Important Takeaways:
- Russia’s Medvedev Says Any UK Troop Deployment to Ukraine Would Be a Declaration of War
- Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, made the comments in response to a visit by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Kyiv to announce an increase in military funding to help Ukraine purchase new military drones.
- “I hope that our eternal enemies – the arrogant British – understand that deploying an official military contingent to Ukraine would be a declaration of war against our country,” Medvedev wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
- Medvedev cast himself as a liberal modernizer when he was president from 2008-2012, but now presents himself as one of the fiercest anti-Western Kremlin hawks.
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Important Takeaways:
- Biden faces fury from the left for launching airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen without going to Congress: Democrats rage at the ‘unacceptable violation of the constitution’ as Turkey accuses US and UK of turning Red Sea into a ‘bloodbath’
- President Joe Biden is facing rage from the left for launching overnight airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval.
- It came as Turkey accused the US and UK of turning the Red Sea into a ‘bloodbath’ and there were growing fears of widespread escalating violence in the Middle East.
- Democrats on Capitol Hill claim it was ‘unconstitutional’ for the president to order US fighter jets, destroyers and submarines to hit targets used by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
- The US used more than 100 precision missiles striking at around 2.30am local time on over 60 targets at 16 locations in the massive operation that led to powerful explosions lighting up the night sky in Yemen.
- The Houthi rebels, who have been attacking international shipping in the Red Sea, vowed to make the allies behind the attacks ‘pay a heavy price’ for the ‘blatant aggression’ they claim has killed at least five fighters.
- Article 1 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war.
- However, under the War Powers Act of 1973 the president is only required to inform Congress of military action within 48 hours.
- Under that act, if Congress does not then declare war, the president must end the military action within 60 days, with another 30 days for withdrawal.
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Important Takeaways:
- Startling new report finds hormone-warping chemicals in 99 PERCENT of food sold in American stores – which may raise risk of cancer, autism and infertility
- ‘Forever chemicals’ linked to cancer are found in virtually every food product sold in American stores, a shocking report suggests.
- The watchdog Consumer Reports tested 85 everyday items for the presence of phthalates and bisphenols, two types of PFAS chemicals used to make plastics.
- The researchers tried to make their sample size as broad as possible – testing water, soda, cereal, bread, meat, fish, condiments, desserts and even baby food.
- All but one product tested positive for the substances, which have been dubbed ‘forever chemicals’ because they are virtually impossible to break down in the body where they cause untold health problems.
- It comes amid growing fears about the massive amounts of chemicals being ingested by Americans every year. A study earlier this week found water bottled contain a quarter of a million pieces of microscopic plastics.
- The product with the highest amount of phthalates per serving in nanograms was Annie’s canned organic cheesy ravioli, which contained 53,580 nanograms of phthalates per serving.
- Exposure to phthalates has been linked to asthma, ADHD, breast cancer, obesity and type II diabetes.
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Important Takeaways:
- Putin doesn’t scare me… I’m ready to fight: The young Swedes who say they are prepared to take up arms after minister sparked panic by insisting there ‘could be war’ in the country for the first time in 210 years
- Young Swedes are prepared to fight if needed following the country’s Civil Defense minister urging people to ‘prepare for war’.
- Sweden has not been involved in hostilities for 210 years but Carl-Oskar Bohlin said earlier this week the population should join volunteer defense groups.
- He told citizens to ask themselves ‘who are you if war comes?’ in a rousing speech which some have dismissed as scaremongering as the country prepares to join NATO.
- The country is expected to join NATO by the end of July and the government has pledged to meet the organization’s goal of 2 per cent GDP defense spending which is twice the usual amount.
- Sandwich shop worker Lukas Stahl, 25, from Sormland, said: ‘Personally, what the Minister said doesn’t worry me greatly, I’m not easily scared, and I can’t see any immediate threat.
- ‘At the same time, I agree that we should be prepared as a country and we don’t want to be caught sleeping but I’m not going to rush out and stock up on tinned food and batteries.
- ‘I am prepared to fight for my country if needed and although I wasn’t conscripted when I was younger, I am ready to do my bit.
- ‘In Sweden you can be called into service up until the age of 30 so I have five years left and I am more than willing to protect our people.
- ‘Putin doesn’t scare me and Ukraine is a different case from Sweden. I can’t see Russia attacking us now as they have too many other things to worry about.’
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Important Takeaways:
- OC food banks see rise in demand following inflation
- Despite a recent cooling of inflation, organizations in Orange County dedicated to serving the most vulnerable populations report a tremendous need.
- Two prominent nonprofits in Orange County both agreed on the demand for affordable options. They are not only witnessing an increase in the number of families seeking assistance but are also encountering new families that have never sought help before.
