2006, the bank thus had reams of financial information related to Jeffrey Epstein that corroborated his sex crimes involving children," Liu argued.

Epstein, 66, killed himself in a New York jail in August 2019, a month after he was arrested on federal child sex trafficking charges.

In addition to a residence in Manhattan, Epstein owned a private island in the Virgin Islands, where he was accused of sexually abusing women.

A lawyer for JPMorgan, which denies wrongdoing in the case, pushed back against the Virgin Islands claims that it should be found liable for abetting Epstein's abuse of women.

The Virgin Islands is seeking at least $190 million in damages in the case, which will go to trial on Oct. 23 if Rakoff does not grant summary judgment to either side.

The bank's lawyer, Felicia Ellsworth, told Rakoff that the Virgin Islands had presented "not a scintilla" of evidence that JPMorgan violated laws about sex trafficking.

Ellsworth also argued that the Virgin Islands lacked the legal standing to sue the bank.

JPMorgan has said the American territory can only sue to vindicate the rights of residents, and that there is no proof that any of Epstein's victims were residents of the Virgin Islands.

"There is hotly disputed testimony and evidence," Ellsworth told Rakoff.

"There is, as I said, testimony from JPMorgan current and former employees disclaiming knowledge" of Epstein's criminal conduct," she said.

A JPMorgan spokeswoman declined to comment to CNBC about the Virgin Islands' claims that the bank notified the Treasury Department of more than a $1 billion in suspicious transactions by Epstein.

JPMorgan in July agreed to pay $290 million in a settlement with victims of Epstein to resolve a similar lawsuit filed by one of the accusers in Manhattan federal court.

In June, Deutsche Bank , which had taken Epstein on as a client after he was forced out by JPMorgan in 2013, agreed to pay $75 million to Epstein's victims to settle a third suit in the same court.

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Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:32

'š¸Head of FEMA says the Residents of Maui Should NOT be Expecting Anymore Financial Aid Any Time Soon besides the $700

Head of FEMA, Deanne Criswell says the residents of Maui shouldn't be expecting anymore financial aid any time soon besides the $700

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Fri, 01 Sep 2023 14:45

A trifecta of powerful globalist organizations is rigorously executing a plan to teach kindergarteners about sexuality and "empower" children to say yes to sexual encounters, according to agency documents reviewed by The Epoch Times.

Critics say this amounts to children being "groomed" for sex under the banner of human rights and education, while pedophilia is promoted and parental rights are undermined. Experts told The Epoch Times that the push for these programs to be accepted in nations around the world could lead to the practice of having sex with "consenting" children being viewed as acceptable.

Proponents of the programs say they seek to ensure that children's "rights" to sexual pleasure are protected.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations are advancing children's exposure to sexuality on two fronts, according to documents.

On one front, the organizations are promoting comprehensive sexuality education that emphasizes teaching consent for sex. On another front, the groups are pushing to remold the portrayal of children and young people as "sexual beings" with sexual rights that should be based on maturity instead of age.

(Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock)

The version of childhood sexual education promoted by the groups includes what most parents would recognize as sex education. The coursework includes explanations of reproductive biology and discussions of how abstinence can prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

But the curriculum also introduces the idea that minors have "rights" to make decisions concerning their own bodies and to experience "desire, pleasure, and happiness," without parental involvement, while exploring homosexuality and role-playing.

Proponents such as the WHO say evidence shows that young people are more likely to initiate sexual activity later'--and to practice safer sex'--when they are better informed about sexuality, sexual relations, and their rights through programs like childhood sexual education.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has praised childhood sexual education for giving children and youth access to developmentally appropriate education that increases the rates of contraception and condom use. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Adolescent Health Care has cited studies demonstrating that childhood sexual education reduces the rates of sexual activity, unprotected sex, STDs, and teen pregnancy.

Networking Sex EdMeg Kilgannon and other experts are convinced that childhood sexual education is harmful. She believes that the globalist groups' agenda could ultimately harm children by normalizing pedophilia.

Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow for Educational Studies at the Family Research Council, believes international nonprofits want to lower the age of consent for children to have sex. (Courtesy of Meg Kilgannon)Ms. Kilgannon, senior fellow for educational studies at the Family Research Council, believes the ultimate goal for these groups is to lower the age of consent to make it legal for children to have sex.

"There are adults who want to have sex with children, and they are working in international sex-rights groups to make that happen," Ms. Kilgannon told The Epoch Times.

