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Is This Trump's 2024 Running Mate?
By Sarah Arnold
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WOW: Hunter Biden Deducted WHAT On His Taxes?
An anonymous IRS whistleblower alleged that first son Hunter Biden deducted tens of thousands of dollars from his taxes over money paid to a prostitute and an adult club. The criminal investigator told the House Ways and Means Committee in an interview on June 1 that these “expenses” were deducted on his 2018 return. The total unreported income, according to the source, was roughly $500,000.
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Finding grace and hope in W.Va. coal country, where others see only decay
MATOAKA, W.Va. — A few weeks ago, a Twitter antagonist with the ironic name “FactsChaser” posted a TikTok video of someone driving through this tiny Mercer County coal patch with a caption designed not to educate, but instead provoke.
“Funny how many who like to criticize the ‘homeless’ in San Francisco never show footage of West Virginia / Appalachia” it read. The video shows derelict and collapsing buildings.
“Let’s get the obvious out of the way first,” said Greg Puckett, who grew up not far from here and who now serves as one of Mercer County commissioners. “Comparing San Francisco, a center of wealth and power with a population of 900,000 to Matoaka, an unincorporated town whose glory days ended over 40 years ago, is a straw man argument made to sell hype.”
Nothing about that video had been doctored — a six-hour back-road drive along U.S. 19 from Western Pennsylvania to visit the town and its people showed the video accurately reflected the decay here.
And yet, the post is still misleading.
The video post has been viewed more than 15 million times. It’s fair to wonder, given the way people consume social media (and news for that matter) how many who read the quip ever questioned the validity of comparing a dying coal town’s decay to the homeless problem in one of the wealthiest cities in the world
Youngstown State University political scientist Paul Sracic notes that West Virginia, and all the other places that have been left behind as jobs and industry departed, has been “a major theme in multiple elections, including 2016.”
Yet, he added: “What San Francisco is suffering from is self-inflicted wounds caused by poor government policies driven by ideology … all of which has led to high crime, a large exodus of people, rampant homelessness, open air drug use, public defecation, thefts that are not punished and a serious mental health and overdose crisis.”
It’s not that there isn’t a drug problem in West Virginia; there definitely is. But comparing this forgotten town to San Francisco’s decline is about as apples to oranges as you can get.
Matoaka’s beginnings here in the southern coalfields of the Mountain State were slow. It started with the building of a U.S. Post Office in 1899 to support a scattering of farmers. Named after the alternative name for Pocahontas, the town didn’t start expanding for another decade, when coal started being shipped via two rail lines.
By the 1920s, development began expanding the size of Matoaka: Three banks moved in, then a water system was built, followed by the Matoaka Hotel, a jewelry store, a motor company, a newspaper, a shoe store, three diners and a Five and Dime.
Matoaka’s boom wasn’t huge — the most people the town ever supported was 1,000 in 1950 — nor did it last that long. By 1980, the population had dropped by half, and last year only around 200 people lived here. What has remained in this town are heart, grit and even hope — and a strong desire to tear down the dilapidated structures that currently define it.
Puckett said it has taken him years to pass an ordinance to do that. “Mercer County is like most counties in West Virginia. We don’t have zoning; we don’t have a property maintenance code; we don’t have a building code. We don’t have things that most communities across this country had 50 years ago, because there’s a culture here that doesn’t want that,” he explained.
But he also said change is coming this month: Seven of the dilapidated structures that line Barger Street (and that are featured in that video) are scheduled for demolition — and more will be coming down during the summer.
Mr. Puckett admits change has come slow.
“Appalachian culture is somewhat tribal at its essence,” he said. “We are very giving people, and we take care of our communities. We want the best. But we’re insulated in our thinking, and we are hesitant to listen to outsiders.”
Like many of the rural villages I’ve visited as a reporter, Matoaka has people with stories and lives that are rich and meaningful. The people who use such places as throwaway talking points would think twice if they spent some time with the folks who call these places home. They morn for their towns’ decay, love their families and want the best for their children — and hope they’ll stay but understand when they don’t.
