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Friday, March 24, 2017

Vol VI No. 643 Part 4a


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Not For Profit - For Global Justice
The Peoples Press - Powered By People - For People





"The first step in a fascist movement is the combination under an energetic leader of a number of men who possess more than the average share of leisure, brutality, and stupidity. The next step is to fascinate fools and muzzle the intelligent, by emotional excitement on the one hand and terrorism on the other." Bertrand Russell: Freedom, Harcourt Brace, 1940
"Unhappy events abroad have retaught us two simple truths about the liberty of a democratic people. The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of a private power to a point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism & ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power." FDR: message to Congress proposing the monopoly investigation, 1938
"Philosophy should always know that indifference is a militant thing. It batters down the walls of cities and murders the women and children amid the flames and the purloining of altar vessels. When it goes away it leaves smoking ruins, where lie citizens bayonetted through the throat. It is not a children's pastime like mere highway robbery." : Stephen Crane 





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March 16/17, 2017
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Op-Ed

The Dangerous Reality of an Iran War
By Sharmine Narwani
Why are U.S. armed forces in the Persian Gulf anyway? http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46672.htm
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President Blowback: How the Invasion of Iraq Came Home
By Tom Engelhardt
Despite his denials that he was ever in favor of the 2003 invasion of that country, Donald Trump is a president made by war. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46676.htm
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When America Interfered in a Russian Election
By Margaret Kimberley
"All of the news is fake when corporate media connive with the powerful to produce their desired ends." http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46669.htm
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AIPAC Gave $60K to Architect of Trump's Muslim Ban
By Eli Clifton
Gaffney and Conway played a pivotal role in bringing about the administration's efforts to ban immigration from seven (and now six) Muslim-majority countries.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46670.htm
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US and Israeli Codependent Relationship is Not Just about Money
By Ramzy Baroud
Israel is a strategic liability for the US. That makes American Jewish influence the ultimate pillar of Israel's survival." http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46671.htm
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Did Obama Spy on Trump?
By Andrew P. Napolitano
The British foreign surveillance service, known as GCHQ, most likely provided Obama with transcripts of Trump's calls.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46673.htm
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From Nuisance to Threat: The High Cost of Truth
By Paul Craig Roberts
The propaganda picture of "American Democracy" has lost its believability. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46674.htm
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The Muslim Ban and the Ethnic Cleansing of America
By Hamid Dabashi
Trump's Muslim ban is integral to his long-term plan to make the US a solely white, Anglo-Saxon and Protestant 'nation'. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46675.htm



Hard News    




Syria: Air raid on mosque kills 42' in Aleppo province: 
 It is not clear who exactly was behind the attack. Russian U.S. and Syrian war planes fly in the region.
 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39299266


 Dozens killed in 'suspected US strike' on Aleppo mosque (GRAPHIC VIDEO); 
 While the Pentagon only admitted to striking terrorists several miles away in Idlib, some reports suggest US missile debris were recovered from the mosque's rubble.
 https://www.rt.com/news/381077-mosque-strike-aleppo-missile/


 Syria sanctions hit children's cancer treatment:
 In the cancer ward at Damascus Children's Hospital, doctors are struggling with a critical shortage of specialist drugs to treat their young patients - and it's not just due to the general chaos of the Syrian civil war.
 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-sanctions-idUSKBN16M1UW


 Paramilitary forces kill 2 Islamic State members in western Mosul; 
 Al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) said through its media they killed two Islamic State attackers in western Mosul's region of Tal Zalat, and destroyed their vehicle.
 http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/paramilitary-forces-kill-2-islamic-state-members-western-mosul/


 Sunni politician warns U.S. of mounting civilian casualties in Mosul: 
 Khamis Khanjar, a prominent Iraqi Sunni politician, said at least 3,500 civilians have been killed since the push into the western side of the side last month.
 http://tinyurl.com/ka4zchu


 Mosul's growing humanitarian crisis as bad as feared: 
 Thousands are sleeping on the ground outside an overflowing refugee camp in this town near Mosul, and a thousand more arrive every few hours to wait for spaces. Food, water and medicine are increasingly scarce, refugees said.
 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/03/15/mosul-refugees-iraq-camps/99137150/


 Iraq, US offer differing accounts of progress in Mosul: 
 The American commander of coalition ground forces in Iraq, said the troops had recaptured "a little over a third" of neighborhoods west of the Tigris River, while an Iraqi military spokesman, said they had retaken up to 60 percent.
 http://bigstory.ap.org/article/007ef21b6f4949788ba3c282f2b38c1e/iraq-says-half-western-mosul-retaken-islamic-state


 Saudi airstrike kills seven Yemeni fishermen dead: 
 An unnamed military source told the al-Masirah television that the aircraft struck a fishing boat in waters off the coast of Durayhimi district, located 150 kilometers southwest of the capital Sana'a, on Thursday evening.
 http://presstv.ir/Detail/2017/03/16/514630/Yemen-fishermen-killed-Saudi-airstrike-Hudaydah


 UAE soldier killed in Yemen: : 
 Upon the arrival of his body from Yemen, the serviceman will be laid to rest in Kalba.
 http://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/20170316/uae-soldier-killed-in-yemen


 Arms sell to Saudi Arabia could make US responsible for war crimes, Amnesty warns; 
 Amnesty International's researchers have already found many unexploded US-made bombs among the ruins of Yemeni residential buildings. The bombs include cluster munitions which are banned
 http://www.albawaba.com/news/arms-sell-saudi-arabia-could-make-us-responsible-war-crimes-amnesty-warns-951036


 Saudi Arabia, China sign deals worth up to $85 billion: 
 Flanked by a thousand-person entourage, Saudi Arabian King Salman travelled to Chinaon Thursday to deepen economic ties between the world's biggest oil exporter and the world's second-largest oil consumer.
 http://www.smh.com.au/world/saudi-arabia-china-sign-deals-worth-up-to-85-billion-20170316-gv05uu.html


 Landmark UN report backs Israel boycott: 
 A new UN report offers explicit backing for the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign to end Israeli apartheid and support a just peace.
 https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/landmark-un-report-backs-israel-boycott


 US 2018 Budget Guarantees Foreign Assistance Only for Israel, State Dept: 
 "Our assistance to Israel is guaranteed," Toner told reporters. "With respect to other foreign military assistance levels, those are still being evaluated and decisions are going to be made going forward."
 https://sputniknews.com/us/201703161051665060-us-budget-israel/