Stefano Gennarini is an attorney and vice president for legal studies at the Center for Family and Human Rights, a conservative watchdog group in New York. He says a network of U.N. agencies and nonprofits provides children with information about engaging in all manner of sexual activity, transgenderism, and abortion. The coordinated international effort is "very well-funded," Mr. Gennarini told The Epoch Times. "This is not a conspiracy theory."

The Epoch Times reached out to the U.N. and to Planned Parenthood in the United States and internationally for comment, but did not receive a response.

Sexual Revolution for KidsSex education is starting younger than ever.

The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) commissioned a document about teaching sex education to children beginning in kindergarten called the "International Technical Guidance on Sexual Education."

UNESCO worked with the WHO and U.N. agencies, such as U.N. Women and the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), to develop the guide, according to agency websites.

The document's introduction states that the program's aim is to "equip children and young people" with knowledge and to empower them to "develop respectful social and sexual relationships."

The guidance falls under the U.N.'s global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. U.N. members'-- including the United States under President Barack Obama's leadership'-- adopted the agenda's 17 goals in 2015 for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and improving lives worldwide.

Then-President Barack Obama addresses the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 28, 2015. (John Moore/Getty Images)As part of that agenda, the U.N. wants its brand of sex education to be mandatory worldwide. It has called on governments to enforce the policies through international pledges already made.

"Continued efforts are needed to ensure that CSE [childhood sexual education] is mandated under law and/or policy," according to a U.N. agency progress report called "The Journey Towards Comprehensive Sexuality Education."

To help further that mission, the IPPF published a kit that outlines sex-ed standards for children younger than 10.

In resources, Planned Parenthood recommends teaching children 10 and under that ''sexual activity'' can be part of ''commercial sex work.'' (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

The "toolkit" teaches that some children aren't "comfortable being identified as male or female based on their sex organs. "

It prescribes teaching youngsters in that age group that "sexual activity should always be mediated by consent" and individuals "agree, free from any pressure, to engage in intimate relationships."

Sexual activity may be part of different types of relationships, including dating, marriage, or "commercial sex work," among others, the program instructs children under 10.

Children's Right to 'Pleasure'Meanwhile, the IPPF, along with other global non-governmental organizations, collaborated with the WHO and the UN to frame "child sexual rights" as "human rights."

The IPPF developed "Exclaim! Young People's Guide to 'Sexual Rights: an IPPF Declaration," partly based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The concept of young people's "evolving capacity" stems from that convention. It calls on leaders and societies to value young people's developing maturity to make decisions on their own.

The sexual rights declaration says children and youths are entitled to have pleasurable sex. Those under 18 years "should enjoy" the full range of human rights, including "sexual rights," according to the document.

"Young people are sexual beings," the document states on its opening page. "They have sexual needs, desires, fantasies, and dreams."

"It is important for all young people around the world to be able to explore, experience, and express their sexualities in healthy, positive, pleasurable, and safe ways," the guide continues. It asserts children can make decisions about sex based on their maturity, free from parental "interference."

An International Planned Parenthood Federation guide outlining ''sexual rights'' for youth was developed in 2007. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

The document states that laws shouldn't discriminate against children's "sexual rights" based on age.

"Since each young person develops at their own pace, there is no universal age at which certain sexual rights and protections gain or lose importance," the document states.

Those sentiments are echoed in "The 8 March Principles for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Criminal Law Proscribing Conduct Associated with Sex, Reporduction, Drug Use, HIV, Homelessness and Poverty" (pdf).

The document was produced by the nonprofit group International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and endorsed by attorneys around the world. It says that "conduct involving persons below the domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex may be consensual in fact, if not in law."

The ICJ statement condemns ''child sexual abuse" yet argues that sex with those under 18 may not constitute abuse if that person's "capacities" have sufficiently "evolved." In those cases, the ICJ argues that criminal law should be applied more leniently because international human rights law demands it.

'Dangerous' ConceptMs. Kilgannon served in the U.S. Department of Education during the administration of President Donald Trump. She calls the idea of separating the rights of children from their parents a "dangerous" concept bei ng played out on the international and national stage.

"It's built upon the premise that parents don't have the best interest of their children in mind," she said. "And there's just nothing further from the truth."

She believes international groups are working together to lower the accepted age of consent for children to have sex.

National organizations are committed to pushing to teach children about sex, according to Ms. Kilgannon. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

National organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the Trevor Project, and the Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network develop their own "fake national standards of sex education, and they all look like they could have come out of a government agency," she said.

But really, they're just special-interest groups promoting their brand of sex education. And their efforts align with a global push to teach children about sex, she said.

"They're people who are committed to pushing this questionable science of Alfred Kinsey and sex researchers," she said.

