Stop encouraging violence!

May 11, 2022
By Grace Hase

San Jose is banning ghost guns, (click here) the untraceable firearms that increasingly have been found at crime scenes in Santa Clara County over the last six years.

The ban is the latest attempt by city leaders to reduce gun violence in the nation’s tenth largest city, which already has adopted a first of its kind law requiring gun owners to insure their weapons.

While the federal government and California have passed recent legislation around the manufacturing, transferring and assembly of ghost guns — which can be easily purchased online without a background check, built at home and lack a serial number — there is no current federal or state law that addresses the possession of ghost guns.

On Tuesday, the San Jose City Council voted unanimously to make it illegal to possess, manufacture, sell or transfer ghost guns or their parts, taking aim at the rapid proliferation of firearms that can be ordered online and delivered without a serial number or the buyer undergoing a background check. The new law, which will give owners of ghost guns 120 days to apply for a serial number through the California Department of Justice, follows other cities such as Oakland, Berkeley, San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles that have already banned ghost guns....

Everytown’s research (click here) found that it is possible to buy an AR-15 ghost gun build kit and a lower receiver for as little as $345. Kits for making Glock-type pistol kits with a frame can go for as little as $400. These prices compare favorably to the cost of buying an assembled firearm at retail....

National Security trumped the publication of instructions, but, can't stop the private sales.

That is simply crazy. This is how ghost guns began. Either this is a national security issue or not. Of course, it is. So, what is the problem in ending the sales and distribution?

April 14, 2022
By Jordain Carney

Senate Republicans (click here) said on Thursday they will force a vote to try to nix President Biden’s “ghost guns” rule, pushing a fight over gun laws onto the chamber’s agenda.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) said that he will introduce a resolution along with Sens. James Lankford (Okla.), Mike Braun (Ind.) and Mike Lee (Utah) to block the Justice Department regulation.

The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to try to overturn an administration rule with only a simple majority vote if it’s within a certain timeframe. Biden could still veto the resolution disapproving the rule, which would also need to pass the House.

“This is another attempt by the Biden Administration to strip law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights instead of addressing the failed policies that have led to increased crime across the country. This action by the Biden Administration is not going to solve rising crime rates,” Lankford said in a statement.

Cruz also accused Democrats of trying to “shift the blame and stoke anti-gun sentiment.”

“By introducing this resolution, we’re pushing back. … We want to stop the false narrative that links the rise in crime to ‘ghost guns,’ and firearms, and we want to protect law-abiding citizens who are exercising their Second Amendment rights,” he added....

The Assault Weapons Ban (click here for AAP) was not about anything except Quid Pro Quo between Republicans and the NRA. You know the NRA, the non-profit organization that cozies up to Russian spies.

It is time to end the relationship between the Quid Pro Quo Republicans and dangerous organizations that promote irresponsible relationships that cause danger to Americans!

California under Newsom is incredibly successful. He is proving all the Republican naysayers wrong.

Other states need to take notice.

May 12, 2022
By Alec Regimbal

Gov. Gavin Newsom (click here) announced a plan Wednesday that would both expand abortion access in California and lure businesses away from states that are expected to ban the procedure in the coming weeks.

The plan is a response to a recently leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that revealed the body planned to overturn Roe v. Wade. If that happens, political analysts expect abortions to be illegal or difficult to obtain in roughly half of the U.S.

“California will not stand idly by as extremists roll back our basic constitutional rights,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’re going to fight like hell, making sure that all women — not just those in California — know that this state continues to recognize and protect their fundamental rights."

It’s not uncommon for Newsom to capitalize on what he sees as bad political moves being made by other state leaders, namely those in Florida and Texas....

Governor Newsom is also enjoying a huge budget surplus. How? By taxing the wealthy, of course.

State coffers (click here) are overflowing with an unprecedented budget surplus as Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday unveiled a massive $300.7 billion spending package that funnels billions in cash payments to vehicle owners and hospital workers while dramatically boosting spending on education, infrastructure and wildfire resilience.

During his highly anticipated May budget revision, Newsom said the state’s surplus ballooned to $97.5 billion — far higher than his $76 billion January estimate. A large chunk of this surplus is mandated toward education and other spending categories, while lawmakers have discretion over about $49.2 billion, some of which will be given back to taxpayers, Newsom said.

The bountiful budget is buoyed by a trend accelerated during the pandemic: Economic gains enjoyed by California’s wealthiest residents translated into unusually high tax revenue for the Golden State. In the 2021 tax year, residents will report a staggering $291 billion in investment profits, according to the revised budget estimate.

“It’s simply without precedent,” Newsom said during a two-hour press conference. “No other state in American history has ever experienced a surplus as large as this.”

But despite the rosy outlook, Newsom argued that California needs to ready itself for a stock market bust by putting $23.3 billion in a rainy day fund and using the vast majority of the surplus on one-time spending. He compared the state’s current budget situation to the bubble before the dot-com crash and said the recent stock market downturn is cause for concern....

Governor Newsom has more water problems that is mostly not experienced before.