Miss LeeAnn Taylor, the principal at the local elementary school, grew up 20 minutes from here in a town similar to Matoaka. She went off to college and then came back to give back. “I just feel that’s important because it’s important that there are people in the school that care for the students and do what is best for them — not just academics, but all around. They have to feel safe. My thing is they have to feel safe first. They have to feel love second. If they have those two things, then they can learn.”
People here say Miss Taylor is a godsend for the town and its future.
The first thing Miss Taylor is excited to talk about is enrollment: “When I started here last year, enrollment was 170 — then, this year, we got up to 186, so I was quite pleased.”
“A lot of people have moved away from the area just because there’s not a lot to offer. However, I feel that our school has a lot to offer … beginning with a lot of the teachers who grew up here and came back to teach. That sense of pride in community and place is healthy for the children,” she said.
Miss Taylor said the school likes to involve the community. They have pizza nights, music programs and other after-school events, sometimes attracting over 100 people, to make the school a center of local life and culture.
Mr. Puckett said if there is there is any similarity between San Francisco’s decline and Matoaka, it would be “drug addiction, and that is a mental health crisis that no one wants to deal with,” he said flatly.
As for the stereotypes, Mr. Puckett, a Republican who said he’d just had a great meeting with President Joe Biden about rural issues , also has a great sense of humor: “We have teeth, we have shoes,” he said, smiling.
“Matoaka is part of the history of building this country — the coal that was mined and the people that we’ve put into harm’s way to fight for our country — we truly, deeply care about self and our fellow countrymen,” he said.
“We have a sense of place, if you will, but unless you visit that place, you’ll never know or understand the richness of who we are. It’s sad to think of how many people now think of Matoaka from what they learned from a meme. It’s a dang shame,” he said.
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This week's newsletter is about "Time". Whereas some people see the present "tense", this newsletter is positive ALL of the time.
Everywhere in Israel you can see the links between the Jewish people and its history. Archaeology is regularly uncovered on the beach, or along the Biblical Highway connecting Beersheva, Hebron, Shiloh, Shechem and other places named in the Jewish Torah. Modern Israeli technology allows ancient languages to be translated, while new museums are built, featuring historical personalities such as Einstein or Jewish values, such as Tolerance. A new book describes the history of Zionism through 8 famous Jews. And history was made when Israel's Knesset speaker presented a nano-sized Koran (Quran) to his Moroccan counterpart in Morocco.
The Present is well represented in Medicine, where an Israeli bandage is healing wounds in over 30 countries and new synthetic eye tissue has been approved for the sight-impaired in the US. Other Israeli innovations are helping ADHD sufferers and weaning patients off ventilators, while a true-to-life mannequin simulator is being used to train medics. Thanks to Israeli medical developments, the future will see worn-out kidneys being regenerated, the end of melanoma, and the curing of peanut allergies.
With Israeli advanced technology, the future has already arrived. Another Israeli satellite was launched - to monitor the climate for key multinationals; Israeli quantum computing is being used to design aircraft engines; six Israeli companies were chosen by the World Economic Forum as Technology Pioneers, and an Arab Druze entrepreneur was given an Israeli award for his futuristic technology education program. Israeli technology was in high demand at the Paris Air Show; Intel are investing $25 billion in their new Israeli microprocessor factory; and there is so much more, so please read further.
The photo shows a section of the new mural on the wall of the arrivals hallway at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International airport. The full mural displays a beautiful pictorial view of Jewish history from 4,000 years ago, up to the present and our modern hi-tech Jewish State. It certainly gives us all hope for a bright future.
Please recommend www.verygoodnewsisrael.
In the 25th Jun 23 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
- An Israel startup can reverse chronic kidney disease.
- A Druze Arab is integrating his community in Israel’s hi-tech industry.