 Drone Strikes Up 432 Percent Under Donald Trump: 
 From his inauguration through today, President Trump had approved at least 36 drone strikes or raids in 45 days - one every 1.25 days.
 https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/foreign-policy/item/25604-drone-strikes-up-432-percent-under-donald-trump


 31 militants killed in airstrikes in ISIS-frequented districts in East of Afghanistan: MoD: 
 At least thirty one militants were killed in a series of airstrikes conducted in Nangarhar districts frequented by the militants loyal to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group.
 https://www.khaama.com/31-militants-killed-in-in-airstrikes-in-isis-frequented-districts-in-east-of-afghanistan-mod-02411


 Tillerson says diplomacy with North Korea has 'failed'; Pyongyang warns of war: 
 Diplomacy has failed and it's time to "take a different approach" to North Korea, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said here Thursday,
 http://tinyurl.com/k9ssk7v


 N. Korea blasts U.S. bombing drills in S. Korea: 
 North Korea on Thursday condemned South Korea and the United States for "escalating nuclear attack threats," citing the participation of U.S. strategic bombers and the nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson in joint military drills in South Korea.
 http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2017/03/16/0401000000AEN20170316007300315.html


 Philippine lawmaker seeks to impeach Duterte over drug fight: 
 A Philippine lawmaker filed an impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterteon Thursday because of the thousands of deaths in his anti-drug crackdown and alleged corruption
 http://bigstory.ap.org/article/1c53cb9458bf4ec384e769545660c699/philippine-lawmaker-seeks-impeach-duterte


 Ukraine announces economic blockade of rebel-held areas: 
 All railway and road connections will be cut, according to Oleksandr Turchynov, the council's secretary.
 http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/ukraine-announces-economic-blockade-rebel-held-areas-170315105915791.html


 EU approves €600m loan for Ukraine: 
 The European Commission agreed to release a €600m loan to Ukraine on Thursday, bringing the total amount of direct financial assistance it has given the country since 2014 to €2.81bn, the largest amount disbursed to any non-EU country.
 https://www.ft.com/content/44ac447c-fac3-378e-8edd-c5cac68844bb


 Trump adviser Flynn paid by multiple Russia-related entities, new records show: 
 Michael Flynn, collected nearly $68,000 in fees and expenses from Russia-related entities in 2015, a higher amount than was previously known, according to newly released documents.
 http://tinyurl.com/n2hhdkj


 'Standard & entirely transparent practice': 
 RT's head of communications on leaked paycheck to Flynn: The latest speculation over Flynn's alleged ties with Moscow is yet another "bogus, unfounded accusation," believes retired US Army Major General Paul Vallely.
 https://www.rt.com/news/381072-flynn-rt-payment-conference/


 10,000+ of firearms seized by Spanish police & Europol : 
 Spanish National Police and Europol seized more than 10,000 assault rifles, 400 howitzers, shells, grenades, and anti-aerial machine guns. The firearms were likely intended for sale to terrorists and criminals.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvW39mxW-dU


 How does the EU hijab ruling affect Muslim women?: 
 Muslim women from four different European countries share their views on the European Court of Justice's ruling.
 http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/03/eu-hijab-ruling-affect-muslim-women-170316073040916.html


 'Wars of religion will start in Europe' - Turkish FM: 
 Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan previously labelled Holland a fascist nation and said the country will pay for blocking rallies in Rotterdam and the ensuing riots.
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4319522/Europe-headed-religion-wars-despite-Wilders-stumble-Turkish-minister-says.html


 Rand Paul Responds to John McCain: Senator From Arizona Is "Unhinged" and "Past His Prime":
 Video -
 http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/03/16/rand_paul_john_mccain_unhinged_and_past_his_prime.html


 FBI director briefs top senators on Russia: 
 FBI Director James Comey briefed a group of top senators Wednesday amid growing demands that he clarify if the bureau is investigating any contacts between Moscow and the Trump campaign.
 http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/324194-fbi-director-briefs-top-senators-on-russia


 Coats confirmed as new spy chief: 
 The Senate voted 85 to 12 to confirm Coats as the director of national intelligence, a role in which Coats pledged to work closely with members of Congress to facilitate their various probes into allegations that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections
 http://www.columbian.com/news/2017/mar/15/coats-confirmed-as-new-spy-chief/


 Vault 7 - The Most Horrifying Leak Yet - What You Need To Know : Video - 
 John McAfee on Larry King's "Politicking" and learn more about the Vault 7 Wikileaks dump and why it should be important to every American. You don't want to miss this.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVqklqCmr0U


 CIA Pays 'Traitors' to Say We Traffic Drugs: Venezuela's Maduro: 
 Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday accused the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, of paying former Chavista leaders to invent evidence with which to accuse the socialist government of drug trafficking.
 http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/CIA-Pays-Traitors-to-Say-We-Traffic-Drugs-Venezuelas-Maduro-20170315-0041.html


 Mexico Presidential Hopeful Files Complaint Against Trump Wall: 
 Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights against U.S. President Donald Trump's planned border wall and his administration's treatment of immigrants.
 http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Mexico-Presidential-Hopeful-Files-Complaint-Against-Trump-Wall-20170316-0029.html


 Undocumented Immigrant Arrests at U.S. Courthouses Spark Fury: 
 Lawyer Octavio Chaidez was finishing up a criminal court appearance at the Los Angeles Superior Court in Pasadena when four agents swooped in and took his client away.
 http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Undocumented-Immigrant-Arrests-at-Courthouses-Spark-Fury-20170316-0019.html


 Video: Alabama cop shoots driver holding wallet
 https://youtu.be/B_4rv0iPZ8o


 US judge orders detention of VW executive Oliver Schmidt as 'serious' flight risk: 
 A Detroit judge has ruled against releasing Volkswagen AG manager Oliver Schmid. The German national represented a "serious" flight risk, the judge said.
 http://www.dw.com/en/us-judge-orders-detention-of-vw-executive-oliver-schmidt-as-serious-flight-risk/a-37977551


 US judge in Hawaii grants motion for nationwide temporary restraining order of Trump's travel ban:
 U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson decision prevents the executive order from going into effect, at least for now.
 http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/15/us-judge-in-hawaii-grants-motion-for-nationwide-temporary-restraining-owner-of-trumps-travel-ban.html


 Donald Trump press secretary sensationally claims GCHQ may have colluded with Obama: 
 Sean Spicer claimed British spies were drafted in to avoid any "American fingerprints" on the alleged surveillance
 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/donald-trump-press-secretary-sensationally-10042597