May 4, 2022
By Stephanie Elam

As Southern Californians (click here) brace for unprecedented water restrictions, officials worry some communities won't have enough water to get through the summer -- at least not without residents and businesses significantly cutting back on their usage.

The state's top natural resources officer told CNN that California's water emergency clearly shows the climate crisis in action.

"Some would consider this a wake-up call. I disagree," Wade Crowfoot, California's secretary for natural resources, told CNN. "The alarm's already gone off."...

Lake Mead and Lake Powell are considered the first and second largest dams in the western USA (click here).

Governor Newsom has discussed the idea of desalination plants. It is a serious prospect. I might add, if the desalination plants are used, accompanying that reality is the RIGHT TO MAINTAIN A LAWN. Why? Because placing moisture back into the troposphere will return function to the climate. Desalination does not have to be used forever, if function can be returned to Earth. Artificial rain, which is what a sprinkler system is, can reverse the trend of drought that has been spinning out of control for the past three decades.

Ridding society of greenhouse gases is a must, but, accompanying that is the reality that Earth has entered NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOPS. Eliminating GHG pollution is vital, however, it must be accompanied by a REHABILITATION of Earth through returning water vapor to the circulating air mass of Earth. Basically, eliminating greenhouse gases is a rebalancing of Earth's troposphere to the place that was benevolent to life. Earth is going to need some help to return function to the climate by once again introducing moisture to the troposphere and that is best done by increasing the moisture to soil and land.

The best example I can provide is the loss of Ethiopian biotic areas that lead to nearly permanent famine. The dam used to replace water availability to Ethiopia is always criticized. But, along with the criticism there were no other viable alternatives offered.

April 2011
Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), (click here) formerly known as the Millennium Dam, is under construction in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia, on the Blue Nile River, which is located about 40km east of Sudan. The project is owned by Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO).

Construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam started in April 2011 after the ETB80bn ($4.7bn) engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract was awarded to Salini Costruttori.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project is expected to be completed by July 2017. The people and Government of Ethiopia are funding the project, which will not only serve Ethiopia, but Sudan and Egypt as well. The latter two countries depend on the Nile River for their water although 85% of the river flows in Ethiopia.

The dam’s construction is expected to create up to 12,000 jobs. Approximately 20,000 people will be resettled during the course of the project.

The reservoir and dam will offer major benefits to Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. Egypt has for a long time held the major ownership of the water from the Nile River and prevented Ethiopia from constructing a dam. Egypt depends on the Nile for 90% of its water needs.

A tripartite committee was formed in January 2012 to promote understanding and look into the benefits and impacts the project would have on the three countries....

Dams such as this is not about recreation or boating, it is about returning function to the land through evaporation of water in places now droughted and through irrigation to crops and even for the benefit of restoring forests and above all other interests, rainforests.

Once the biotic areas, OF NATURAL and NATIVE FLORA, is returned the need for irrigation ends in time and complete function can be facilitated through natural Earth processes.

BUT.

The ending of greenhouse gas pollution MUST OCCUR, otherwise, these projects will only prove to be long lived without the benefits initially intended. Evaporation of water from Earth into the upper atmospheres is happening. It has to stop and immediately if not sooner. The volatility between the troposphere and stratosphere is extremely dangerous and will result in the collapse of Earth's natural life sustaining air masses by MIXING of the two Earth atmospheres.

Currently, Earth's troposphere is expanding due to heat. The hotter it becomes the bigger a space it takes up and the more pressure it exerts on the stratosphere. Currently, Earth's stratosphere is being compressed and some of it lost to the mixing of the two atmospheres. This cannot continue and is an emergency that no country has a right to ignore. Projects such as this dam and desalination plants that return biotic function to land are vital to ending the climate crisis, but, the GHG pollution MUST STOP.

It was most heartening to pass by one of the electric recharge stations near home that are mostly empty only to see three cars at the charge stands. It was a sight that made me smile and lifted a great deal of hope for our society. We can do this. It is not that difficult. Consumption of fossil fuels must end.

What kind of a mess is this idiot in the USA running for the US Senate?

May 12, 2022

The Club for Growth (click here) on Wednesday endorsed Kathy Barnette, who is running in the GOP primary to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate.

...Surging Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate Kathy Barnette (click here) has a history of anti-Muslim and anti-gay statements. In many tweets, Barnette also spread the false conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama is a Muslim.

In one speech uploaded to YouTube in 2015, Barnette forcefully argued it was OK to discriminate against Muslims and compared rejecting Islam to "... rejecting Hitler's or Stalin's worldviews." In comments on her radio show, she said accepting homosexuality would lead to the accepting of incest and pedophilia. One post she wrote called a transgender person "deformed" and "demonic."

Excuse me, but, Republicans have already accepted incest and rape as legitimate methods of pregnancy, can pedophilia be far behind?

Barnette surged in recent polls in the upcoming Pennsylvania Republican US Senate primary, putting her in a dead heat between Donald Trump-endorsed former TV star Mehmet Oz and former hedge fund manager David McCormick. The Pennsylvania Senate seat is one of the one of the best pickup opportunities for Democrats this November, and Barnette's sudden, rapid rise is causing worry among Trump allies....

