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Ruth King

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Antifa Just Did Something Even Ted Wheeler Admits Is Attempted Murder, Not Protest By Tyler O’Neil

By on April 12th, 2021

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/tyler-o-neil/2021/04/11/antifa-sets-fire-to-portland-ice-hq-with-people-inside-n1439102

On Saturday night, about 100 leftist protesters dressed in antifa’s signature black bloc set fire to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in Portland, Ore., with people inside the building.

At around 9 p.m. West Coast time, Grace Morgan reported that roughly 100 people had showed up at the ICE building to protest. Activists tagged the building with graffiti reading “F**K ICE” and “This is indigenous land.” They also set a fire, fired a flare above the roof and threw eggs at the door.

Agitators chanted, “Every city, every town, burn the precinct to the ground” on repeat as they lit the building on fire. Independent Media PDX captured footage of the arson.

Andy Ngo, editor at large at The Post Millennial, noted that an antifa agitator gave the Black Lives Matter fist salute while the crowd cheered at the ICE building catching fire. “Officers were trapped inside when antifa set the building on fire,” he claimed.

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ENVIRONMENT AND JUNK SCIENCE Comments turned off

Are You Ready For Biden’s Ban On Gas-Powered Cars?

By on April 12th, 2021

https://issuesinsights.com/2021/04/12/are-you-ready-for-bidens-ban-on-gas-powered-cars/

“The late great conservative icon M. Stanton Evans put it best: “Liberals don’t care what you do,” he quipped, “as long as it’s compulsory.”

In the next couple of months, the Environmental Protection Agency will issue new fuel economy standards that could be impossible for carmakers to meet – without going electric. That, at least, is what President Joe Biden’s EPA Administrator Michael Regan is indicating.

In an interview with Bloomberg last week, Regan talked about imposing rules that meet
“the urgency of the climate crisis,” and “did not rule out future emissions requirements that create a de facto ban on new conventional, gasoline-powered automobiles, like an explicit phase-out ordered by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.”

Regan could, for example, require automakers to sell cars that get an average of 70 mpg – something that only electric cars could meet. The most fuel-efficient hybrid on the market tops out at 59 mpg. The most efficient gas-powered car – the tiny Mitsubishi Mirage – gets 39 mpg.

The prospect of a Biden ban on gas-powered vehicles shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. As we noted last year, Biden promised voters he would do just this – impose regulations on automakers that they could only meet by selling electric cars.

As a matter of fact, he promised that on his first day in office, he’d develop “rigorous new fuel economy standards aimed at ensuring 100% of new sales for light- and medium-duty vehicles will be zero emissions.”

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

The Filibuster Made the Civil Rights Act Possible It prevented Southern senators from blocking debate and created the conditions for consensus.By David Hoppe

By on April 12th, 2021

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-filibuster-made-the-civil-rights-act-possible-11618174288?mod=opinion_lead_pos7

The debate over the future of the Senate’s legislative filibuster has focused on the simple use of majority power to crush the opposition. While the future of America’s bicameral legislature and the balance of power created by the Founders is riding on this debate, many have lost sight of the true nature and value of the Senate, an institution that takes time and requires compromise to find long-term answers to major issues. Critics have linked the filibuster to Jim Crow segregation, but the tactic actually played a crucial role in passing civil-rights legislation and ensuring it was accepted by the South.

Rule 22, which establishes a procedure called “cloture” to end a filibuster, was created to provide a way to close debate with support of a supermajority in the Senate and move to pass legislation. The rule protected the minority’s rights while allowing a compromise to be achieved that would ultimately result in legislation being passed.

For the first 47 years after Rule 22’s enactment in 1917, there were only five successful attempts to cut off debate in the U.S. Senate. A few senators felt so strongly about their right to extended debate that they vowed never to vote for cloture, even for legislation they supported.

There were several successful filibusters of civil-rights legislation between 1917 and 1964. But after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided to make the Civil Rights Act his chief legislative priority. He worked with Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and Minority Leader Everett Dirksen to maneuver the bill through the challenges of senators who planned to filibuster.

