SEC to file additional charges against accused crypto fraudster and FTX boss Sam Bankman-Fried

Image: SEC to file additional charges against accused crypto fraudster and FTX boss Sam Bankman-Fried

(Natural News) As much trouble as Sam Bankman-Fried, the alleged crypto-fraudster and former CEO of now-defunct FTX, is in, thanks to charges being filed against him by the Justice Department, it’s not over yet for him.

Now, the Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing to file additional charges against the accused thief and big-time Democratic donor, according to Wednesday reports.

Besides seeking to ban SBF from the cryptocurrency industry permanently, the SEC will also charge him with “orchestrating a scheme to defraud equity investors in FTX,” charges that necessarily include conspiracy, which — if he’s found guilty — will only lengthen his jail term, according to a press release.

“Investigations as to other securities law violations and into other entities and persons relating to the alleged misconduct are ongoing,” the press release stated, adding:

According to the SEC’s complaint, since at least May 2019, FTX, based in The Bahamas, raised more than $1.8 billion from equity investors, including approximately $1.1 billion from approximately 90 U.S.-based investors. In his representations to investors, Bankman-Fried promoted FTX as a safe, responsible crypto asset trading platform, specifically touting FTX’s sophisticated, automated risk measures to protect customer assets.

The complaint alleges that, in reality, Bankman-Fried orchestrated a years-long fraud to conceal from FTX’s investors (1) the undisclosed diversion of FTX customers’ funds to Alameda Research LLC, his privately-held crypto hedge fund; (2) the undisclosed special treatment afforded to Alameda on the FTX platform, including providing Alameda with a virtually unlimited “line of credit” funded by the platform’s customers and exempting Alameda from certain key FTX risk mitigation measures; and (3) undisclosed risk stemming from FTX’s exposure to Alameda’s significant holdings of overvalued, illiquid assets such as FTX-affiliated tokens.

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The complaint further alleges that Bankman-Fried used commingled FTX customers’ funds at Alameda to make undisclosed venture investments, lavish real estate purchases, and large political donations.

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler provided additional details surrounding his agency’s enforcement against SBF.

“We allege that Sam Bankman-Fried built a house of cards on a foundation of deception while telling investors that it was one of the safest buildings in crypto,” he said, according to the press release. “The alleged fraud committed by Mr. Bankman-Fried is a clarion call to crypto platforms that they need to come into compliance with our laws.

“Compliance protects both those who invest on and those who invest in crypto platforms with time-tested safeguards, such as properly protecting customer funds and separating conflicting lines of business. It also shines a light into trading platform conduct for both investors through disclosure and regulators through examination authority. To those platforms that don’t comply with our securities laws, the SEC’s Enforcement Division is ready to take action,” Gensler noted.

Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, added: “FTX operated behind a veneer of legitimacy Mr. Bankman-Fried created by, among other things, touting its best-in-class controls, including a proprietary ‘risk engine,’ and FTX’s adherence to specific investor protection principles and detailed terms of service. But as we allege in our complaint, that veneer wasn’t just thin, it was fraudulent.”

FTX’s collapse highlights the very real risks that unregistered crypto asset trading platforms can pose for investors and customers alike,” Grewal noted further. “While we continue to investigate FTX and other entities and individuals for potential violations of the federal securities laws, as alleged in our complaint, today we are holding Mr. Bankman-Fried responsible for fraudulently raising billions of dollars from investors in FTX and misusing funds belonging to FTX’s trading customers.”

In addition to the SEC and Justice Department charges, Bankman-Fried also faces charges from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. SBF is charged with violating anti-fraud provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

SEC.gov

Millions of Americans in multiple states face elevated risk of winter power outages

Image: Millions of Americans in multiple states face elevated risk of winter power outages

(Natural News) Millions of people in multiple states are at an elevated risk of having power outages this winter.

Texas, New England, the Great Lakes and the American Southeast are facing “unprecedented” and “widespread” reliability risks this winter, according to the 2023 Winter Assessment report of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the United States’ grid reliability coordinator. (Related: A quarter of America could experience LONG BLACKOUTS this winter due to energy supply problems.)

Furthermore, NERC warned that large portions of America’s power grid that were not mentioned above are also at a high risk of having insufficient supplies of electricity during peak winter conditions. Energy insiders note that tight fuel supplies and an outdated electric grid are playing a critical role in possible blackouts.