Mr. Kinsey was an American sexologist and zoologist who founded the Institute for Sex Research at Indiana University in 1947. It's now known as the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction.

Rebecca Friedrichs, founder of For Kids & Country. (Courtesy of Rebecca Friedrichs)There, he taught that children are sexual beings from birth, capable of sexual response. The official narrative of his research included input from pedophiles. They assured Mr. Kinsey that children could have pleasurable sexual experiences, he said.

Rebecca Friedrichs, founder of For Kids & Country, believes the idea of child sexuality now being taught and endorsed as human rights can be traced back to Mr. Kinsey.

She was a teacher in California before quitting and taking up the fight against what she describes as the "education mafia" of teachers' unions in the United States.

Sex Ed, American-StyleTeacher unions like the National Education Association have promoted sex education as a solution to underage pregnancies and STDs.

They've argued that parents weren't teaching their children about sex at home, so schools needed to step in, Ms. Friedrichs said.

But in reality, childhood sexual education breaks down morals and sexual boundaries and drives a wedge between parents and their children, she said.

When teachers begin talking to students about their own sexual orientation and exposing them to discussions about sexuality, that should alarm parents, she said.

"That's called grooming," Ms. Friedrichs said.

Like Marxist-based radical gender and race theories and social-emotional learning, the goal of childhood sexual education is to divide and conquer, she said.

The goal of childhood sexual education is to divide and conquer, according to Ms. Friedrichs. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

"Unions want every child to be indoctrinated in a government-run school," she said. It's been going on since the 1960s, she added.

In Texas, parents revolted in 2022 against a childhood sexual education curriculum offered through a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant program. The idea, according to the program, was to reduce teen pregnancy and STDs. Critics called it an attempt to sexualize children.

Parents with the Nueces County chapter of Citizens Defending Freedom blocked the program, titled "Making Proud Choices!" in some Corpus Christi schools.

But it was a bittersweet victory for parents.

They still were concerned the program would be quietly introduced in schools elsewhere. A federal grant program has doled out millions to nonprofit organizations willing to work to sell school districts around the country on the idea of adding childhood sexual education to classroom instruction.

Nonprofits such as Planned Parenthood in the U.S. play a significant role in sex education, as well, Ms. Friedrichs said.

By the 6th grade, the term ''consent'' is used, instead of teaching children to say no, according to Planned Parenthood documents. Promoting consent could lead to the normalization of pedophilia by promoting the idea that it's acceptable to have sex with children who consent, according to Ms. Friedrichs. (Megan Jelinger/AFP via Getty Images, ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

That organization offers K-5 education standards that say children have a right not to be touched. And it teaches that children should be prepared to say no when uncomfortable.

But by the 6th grade, the term "consent" is used, instead of teaching children to say no, according to organization documents.

Promoting consent could lead to the normalization of pedophilia by promoting the idea that it's acceptable to have sex with children who consent, Ms. Friedrichs said.

"The whole point of CSE [childhood sexual education] is this whole consent thing, and children have the right to sex," Ms. Friedrichs said.

Parents' rights are all about protecting their children from harm, she said. So the idea of allowing children to make major life decisions about sex on their own would thwart that parental protection.

The intent behind teaching consent is laid out by the Guttmacher Institute, a liberal think tank and research arm of Planned Parenthood.

The institute asserts on its website that "consent is key to pushing back against abstinence-only messages."

"When schools teach students about how to say no to sex, they are also acknowledging young people's ability to say yes," the website states.

International Dirty WordApril Gallart is a former California teacher who volunteers as a representative of United Families International at the United Nations.

April Gallart is a former California teacher who volunteers at the United Nations for United Families International. (Courtesy of April Gallart)She started going to the U.N. in 2013 to lobby for family values by discussing issues with delegates, she said.

At the U.N., she discovered resistance to parental rights and family values.

She recalled one instance when the U.N. "fought tooth and nail" to get the words "mother and father" out of a document.

Parents who protect their children from sexuality are seen as roadblocks to allowing children the autonomy to make their own decisions, she said.

Everything is about the individual. And that separates individuals from the support of their families, she said.

"The F-word in the U.N. is 'family,'" Ms. Gallart said.

Policymakers want mothers in the workforce away from their children, she said. When children take care of aging parents at home, policymakers view it as unpaid labor.

"They're trying to break down all these roles that we value, that we've had for millennia, and trying to give all the power of decision-making to children," she said.

Ms. Gallart questioned why adults would want to talk to children about sexuality.

"The only reason to do that is to break their boundaries down," Ms. Gallart said. "If it isn't pedophilia, what's the reason?