- In Orange County, one in every 12 people is facing food insecurity, according to reports.
- “We are seeing a lot of new families who have never had to access these services before,” said Madelynn Hirneise, CEO of Families Forward.
- Helena, an Irvine resident and mother of three, challenges stereotypes about the area’s affluence, sharing that it is becoming increasingly harder to stretch a dollar. “If you fill up the cart, that’s a lot of money, it’s like one week of pay check,” said Helena.
- The nonprofit Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, which provides food for 400,000 people a month in Orange County, has seen a nearly 60 percent increase in demand since before the pandemic.
- Items like milk, greens, and fresh fruits have become luxuries that many families can no longer afford. The struggle to maintain a decent standard of living has become a widespread concern.
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Important Takeaways:
- Israeli hospitals near Lebanon border preparing for ‘desert island’ scenarios
- A massive attack by Hezbollah could leave the medical centers for days without access to equipment, medicine or food, as well as staff in the reserves
- The Israeli Health Ministry ordered hospitals in the north to be ready to receive thousands of wounded, under extraneous conditions, as fighting intensifies on Israel’s border with Lebanon, according to a report by Kan.
- The Ziv Hospital in Safed and the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya started preparing for what has been described as a “desert island” situation, meaning days without equipment, medicines or food in the event of a massive Hezbollah attack.
- The hospitals in Safed and Nahariya have also been instructed to prepare for the transfer of patients to other medical centers. Furthermore, the Health Ministry advised an increased vigilance and preparedness in all hospital systems and health insurance funds across the country.
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Important Takeaways:
- Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will visit the border region with a quick stop in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Monday — just two days before he is slated to appear for impeachment proceedings before the House Committee on Homeland Security. Mayorkas’ visit will include meetings with local officials, Customs and Border Protection staff members, and Border Patrol officials from the Del Rio Sector.
- The visit will not include an opportunity for the media to question Mayorkas, nor will it involve any events open to the public.
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Important Takeaways:
- The judge in former President Donald Trump’s New York fraud trial has barred him from speaking in his own defense during closing arguments later this week.
- The former president, 77, is a defendant in the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
- His business empire in New York is on the line, and James has asked for his business to be fined $370 million for inflating property prices to get favorable loan deals.
- An attorney for Trump informed Judge Arthur Engoron earlier this week that the ex-president wished to speak during the closing arguments and Engoron initially approved the plan, The Associated Press reported.
- Now Engoron has rescinded the move, even though Trump is still expected to appear.
- [So what inclined the Judge to block/ban Trump from speaking]
- The judge then said that Trump would have to stick to what attorneys say in closing arguments, which includes ‘commentary on the relevant, material facts that are in evidence, and application of the relevant law to those facts.’
- He also wouldn’t be allowed to criticize the judge, his staff, Attorney General James, her lawyers or the court system, Engoron wrote, according to the AP.
- Trump’s attorney Christopher Kise told Engoron that those limitations were unfair and the ex-president could not agree to them.
- This prompted Engoron to put a stop to Trump’s plan.
- On Friday, after James asked Engoron to have him pay $370 million – up from $250 million – Trump hammered the decision while on the campaign trail Friday night in Sioux Center, Iowa.
- ‘So if you don’t mind, I was a little bit angry when I walked in. Did you notice the anger? Maybe not. But the corrupt AG wants $370 million for a fee for what I did and I did nothing wrong. Nothing,’ Trump said. ‘This is weaponization at a level that nobody’s ever seen.’
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Important Takeaways:
- Trump Blasts AI As ‘Very Dangerous’ Threat to U.S.
- Former President Donald Trump has warned that artificial intelligence (A.I.) is “very dangerous for our country” in a post on Truth Social.
- Trump’s comments came after AI-generated, fake images of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein surfaced online, peddled by Hollywood “celebrities” attempting to deflect attention from the habits of their own friends and colleagues.
- “This is what the Democrats do to their Republican Opponent, who is leading them, by a lot, in the Polls. This is A.I., and it is very dangerous for our Country!” wrote Trump. “I was never on Epstein’s Plane, or at his ‘stupid’ Island. Strong Laws ought to be developed against A.I. It will be a big and very dangerous problem in the future!”
- Although Trump’s name appeared in court documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, the documents revealed that Trump never traveled on Epstein’s plane nor visited his private island.
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Important Takeaways:
- Lethal Infection of Human ACE2-Transgenic Mice Caused by SARS-CoV-2- related Pangolin Coronavirus
- SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronavirus GX_P2V(short_3UTR) can cause 100% mortality in human ACE2-transgenic mice, potentially attributable to late-stage brain infection. This underscores a spillover risk of GX_P2V into humans and provides a unique model for understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-related viruses.
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