I never get excited over flash in the pan poll surges. It happens all the time in Republican politics. The candidates surge and in the next breath they are at the bottom of the heap. There is no way of knowing if a Republican surge is anything more than variety and fund raising. The extremists alleviate to political boredom of the right wing. 

She is another Marjorie Taylor Greene, but, for the US Senate.

May 13, 2022

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s congressional opponents (click here) are turning wheels with a copy of a $92,679.60 purchase for a “campaign vehicle” in November. But, according to her team, there’s more to it than tax, tag and title — as well as much more about her overall security.

A search of Federal Election Commission files shows Greene’s campaign purchased the vehicle from Riverside Buick GMC in Cartersville. The actual image shows $96,694.50 but does not include the make or model. The expenditure was dug up by Peach Pundit from public records and it quickly spread across Twitter’s political landscape (pre-Musk) as well.

“Due to the massive amount of death and security threats directed toward Congresswoman Greene, it was determined a dedicated campaign vehicle with a supplemental security package was warranted for travel.”

Which brings up another section of Greene’s financial reports, focusing only on Jan. 1-March 31 of this year. Greene is paying more than $45,000 a month for “executive protection.” FEC records show payouts of $41,420 to The KaJor Group of Knoxville on Jan. 14; $49,551.04 on Feb. 1; and $44,727.51 on March 7. That’s $135,698 to KaJor alone. There’s also a $2,000 payment for logistics and security consulting on Feb. 1 to Gavin Thompson. Plus add $311 for insurance paid Jan. 10 on the “campaign vehicle.”...

No reason to see anything else besides genocide.

No matter what town or city the Russians pull out of the carnage of innocent civilians are found massacred. The dead were ordered to be killed. This is far more than the occasional band of out of control soldiers. City after city, town after town there are large numbers of slaughtered civilians discovered. 

Ukraine has paid a heavy price for neutrality in hopes Russia would see no threat. Russia does not need a threat to launch into celebratory killing of people that do not speak the Russian language.

The nonproliferation treaty needs to go forward with verification of mutual disarmament by the IAEA.

Filing deadline for Flint residents is quickly approaching.

May 9, 2022

Flint - The deadline for filing claims for a part of the Flint water settlement (click here) with the state of Michigan and others has been extended.

U.S. District Court Judge Judith Levy signed an order Monday, May 9, extending the claims period from May 12 to June 30 for those who previously registered to take part in the $626-million settlement.

Levy’s action came in response to a request from special master Deborah E. Greenspan, who said in a report to the court that many of those who registered to file claims have faced difficulties in obtaining the necessary documents and putting together the required information....

But, where are the Palestinians supposed to live, work and grow olives?

12 May 2022

Israel advanced plans (click here) for the construction of more than 4,000 homes in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, a rights group has said, a day after the Israeli army demolished homes in an area where hundreds of Palestinians face the threat of expulsion.

Peace Now, an anti-settlement group, provided the figure after a meeting of Israel’s Higher Planning Council, which convened to ratify the construction. At the meeting, 2,791 homes received final approval and 1,636 received an initial nod, the watchdog said.

Critics, including three major human rights groups, say those policies amount to apartheid, a charge Israel rejects.

Hagit Ofran, an expert at Peace Now, tweeted: “The state of Israel took another stumble toward the abyss and further deepened the occupation.”

“It’s bad news for Israel and for anyone who cares about the people in our region,” she said....

No one ever addresses the economic and cultural issues of Palestine in a real way. All that is ever discussed is violence. There is more to Palestine and Palestinians than violence.

Palestinians don't go around day after day with their hair on fire trying to end the existence of Israel. Why is that the only image the world sees? 

Al-Badawi olive tree (click here) in al-Walaja village, West Bank, seen in a still from a video uploaded Sept. 23, 2011.

...The olive harvest in the West Bank (click here) lasts roughly October through November, a festive season of family and friends coming together to pick olives, often on groves passed on through generations of ancestral inheritance. In the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 45 percent of agricultural land is planted with olive trees, with the olive oil industry making up a quarter of the region’s gross agricultural income, and supporting the livelihood of about 100,000 families. The olive tree also has broader meanings—historically, the long-living, slow-growing, and drought-resistant olive tree represents peace and resilience for Palestinians, and also holds symbolic value across the religious scriptures of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Dating back at least 4,000 years, Bethlehem’s Al-Badawi is one of the oldest olive trees in the world, a living reminder of the tree’s presence in the region. It is said to have been named after a villager in the Palestinian town of Al-Walaja, who could often be found sitting under the shade of the tree—resting and reflecting—over two centuries ago....

Ali Al-Samudi was the producer accompanying Shireen Abu Akleh.

He states from his emergency room bed that the crew were all wearing press jackets and helmets. He states clearly there is no mistaking who they were (click here for video).

 

What occurred with beef also occurred with dairy.

Trump's CAMUS has caused a drop in competition.