 British spy agency denies helping Obama spy on Trump after White House repeats claim: 
 The British spy agency told ITV News that any suggestion it was involved in wiretapping the now president "was utterly ridiculous and should be ignored".
 http://www.itv.com/news/2017-03-16/british-spy-agency-denies-helping-obama-spy-on-trump-after-white-house-repeats-claim/


 Capitol Hill Republicans not on board with Trump budget; 
 Some of President Trump's best friends in Congress sharply criticized his first budgetThursday, with defense hawks saying the proposed hike in Pentagon spending wasn't big enough
 http://tinyurl.com/ldpvfqc


 Trump budget: UN sounds alarm over foreign aid cuts: 
 UN chief Antonio Guterres reacted fiercely to the plans on Thursday, saying "abrupt funding cuts can force the adoption of ad hoc measures that will undermine the impact of longer-term reform efforts".
 http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/trump-budget-cuts-foreign-aid-170316233601387.html


 White House Says Cutting Meals on Wheels Is 'Compassionate'; 
 Trump's budget slashes rental assistance and home-energy aid to low-income families
 http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/white-house-says-cutting-meals-on-wheels-is-compassionate.html


 Republican health bill still alive despite renegade conservative votes : 
 The Obamacare replacement bill passed the House Budget Committee with one vote to spare, as three conservative Republicans broke ranks to vote against Paul Ryan's health care proposal.
 http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/congress/article138850348.html


 Sessions Wants To Bring Back Reagan-Era Drug Policies;
 "In the '80s and '90s, we saw how campaigns stressing prevention brought down drug use and addiction.
 http://dailycaller.com/2017/03/15/sessions-wants-to-bring-back-reagan-era-drug-policies/
   


"Let us be peace and joy"
  
Tom Feeley


Cost Of War
 
Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered In US War And Occupation Of Iraq "1,455,590"

Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America's War On Iraq:  4,886

Number Of  International Occupation Force Troops Slaughtered In Afghanistan : 3,486
Cost of War in Iraq & Afghanistan
Total Cost of Wars Since 2001
  

  


  1,749,485,514,533             

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Human-Animal Hybrids
"In Minnesota, pigs are being born with human blood in their veins. In Nevada, there are sheep whose livers and hearts are largely human. In California, mice peer from their cages with human brain cells firing inside their skulls. But with no federal guidelines in place, an awkward question hovers above the work: How human must a chimera be before more stringent research rules should kick in?"
  -- Washington Post article on human/animal hybrids, 11/20/04
Dear friends,
The front page of the Washington Post on Nov. 20, 2004 had an incredibly revealing story on human/animal hybrids, which I've copied below. The respected British newspaper The Guardian in 2008 posted a key story on the first human/animal hybrid embryos. Yet another revealing article on these bizarre hybrids appeared in the nature magazine National Geographic. And a 2016 NPR article raises questions about the ethics involved in creating human/animal hybrids.
Scientists are experimenting with creating hybrids between humans and animals called "chimeras" without clear ethical guidelines. And remember that secret military and intelligence projects are generally at least 10 years in advance of any research being done in public.
In 2003 while working with the U.S. Department of State, I attended a lecture by Dr. Michael Nelson, a professor at Georgetown University and former science advisor to Al Gore. He described a visit deep into the bowels of the most cutting edge secret government research projects.
Describing disturbing experiments there, Dr. Nelson said he saw living matter being genetically engineered to combine with inanimate materials, such that the objects created were half-alive, with DNA giving them a form of pseudo-life. After witnessing this highly troubling research, he claimed to experience nightmares for weeks. No guidelines have been developed to monitor such activities, and most people are not even aware of these top secret experiments being conducted by the government.
With proper rules and guidelines in place, science gives us many wonderful technological advances. But without these guidelines, we are treading in very dangerous territory. With profit and greed now serving as key drivers behind scientific research, who do you think will benefit from the development of these strange chimeras?
Please help to spread the word and call for responsible scientific exploration based on what is best for all people and all species. Contact your political and media representatives by clicking here. Thanks for caring and have a good day.
With best wishes for a transformed world,
Fred Burks for PEERS and WantToKnow.info
White House interpreterand whistleblower