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FOREIGN POLICY, ISRAEL Comments turned off

Is President Biden Trying to Sabotage Israeli Military Moves? Benny Avni

By on April 12th, 2021

https://www.nysun.com/foreign/is-president-biden-trying-to-sabotage-israeli/91474/

As Iran suffers a host of mysterious mishaps, Israelis are at arms over press leaks of sensitive military information. Are Israeli officials too eager to brag about their battlefield success, or are Americans, in an effort to appease the ayatollahs, trying to sabotage Israel’s military efforts?

At issue is a leak to the New York Times on last week’s attack on an Iranian ship. And even as Israelis debate the consequences of that leak, the headlines were grabbed by a new operation in Iran — at the nuclear facility at Nantaz. Who is whispering to reporters, spilling details that according to Israel’s official policy should remain secret?*

Sunday morning’s damage to the Iranian nuclear facility at Natanz, described by Tehran officials as “nuclear terrorism,” was immediately seized-on by the Israeli press. Newspapers described the event in remarkably uniform language, indicating reporters were briefed from on high within the Israeli government.

According to these reports the damage at Natanz was much more extensive than the Iranian officials let on. Several papers — hint-hint, wink, wink — ran sidebars documenting past Israeli operations like the now famous Stuxnet cyber attack on Natanz, widely reported at the time as an America-Israeli joint effort.

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Due Process, Adult Sexual Morality and the Case of Rep. Matt Gaetz: Glenn Greenwald

By on April 12th, 2021

https://greenwald.substack.com/p/due-process-adult-sexual-morality

The Florida Congressman has not been charged with any crimes. But the reaction to this case raises important questions of political, legal and cultural judgments.

That Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is a pedophile, a sex trafficker, and an abuser of women who forces them to prostitute themselves and use drugs with him is a widespread assumption in many media and political circles. That is true despite the rather significant fact that not only has he never been charged with (let alone convicted of) such crimes, but also no evidence has been publicly presented that any of it is true. He has also vehemently denied all of it. All or some of these accusations very well may be true and, one day — perhaps imminently — there will be ample publicly available evidence demonstrating this.

But that day has not yet arrived. As of now, we know very little beyond what The New York Times initially reported about all of this on March 30: that “people close to the investigation” told the paper that “a Justice Department investigation into Representative Matt Gaetz and an indicted Florida politician is focusing on their involvement with multiple women who were recruited online for sex and received cash payments.” The article also said the DOJ “inquiry is also examining whether Mr. Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old girl and whether she received anything of material value.” Both the NYT and, later, The Daily Beast, indicated the existence of financial transactions involving payments by Gaetz to his associate Joel Greenberg, currently charged with multiple felonies. The New York Times article made clear: “No charges have been brought against Mr. Gaetz, and the extent of his criminal exposure is unclear.” That is still true.

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ELECTIONS Comments turned off

Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger’s Amicus Brief Attempting to Prevent an Independent Audit in the State’s 2020 Election Results Includes At Least Seven False Accusations By Joe Hoft

By on April 12th, 2021

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/04/georgia-secretary-state-raffenspergers-amicus-brief-attempting-prevent-independent-audit-states-2020-election-results-includes-least-seven-false-accusations/

“What is Raffensperger so scared about that he would intentionally disregard the truth in his letter to the court?”

Last week we reported that Georgia’s creepy Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger had petitioned the court to request that the state of Georgia not have to provide paper ballots in an audit requested and awarded by the court.

Yesterday, creative destruction media, listed seven instances in Raffensperger’s letter that are just plain false:

The brief falsely claims that Petitioners did not articulate legal justification to unseal the ballots while it totally ignores the most important point of relevant law that any court can unseal ballots for any reason under O.C.G.A. 21-2-500. If the controversies surrounding the Nov 3rd 2020 election do not justify reasons to unseal the ballots then what would?
The brief falsely portrays the lawsuit as only Open Records Request Act claims when in reality, most are Equal Protection and Due Process claims that justify unsealing of the ballots as part of discovery for evidence to adjudicate the claims;
The brief restates the oft-repeated false claims that there are overwhelming security and privacy issues involving the ballots. The ballots contain no voter identifiable information and will remain in the custody of Fulton Co. during the inspection according to the most recently filed inspection plan;

