Friday, March 29, 2024

Russia Outpacing US & Europe in Artillery Shell Production by 3 to 1.

Russian artillery shell production is outpacing US and European capabilities by a rate of three to one.

According to NATO estimates, Russia is producing artillery munitions at a rate of roughly 250,000 per month, or 3 million a year. Collectively, the US and its European allies only have the capacity to produce roughly 1.2 million artillery munitions per year.

“What we are in now is a production war,” a senior NATO official told CNN. “The outcome in Ukraine depends on how each side is equipped to conduct this war.”

It is a war the West is losing. Although the US military aims to produce 100,000 rounds of artillery a month by the end of 2025, it would still be less than half of Russia’s current output if achieved. Russia is currently firing roughly 10,000 shells a day, compared to the Ukrainian’s 2,000 a day, according to officials.

The news of Russia’s vastly superior production capabilities comes as its forces continue to capitalize on significant victories on the eastern front and push Ukrainian forces westward. While the Ukraine government and its Western supporters appear to want the war to continue no matter the cost, a vast majority of Europeans do not think Ukraine can win. On Saturday, Pope Francis said Ukraine should have the “courage to raise the white flag.”

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Russian artillery shell production is outpacing US and European capabilities by a rate of three to one. show more
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‘Envy of the World’ UK Health Service Irradiating Patients with Outdated Machines.

Britain’s socialized health service is exposing patients to excessive radiation with out-of-date radiology machines. A National Health Service (NHS) trust covering nearly half a million people in Kent, England, has been using machines that expired up to four years ago.

“Until this equipment is replaced we cannot easily reduce the dose to patients,” trust board papers state. Parts failures in the old machines result in lengthy, unreliable scans at “the upper limit of safe” in terms of patient irradiation.

Forty-eight percent of NHS trusts use CT and MRI scanners beyond their recommended ten-year life span. The socialized health service, which politicians have often portrayed as “the envy of the world,” also has the fewest CT and MRI scanners per head of any Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country.

In early March, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, the second-most senior politician in the United Kingdom, claimed “[t]he NHS is, rightly, the biggest reason most of us are proud to be British.”

Days later it was reported that just one NHS hospital had amputated the limbs of at least six people in error, with over a hundred similar botch jobs reported across the country over just three years.

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Britain’s socialized health service is exposing patients to excessive radiation with out-of-date radiology machines. A National Health Service (NHS) trust covering nearly half a million people in Kent, England, has been using machines that expired up to four years ago. show more
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Neurosurgeon From TikTok Ad Campaign Subject of Medical Malpractice Suit After Allegedly Killing Patient.

An Ohio neurosurgeon featured in a TikTok ad campaign faces backlash over an undisclosed malpractice lawsuit from 2022. The campaign is part of a broader TikTok effort aimed at generating goodwill for the Chinese-owned company as US lawmakers contemplate legislation that could potentially ban the platform in the US unless corporate owner ByteDance disinvests.

Dr. Brian Hoeflinger, the neurosurgeon in question, presents himself on the app as a humble medical professional using his platform of over half a million followers to inspire through his personal narrative. However, Hoeflinger was the subject of a high-profile legal case he settled earlier this year. The lawsuit, brought about by the widow of a past patient, Janelle DeFelice, accused Dr. Hoeflinger of negligence in post-operative care, resulting in her husband’s death. Although Dr. Hoeflinger denied the allegations, he settled the case in December 2022, according to court records.

This comes at a critical moment for TikTok, as the social media giant grapples with backlash against its public relations strategies and faces increasing scrutiny over national security concerns. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed bipartisan legislation that could force ByteDance to disinvest from TikTok or risk a US ban. The bill now awaits a vote by the full House on Wednesday, and President Joe Biden has expressed willingness to sign the legislation into law if it reaches his desk.

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An Ohio neurosurgeon featured in a TikTok ad campaign faces backlash over an undisclosed malpractice lawsuit from 2022. The campaign is part of a broader TikTok effort aimed at generating goodwill for the Chinese-owned company as US lawmakers contemplate legislation that could potentially ban the platform in the US unless corporate owner ByteDance disinvests. show more
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Trillion Cicadas to Descend on U.S.

In a unique natural event last seen in 1803, the U.S. is bracing for the emergence of more than a trillion cicadas.

This rare simultaneous surfacing of two vast broods, one on a 13-year cycle and the other on a 17-year cycle, is the first in over two centuries. The phenomenon is set to commence around late April and will be concentrated in 17 states, with the largest overlap in central Illinois. The last time these two giant broods surfaced in the same year was in 1803, with the next similar event not anticipated until 2245.