Of Mice, Men and In-Between
Scientists Debate Blending Of Human, Animal Forms
By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 20, 2004; Page A01
In Minnesota, pigs are being born with human blood in their veins.
In Nevada, there are sheep whose livers and hearts are largely human.
In California, mice peer from their cages with human brain cells firing inside their skulls.
These are not outcasts from "The Island of Dr. Moreau," the 1896 novel by H.G. Wells in which a rogue doctor develops creatures that are part animal and part human. They are real creations of real scientists, stretching the boundaries of stem cell research.
Biologists call these hybrid animals chimeras, after the mythical Greek creature with a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail. They are the products of experiments in which human stem cells were added to developing animal fetuses.
Chimeras are allowing scientists to watch, for the first time, how nascent human cells and organs mature and interact -- not in the cold isolation of laboratory dishes but inside the bodies of living creatures. Some are already revealing deep secrets of human biology and pointing the way toward new medical treatments.
But with no federal guidelines in place, an awkward question hovers above the work: How human must a chimera be before more stringent research rules should kick in?
The National Academy of Sciences, which advises the federal government, has been studying the issue and hopes to make recommendations by February. Yet the range of opinions it has received so far suggests that reaching consensus may be difficult. [No consensus has been reached]
During one recent meeting, scientists disagreed on such basic issues as whether it would be unethical for a human embryo to begin its development in an animal's womb, and whether a mouse would be better or worse off with a brain made of human neurons.
"This is an area where we really need to come to a reasonable consensus," said James Battey, chairman of the National Institutes of Health's Stem Cell Task Force. "We need to establish some kind of guidelines as to what the scientific community ought to do and ought not to do."
Beyond Twins and Moms
Chimeras (ki-MER-ahs) -- meaning mixtures of two or more individuals in a single body -- are not inherently unnatural. Most twins carry at least a few cells from the sibling with whom they shared a womb, and most mothers carry in their blood at least a few cells from each child they have born.
Recipients of organ transplants are also chimeras, as are the many people whose defective heart valves have been replaced with those from pigs or cows. And scientists for years have added human genes to bacteria and even to farm animals -- feats of genetic engineering that allow those critters to make human proteins such as insulin for use as medicines.
"Chimeras are not as strange and alien as at first blush they seem," said Henry Greely, a law professor and ethicist at Stanford University who has reviewed proposals to create human-mouse chimeras there.
But chimerism becomes a more sensitive topic when it involves growing entire human organs inside animals. And it becomes especially sensitive when it deals in brain cells, the building blocks of the organ credited with making humans human.
In experiments like those, Greely told the academy last month, "there is a nontrivial risk of conferring some significant aspects of humanity" on the animal.
Greely and his colleagues did not conclude that such experiments should never be done. Indeed, he and many other philosophers have been wrestling with the question of why so many people believe it is wrong to breach the species barrier.
Does the repugnance reflect an understanding of an important natural law? Or is it just another cultural bias, like the once widespread rejection of interracial marriage?
Many turn to the Bible's repeated invocation that animals should multiply "after their kind" as evidence that such experiments are wrong. Others, however, have concluded that the core problem is not necessarily the creation of chimeras but rather the way they are likely to be treated.
Imagine, said Robert Streiffer, a professor of philosophy and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin, a human-chimpanzee chimera endowed with speech and an enhanced potential to learn -- what some have called a "humanzee."
"There's a knee-jerk reaction that enhancing the moral status of an animal is bad," Streiffer said. "But if you did it, and you gave it the protections it deserves, how could the animal complain?"
Unfortunately, said Harvard political philosopher Michael J. Sandel, speaking last fall at a meeting of the President's Council on Bioethics, such protections are unlikely.
"Chances are we would make them perform menial jobs or dangerous jobs," Sandel said. "That would be an objection."
A Research Breakthrough
The potential power of chimeras as research tools became clear about a decade ago in a series of dramatic experiments by Evan Balaban, now at McGill University in Montreal. Balaban took small sections of brain from developing quails and transplanted them into the developing brains of chickens.
The resulting chickens exhibited vocal trills and head bobs unique to quails, proving that the transplanted parts of the brain contained the neural circuitry for quail calls. It also offered astonishing proof that complex behaviors could be transferred across species.
No one has proposed similar experiments between, say, humans and apes. But the discovery of human embryonic stem cells in 1998 allowed researchers to envision related experiments that might reveal a lot about how embryos grow.
The cells, found in 5-day-old human embryos, multiply prolifically and -- unlike adult cells -- have the potential to turn into any of the body's 200 or so cell types.
Scientists hope to cultivate them in laboratory dishes and grow replacement tissues for patients. But with those applications years away, the cells are gaining in popularity for basic research.
The most radical experiment, still not conducted, would be to inject human stem cells into an animal embryo and then transfer that chimeric embryo into an animal's womb. Scientists suspect the proliferating human cells would spread throughout the animal embryo as it matured into a fetus and integrate themselves into every organ.
Such "humanized" animals could have countless uses. They would almost certainly provide better ways to test a new drug's efficacy and toxicity, for example, than the ordinary mice typically used today.
But few scientists are eager to do that experiment. The risk, they say, is that some human cells will find their way to the developing testes or ovaries, where they might grow into human sperm and eggs. If two such chimeras -- say, mice -- were to mate, a human embryo might form, trapped in a mouse.
Not everyone agrees that this would be a terrible result.
"What would be so dreadful?" asked Ann McLaren, a renowned developmental biologist at the University of Cambridge in England. After all, she said, no human embryo could develop successfully in a mouse womb. It would simply die, she told the academy. No harm done.
But others disagree -- if only out of fear of a public backlash.
"Certainly you'd get a negative response from people to have a human embryo trying to grow in the wrong place," said Cynthia B. Cohen, a senior research fellow at Georgetown University's Kennedy Institute of Ethics and a member of Canada's Stem Cell Oversight Committee, which supported a ban on such experiments there.
How Human?
But what about experiments in which scientists add human stem cells not to an animal embryo but to an animal fetus, which has already made its eggs and sperm? Then the only question is how human a creature one dares to make.
In one ongoing set of experiments, Jeffrey L. Platt at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., has created human-pig chimeras by adding human-blood-forming stem cells to pig fetuses. The resulting pigs have both pig and human blood in their vessels. And it's not just pig blood cells being swept along with human blood cells; some of the cells themselves have merged, creating hybrids.
It is important to have learned that human and pig cells can fuse, Platt said, because he and others have been considering transplanting modified pig organs into people and have been wondering if that might pose a risk of pig viruses getting into patient's cells. Now scientists know the risk is real, he said, because the viruses may gain access when the two cells fuse.
In other experiments led by Esmail Zanjani, chairman of animal biotechnology at the University of Nevada at Reno, scientists have been adding human stem cells to sheep fetuses. The team now has sheep whose livers are up to 80 percent human -- and make all the compounds human livers make.
Zanjani's goal is to make the humanized livers available to people who need transplants. The sheep portions will be rejected by the immune system, he predicted, while the human part will take root.
"I don't see why anyone would raise objections to our work," Zanjani said in an interview.
Immunity Advantages
Perhaps the most ambitious efforts to make use of chimeras come from Irving Weissman, director of Stanford University's Institute of Cancer/Stem Cell Biology and Medicine. Weissman helped make the first mouse with a nearly complete human immune system -- an animal that has proved invaluable for tests of new drugs against the AIDS virus, which does not infect conventional mice.
More recently his team injected human neural stem cells into mouse fetuses, creating mice whose brains are about 1 percent human. By dissecting the mice at various stages, the researchers were able to see how the added brain cells moved about as they multiplied and made connections with mouse cells.
Already, he said, they have learned things they "never would have learned had there been a bioethical ban."
Now he wants to add human brain stem cells that have the defects that cause Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease and other brain ailments -- and study how those cells make connections.
Scientists suspect that these diseases, though they manifest themselves in adulthood, begin when something goes wrong early in development. If those errors can be found, researchers would have a much better chance of designing useful drugs, Weissman said. And those drugs could be tested in the chimeras in ways not possible in patients.
Now Weissman says he is thinking about making chimeric mice whose brains are 100 percent human. He proposes keeping tabs on the mice as they develop. If the brains look as if they are taking on a distinctly human architecture -- a development that could hint at a glimmer of humanness -- they could be killed, he said. If they look as if they are organizing themselves in a mouse brain architecture, they could be used for research.
So far this is just a "thought experiment," Weissman said, but he asked the university's ethics group for an opinion anyway.
"Everyone said the mice would be useful," he said. "But no one was sure if it should be done."

Note: The original article on human-animal hybrids can be found on the Washington Post website on this webpage. For important information on how money and greed are endangering your health, click here.