- Israeli scientists have built an app to translate a 5000-year-old language.
- Six Israeli companies have won awards from the World Economic Forum.
- Intel is investing $25 billion in a new Israeli factory.
- 100,000 attend the world’s largest vegan festival in Tel Aviv.
- Over 5 million Israelis are willing to donate their organs to save lives.
- Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael
- If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.
com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
New treatment for chronic kidney disease. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Curespec, founded by Israel’s Avner Spector, has developed Europe-approved Nephrospec. It uses an acoustic wave treatment called eHAT to treat chronic kidney disease (CKD) by promoting new blood vessel formation and restoring damaged tissue function.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Detecting pressure injuries before they happen. Israel’s IR-Med has developed an AI device powered by infrared light spectroscopy that spots pressure injuries, bedsores, and ulcers at an early stage. The PressureSafe device noninvasively detects them, preventing infections and even saving lives.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.ir-medical.com/ https://www.ir-medical.com/wp-
Healing wounds in 30+ countries. Israels RedDress (see here previously) is saving lives with its ActiGraft bandage for chronic wounds in over 30 countries, including Brazil, Turkey, and France. In Israel, it is available to patients of Clalit - the country’s largest health maintenance organization.
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
US approves synthetic eye tissue. The US FDA has approved a synthetic tissue substitute for the eye that will address the worldwide shortage of donors. The EverPatch from Israel’s CorNeat Vision (see here previously) is made of a polymer that stimulates the cells to accept it and reinforce the sclera (outer layer of the eyeball).
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/
No more peanut allergies. Researchers at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center and Volcani Institute have developed a powder made from unripe peanuts that weans children off peanut allergies. There are no allergenic proteins in unripe peanuts, and food made from their powder (cookies, pancakes etc.) will slowly desensitize the allergy.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
https://www.shebaonline.org/
When melanoma becomes dangerous. A new study at Tel Aviv University and Israel’s Sheba Medical Center reveals how melanoma cancer cells metastasize. They change their environment to spread deeper into the skin and to other parts of the body. Research continues and could eventually lead to the development of a vaccine.
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/
When the ventilator can be removed. Four women students at Ben-Gurion University won the 9th round of the “Students Leading Innovation in the Public Sector” competition initiated by Shoham hospital in Pardes Hanna-Karkur. Their Clarity decision-support model predicts if patients can be weaned off ventilator support.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
https://americansforbgu.org/
Better training for ADHD sufferers. Trainers at Tel Aviv University’s Constantiner School of Education have developed Computerized Progressive Attention Training (CPAT) that significantly improved the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms of many participating students.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Transforming hospital healthcare. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has signed an agreement with Deloitte Consulting to transform the future of healthcare. Deloitte operates in 150 countries and aims to implement Sheba’s revolutionary ARC (Accelerate, Redesign, and Collaboration) platform worldwide.
https://www.israel21c.org/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Knesset launches “Waze for the Blind”. On Israel’s Blind Day (Jun 6) Israel’s Parliament (Knesset) launched a system to help the blind, visually impaired, and people with orientation difficulties navigate its premises. It uses the personalized audio guidance from Israel’s RightHear (see here previously).
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/
Israel’s inclusive soccer team. Who were the Israeli scorers in the 3-2 victory against Brazil in the Quarter Final of the Under 20 World Soccer Cup? Arab Israeli Anan Khalaili from Haifa, Bedouin Arab Israeli Hamza Shibi, and Jewish Israeli Dor David Turgeman. The team returned to Israel wearing their bronze medals.