October 30, 2022
By Lori Robertson

...A consolidation trend (click here) - of fewer but bigger dairy farms — has been happening “for quite some time now,” Chad Hart, a professor of economics and crop markets specialist at Iowa State University, told us in a phone interview. A decline in the number of producers continued under the Trump administration, he said. 

It’s true that dairy farmers generally applauded the new United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, which went into effect on July 1, but Trump claimed “our dairy exports to Canada are expected to surge by at least 100%.” We found no support for that figure, and the president’s campaign didn’t respond to our query.

The International Trade Commission estimated dairy exports to Canada would increase by 43.8%, while dairy imports from Canada would go up 139.5% under the agreement, which would take six years to largely implement. The ITC described the overall impact as “small.”

Trump made his claims in an Oct. 27 rally in West Salem, Wisconsin....

Percentages can be deceiving. In 2016 the USA exported nearly four times more than was imported from Canada. To understand the percentages it must be realized that the USA was already exporting a far greater amount of milk to Canada. So, percentages can be deceiving. 

2016 Factsheet (click here)

There are basically five USA states that produce 64 percent of the milk. Milk production is an expensive business. From the utter of the cow to the bottle on the table, the entire pipeline is sterile and closed. So, in order to increase the competition the USA federal government needs to invest in more start up farms that can be equipped with "the pipeline." Setting up the dairy pipeline is the most challenging aspect of the operation. It is expensive to build and expensive to maintain. It is difficult for small producers to do the job. 

HOWEVER.

There are small farms still in existence such as "Moomers" in Traverse City (click here), Michigan. I am quite confident they are not alone in the USA. Moomers prides itself on it's ice cream. It sells it throughout the area. Very successfully, too. It is smaller operations like this that the federal government should encourage to produce more milk for use in baby formula. 

Like any other product in a capitalist economy, the shrinkage of competition under Republican leadership has cost the consumer dearly. Now, our very vulnerable Americans are at risk. This cannot be tolerated and it is up to Congress to address this issue and now.

The US House and Senate needs to take recommendations from the smaller dairies to help them to compete and produce to help the country move out of a baby formula scarcity. This is just not acceptable. The Congress needs to address the use of milk in the USA while exploring the balance of trade with Canada. It is not a problem that can be fixed overnight, but, it needs to be expedited to avoid any problems.

I remind. This is a Congress that defeated the codification of Roe v. Wade and if they don't act to increase the production of baby formula it will be all too obvious this is nothing but politics rather than a sincere concern for the country.

State legislators should explore the possibilities of promoting smaller dairies to help with a more abundant supply.

Sixty hours of investigation is a good start. I think a healthy debate between GMO and Non-GMO would be of interest to most any consumer

April 15, 2022
By Christina Szalinski

...We spent more than 60 hours (click here) researching formulas, interviewing pediatricians and other experts, and reading more than 20 scientific studies and journal articles. And we learned that all FDA-approved formulas made for healthy, full-term infants are safe and nutritionally adequate for normal growth and development from birth through the first year. We then analyzed the ingredients of more than 60 formulas to find the ones we think offer the best combination of evidence-backed benefits and value.

We recommend Costco’s Kirkland Signature ProCare Non-GMO Infant Formula, Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark Infant, and Target’s Up & Up Advantage Infant Formula, all generic options that are just as nutritious as brand-name versions, but much less expensive. We also recommend the generic Parent’s Choice Tender Infant Formula (the least expensive true “gentle” formula we’ve found) and Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula (an affordable organic formula). And we have information about an FDA-regulated “European-style” formula, as well as what to know about so-called toddler formula for older babies (hint: medical experts say it’s unnecessary)....

Welcome Aboard!

May 12, 2022
By Steven Erlanger

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left) (click here) and President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki

Brussels - Finland’s prime minister and president (click here) announced their support on Thursday for the nation to apply to join NATO.

President Sauli Niinisto, who is mostly responsible for Finland’s foreign policy, has helped orchestrate Finland’s move away from a long history of military nonalignment, prompted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

“Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay,” they said. “We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days.”...

It would be best  if all of Europe would join NATO. I really do believe Russian aggression is so egregious there is no looking back. Europe should have zero risk in allowing any further warring by Russia. Even little Iceland, the most peaceful country in all of Europe is a part of NATO. It knows where security can be found.

Putin was and is attempting to scare Europe into factions and dividing the continent to facilitate further aggression. If Ukraine's struggle proves anything it is that Putin has no respect for neutrality.

May 15, 2022
By Danya Hajjaji

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (click here) welcomed Finland's newly announced petition to join the alliance and promised a "smooth and swift" process.

In a statement emailed to Newsweek, Stoltenberg said: "I welcome the joint statement by President [Sauli] Niinistö and Prime Minister [Sanna] Marin supporting an application for NATO membership without delay. This is a sovereign decision by Finland, which NATO fully respects.

"Should Finland decide to apply, they would be warmly welcomed into NATO, and the accession process would be smooth and swift."...

I am surprised "Rich Strike" will not run in the Preakness Stakes..

It was the jockey. Sure he had a lot of horse under him, but, the jockey rode that horse from the start to the finish. 