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Top News: 'Vault 7' CIA Hacking Files Leaked, Bush's Cryptic UFO Comments, More



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Dear friends,
'Vault 7' CIA Hacking Files Leaked
Explore below key excerpts of revealing news articles on Wikileaks' 'Vault 7' leak of extensive files on the CIA's massive computer hacking and spying programs, former President George W. Bush's cryptic comments on UFOs during a recent appearance on the show 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' a major study which found that poor eating habits are responsible for hundreds of thousands of US deaths each year, and more.
Read also wonderfully inspiring articles on the seniors defying age-related stereotypes and refusing to grow old, the remarkable success of Selina Juul's personal mission to reduce food waste in Denmark, a recent study finding that the UK has reduced carbon emissions to their lowest level in over a hundred years, and more. You can also skip to this section now.
Each excerpt is taken verbatim from the major media website listed at the link provided. If any link fails, see this page. The most important sentences are highlighted. And don't miss the "What you can do" section below the summaries. By educating ourselves and spreading the word, we can and will build a brighter future.
With best wishes for a transformed world,
Mark Bailey and Fred Burks for PEERS and WantToKnow.info
Special note: Learn about a great movement for transformation attracting many young people called Collection Evolution in this video and on their website. Watch an inspiring interview with renewable energy expert Amory Lovins. We have known of efforts to create a global pandemic with the purpose of inducing widespread fear and declaring martial law. A recent Forbes article titled, "Bill Gates Warns Of Epidemic That Could Kill Over 30 Million People" is thus concerning. Read a hopeful article titled "Anonymous Just Took Down 1/5 Of Dark Web’s Child Pornography."
Quote of the week: "Peace between countries must rest on the solid foundation of love between individuals."  ~~  Mohandas K. Gandhi
Audio of the week: Listen to a most excellent interview involving two of the most reliable and knowledgeable experts in big picture matters. Top economic expert and former US Assistant Secretary of HUD Catherine Austin Fitts interviews top UFO expert Richard Dolan focusing on the trillions of dollars siphoned into secret space programs and UFO-related technologies. Listen also to an engaging interview on Spaced Out Radio with WantToKnow.info founder Fred Burks.
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With WikiLeaks Claims of C.I.A. Hacking, How Vulnerable Is Your Smartphone?
March 7, 2017, New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/technology/cia-hacking-documents-wikileaks...
WikiLeaks on Tuesday released a significant cache of documents that it said came from a high-security network inside the Central Intelligence Agency. WikiLeaks called the documents Vault 7, and they lay out the capabilities of the agency’s global covert hacking program. By the end of 2016, the C.I.A. program had 5,000 registered users, including government employees and contractors, [and] had produced more than a thousand hacking systems. The files have circulated among former United States government hackers and contractors in “an unauthorized manner, one of whom provided WikiLeaks with portions of the archive,” WikiLeaks said. The software targeted by the hacking program included the most popular smartphone operating systems. Apple’s iPhone software ... was a particular target, including the development of several “zero day” exploits - a term for attacking coding flaws the company would not have known about. Google’s Android ... received even more attention. By 2016, the C.I.A. had 24 weaponized Android “zero day” software programs. The C.I.A. also targeted ... internet-connected computers and home and industrial devices running the Linux operating system. In 2010, the Obama administration promised to disclose newly discovered vulnerabilities to companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft. But the WikiLeaks documents indicate that the agency found security flaws, kept them secret and then used them for surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Note: See the wikileaks webpage summarizing this most important leak. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles about intelligence agency corruption and the disappearance of privacy.

WikiLeaks CIA files: Spy agency looked at ways to hack and control cars to carry out assassinations
March 7, 2017, The Independent (One of the UK's leading newspapers)
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/wikileaks-cia...
WikiLeaks has alleged that the CIA looked into vehicle interference methods that could potentially enable it to assassinate people without detection. According to the whistle-blowing organisation, the CIA explored the tactic in October 2014. It hasn’t included any more details about the alleged practice. WikiLeaks included the claim in its release announcing ‘Vault 7’, a huge batch of documents, which Julian Assange claims to account for the CIA’s “entire hacking capacity”. “As of October 2014 the CIA was also looking at infecting the vehicle control systems used by modern cars and trucks,” reads a passage in the release. “The purpose of such control is not specified, but it would permit the CIA to engage in nearly undetectable assassinations.” The CIA has also been accused of using malware and hacking tools to turn TVs into covert microphones and remotely break into smartphones. The latter, according to WikiLeaks, allowed it to bypass encryption on a number of popular messaging apps, including WhatsApp. WikiLeaks describes Vault 7 as “the largest intelligence publication in history” and says that the initial batch of 8,761 files is just the first in a series of releases.
Note: See the wikileaks webpage summarizing this most important leak. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles about intelligence agency corruption and the disappearance of privacy.

Former President Bush Won’t Tell Jimmy Kimmel ‘Nuthin’ About UFOs
March 6, 2017, Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kimmel-bush-talk-ufos_us...
When former President George W. Bush appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Thursday, to promote his book, “Portraits of Courage,” Kimmel didn’t waste any time trying to get Bush to admit that he may have looked for and seen alleged secret government files on UFOs. Kimmel began ... by asking Bush “a question that’s very important to me and very important to the country. When you were in office, did you go through the secret files ― the UFO documents, because if I was president, that would be the first thing I did.” Even before Kimmel finished asking the question, Bush immediately replied, “Maybe.” Then, he told Kimmel, “You know, it’s funny. My daughters asked the very same question.” When Kimmel asked if Bush would be allowed to tell his daughters what was in those files, the former commander-in-chief said “No.” This was hardly the first time that Kimmel has gone digging for UFO-alien revelations. In 2014, President Bill Clinton told Kimmel that ... he tried unsuccessfully to investigate what the government was hiding regarding UFOs. When Kimmel asked if he would have told the public had he found evidence of real aliens, Clinton smiled and said “Yeah.” Then, in 2015, during a visit to Kimmel’s talk show, President Barack Obama ― in tongue-in-cheek fashion ― said “the aliens won’t let [disclosure] happen. You’d reveal all their secrets, and they exercise strict control over us. I can’t reveal anything.” In the latest interview ... the former president never actually suggested there were no UFO files to be unearthed.
Note: Don't miss this intriguing video interview at the link above. Then explore an amazing slide show of the many top politicians who either had a UFO sighting or wanted access to the secret file. According to this compilation, JFK requested UFO files on Nov. 12, 1963, just 10 days before he was assassinated. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing UFO news articles from reliable major media sources.