https://www.algemeiner.com/
https://www.ynetnews.com/
Award for Druze tech revolutionary. Israeli President Herzog presented one of the 2023 Volunteer Awards to Koftan Halabi, founder of DTEC – the Technological Institute for the Empowerment of the Druze Soldier. Halabi has led a technological revolution by helping young Druze to integrate into mainstream Israeli society.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
The smallest Koran. (TY TPS) Amir Ohana is first Knesset speaker to make an official visit to the parliament of a Muslim country – Morocco. In honor of the historic occasion, he presented Moroccan Parliament President Rachid Talbi El Alami with a Quran (Koran) printed with Israeli nanotechnology - only 4.7 mm in size.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
JNF Denver conference. A reminder to register for the JNF Global Conference for Israel (Nov 30 – Dec 3) in Denver Colorado. A great opportunity to experience Israeli innovation up close and meet dozens of top Israeli personalities including President Herzog, UN rep Gilad Erdan, and JVP’s Erel Margalit.
https://www.jnf.org/global-
Aid to Ukraine after dam burst. Israeli NGO IsraAID rushed essential aid to tens of thousands of Ukrainians left homeless after the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam and hydraulic power plant. IsraAID is providing urgent medical support, plus hygiene supplies, blankets, and medications. Israel has also given water and food.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.jpost.com/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Tomorrow launches second satellite. Israeli-founded Tomorrow.io (previously named ClimaCell - see here) has launched its second satellite (R-2) on the SpaceX Transporter-8. It plans to complete a constellation of more than 20 climate satellites over the next two years. Its customers include Uber, Delta, and National Grid.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Amdocs is powered by Israeli green energy. Israel’s Amdocs (see here previously) is to power its huge new Israeli office campus, with clean solar energy from Israel’s Enlight Renewable Energy (see here previously). Enlight has also begun testing the 39 turbines in its 207 MW Genesis Wind project in Israel’s Golan Heights.
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Translating cuneiform at the push of a button. Israeli archaeologists and computer scientists have created an AI-powered neural translation program for 5,000-year-old Akkadian cuneiform. Tens of thousands of digitized cuneiform tablets, that never could be understood before, can now be translated into English instantaneously.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Quantum design for Rolls Royce engines. Israel’s Classiq has partnered with NVIDIA to design and simulate the world’s largest quantum computing circuit for Rolls-Royce engine design. The process uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which deals with complex numerical simulations of fluid and gas phenomena.
https://www.israel21c.org/
No texting while driving. (TY Hazel) Universal Trucks Israel has implemented Israel’s SaverOne system (see here previously) in over 100 of its Isuzu trucks. SaverOne’s Cabin Driver Distraction Prevention Solution (DDPS) saves lives by preventing accidents resulting from the use of mobile phones while driving.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/
No more queuing at the bar. Israel’s NINA gives the consumer control over the ordering and consumption of wines and spirits in a bar. It saves the time normally spent trying to catch the attention of a busy bartender. The technology comes in the form of a smart bottle cap, QR codes on tables and an app full of features.
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/
https://www.drinknina.com/ https://www.youtube.com/
The Einstein House Museum. (TY Hazel) The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has launched the project to build the Einstein House Museum (see here previously). It will exhibit some of Einstein’s 82,000 authentic handwritten documents. Famous architect Daniel Libeskind spearheads the project. (2nd video TY Sharon)
https://www.jpost.com/israel-
https://en.huji.ac.il/news/
The most advanced simulator. (TY UWI & I24 News) Ben Gurion University is training doctors, nurses, first responders, and soldiers using one of the world’s most advanced and realistic medical simulators. The smart silicon mannequins have simulated anatomies that respond in the same way as a live patient. They even speak!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Technology pioneers. Six previously reported Israeli companies were selected as 2023 World Economic Forum's "Technology Pioneers" who are making progress in sustainability, advanced manufacturing, and inclusive healthcare. They are AIVF, Aporia, Electriq Global, OX Security, Tastewise and Wilco.
https://www.weforum.org/press/
The future is already here. The ORT Air and Space Technology High School in Ma’ale Adumim hosts the “Bridges” program class of IDF Intelligence Branch Unit 8200 and the IDF Personnel Branch Education Corps. It gives young students exposure to computers and cyber, and tools to integrate into Israel’s high-tech industry.
https://www.jns.org/israel-
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Encouraging innovation in the periphery. A new Israeli initiative will allocate 15 million shekels over five years to each of five innovation centers in the country’s periphery to encourage entrepreneurship in agriculture, food, energy, and climate tech. Each center will promote local innovation, training and employment.