It was Leon's third careless riding infraction in the last nine months (click here)

I don't know how reckless riding is defined, but, the owners of "Rich Strike" should appeal any suspension and let the horse run the Preakness. The thoroughbred is up to it. It would be a shame if this is the reason they aren't running the horse.

I watched whatever was on film because it was pure skill and knowing the horse that brought about an upset at Churchill Downs. Sonny Leon took Rich Strike to the rail at the back of the pack, or herd whichever is your pleasure, and stayed there. This group of three-year-olds were very closely matched. If one looks across the pedigree of these horses it is easy to see where the "trust" in the bloodlines lie. But, that aside, Sonny Leon was stealth in his riding and it was brilliant.

He hung back and no one ever expected to find him first at the finish line. The herd ran very closely together and the distance from the front of that herd to the back was limited. "Rich Strike" was never even stressed. It was a fast field and they all kept that pace. At no point did any one horse stand out as the obvious winner. The entire herd was competing and none of them quite and finished a distant last. 

When Rich Strike finally comes into the camera view he is being ridden and guided by Sonny Leon. I could not believe he rode that horse so brilliantly and Rich Strike listened to every command. That is rare to see. Usually, the winner of the Derby is so game that the jockey simply let's him run a race he was bred for, but, Rich Strike was pointed in the direction of the opening and the horse was looking for an opening to go there. As soon as Sonny was able to find open space it was the home stretch and Rich Strike outpaced every other horse on the track. If that was Sonny's strategy to allow the horse to run at the back near the rail until the top of the stretch and then turn the colt loose, then it worked and it worked beautifully.

I think Sonny Leon is a brilliant rider and a superior strategist. If that ability to strategize his horse's best assets gets him in trouble once in a while then I think the stewards overseeing the races don't know what they are looking at. 

 

Bank of England raises rates with concerns for 10 percent inflation.

5 May 2022
By Eshe Nelson

As prices for energy, food and commodities rise after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, (click here) the impact is being felt sharply around the world. In Britain, the central bank pushed interest rates to their highest level in 13 years on Thursday, in an effort to arrest rapidly rising prices even as the risk of recession is growing.

The bank predicted that inflation would rise to its highest level in four decades in the final quarter of this year, and that the British economy would shrink by nearly 1 percent.

“Global inflationary pressures have intensified sharply in the buildup to and following the invasion,” Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, said on Thursday. “This has led to a material deterioration in the outlook,” he added, for both the global and British economies. On an annual basis, the economy would also shrink next year.

The Bank of England raised interest rates to 1 percent from 0.75 percent, their highest level since 2009. Three members of the nine-person rate-setting committee wanted to take a more aggressive step and raise rates by half a percentage point. The Bank of England has raised rates at every policy meeting since December....

The West must go back to producing it's own goods. It looks like the USA is going to be feeding the world again. The USA can do it better and safer than any other country on the globe. The USA can also go back to producing goods and agricultural commodities with an eye on the climate.

May 6, 2022
By Franco Ordonez

Bilka, Ukraine — For Ukrainian farmer Anatolii Kulibaba, (click here) this year's planting season comes with anguish. Kulibaba is among many who were forced to flee their land as Russian forces moved in with their tanks.

In the first few days of the war, Russian soldiers delivered an even crueler blow: They killed Kulibaba's son, Oleksandr, as he was traveling to their village of Bilka, 25 miles from the Russian border.

"He was just 45. He had his whole life ahead of him," Kulibaba says.

Two months later, Kulibaba, 70, is still trying to work through the pain, but it's a struggle. He desperately misses his son, who also led most of the farm duties.

Kulibaba says he could really use Oleksandr's help right now, trying to restart production after Russian forces took over and destroyed parts of their farm.

Ukraine is one of the biggest producers of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, and the war has wreaked havoc on the so-called "breadbasket of Europe." Ukraine and Russia together account for over a quarter of the world's wheat exports. Ukraine's Ministry of Agriculture now says that 30% of the country's farmland is occupied or unsafe....

A week ago the DOW plunged 1000 points because the cost of crude oil spiked. All this is related to the war in Ukraine. The impact is global and you'll have to excuse me, but, would it be happening if Wall Street wasn't given a shot at cheap labor in Asia?

5 May 2022

By Gabriella Clare

Russian troops (click here) headed by Vladimir Putin are set to go to court to challenge an illegal order for them to fight in the war against Ukraine.

A total of 25 national guards “refuseniks”, who report directly to Putin, are demanding their job back after they were fired for defying commanders’ orders to send them to a foreign war zone.

The Vladikavkaz garrison military court (click here) is due to start considering their lawsuit on Thursday said lawyer and human rights campaigner Pavel Chikov.

Vladikavkaz Garrison is in Osettia. He must be pulling soldiers out from all over Russia. Word about the casualties must be reaching the Russian military. Otherwise why would they question anything?

They aim to prove that their dismissal was “illegal” since it was based on their refusal to enter Ukraine....

President Zelenskyy is correct in asking for a humanitarian corridor to the wounded in Mariupol.