Many of the U.N. delegates she meets from less-developed countries'--or those with strong religious ties'--share the typical family values of conservative Americans, she said.

People gather to call on Premier Doug Ford to keep his promise to repeal the controversial 2015 sex education curriculum and for Education Minister Lisa Thompson to resign at Queen's Park in Toronto on Feb. 2, 2019. (NTD Television)But she saw Western countries such as the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands exert tremendous pressure on developing countries in Africa and elsewhere to conform to their ideas on topics such as sex education. It was presented as a contingency to obtain funding for other projects.

Sex-Ed FailureMr. Gennarini, who researches and writes about international law, said sex ed has not spared youths from the consequences of intimacy, such as STDs.

The diseases have skyrocketed in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with millions of new infections every year for those aged 15 through 24.

The education arm of Planned Parenthood is SIECUS, which has the motto "Sex Ed for Social Change."

The group's sex-education documents show that abstinence is the safest way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. But the group also teaches about consent, abortion, masturbation, sexual fantasy, and response.

Sex ed has not spared youths from the consequences of intimacy, such as STDs, according to Mr. Gennarini. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

SIECUS produced the National Sex Education Standards with input from the National Education Association teachers' union and other groups.

Mr. Gennarini said these "poison" standards are being adopted by school districts without the awareness of parents, who were largely disengaged from schools until recently.

'Off the Rails'Though many seem to see agreements with the U.N. and its satellite organizations as non-binding, international non-governmental groups have gained tremendous power, Mr. Gennarini warned.

Stefano Gennarini, attorney and vice president of legal studies at the Center for Family and Human Rights. (Courtesy of Stefano Gennarini)"There has to be more awareness," he said. "The problem is the international system has gone off the rails."

Conservative groups like his find themselves virtually alone at the U.N. because conservative nonprofits in the United States focus on lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Conservatives shouldn't advocate quitting the U.N., he said. If anything, conservatives need to become more prominent there and promote the family values that much of the rest of the world's citizens embrace, he said.

"All these [anti-family] policies'--they have never been put in front of voters," Mr. Gennarini said.

He pointed to the recent controversy surrounding a pandemic treaty under development by the WHO. Many conservatives fear the treaty will wrest control away from the United States, dictating how it and other nations respond to future outbreaks.

"We already have a de-facto world government, if we look at pandemics," he said.

Mr. Gennarini's advocacy group is practically alone in efforts to lobby for families and parents at the U.N., he said.

Worldwide organizations have more power than people realize, he said. That's because sovereign governments sign contracts or treaties with the U.N. that are legally binding, he said, much like the environmental treaty known as the Paris Climate Accords.

The result is a vast body of international law that has been created surrounding these agreements'--policies that voters in democratic countries have never approved, he said.

"It's a workaround to the Constitution," Mr. Gennarini said. "Everywhere in the world, it's undermining democracy."

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Fri, 01 Sep 2023 03:47

You cannot trust what Hollywood says about science. From health care to agriculture and space travel , the examples of inaccuracies in movies and TV are nearly endless. Sometimes these errors are minor embellishments designed to heighten the drama of a story. In other cases, the mistakes betray a deep understanding of the subject and a willingness to mislead the audience.

The new Netflix six-part miniseries Painkiller is a textbook example of a show meant to sway public perceptions on an important public health issue, the opioid epidemic, even if that means lying to viewers along the way.

If you've seen Erin Brockovich , you've seen Painkiller. There's the obligatory nefarious corporation run by greedy executives who covered up the deadly effects of their product, unsuspecting victims who used that product, and a scrappy protagonist who blew the lid off the conspiracy.

It's an admittedly entertaining story, but it's being told at the expense of the tens of thousands of people killed each year by illicit drugs and prohibitionist opioid regulations. Netflix should be embarrassed.

A grain of truth

In broad strokes, Painkiller correctly highlighted Purdue's reckless marketing of OxyContin, its prescription opioid introduced in 1996. As Reason's Jacob Sullum reported in 2020, the company's malfeasance included

''... promoting wider use of OxyContin even when executives knew the legitimate market was saturated, encouraging prescriptions by paying kickbacks to physicians, and disregarding obvious red flags indicating that some distributors, pharmacists, and doctors were doling out pills without regard to medical need.''

However, that's the extent of Painkiller's accuracy. Like its loathsome predecessor Dopesick , the Netflix series lays blame for the opioid crisis almost exclusively on Purdue, its sales force of tenacious, attractive young women, and a legion of greedy, gullible doctors who couldn't resist their feminine charms. Painkiller executive producer Alex Gibney seems to really believe this outlandish story, summarizing the show's central thesis like this :

''The crisis wasn't something that just happened '... It was something that was '... manufactured by companies looking to make an egregious profit. I realized that this opioid crisis I've been hearing so much about '... was really a crime.''