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/
Israel invests in cultivating food. The Israel Innovation Authority has selected Israel’s YDLabs to establish microorganism fermentation labs for the Israeli food-tech industry. The IIA will also invest up to $14 million in fermentation infrastructure so that all Israeli companies can develop and manufacture their food-tech products.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Israeli pavilion at Paris Air Show. 17 Israeli firms participated in the inauguration of the national pavilion at the 2023 Paris Air Show. 150,000 professionals and more than 2,500 companies are participating in this year’s event, showcasing cutting-edge technological solutions in the aerospace, civilian and defense sectors.
https://www.jns.org/startup-
Intel to build a $25 billion Israeli factory. Global tech giant Intel is to establish a new factory in Israel in the city of Kiryat Gat with a huge investment of about 25 billion dollars. Intel is expected to recruit thousands of workers and make a major boost for Israel’s economy. Intel said Israel was crucial to its global success.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://www.
Power station sale to reduce prices. Eshkol Power ENergies has bought the 1,680-megawatt Eshkol natural gas power plant in Ashdod from public-owned Israel Electric for over NIS 12 billion. Part of the proceeds will be used to reduce electricity prices. It is the IEC’s 4th sale, to encourage competition in the energy sector.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
As simple as ABC. Swiss-Israeli fintech Okoora has introduced its new AI-driven platform, Automatic Business Currency Management (ABCM) to simplify global payments, banking, and risk management. Okoora‘s 7,000+ business customers process low flat fee global payments in more than 100 currencies.
https://www.jpost.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
JP Morgan expands operations in Israel. JP Morgan, one of the world's largest banks, is expanding its operations in Israel and entering the commercial banking sector for high-tech companies for the first time. It will focus on helping late-stage high-tech companies raise capital, increase liquidity, and manage payments.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
An on-line Israeli shopping mall. Israelimall is a new online platform where small Israeli companies sell their products to the English-speaking community. Customers in the USA and Canada can buy Israeli products, and pay in dollars, with low shipping costs. From unique Judaica, natural cosmetics to new innovative products.
https://israelimall.com/
Exits, takeovers & mergers to 25/6/23: Israel’s Stratasys is merging with US-based Desktop Metal in a deal valued at around $1.8 billion. Stratasys shareholders will hold 59% of the combined company.
Investment in Israeli startups to 25/6/23: Tomorrow.ai (previously ClimaCell) raised $87 million; N-Drip raised $44 million; NVision Imaging raised $30 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
And none shall make them afraid. Rick Richman’s new book tells how Zionism, supported by Americanism, created a modern miracle. Told through the little-known stories of eight individuals who collectively changed history. Herzl, Chaim Weizmann, Jabotinsky, Abba Eban, Brandeis, Golda Meir, Ben Hecht, and Ron Dermer.
https://www.amazon.com/None-
Divine trees. The National Library of Israel is exhibiting its collection of 36 kabbalistic maps. The 17th century scrolls are arboreal (tree) diagrams of the Divine, their branches composed of images and words rooted in the fundamentals of Kabbalah, a strain of Jewish mysticism that began in the 12th century.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
The Capital of Culture. (TY Sharon) Recent events on the real Jerusalem’s streets include breaking ground at the new Einstein House Museum (see also above), Museum of Tolerance opening, Hebrew Book Week (6,971 books published in Israel in 2022), and the 12th Temech (Haredi women’s business) conference.