"USA Today" photos show clearly these men are disabled and unable to fight any further. (click here)

May 11, 2022
By Jennifer Hassan

...Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, (click here) speaking to Agence France-Presse on Tuesday, said that more than 1,000 Ukrainian fighters, many of them injured, remain at the plant.

Later that day, Police Chief Mykhailo Vershynin, who is inside the plant, disputed those figures, telling The Post that other officials’ accounting of the number of civilians was wrong, without giving further details. Vershynin said there are more than 500 wounded people in the plant and that that number is increasing “every day.” The Post could not independently confirm any of the estimates....

Under normal conditions of war these humanitarian corridors would be initiated under the Geneva Conventions.

Convention (I) for the Amelioration (click here) of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. Geneva, 12 August 1949.

However. Vladimir Putin is not interested in humanitarian corridors, he is interested in killing.

October 17, 2019

Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin (click here) has revoked an additional protocol to the Geneva Conventions related to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts, a Russian parliamentary website cites a letter from him as saying.

The Additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Convention was ratified by the Soviet Union’s Supreme Council, or parliament, in 1989.

Putin’s letter, dated Oct. 16 and addressed to the speaker of lower house of parliament on the “recall of the statement made at the ratification”, said an international commission, set up in order to investigate war crimes against civilians, “has effectively failed to carry out its functions since 1991”.

“In the current international environment, the risks of the commission’s power abuse by the states, which are acting in bad faith, are increasing significantly,” says the document cited by the website that documents laws proposed and passed by the Russian parliament.

It also said that there was no Russian representative on the commission, while Russia has been regularly paying its fees.

It gave no further details about what prompted the decision....

Every place one looks, it is more and more obvious that Vladimir Putin has been preparing for genocide of Ukrainians for quite some time.

May 11, 2022
By Nicole Winfield

The wives of two Ukrainian soldiers (click here) defending the Mariupol steel mill met with Pope Francis on Wednesday and begged him to intervene to arrange for a third-party evacuation of the troops before Russian soldiers capture or kill them.

“You are our last hope. We hope you can save their lives. Please don’t let them die,” said a weeping Kateryna Prokopenko as she greeted Francis at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Standing by her side, Yuliia Fedusiuk, told Francis that food and water were running out in the mill, that some soldiers were injured or dead and that those who are alive were ready to lay down their arms if they could be evacuated to a third country.

“They will not go to Russian captivity because they will be tortured and killed,” Fedusiuk told Francis, according to a video of the encounter shot by another member of their entourage, Pyotr Verzilov, a prominent member of the Russian protest group Pussy Riot who is working on a documentary about Ukraine.

Prokopenko’s husband, Denys Prokopenko, is the commander of the Azov Regiment in the Azovstal mill, while Fedusiuk’s husband, Arseniy Fedusiuk, is one of the Azov fighters who have been defending the mill from encroaching Russian forces for more than two months.

The young women have been in Italy for over two weeks seeking to rally international support for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff at the plant, the last holdout of Ukrainian resistance in the strategic port city....

Putin's dedication to kill innocent Ukrainians is not ceasing.

April 23, 2022

Russian missiles hit Odessa apartment blocks, killing at least 8 — including baby (click here)

At least eight civilians — including a 3-month-old baby — were killed Saturday after Russian forces fired multiple cruise missiles at Odessa, Ukraine’s largest Black Sea port.

Russian President Volodymyr Zelensky decried Russia’s latest attack on civilians.

“When the war began, this child was a month old,” Zelensky told reporters during a Saturday press conference. “What is going on? Stinkybastards.”...

She is dead though. She was shot dead. Someone is responsible. How does this happen in the West Bank?

May 11, 2022

An Al Jazeera correspondent (click here) who was shot dead on Wednesday during an Israeli raid in the West Bank was a highly respected journalist in the Middle East whose unflinching coverage was known to millions of viewers.

News of Shireen Abu Akleh’s death reverberated across the region. The 51-year-old journalist became a household name synonymous with Al Jazeera’s coverage of life under occupation during her more than two decades reporting in the Palestinian territories, including during the second intifada, or uprising, that killed thousands on both sides, most of them Palestinians.

Abu Akleh’s name trended across Twitter in Arabic on Wednesday, setting social media alight with support for the Palestinians. Her image was projected over the main square in the West Bank city of Ramallah as mourners flooded the Al Jazeera offices there and her family home in east Jerusalem.

Al Jazeera and witnesses, including her producer who was shot in the back Wednesday, said she was killed by Israeli gunfire. Israel said it was unclear who was responsible, calling it “premature and irresponsible to cast blame at this stage.”...

There should be no hesitation to empower women to own their own lives.

A life is not possible without a body. It is time to empower all women to take control of their lives, including that of the future of their families.

11 May 2022
By Lauren Gambino

The Senate (click here) was poised on Wednesday to block a bill that would codify abortion rights into federal law, in a largely symbolic vote Democrats said was critical to mobilizing Americans around the issue ahead of a likely supreme court decision overturning Roe v Wade.

Democrats moved quickly to hold the vote after a leak last week of a draft opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito in February and confirmed as authentic, indicated that a majority of the court had privately voted to strike down Roe and subsequent rulings.