The bad eating habits that are killing the most Americans
March 7, 2017, CBS News/Associated Press
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bad-eating-habits-killing-americans-bacon-fat-sugar/
Gorging on bacon and burgers? Turning up your nose at fish, nuts or vegetables? These are among food habits that new research links with deaths from heart disease, strokes and diabetes. Overeating or not eating enough of ... 10 foods and nutrients contributes to nearly half of U.S. deaths from these causes, the study suggests. “Good” foods that were under-eaten include: nuts and seeds, seafood rich in omega-3 fats including salmon and sardines; fruits and vegetables; and whole grains. “Bad” foods or nutrients that were over-eaten include salt and salty foods; processed meats including bacon, bologna and hot dogs; red meat including steaks and hamburgers; and sugary drinks. The research is based on ... data showing there were about 700,000 deaths in 2012 from heart disease, strokes and diabetes and on an analysis of national health surveys that asked participants about their eating habits. Most didn’t eat the recommended amounts of the foods studied. The 10 ingredients combined contributed to about 45 percent of those deaths. For example ... excess salt can increase blood pressure, putting stress on arteries and the heart. Nuts contain healthy fats that can improve cholesterol levels, while bacon and other processed meats contain saturated fats that can raise levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol. In the study, too much salt was ... linked with nearly 10 percent of the deaths. Overeating processed meats and undereating nuts and seeds and seafood each were linked with about 8 percent of the deaths.
Note: This study referenced above can be found here, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. For a most excellent book by an MD who learned of deep cover-ups related to food and health, don't miss "How Not to Die," by Dr. Michael Greger. This book could quite literally save your life. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles on food system corruption and health.

Health benefits of organic food, farming outlined in new report
February 8, 2017, Harvard School of Public Health
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/health-benefits-organic-food...
The European Parliament is concerned about food safety and human health. They asked a group of experts ... to review the possible health advantages of organic food and organic farming. Our report reviews existing scientific evidence regarding the impact of organic food on human health. The most important information in this report is about pesticides in food. In conventional food, there are pesticide residues that remain in the food even after it’s washed. Organic foods are produced virtually without pesticides. Three long-term birth cohort studies in the U.S. suggest that pesticides are harming children’s brains. Women’s exposure to pesticides during pregnancy ... was associated with negative impacts on their children’s IQ and neurobehavioral development. Also, one of the studies looked at structural brain growth ... and found that the gray matter was thinner in children the higher their mothers’ exposure to organophosphates, which are used widely in pesticides. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, and women planning to become pregnant, may wish to eat organic foods as a precautionary measure because of the significant and possibly irreversible consequences for children’s health. We know that the overly prevalent use of antibiotics in farm animals is a contributing factor in the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria - a major public health threat because this resistance can spread from animals to humans. On organic farms, the preventive use of antibiotics is restricted.
Note: For more, see this mercola.com article. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles on food system corruption and health.

Long-overdue release of information about cell phone risks
March 3, 2017, San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco's leading newspaper)
http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Long-overdue-release-of...
It took years of public pressure and a lawsuit, but the California Department of Public Health has finally released a set of guidelines for the public about the risks associated with cell phone use and the best ways for cell phone users to reduce their exposure to potential dangers. What on earth took so long? We asked the department for an answer to this question. It didn’t offer us a direct response but wrote, “[This] project was discontinued when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued national guidance on the same subject.” However, the state’s document, dated April 2014 and stamped “draft and not for public release” ... paints a very clear picture of the potential dangers of cell phone use. “Health officials are concerned about possible health effects from cell phone EMFs (electromagnetic fields) because some recent studies suggest that long-term cell phone use may increase the risk of brain cancer and other health problems,” the guidelines read. The two-page document goes on to suggest ways to lower your exposure, including using speaker phone and headsets, keeping the phone away from your body when it’s not being used, and sending text messages instead of voice calls. California’s public health department released the document only after a judge said she would order the guidelines to be disclosed. Joel Moskowitz, a public health researcher at UC Berkeley, sued the department last year after repeatedly requesting them.
Note: The medical community has long been aware that cell phone use negatively impacts human health. Despite the American Academy of Pediatrics urging the US to reassess to cell phone safety standards for children in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control backed away from warning the public about the risks of cell phone radiation to kids. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing health news articles from reliable major media sources.

Facebook’s fake news tag is here. Who is charged with flagging hoaxes?
March 6, 2017, Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2017/0306/Facebook-s-fake-news-tag-is-here...
Facebook unveiled its highly anticipated “disputed news” tag Friday, allowing some users to flag stories that appear to contain false information, alerting readers and potentially making them less likely to click through to the content. In December, the company announced it would unveil a fact-checking feature that allows users to dispute material they believe is false. The system relies on users who qualify as fact-checkers after signing onto a list of principles codified by the journalism nonprofit Poytner. These users can flag single stories, rather than entire sources, as fraudulent. Links to vetted debunkers, such as Politifact and Snopes, that analyze claims and arrive at conclusions regarding their validity then appear beneath the post. So users can still see and access flagged stories shared by their friends, but they will get a warning before clicking through. According to Gizmodo, two stories flagged as “disputed” by the social media site Fridayseemed to follow a pattern: Both made critical statements about the Trump administration and came from sources that had previously admitted to publishing fake stories. It’s unclear how many fake stories the system will be able to identify, or how many others will trust it. The divisive political climate ... likely won’t be fixed simply by placing an asterisk on some coverage. “The problem is that we are too credulous of news that reinforces our predispositions and too critical of sites that contradict them,” Brendan Nyhan, a political scientist at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., told the Monitor.
Note: For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing media corruption news articles from reliable sources.

Jane Fonda reveals rape and child abuse
March 3, 2017, BBC News
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39151842
Oscar-winning actress Jane Fonda has revealed she is a rape survivor and suffered sexual abuse as a child. In an interview with fellow Oscar winner Brie Larson ... the 79-year-old also said she had once lost a job because she refused her boss's sexual advances. The star added she thought being a young actress now was "terrifying" because of female sexualisation. "You have to get naked so much. There is even more emphasis on how you look." Fonda said she "felt diminished" growing up because the men in her life were "victims of a [patriarchal] belief system". "To show you the extent to which a patriarchy takes a toll on females - I've been raped, I've been sexually abused as a child and I've been fired because I wouldn't sleep with my boss and I always thought it was my fault; that I didn't do or say the right thing. "I know young girls who've been raped and didn't even know it was rape. They think, 'It must have been because I said no the wrong way'. "One of the great things the women's movement has done is to make us realise that [rape and abuse is] not our fault. We were violated and it's not right." Fonda has been a long-time activist and advocate for women's rights and supporter of the Rape Foundation and Rape Treatment Centre in Los Angeles. She revealed at a benefit in 2014 that her mother, Frances Ford Seymour, was sexually abused as a child aged eight. She eventually took her own life at 42, when Fonda was 12.
Note: Jane Fonda's revelations about sexual abuse in Hollywood highlight a longstanding problem. Other well-known actors have suggested that organized abuse networks operate freely in the entertainment industry. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing sexual abuse scandal news articles from reliable major media sources.