Cicadas, found almost everywhere except Antarctica, are renowned for their noisy mating calls. They live as adults for just a few weeks, leaving a new generation of nymphs to retreat underground and continue the cycle. These insects are notable for their size, impressive compound eyes, and solid bodies, making them an attraction for birds and mammals.

The cicada emergence begins mainly at night, when the soil warms to roughly 64 degrees Fahrenheit, offering a unique spectacle of the rhythmic patterns of nature. After mating, female cicadas lay their eggs in tree branches, paving the way for the next generation.

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In a unique natural event last seen in 1803, the U.S. is bracing for the emergence of more than a trillion cicadas. show more
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Noncitizens Could Serve as Election Administrators.

Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) has proposed a legislative measure restricting noncitizens, including illegal aliens, from serving as election administrators. The “No Foreign Persons Administering Our Elections Act” seeks to ensure the sanctity of the democratic process by limiting election administration for federal positions to US citizens only.

The measure is part of a broader Republican effort to maintain the integrity of the election process. It follows the appointment of Kelly Wong, a non-US citizen from Hong Kong, to the San Francisco Elections Commission after the city removed citizenship requirements for such positions in 2020.

“Foreign agents have no place overseeing our sacred democratic process,” Pfluger, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in an interview. “My legislation aims to ensure that only American citizens have the honor and responsibility of serving as election administrators,” he continued. “No foreign influence should taint the integrity of our voting system.”

This new legislation, along with an amendment by Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) requiring a citizenship question in future censuses, is part of continued Republican countermeasures against potential voting irregularities and attempts to secure a wholly American election process. These actions reflect an ongoing national debate over voting rights and immigration policy.

In early March, a Florida law banning noncitizens from registering voters was struck down by a Federal judge.

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Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) has proposed a legislative measure restricting noncitizens, including illegal aliens, from serving as election administrators. The “No Foreign Persons Administering Our Elections Act” seeks to ensure the sanctity of the democratic process by limiting election administration for federal positions to US citizens only. show more
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Ex Biden Aide Confirms WH Official Bullied, Sexually Harassed Staffers.

A former high-ranking Biden aide confirmed that Anthony Bernal, a top White House official and key member of First Lady Jill Biden’s team, engaged in long-term harassment and bullying of staff members in the workplace.

Bernal, who is openly gay and known as “untouchable” within Biden’s circle, has been accused of extensive inappropriate behavior, including making explicit remarks about other staffers’ personal lives. Sources have described his actions as a tactic to establish dominance and make others uncomfortable.

“It lines up with everything I experienced working there,” a former top Biden aide who wished to remain anonymous told Fox News.

The accusations against Bernal are backed up by almost a dozen current and former employees who also allege he frequently speculated on other staff members’ personal lives and physical attributes, including political aides and Secret Service agents. These insiders have come forward hoping to hold Bernal accountable for his misbehavior.

“It was a lot of inappropriate remarks — talking about other people’s attractiveness and speculating about their sex lives at very weird moments,” a source told the New York Post. “That’s actually sexual harassment.”

“Working for the Bidens is like living in another century,” another source told the Post. “You really cannot speak up without fear of personal or professional retaliation.”

“[Bernal] is by far the worst and most well-known abuser, but the Biden White House is a magnet for ugly and abusive workplace behavior,” the source continued. “It’s totally inexcusable [in] this day [and] age, especially with Biden’s own narrative about standing up to bullies.”

Despite the mounting allegations, the White House remains supportive of Bernal. White House chief of staff, Jeff Zients, dismissed the claims as ‘unfounded attacks’ and stated that the administration maintains ‘full confidence in Anthony’s character.’

Biden himself has also faced sexual assault accusations.

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A former high-ranking Biden aide confirmed that Anthony Bernal, a top White House official and key member of First Lady Jill Biden’s team, engaged in long-term harassment and bullying of staff members in the workplace. show more
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MSNBC’s Joy Reid Attacks Laken Riley Act, Claims Migrant Crime ‘Negligible.’

MSNBC presenter Joy Reid accused conservatives of “demagoguing” over the murder of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, allegedly by Venezuelan illegal alien Jose Antonio Ibarra.

“They’ve been truly demagoguing an issue of a Georgia young woman who was killed, a Georgia young nursing student named Laken Riley. They’ve now passed a law called the Laken Riley Act. All Republican members and 37 Democrats voted in the House to support the bill,” Reid complained.