The extraordinary disclosure ignited protests around the country, pushing the deeply divisive issue to the center of US political life....

Becoming pregnant is a serious decision and it should never be treated as anything less than a choice about a woman's life. Spacing babies matters.

30 October 2018

Mothers should wait at least a year (click here) between giving birth and getting pregnant again to reduce health risks to mother and baby, a new study says.

But researchers say they need not wait as long as the 18 months recommended in the current World Health Organization guidelines.

Small gaps between pregnancies risk premature births, smaller babies and infant and mother mortality.

The researchers hope the findings will be "reassuring" for older women.

Senior study author Dr Wendy Norman said it was "encouraging news" for women over 35 who were planning their families.

"Older mothers for the first time have excellent evidence to guide the spacing of their children," she said....

Women need choices to manage their reproductive health. A lot rides on the option for abortion. Over and over in countries across the world, even Iran, researchers have found that FAMILY PLANNING and the spacing of pregnancies are vital to maternal health and well being to facilitate a strong and vital parent.

Women, no matter their age, should never take pregnancy lightly. Pregnancy can be the one true element that casts women into poverty far more often than any other factor.

Number 8 (Reaffirmed 2021)

This document is endorsed by the American College of Nurse-Midwives and the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health. This document was developed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal–Fetal Medicine in collaboration with Judette Marie Louis MD, MPH; Allison Bryant, MD, MPH; Diana Ramos, MD, MPH; Alison Stuebe, MD, MSc; and Sean C. Blackwell, MD.

...Prepregnancy, postpartum, interpregnancy, and well-woman care (click here) are interrelated and can be defined by their relationship to the timing of pregnancy. For women who become pregnant, pregnancy is recognized as a window to future health because complications during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and fetal growth restriction, are associated with risk of health complications later in life. The interpregnancy period is an opportunity to address these complications or medical issues that have developed during pregnancy, to assess a woman’s mental and physical well-being, and to optimize her health along her life course. The yield of this effort is improved maternal health at the start of the next pregnancy, which leads to improved health outcomes for the infant. The proposed long-term yield is improved long-term health for the woman. Therefore, interpregnancy care aims to maximize a woman’s level of wellness not just in between pregnancies and during subsequent pregnancies, but also along her life course. Because the interpregnancy period is a continuum for overall health and wellness, all women of reproductive age who have been pregnant regardless of the outcome of their pregnancies (ie, miscarriage, abortion, preterm, full-term delivery), should receive interpregnancy care as a continuum from postpartum care (see the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ [ACOG] Committee Opinion Optimizing Postpartum Care or the For More Information section). However, it should be acknowledged that not all women will want to or will have subsequent pregnancies or children....

Well Woman Care includes the abortion option. When "Moscow" Mitch makes statements about passing federal law to end abortion if the entire government were majority Republican, he does not care about Well Woman Care, the health of the neonate, or the well being of the country.

...A well-woman exam (click here) also referred to as an annual exam, is a check on female reproductive and gynecological health. Women do not need well-woman exams until the age of 13 or the start of the first menstrual cycle. The doctor will check height, weight, blood pressure, and menstrual cycle symptoms. Irregular periods are to be expected during the first couple of years. Heavy bleeding or intense pain could be a sign of further medical issues. Women generally do not need pelvic exams and Pap tests before the age of 21, unless sexually active. Sexually active females, at any age, will undergo STD testing. Breast exams are part of normal testing. Mammograms are typically not needed until a female reaches age 40....

Black women and Hispanic women die more often in childbirth than any other ethnicity in the USA. That cannot be ignored and abortion is an option to end devastating health issues that occur in full term pregnancies and will effect the well being of the mother for the rest of her life. The idea abortion is some kind of "Moscow" Mitch ranting about babies PROVES he knows NOTHING about the dangers of frequent pregnancies even to the outcomes of the infant, yet alone the all to often infant without a mother due to death in child birth.

The United States of America, MUST, pass a Well Woman Care Act that includes more than adequate funding for all aspects of a woman's life. This is the right and correct path and every woman in the USA should be demanding there be every option available to her and her doctor to maintain and improve the health of mother and baby.

A WOMAN'S BODY IS NOT A POLITICAL WEAPON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apprehended

Casey White and Vicky White have been apprehended in Indiana. We are a little safer today.

No officers were injured. Vicky White is hospitalized with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There was a car chase and the truck they were driving was crashed. 

Vicky White was the only one injured. What was she thinking? He was a very dangerous man. I guess they were headed for Canada from Alabama. They would have been stopped at the border.

The women that love too much.

Jury selection error and a potential prejudiced female juror erases all the facts of a pregnant woman.

“Time,” April 28, 2003 and the dead still can’t rest in the peace of justice.

Good night.

Happy Mother’s Day

When are women going to be respected for their own lives and decisions?

We really needed Hillary. Greed and disloyalty won in 2016.

American women need an agenda all their own and hold to it until it is achieved. Men in power will never achieve an agenda for women. It will never happen. 

- The Equal Rights Amendment which will include equal pay for equal work.