This is a lie, plain and simple. Writing in the Yale Law and Policy Review in February, epidemiologist and Reason Foundation drug policy analyst Jacob Rich explained why :

''Although OxyContin was introduced in 1996 and Purdue Pharma's marketing campaign subsequently increased its market share within the industry of pain relievers that contain oxycodone, only 9.0% of all nonmedical opioid users in 2001 reported ever using OxyContin during their lifetime '... Overall, it is not clear that nonmedical opioid use has significantly changed since 1990.'' [my emphasis]

Equally damning to Painkiller's premise is the fact that ''Today's nonmedical opioid users are not yesterday's patients,'' as ACSH advisor Dr. Jeff Singer explained in this 2019 review article :

''In a 2007 study of more than 27,000 OxyContin addicts who entered rehab between 2001 and 2004, [researchers] found that 78% said the drug was never prescribed for them for any medical reason, 86% took the pills to get 'high' or get a 'buzz,' and 78% had a history of prior treatment for a substance abuse disorder.'' [my emphasis]

The makers of Painkiller seemed to be aware of this data because they framed it as a flimsy industry talking point worthy of dismissal. In multiple scenes, Purdue's lawyers and supermodel sales reps claim that the rate of OxyContin abuse is ''less than one percent,'' based on an infamous 1980 letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Rich noted that the pharmaceutical industry ''incautiously'' misinterpreted this letter and the ''not especially rigorous'' study it was based on. But Painkiller's implication that Big Pharma shills minimized the abuse liability of their potent opioids without evidence is false.

Multiple studies published before and after OxyContin was commercialized showed that patients prescribed oxycodone could use it without developing an addiction. The relatively few who did had histories of drug or alcohol abuse. Here's one such paper from 1986 ; here's a review of 67 studies published in 2008. Additional research published between 2010 and 2018 reached the same conclusion.

So alongside Purdue, let's add the Cochrane Collaboration, research published in the British Medical Journal, and officials from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Office of National Drug Control Policy to the list of sources that have cited the insignificant addiction risk posed by opioids prescribed to patients who need them.

Real people telling a ''fictionalized'' story

Although many of the show's characters never actually existed, one of the most disingenuous parts of Painkiller is the beginning of each episode that involves real people who have suffered a terrible loss; the mother or father of an addict who was killed by drug abuse appears on screen and reads the following disclaimer:

''This story is based on real events. However, certain names, characters, instances, events, occasions and dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes. What hasn't been fictionalized is [the story of my child who was killed by opioid addiction '...]''

Devious. It's both a superficial defense of Painkiller's overall accuracy and a shameless excuse for the lies that permeate each episode'--including the glaring omissions. Not once did any character in Painkiller mention ''fentanyl.'' This highly potent opioid and its analogs are widely and illegally available across the US and have been responsible for most overdose deaths for over a decade. By the way, overdose deaths have doubled since 2010, even though opioid prescribing has plummeted over the same period; that tragic fact goes conveniently unmentioned as well.

And at no point did the show probe the myriad causes of drug abuse or the difference between physical dependence and addiction. Maddeningly, the miniseries completely ignored legitimate pain patients who have been left to suffer without treatment thanks to America's inane restrictions on opioid prescribing. Many of these individuals have committed suicide to end their anguish.

Apparently, these are details unworthy of your consideration. All you need to know, dear Painkiller viewer, is that Big Bad Pharma sells pills that turn patients with back injuries and broken bones into junkies'--shame on the makers of this prohibitionist agitprop.

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Glenn Greenwald1 day ago

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) Lets Americans Drown and Burn Unless Ukraine Gets More Money, Plus: Leading Establishment Critic Jeffrey Sachs on Ukraine, Taiwan, BRICS, and more | SYSTEM UPDATE #141185K

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Latinos For Trump - Trump Latinos

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original sound - CottonCoins - VTG Tees\Crypto

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This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.

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On this episode of the War on the Rocks podcast, deputy assistant to U.S. President Joe Biden, Joshua Geltzer, sat down with Nicholas Danforth to discuss the administration's case for the reauthorization of section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. They discussed the act's role in a changing threat environment, challenges in Congress and potential avenues to mitigate civil liberties concerns.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Podcasts, War On The Rocks

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r/bestconspiracymemes Best place to share anti NWO conspiracy memes and also news or interesting information. A meme is an image, video, piece of text, etc., usually humorous in nature, that is copied and spread quickly by internet users.

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