Trump vows to fight ‘epidemic’ of human trafficking
February 23, 2017, San Francisco Chronicle/Associated Press
http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/politics/article/Trump-vows-to-fight-epidemic...
President Donald Trump says he will bring the "full force and weight" of the U.S. government to combat an "epidemic" of human trafficking. The president is meeting at the White House with senior advisers and representatives of organizations that deal with trafficking. His daughter, Ivanka Trump, is among those in attendance. Trump calls human trafficking a problem that is "not talked about enough." He says he will order the departments of Justice and Homeland Security to take a hard look at the resources they are devoting to addressing the issue.
Note: Many believe Trump is aware of the pedophilia rings leading to the highest levels of government, as has been exposed in the suppressed documentary "Conspiracy of Silence." In this CNN video, Trump calls the problem "an epidemic." Immediately after his swearing in ceremony, Attorney General Jeff Sessions' first act was to sign an executive order on stopping and preventing international trafficking, including "trafficking and smuggling of human beings." 9/11 hero Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney has also exposed this major problem.

Rumblings of a ‘Deep State’ Undermining Trump? It Was Once a Foreign Concept
March 6, 2017, New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/us/politics/deep-state-trump.html?_r=0
President Trump’s allegations that former President Barack Obama tapped his phone and his assertions that the bureaucracy is leaking secrets to discredit him are the latest signs of a White House preoccupation with a “deep state” working to thwart the Trump presidency. “A deep state [is] part of government or people outside of government that are literally controlling the direction of the country no matter who’s actually in charge, and probably engaging in murder and other corrupt practices,” [former National Security Council official Loren DeJonge] Schulman said. The deep state is a phrase often heard in countries where there is a history of military coups. Pakistan is Exhibit A: The deep state is often invoked in serious discussions about the role of the Pakistani military and its intelligence service. Wide swaths of the population see the unseen hand of the security services behind major political events and all kinds of everyday happenings, such as random traffic stops. The views are not without basis. “The deep state concept emerges in places where the army and the security apparatus creates boundaries within which the civilian political people are allowed to operate,” said Peter Feaver, a specialist in civil-military issues. “If they transgress those boundaries, then the deep state interferes to reorder things, often using military force. There are milder forms of it in healthier democracies,” Mr. Feaver said.
Note: A 2014 Boston Globe article suggests that US policy in the national security realm is made by "concealed institutions" rather than by elected officials. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles about corruption in government and in the intelligence community.

Army General Fund Adjustments Not Adequately Documented or Supported
July 6, 2016, US Department of Defense Inspector General (PDF Report)
http://www.dodig.mil/pubs/documents/DODIG-2016-113.pdf
Longstanding financial management challenges prevent the Army from issuing auditable financial statements. Army and Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Indianapolis personnel did not adequately support $2.8 trillion in third quarter adjustments and $6.5 trillion in yearend adjustments made to Army General Fund data during FY 2015 financial statement compilation. In addition, DFAS Indianapolis did not document or support why the Defense Departmental Reporting System Budgetary (DDRS-B) ... removed at least 16,513 of 1.3 million records during third quarter FY 2015. DFAS Indianapolis did not have detailed documentation ... or have accurate or complete system reports. As a result, the data used to prepare the FY 2015 AGF third quarter and yearend financial statements were unreliable and lacked an adequate audit trail. Until the Army and DFAS Indianapolis correct these control deficiencies, there is considerable risk that AGF financial statements will be materially misstated and the Army will not achieve audit readiness by the congressionally mandated deadline of September 30, 2017.
Note: Underneath its technical jargon, the above report shows that the Pentagon has lost track of trillions of dollars and thousands of accounting records. Despite its outrageous administrative expenses, the Pentagon remains literally unable to account for itself. Could it be that the real reason the Pentagon is the only branch of US government that doesn't balance its books is that they don't want us to know where the money is going? For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing military corruption news articles from reliable major media sources.

China's zombie factories and unborn cities
February 23, 2017, BBC News
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170223-chinas-zombie-factories-and-unborn-cities
Between 1984 and 2010, the amount of built-up areas in China increased nearly fivefold. To construct these new urban zones, China used more concrete in the three years between 2011 and 2013 than the whole of the United States used in the 20th Century. Yet even in the world’s second largest economy, the rate of development has overtaken demand. The shift from industries like steel production to electronics, telecommunications and biotechnology has happened very quickly. Europe and the United States underwent a similar shift over the course of several decades. China’s high-tech revolution took just a few years. [Some] factories that have been unable to survive these changes lie empty. This shifting industrial landscape has also left its mark on the cities built for the migrant workers. Large urban areas have become “ghost cities” [as] developers have gone bankrupt, leaving housing developments empty. study by Chinese search giant Baidu identified 50 huge regions across the country where newly built residential housing was largely uninhabited. Photographer Kai Caemmerer has been documenting some of the empty cities in China for the past two years. He does not think the label “ghost town” is accurate. These places are built in anticipation of a need. In fact, an enormous relocation could soon be underway. The Chinese government has said it intends to move 100 million people from rural parts of the country into cities by 2020.
Note: The article above features many pictures of China's unique manufactured landscapes. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles about corruption in government and in the corporate world.


Inspiring Articles

The people who refuse to grow old
January 26, 2015, BBC
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150126-the-people-who-refuse-to-grow-old
Russian photojournalist [Vladimir Yakovlev] started his Age of Happiness project in 2011, documenting people around the world who defy our expectations of ageing. Yakovlev has just published a book based on his project. Called How I Would Like To Be When I Am 70?, it features 30 people who refuse to age appropriately, including a 75-year-old surfer, a 103-year-old marathon runner and a 79-year-old porn star. “It started as a very personal project,” says Yakovlev. “I was over fifty, I wanted to find out what can I expect in the future and most importantly to what extend I can affect whatever will be happening to me.” Duan Tzinfu changed the way he lived when he spotted a group of people exercising in a Beijing park. “These were people much older than him who did the splits with ease. Duan couldn't even bend over without a big sigh,” says Yakovlev, who photographed him in July 2011, at the age of 73. “After 50 years of working at a glass factory ... Duan could barely walk.” But Duan joined the group, practising stretching and breathing exercises ... and now, aged 76, can perform moves that would challenge much younger people. Yakovlev has travelled to nine countries for his project, including France, Italy and India. Yakovlev describes the attitude that seems to link many of his subjects. “Pat Moorehead, a skydiver, celebrated his 80th birthday by making 80 skydives in a row, non-stop. He says: ‘Happiness is just a choice, a life-style. I think that is true – about happiness ... and about staying young as well.”
Note: Don't miss the beautiful photos from this incredible project at the link above. This elders will astonish and inspire you.