The risks of power outages this winter will be compounded by the expected uptick in demand for energy used for heating. This, coupled with the rushed and ineffective transition to using primarily “clean” or renewable energy sources and underinvestment in more reliable sources like fossil fuel will make energy supplies far less reliable.

Todd Snitchler, president and CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association, writing an opinion piece for Utility Dive, noted that many people still remember just how deadly it can be to lose power during winter.

“The terrible toll of Winter Storm Uri is a sad reminder of just how devastating and deadly it can be to have the power go out during an extended period of cold weather,” he wrote.

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American power grid dangerously outdated, not prepared for coming winter

Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm noted in a brief last month that around 70 percent of the nation’s power grid is more than 25 years old. Conservative estimates this year suggest that the cost of providing critical infrastructure upgrades to America’s power grid is at least $4 trillion, provided that the U.S. continues to supplement energy demand with nuclear power. Without nuclear energy, the price tag jumps by at least $500 million.

The administration of President Joe Biden has only authorized $13 billion in funding meant to be a stopgap measure to “modernize and expand” the power grid.

“Given the politics involved in any legislation, it’ll take some time before any of these funds trickle down to the states that need the funds,” noted Eric Hendrick, senior consultant in risk management at Customized Energy Solutions.

But even if the federal government provided the country with all of the funding it needs to properly upgrade the electrical grid, energy specialists warn that it is far too late for those upgrades to take effect in the coming winter, or even for the next one.

“There is a significant gap to upgrading aging grid infrastructure to … maintain reliability, and we’re running out of time,” said energy analyst Kim Getgen. “Upgrading aging infrastructure, system hardening and resilience measures while complying with the evolving set of new cyber and physical security threats will require even more investment.”

“It’s important to remember that something as complex as the electricity grid takes time to change,” noted Ted Kury, director of energy studies at the University of Florida. Kury said regulatory process for new utility projects, including repairs and upgrades, moves very slowly no matter how much money is thrown at it. If investments were made today, it will take years before people feel the impact.

Learn more about projected energy shortages this coming winter at Electricity.news.

Watch this clip from InfoWars discussing how electric companies will be remotely shutting off water heaters for hours a day this winter.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Josh Sigurdson: Biden admin’s plan to phase out oil use is ABSOLUTE INSANITY.

Warning: Nearly 25% of Americans are facing risk of power blackouts this winter, thanks to Biden admin’s anti-fossil fuel policies.

Americans should expect higher diesel prices, lower supply as winter nears.

In the middle of a global energy crisis, Joe Biden promises to SHUT DOWN COAL PLANTS all across America.

U.S. following in Europe’s footsteps: “Bout of cold weather” this winter could result in BLACKOUTS due to energy shortages, expert warns.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

UtilityDive.com

Brighteon.com

Biden claims “transphobia” is the same as racism and antisemitism, calls for doctors of trans children to be protected

Image: Biden claims “transphobia” is the same as racism and antisemitism, calls for doctors of trans children to be protected

(Natural News) President Joe Biden has claimed that so-called transphobia is the same as racism, antisemitism and other forms of bigotry and has called for transgender children and their doctors to be protected. These statements, according to conservative political commentator and radio host Glenn Beck, proved that the world is “officially upside down.”

On Tuesday, Dec. 13, Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, a law that provides federal protections for married same-sex and interracial couples. In a speech before signing the bill, he called for an end to the “hate and violence” against trans-identifying children and the healthcare professionals that provide them with hormone therapy and surgical operations.

Biden even claimed that “transphobia” is connected to other forms of bigotry, and that this is what caused the recent Colorado Springs nightclub shooting that killed five people. (Related: Colorado gay club shooting suspect self-identifies as “non-binary,” attorneys say.)

“When hospitals, libraries and community centers are threatened and intimidated … because they support LGBTQ children and families, we have to speak out,” he said. “We must stop the hate and violence like we just saw in Colorado Springs, where a place of acceptance and celebration was targeted for violence and terror.”

He then went on to challenge the hundreds of supposedly “callous and cynical” bills and laws that have been introduced and signed in state legislatures that specifically provide protections for children and their families against doctors who would give them hormone therapy and permanent surgical procedures. He claimed that this needlessly terrifies families and turns doctors into criminals for “giving children the care they need.”