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ISRAEL Comments turned off

GOOD NEWS FROM AMAZING ISRAEL FROM MICHAEL ORDMAN

By on April 11th, 2021

Decolonization from Great Britain accelerated greatly in the aftermath of World War 2. Jordan, India Pakistan, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Israel and Sudan all gained independence from British rule in one decade. Taken in proportion to their respective populations Israel’s development of state-of-the-art technology, medicine, and science is outsize and benefits the entire globe. Israel’s music, art, theater, dance, cuisine and cinema bring creativity and entertainment to the world. Its admirable social and help institutions bring succor to the victims of disaster, famine and illness whenever needed. And it is a vibrant democracy protected by government and a proud military on land and sea. All the foregoing and Michael Ordman’s weekly blog gives the lie to the slanderous and biased Israel bashers. rsk

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
Bacteria can help anti-cancer immune response.  There is a complex relationship between bacteria and cancer (reported here previously). Now, scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered that bacteria inside cancer cells can provoke an immune reaction against the tumor, which chemotherapy can further exploit.
https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/bacteria-may-aid-anti-cancer-immune-response
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03368-8
 
Jumpstarting the brain to treat “Covid depression”. Israel’s BrainsWay (reported here previously) is now using its transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technology to treat patients suffering with depression due to Covid. It is focusing on those struggling with recovery, who have lost loved ones, in financial difficulties etc.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3901032,00.html
 
Background radiation and cancer. (TY UWI) Ben Gurion University scientists studying naturally occurring ionizing radiation in the US, discovered that, contrary to expectations, higher levels of radiation lead to lower levels of many solid cancers. Levels of other cancers were not influenced by background radiation levels.
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/news/background-radiation.aspx
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10522-020-09909-4
 
 
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
 
Partnering NASA to benefit global food security. Israel’s CropX (reported here previously) has partnered NASA Harvest (NASA’s Food Security and Agriculture Program) to provide NASA with soil insights for its global agricultural monitoring efforts. NASA is testing CropX across Arizona farms to fine-tune its algorithms.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-harvest-and-cropx-partner-to-support-sustainable-agriculture
 
US teens return to study in Israel. As Covid-19 infection rates fall, JNF-USA has launched Operation Zion to bring global students to Israel. They will study at JNF-USA’s Alexander Muss High School in Hod Hasharon, and travel around Israel. 240 teens, mainly from the US have just arrived and more are on their way.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jewish-national-fund-usa-first-to-bring-american-teens-back-to-israel-301264042.html   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYdUHghrIPU
 
 
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
 
Back on campus. Israeli students at Israeli institutes of higher education have returned to study physically at their colleges following the end of the Passover holiday. Those not fully vaccinated continue to study virtually.
https://www.technion.ac.il/en/2021/03/technion-city-opens-for-spring-semester/
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/Pages/coronavirus-updates.aspx  https://international.huji.ac.il/  
https://english.tau.ac.il/covid19center  https://www.biu.ac.il/en/news/8947
 
Powering the Israeli nanosatellites. The high-functioning LEON processors of Israel’s Ramon.Space (reported here previously) powered the three Technion nanosatellites launched into orbit in March. Having powered missions from many countries, CEO Avi Shabtai was proud to be a key part of an Israeli one.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3900826,00.html
 
Helping the US re-open after Covid. Felicity Kay, from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), speaks at Atlantic City Airport about IAI’s Tamar COVID detection technology designed to keep airline passengers safe. She also describes IAI’s Grenada Covid-19 disinfecting UV flashlight (see here). See other IAI Covid innovations here.
https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/videos/news/2021/04/01/watch-new-covid-19-detection-technology-demonstration-atlantic-city-airport-iai-grenada-tamar/4828932001/
 
All-seeing. Israel-based Nanomotion has developed precision motion technology that could revolutionize vision technology. It has potential benefits from complex surgery to emergency rescue drones. Miniature motors use ultrasonic standing wave piezoelectric technology, to form the basis of tiny, powerful high-resolution cameras.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3900535,00.html   https://www.nanomotion.com/
 
Cyber security for ships. Maritime vessels, e.g. tankers, have no IT experts on board, slow Internet access, and spend weeks at sea. Israel’s Cydome Security provides a niche cyber solution to safeguard ships, including command and control, communications, guidance, sensors, and links to coastal infrastructures.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3900451,00.html
 