http://rjstreets.com/2023/06/
Tel Aviv’s 4th Vegan Fest. The world's largest vegan festival, Vegan Fest, is taking place in Tel Aviv with over 100,000 participants. It features over 100 food stalls, lectures, health booths, activities for children, cooking workshops, and live performances. It even hosts a speed-dating event for vegans looking for love.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
Three more hours of Guns N’ Roses. (TY Hazel) Legendary hard rock band Guns N’ Roses performed in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,000 at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park. It was their fourth show in Israel over the past 20 years (see here previously). Police closed several roads in Tel Aviv due to congestion ahead of the concert.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Christina and Bruno Israel concerts. Five-time Grammy-award-winning American pop singer Christina Aguilera will perform in Israel for the first time on Aug. 10 at Live Park in Rishon Letzion. Meanwhile, Bruno Mars has sold all 124,000 tickets for his Oct 4 and 7 shows at Yarkon Park and now may add a third date.
https://www.jns.org/israel-
Transforming tennis for Israeli children. Philanthropist Stuart Weitzman is making a transformative gift to develop new tennis and athletic facilities as part of the Israel Tennis & Education Centers in Jerusalem and Ramat Hasharon. The ITEC foundation supports children in underserved areas across Israel.
https://www.jns.org/wire/
Arab Israeli European beach soccer champions. Arab Israeli Kfar Qassem beach soccer club “Falfala” made history by winning the Euro Winners Cup 2023 in Portugal. They beat Italy’s Lenergy Pisa in the final thanks to a dramatic penalty shootout. Falfala has won Israel’s national league title five times between 2007 and 2019.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
THE JEWISH STATE
Webinar to help UK pre- & post- Olim. On Sun 16 July, 5pm UK time, UKAA is hosting two free online talks. The 1st on legal issues including property in Israel. The 2nd on why an Israel based wealth manager is better than a UK one. Register at the link below or email info@ukaliyahadvisors.com with full name and phone.
https://ukaliyahadvisors.com/
On the beach. (TY WIN) Wherever you walk in Israel you can discover history. An Israeli woman walking on the Palmachim beach in southern Israel found an ancient figurine of Hathor - an Egyptian goddess believed to be more than 3,000 years old. It had been washed up in recent stormy weather.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Route 60 – the Biblical highway. (TY I24 News) The 146-mile road from Beersheva to Nazareth is often in the news for all the wrong reasons. In this video, though, you can see its links to the history of the Jewish State. The “Way of the Patriarchs” includes Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Bet-El, Shiloh, Shechem, and more.
https://www.israelunwired.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
A mural of Jewish history. Passengers arriving at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport will walk past a beautiful 50-meter mural depicting 4,000 years of Jewish history. The installation was arranged by ILAN – the Israel-Latin American Network, whose Founder and President Isaac Assa was interviewed on Arutz Sheva.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
Volunteering at children’s home. Every year, Midreshet Torat Chessed welcomes 35 girls from around the world who help at the Emunah Bet Sabah Elazraki Children’s Home in Netanya. They become “older sisters” to 200 children at risk, aged 6-18, referred by the Ministry of Welfare.
https://www.
1,300 dolls donated. Jerusalem residents Yair and Tali Eisenmann, founders of the Gilat Foundation, presented the gift of 1,300 to Israeli emergency NGO United Hatzalah (UH). They will be given to any traumatized young children at emergencies attended by UH medics. https://www.jns.org/israel-
100,000 sign up for Gift of Life. For nearly 20 years, Birthright Israel has partnered with the Gift of Life Marrow Registry. Participants of trips to Israel register to potentially help a blood cancer patient if they are a suitable match. Birthright recently hit a milestone: 100,000 who have offered to serve as donors.