Denmark reduces food waste by 25% in five years with the help of one woman
February 28, 2017, The Independent (One of the UK's leading newspapers)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/denmark-reduce-food-waste...
Never underestimate the power of one dedicated individual. A woman has been credited by the Danish Government for single-handedly helping the country reduce its food waste by 25 per cent in just five years. Selina Juul, who moved from Russian to Denmark when she was 13 years old, was shocked by the amount of food available and wasted at supermarkets. She told the BBC: “I come from a country where there were food shortages, we had the collapse of infrastructure, communism collapsed, we were not sure we could get food on the table”. Her organisation, Stop Spild Af Mad – which translates as Stop Wasting Food – made all the difference and is recognised as one of the key drivers behind the government’s focus to tackle food waste. Ms Juul convinced Rema 1000, the country’s biggest low-cost supermarket chain, to replace all its quantity discounts with single item discounts to minimise food waste. The retailer wasted about 80 to 100 bananas every day. However, after the supermarket put up a sign saying "take me I’m single", it reduced the waste on bananas by 90 per cent. In the past five years Denmark has become one of the leading European countries in the fight against food waste. Last year, a charity in Copenhagen opened Denmark’s first ever food surplus supermarket, which sells products at prices 30 to 50 per cent cheaper than usual retailers. Wefood is hoping to help reduce the 700,000 tonnes of food waste Denmark produces every year.
Note: Explore a treasure trove of concise summaries of incredibly inspiring news articles which will inspire you to make a difference.

UK carbon emissions drop to lowest level since 19th century, study finds
March 7, 2017, The Guardian (One of the UK's leading newspapers)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/06/uk-carbon-emissions-drop-to...
The UK’s carbon dioxide emissions have fallen to their lowest level since the 19th century as coal use continues to plummet, analysis suggests. Emissions of the major greenhouse gas fell almost 6% year on year in 2016, after the use of coal for electricity more than halved to record lows, according to the Carbon Brief website, which reports on climate science and energy policy. The assessment suggests carbon emissions in 2016 were about 381m tonnes, putting the UK’s carbon pollution at its lowest level ... since 1894. Carbon emissions in 2016 are about 36% below the reference year of 1990, against which legal targets to cut climate pollution are measured. Emissions of carbon dioxide from coal fell 50% in 2016 as use of the fossil fuel dropped by 52%, contributing to an overall drop in carbon output of 5.8% last year compared with 2015, Carbon Brief said. The assessment reveals that coal use has fallen by 74% in just a decade. UK coal demand is falling rapidly because of cheaper gas, a hike in carbon taxes on the highly polluting fuel, expansion of renewables, dropping demand for energy overall and the closure of Redcar steelworks in late 2015. While emissions from coal fell in 2016, carbon output from gas rose 12.5% because of increased use of the fuel to generate electricity – although use of gas remains well below highs seen in the 2000s. Gas use for home and business heating has been falling for a decade, thanks to more insulation and efficient boilers.
Note: Explore a treasure trove of concise summaries of incredibly inspiring news articles which will inspire you to make a difference.

Coal Production Plummets to Lowest Level in 35 Years
June 10, 2017New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/11/business/energy-environment/coal-production...
Coal production in the United States is plummeting to levels not seen since a crippling coal strike 35 years ago, according to a report released by the Energy Department on Friday. The coal industry in recent years has been plagued by bankruptcies as power utilities increasingly moved to replace coal with cheap natural gas and renewable sources, like solar and wind energy. Coal was once the dominant source of the nation’s electricity generation, but consumption of the fossil fuel has declined by nearly a third since its peak in 2007. Once gradual, the decline in coal mining appears to be picking up momentum. Coal production in the United States of 173 million tons for January through March was the lowest in any quarter since 1981. The Energy Department noted [broad] forces at play in its brief report. “Coal production has declined because of increasingly challenging market conditions for coal producers,” the report said. “In addition to complying with environmental regulations and adapting to slower growth in electricity demand, coal-fired generators also are competing with renewables and with natural gas-fired electricity generation during a time of historically low natural gas prices.” As recently as early 2008, coal was the source of roughly half the electricity generated in the United States; this year, that figure has fallen to roughly 30 percent.
Note: Explore a treasure trove of concise summaries of incredibly inspiring news articles which will inspire you to make a difference.

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Please note that most of the summarizing of the revealing news articles in the above summary was done by Mark Bailey of WantToKnow.info. Many thanks to Mark for all the time and skill he puts into this. The section below provides several ideas on what you can do to spread the news.

What you can do:
  • Contact your media and political representatives to inform them of the important news articles above. Urge them to study and bring publicity to this vital news. Invite them to read these articles and explore the links included.
  • Explore an index to the most revealing major media news articles sorted by topic.
  • Learn more about how some of the most vital news is censored by corporate major media ownership in this powerful lesson from the free Insight Course.
  • Read excerpts of the 20 most revealing major media news articles ever reported.
  • Spread this news to your friends and colleagues, and bookmark this article on key news websites using the "Share" icon on this page, so that we can fill the role at which the major media is sadly failing. Together, we can make a difference.
Finding Balance: WantToKnow.info Inspiration Center
WantToKnow.info believes it is important to balance disturbing cover-up information with inspirational writings which call us to be all that we can be and to work together for positive change. For an abundance of uplifting material, please visit our Inspiration Center.
See our exceptional archive of revealing news articles.
Explore the mind and heart expanding websites managed by the nonprofit PEERS network:
www.peerservice.org - PEERS websites: Spreading inspiration, education, & empowerment
www.momentoflove.org - Every person in the world has a heart
www.personalgrowthcourses.net - Dynamic online courses powerfully expand your horizons
www.WantToKnow.info - Reliable, verifiable information on major cover-ups
www.weboflove.org - Strengthening the Web of Love that interconnects us all

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