“The legislation requires the detention of any migrant who has been accused of burglary or theft. My understanding is that burglary and theft are already illegal. What does this law add to the current existing law?” she asked.

The MSNBC host apparently did not understand that many illegal aliens arrested for crimes end up being released.  Ibarra, in particular, was arrested for shoplifting prior to his alleged murder of Laken Riley, but was left at large among the public and skipped court.

Reid concluded by claiming “migrant crime is negligible.” However, in just one short operation lasting from January 16th to January 28th, ICE arrested 171 illegal aliens previously convicted or charged with crimes, up to and including first-degree murder and child rape.

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MSNBC presenter Joy Reid accused conservatives of "demagoguing" over the murder of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, allegedly by Venezuelan illegal alien Jose Antonio Ibarra. show more
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U.S. on Verge of Major Measles Outbreak as Migrant Shelters Become Breeding Grounds.

The U.S. faces a major measles outbreak as migrant shelters become breeding grounds for a plethora of infectious diseases. Reported cases of measles in the first two months of 2024 have nearly outpaced the whole of 2023, with hundreds thought to be exposed in California and Arizona. An outbreak was also reported this week in a Chicago migrant shelter.

Forty-five confirmed measles cases were recorded in the US over the first two months of 2024 across 17 states, data from the CDC suggests. Fifty-eight infections were recorded in the entirety of 2023. Around 300 people in California were warned they could be infected after a child with the virus visited a medical center outside Sacramento. Health officials in Arizona issued warnings in five locations after confirming one case and detecting a probable second infection.

Last year, authorities warned of the potential of a measles epidemic due to the influx of illegal aliens. “When they are bussed to New York and elsewhere, these diseases go with them,” Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at New York University, wrote at the time.

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The U.S. faces a major measles outbreak as migrant shelters become breeding grounds for a plethora of infectious diseases. Reported cases of measles in the first two months of 2024 have nearly outpaced the whole of 2023, with hundreds thought to be exposed in California and Arizona. An outbreak was also reported this week in a Chicago migrant shelter. show more
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Biden’s VA to Expand IVF to Gays.

The Department of Veterans Affairs under Joe Biden is set to expand taxpayer-funded fertility treatments to unmarried persons, including homosexual couples and would-be single parents.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough said “raising a family is a wonderful thing” and he was “proud that VA will soon help more Veterans have that opportunity.”

Previously, fertility treatments were only available to married, heterosexual couples. Now, qualified veterans will have access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) using donated sperm or eggs.

Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who has helped to push the “inclusive” changes, said they were “an important step forward that will help more veterans start and grow their families — and it’s especially timely as IVF is under attack from the far right.”

Murray was likely referring to an Alabama court ruling that fertilized embryos qualify as children, leading some fertility treatments in the state to be paused amid fears disposing of unviable or unused embryos could be a crime.

Far from endorsing this, Republican leader Donald Trump urged lawmakers in the state to protect access to IVF. Legislators and the state governor quickly passed a law doing so.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs under Joe Biden is set to expand taxpayer-funded fertility treatments to unmarried persons, including homosexual couples and would-be single parents. show more
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DeSantis Continues to Run ‘Shadow Campaign’ & Host Donor Events.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is term-limited out of another run for his current position, is still hosting fundraisers raising concerns that he is running a “shadow campaign” for president.

His chances of something happening to President Donald Trump ahead of the election in November are pretty slim, but it had been a serious consideration of his official campaign for some time. On the other hand, he may be amassing campaign funds for another run in 2028, though it would seem remarkably early.

“Next month, DeSantis hosts a two-day presidential-donor gathering at the Hard Rock Hotel in South Florida that’s billed as… an “Investor Appreciation Retreat,”” writes Marc Caputo, a long-time DeSantis-world reporter. Caputo describes it as “the latest phase of an image makeover DeSantis started after he officially dropped out of the 2024 race on January 21 and endorsed Donald Trump.”

Additionally, “DeSantis has hosted one-on-one thank-you calls with donors, small meetings with more of these “investors” in Naples and in Miami, and conference calls with former volunteers,” over the past month.

“He’s an old baseball player so he knows he struck out, he’s still in the dugout, and he knows there’s another at-bat,” said an adviser, who was not authorized to speak on the governor’s behalf. “Plus, there’s no crying in baseball,” reports Caputo.

Weird.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is term-limited out of another run for his current position, is still hosting fundraisers raising concerns that he is running a "shadow campaign" for president. show more
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