Brighteon.TV

“Racism, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia – they’re all connected. But the antidote to hate is love. This law, and the love it defends, strike a blow against hate in all its forms,” said Biden.

Biden statement about transgender kids strongly criticized for being “spectacularly dangerous”

“So, he wants to show that we love these children and we must protect these children,” said Beck, who noted that his prediction that the world would be turned upside down has finally come true.

“When the president can say this is for the ‘love and protection’ of our children, so doctors can go in and mutilate our children, it is officially upside down.”

Beck is not the only one to strongly criticize Biden’s statement. Notable political commentators, both conservative and liberal alike, have pointed out how dangerous it is for Biden to rush to the aid of healthcare workers who provide healthcare to trans-identifying children.

“This rhetoric is so spectacularly dangerous,” said Ian Haworth, a conservative writer and political activist. “By rolling all bigotry – real and imaginary – into one political hammer to swing at anyone and everyone, it makes it so much easier for the real bigots to hide in plain sight. By doing this, Biden is opening the door to [more] hate.”

Off The Press Deputy Editor Rob Smith wrote: “Democrats found that if you pander enough to the ‘Alphabet People,’ you can get them to do anything, including pushing what I believe will one day become one of the biggest medical scandals in American history – the ‘transitioning’ of children.”

“Once you see through what pandering blowhards Democrats are, you can never unsee it,” said Dave Rubin, a liberal political commentator who is himself a gay man. “Please explain to me how chopping kids’ genitals off is connected to racism.”

Learn more about transgender issues in the U.S. at Groomers.news.

Watch this clip of Glenn Beck talking about how Biden’s recent message about transgender kids is incredibly harmful.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Patient PERMANENTLY LOST eyesight following botched facial feminization surgery.

Trans woman tells CNN no way Colorado shooter is “non-binary” because she says so.

Biden supports child mutilation, says banning dangerous transition-related treatments is IMMORAL.

Biden wants American children to have unlimited access to transgender castration drugs and mutilation surgeries.

Joe Biden demands American children be MUTILATED by transgender surgical procedures and chemical castrations… a man with NO BRAIN wants children to have no reproductive organs.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

WhiteHouse.gov

CNBC.com

FoxNews.com

Biden signs Respect for Marriage Act into law, granting federal protections to same-sex marriage

Image: Biden signs Respect for Marriage Act into law, granting federal protections to same-sex marriage

(Natural News) President Joe Biden on Tuesday, December 13, signed into law the Respect for Marriage Act – a bill granting federal protections to same-sex marriage. Critics say this law doesn’t show any respect at all for how most people around the world view marriage.

According to Biden, the law recognizes that “everyone should have the right to answer those questions for themselves without government interference” and secures the federal “protections that come with marriage.” It now mandates that states honor the validity of out-of-state marriage licenses, including same-sex and interracial unions. The new legislation voids the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

“America takes a vital step toward equality, for liberty and justice, not just for some, but for everyone,” he said during the signing ceremony.

During the celebration, singers Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper performed while Vice President Kamala Harris recalled officiating at a lesbian wedding in San Francisco. The White House even played footage of Biden’s television interview from a decade ago, when he took a public stand to favor same-sex unions before they became legal throughout the U.S. via a 2015 Supreme Court decision.

A group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers were present during the event, as well as advocates and plaintiffs in marriage equality cases across the country. In Congress, 39 Republicans joined the Democratic majority in supporting the said bill, while 169 Republicans voted against it. It was previously adopted in the evenly split Senate by 61 votes to 36. (Related: Pro-LGBT Republican personalities urge GOP senators to back same-sex marriage bill.)

Brighteon.TV

The first openly gay U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said she was “overcome with joy” at the signing of the law, which she helped draft in Congress. “Today, we are making history and making a difference for millions of Americans,” she said in a statement. “We are telling the millions of same-sex and interracial couples that we see them and we respect them.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the crowd that “inside maneuvering only takes us so far,” and she thanked activists for adding impetus with “your impatience, your persistence and your patriotism.”

According to Biden, the road to legalizing federal protections for same-sex marriages has been long. He also lauded those who “believed in equality and justice” for not giving up.