https://www.jns.org/jns/
Majority of Israelis want to donate organs. A new study by Israel Transplant has found that the Israeli public’s stated willingness to donate organs has increased from 42% in 1999 to 60% today. Israelis are keen to save lives and believe that their loved one would “continue to live on” in someone else’s body.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
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Durham’s ‘chilling’ revelations, what RFK Jr. gets right and other commentary
By Post Editorial Board
John Durham’s testimony before Congress, argues David Marcus at Fox News, should “chill” Americans “to the core.” It revealed Hillary Clinton’s campaign was “funneling” false information to the FBI, that the agency closed “its investigation on Clinton’s mishandling of classified materials with no charges” even as it opened “a case on [Donald] Trump under false pretenses” and that the agent running the bogus Trump-Russia probe “was never shown key information” showing the Clinton campaign as the source. Worse, the “very same Department of Justice” is “not just once again investigating Trump as he runs for president, but indicting him.” “Maybe if Democrats took this matter remotely seriously,” we could “rebuild faith in these institutions.” Instead, we get “farcical harping about Trump and Russia.”
Libertarian: Lab-Leak’s Looming Lessons
If newly revealed intel reports are accurate — that Wuhan lab scientists doing gain-of-function research contracted the earliest cases of COVID-19 — “the implications are huge,” declares Reason’s Robby Soave. It would mean the lab “probably unleashed a killer pathogen on the rest of the planet, and the Chinese government attempted to cover it up.” And that “all the mainstream journalists, establishment scientists, and social media moderators who derided” lab-leak adherents as “conspiracy theorists were stunningly wrong.” It should serve as a “lesson to all the entities — many of them state-funded — that have made policing alleged misinformation their seminal issue.” Meanwhile, President Biden & Co. should tell the “truth” about the issue “so all responsible parties can ultimately be held accountable.”
P4 laboratoryThe P4 lab, which is part of the greater Wuhan Institute of Virology and conducts research on the world’s most dangerous diseases, has been accused by top US officials of being the source of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.AFP via Getty Images
Medical expert: What RFK Jr. Gets Right
Some things RFK Jr. “says about biomedicine” are “wrong or overstated,” concedes oncologist/epidemiologist Vinay Prasad at The Free Press. “But he also gets some things right, including deep truths” about the public’s “epidemic of distrust.” Including that “lockdowns were antithetical to public health,” that prolonged school closure was detrimental and that “regulatory agencies are held captive by the corporations the agencies are supposed to protect us from” (as well as his opposition to COVID vaccine mandates). He’s wrong on ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and childhood vaccines causing autism. Even so, “Kennedy will be an important force in the Democratic Party,” though he’s “currently being dismissed by elites as a guy with a famous name and nutty ideas.”
Space beat: Heading Off Disastrous Risks
“Washington is issuing dire warnings” about the “escalating risks to American, allied and commercial assets in space,” notes Eric Ingram at The Hill. Rightly so: “Attacks on our satellites would blind U.S. armed forces, disrupt weapons systems and endanger national security in numerous other ways.” They could cut off everyday citizens “from the very conveniences, capabilities and critical infrastructure that define modern life.” And “space isn’t just contested and competitive — it’s congested,” with debris posing “immense” dangers. Better “in-space visibility” can help “make sense of the space domain and steer satellites out of harm’s way.” Expanding this capability must be a top priority: US military readiness in orbit and “peaceful coexistence in space” are at grave peril “if we can’t develop this transparency.”
COVID desk: CDC’s Vax Corner-Cutting
The “CDC did not wait” to recommend COVID vaccines for pregnant women, charges Dr. Marty Makary at Tablet — it went ahead with “no randomized trial data” available. “In other words, women don’t need to know. Just get vaccinated.” But a Swedish study found “an adjusted 26% increased risk of menstrual disturbance after the COVID vaccine in women age 12-49.” And a US study found an association with a reduced rate of pregnancy, post-vax. So: “Is the COVID vaccine safe in pregnancy? Probably. But cutting corners on research and pushing vaccines without data is dangerous. It’s probably why 58% of women under age 50 say they do not trust public health officials.” And “trust in the CDC is down from 69% pre-pandemic to 44% today. Dishonesty has consequences.”
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