Teaching English to Israeli techies. Israeli online business school Jolt (reported here previously) is partnering  TALMA, the Israel Program for Excellence in English (reported here previously), to help raise the standard of English speaking, writing, and reading, required for employment in the high-tech industry.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3902031,00.html
 

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WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Who done it? Iran reports electrical ‘incident’ at Natanz a day after advanced centrifuges spun up

By on April 11th, 2021

https://www.jns.org/iran-reports-electrical-incident-at-natanz-a-day-after-advanced-centrifuges-spun-up

The accident caused no casualties or pollution and is under investigation, says Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman • Former top Israeli defense official: “Israeli attack can’t be ruled out.”

Iranian state media reported an “incident” at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility on Sunday, a day after advanced uranium-enrichment centrifuges were spun up at the site as part of its “National Nuclear Technology Day.”

Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told Iran’s Fars News Agency that the incident involved the electricity distribution network at the facility, and had caused no casualties or pollution.

The accident is under investigation, and additional information will be announced later, he said.

Giora Eiland, a former head of the Israel Defense Forces Operations Branch, said that the power outage could have been sabotage.

“According to reports, this was not a power cut that you can solve by flicking a switch back up,” he told Army Radio.

Eiland, who is also a former head of Israel’s National Security Council, said that the installation of new equipment at the facility might have created an opportunity for a potential attacker, “whether through cyber [means] or through other damaging means placed in centrifuges ahead of time.”

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CHARLOTTE'S NEWS WEB, NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Buttigieg Claims Racism Is ‘Physically Built’ Into U.S. Interstate System By Jon Brown •

By on April 11th, 2021

https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-claims-racism-is-physically-built-into-

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg claimed in a recent interview that racism is “physically built” into parts of the U.S. highway system.

Responding to an allegation from theGrio White House correspondent April Ryan that the interstate system was “built on a racist system” meant “to keep certain groups in and certain groups out,” Buttigieg agreed, saying, “Yeah, often this wasn’t just an act of neglect. Often this was a conscious choice. There is racism physically built into some of our highways, and that’s why the jobs plan has specifically committed to reconnect some of the communities that were divided by these dollars.”

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CHARLOTTE'S NEWS WEB, NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

The First AOC Administration Larry Thornberry

By on April 11th, 2021

https://spectator.org/biden-moderate-left-aoc

If an office pool were held today, the question being to identify one thing Joe Biden has done since fetching up at 1600 that AOC would not have done had she been the winner November 3 last, that pool would not produce a winner. Because there’s not a single thing that Biden — whom the mainstream media insist on describing as a cuddly, dog-loving fuzzball of a moderate — has done that the former Bronx barista, now leftist heartthrob, would not find simpatico. As we moderates say, Vive la révolution!

I’m sure Saul Alinsky and Old Scratch are high-fiving over what their favorite moderate president has accomplished in his brief tenure. And it is indeed truly impressive. In less than three months, Biden has managed to erase the United States’ southern border in order to accelerate the northward flow of undocumented Democrats. He’s having more success than he should in pushing for the higher taxes and onerous regulations that held down the economy when he was Barack Obama’s dogsbody, both of which Biden’s predecessor lowered, thereby causing the economy to take off. Biden has reinstated Obama’s invertebrate foreign policy, giving the world’s bad guys the rope they need, and he’s pledged to spend trillions we don’t have in order to pursue the fool’s errand of carbon-free energy (aka very little energy, and at mini-bar prices). He’s blessed the corrupt HR 1, which if the Senate falls for it would federalize all elections, installing voting rules so lax as to hang a “STEAL ME!” sign on all future elections. 

The cherry on top of the sundae is Biden foisting critical race theory onto federal employees, including the military, which Democrats seem determined to declaw. Critical race theory informs us that all white people, no matter how decently they’ve treated people of all complexions, are closet Ku-Kluxers. I can sum up critical race theory in two short sentences — one if I’m allowed a semi-colon. To wit: Black people good; white people bad. That’s it. And the Democrat Party, with few exceptions, seems to be wedded to this absurd and thoroughly racist notion, starting with the unifier-in-chief in the White House. (To be fair to Biden, he has managed to unify far-left Democrats with very-far-left Democrats.)

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