- Protective rights for the family including a   permanent child tax credit that support and elevate children in their natural families.

- Climate solutions that end the danger of greenhouse gases forever.

- Made permanent The Violence Against Women’s Act

- Permanent guarantee for Women’s health care, including abortions of unwanted pregnancy decided between the woman and her doctor.

- Sex education that is concise and age appropriate as part of health education that beginning in the 4th grade.

- Support for gender identity issues as early as birth in the case of transgender when genetic analysis reveals potential gender struggles. Support for parents to make well informed decisions as children grow and their identity emerges. A new discipline within genetic medicine recognized by healthcare insurances specializing in gender identity support.

- Permanent funding for Planned Parenthood and similar agencies that provides a safe haven for the decisions of minor girls under the age of 18. Reproductive education and inexpensive contraception for young women beginning at age 15. Opening options for the education and intervention for boys and men including male contraception and birth control.

- Strong laws holding rapists and pedophiles, including incestuous family members, responsible for their actions, including the payment of abortion options that remove forever the link between victim and perpetrator.

- Well funded research and development that builds a high quality of life for every girl and woman.

- Funding for higher education in all disciplines, with The Equal Rights Amendment providing every opportunity.

- A mandate for a seat at every table and committee impacting women, children and family such as paid family leave beginning with the optimal home time for the safety of father, mother and infant with options to work at home for the duration of the pregnancy and appropriate months after the birth.

- Nutritional Education throughout life to end heart disease and cancers in women forever.

On this Mother’s Day…

 …I wish all Moms, Grandmoms and Great Grandmoms a happy day full of those they love. 

It is notable today that First Lady Jill Biden is spending her Mother’s Day in Ukraine where these past months women, pregnant women, children and infants are under attack and dying. This is the second high ranking person in the USA government to visit Ukraine. First Lady Biden is making a huge statement today in the face of genocide by Russia of innocent women and children.

In the USA, there are families with children mired in homelessness. The last count occurred before the beginning of the pandemic. There were more than a half million Americans homeless and of them 30 percent were families with children. Of the 70 percent individuals homeless 6 percent were unaccompanied youth under the age of 25.

American women have been second class citizens for far too long.

 Think, Rape Kits.

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/05/06/rape-kit-initiative-leads-to-indictment-in-12-year-old-cold-case-in-new-bedford/?s_campaign=Email:BComToday&SUBID=1d2a42b20e&AUDID=24385105

Now, with the Supreme Court acting against American women to impose pregnancy on those raped and victims of incest, it is all too clear, we were never important in the first place.

They are going to make women be haunted forever with PTSD and the fear of it happening again. How many women raped would have been prevented if the evidence in the kit was processed and arrests with convictions were carried out? It is appalling to think about.

Worthing is not ready for prime time. That is blatant racism.

May 6, 2022
By Ron Fonger

Flint - A white Flint city councilwoman (click here) who called her Black colleague’s actions “ghetto” says she is “very sorry for my choice of words.”

9th Ward Councilwoman Eva Worthing made the comment off her microphone during a committee meeting on Wednesday, May 4.

“It was a knee-jerk reaction. I said, ‘That’s ghetto’ under my breath ...,” Worthing said Friday, May 6. “I felt threatened” by “unprofessional and unsophisticated” comments made by 5th Ward Councilwoman Jerri Winfrey-Carter, who is Black....

"Decision Day" has come.

May 6, 2022

Stories of success from Flint kids (click here) filled the Mott Memorial Building Auditorium on Friday afternoon.

Flint Southwestern Classical Academy’s 74 members of the senior class announced plans for after graduation during a “Decision Day” event at Mott Community College.

Students will soon be moving on to the workforce, armed forces and colleges all across the country.

Many are headed to Mott Community College and the University of Michigan-Flint, but the list doesn’t end there.....

The Governor and his administration must answer for what they did to an entire city.

May 6, 2022

The Michigan Supreme Court (click here) heard oral arguments Wednesday on whether defendants in the Flint water criminal case were denied a key constitutional right. If they win, charges against defendants going all the way up to ex-Gov. Rick Snyder could be thrown out.

The specific issue before the court is whether three of the defendants were denied their right to a preliminary hearing. The preliminary hearing is where prosecutors have to show a judge they have enough evidence to take a case to trial. But the government says that step’s been covered because these charges were brought in this unique process where a judge acts as both prosecutor and grand jury.

The state’s lawyers focused on the argument that even if it’s unusual, the law allows for a one-judge grand jury to decide whether to charge or not to charge.

Assistant Attorney General Christopher Kessel said the Flint water case is an unusual situation “…where the allegations of government corruption at the highest level do result in the victimization of an entire city. Now, I appreciate that defendants want to have a preliminary exam, but defendants are not entitled to choose their right of prosecution.”

The defendants are former state Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter. Former state health official Nancy Peeler is charged with misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty. Richard Baird, a top adviser to then-Gov. Rick Snyder, faces charges of misconduct, perjury and extortion.

Defense counsel Harold Gurewitz represents Nancy Peeler. He said the preliminary examination protects defendants’ rights....