Ten years ago, during an interview on NBC‘s “Meet the Press,” he said: “Look, I am vice president of the United States of America. The president sets the policy. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties. And quite frankly, I don’t see much of a distinction beyond that.”

Poll: 71 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage

The annual Values and Beliefs Gallup poll found that 71 percent of Americans now support legalizing same-sex marriage. This exceeded 70 percent in 2021.

When Gallup first polled about same-sex marriage in 1996, only 27 percent of the public supported legalizing such unions. In 2015, just one month before the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision, public support for legalizing gay marriage cracked the 60 percent level and last year it reached the 70 percent mark.

The survey also pointed to weekly churchgoers remaining the primary demographic holdout against gay marriage, with 40 percent in favor and 58 percent opposed.

To assure conservatives, lawmakers crafted a compromise that religious liberty will be upheld in the new law. Churches could still refuse to perform gay marriages. States would also not be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples if the court overturns its 2015 ruling. But they will be required to recognize marriages conducted elsewhere in the country.

Find more related stories at CultureWars.news.

Watch the video below that talks about the signing of the Respect for Marriage bill into law.

This video is from the Wake Up channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Woketard crybullies invade HISTORY as “Crusader Kings” game developer forced to inject homosexual marriage into 15th century simulation.

Matt Walsh challenges Joe Rogan on same-sex ‘marriage’ and surrogacy: ‘Mom is not expendable.’

JK Rowling is right: Biological sex is REAL, and if you don’t think it’s real how can “same-sex marriage” even exist?

Hallmark caves to LGBT mafia by reinstating same-sex marriage ads after being targeted by the howling cultural fascists of the Left.

Sources include:

SCMP.com

Edition.CNN.com

NPR.org

News.Gallup.com

KKTV.com

Brighteon.com

Unvaccinated Blood Is Now in Very High Demand

unvaccinated blood now very high demand

  • A growing number of people in need of blood transfusions are requesting blood that comes from people who haven’t received COVID-19 shots

  • Pathologist Dr. Ryan Cole compared the current unknowns regarding “vaccinated blood” with HIV-tainted blood that was used for transfusions in the 1980s

  • Directed donations and autologous donations, or self-donation, are options for receiving blood free of mRNA, but in both cases you’ll need your doctor to submit a Red Cross Special Collections Order form

  • A “Safe Blood” donation campaign has also been formed to match blood donors and recipients who have not had COVID-19 shots

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It’s unknown whether blood donated by people who’ve received mRNA COVID-19 shots poses a risk to those who receive it. A growing number of people aren’t willing to take any chances, however, and are requesting blood that comes from unvaccinated patients. One high-profile case involves a 4-month-old baby, Will Savage-Reeves, in New Zealand, who needs surgery for a heart valve disorder.

His parents, Samantha and Cole, requested the infant receive blood only from donors who have not received COVID-19 shots. While unvaccinated blood is available, the doctors and hospital refused to grant the request. The case was heard before a New Zealand court, which sided with the doctors and took guardianship of the child to proceed with the surgery using vaccinated blood.1 2

The outcome of baby Will’s case may serve as a harbinger of things to come. The hospital argued that the surgery should proceed using unvaccinated blood because of the importance of finding a quality match. A large pool of donor blood raises the possibility of finding the highest quality match.

In addition, according to Steve Kirsch, executive director of the Vaccine Safety Research Foundation, another of their arguments is, “If there were a safety signal from using vaccinated blood for transfusions, it would have surfaced by now.” They also want to keep up appearances, and allowing one patient to use unvaccinated blood may open the floodgates to others requesting the same. Kirsch noted:3

“If they agree to use unvaccinated blood, it could be interpreted as an admission that vaccinated blood is not safe and could lead to everyone requesting unvaccinated blood which would then create severe blood shortages for a dubious benefit.”

Further, the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) manages blood donations and collections in New Zealand. Only a specialist doctor can request directed donation for the baby to received unvaccinated blood.

But, Kirsch noted, “The clinicians responsible for the surgery determined that there was insufficient evidence to make a special request … The hospital cannot compel the NZBS to do what it says, e.g., even if the doctors agreed with the parents, NZBS can still refuse to supply the blood if it doesn’t think the request is justified.”4

The hospital also claimed mRNA shots “to date remain safe.”5 According to Kirsch, “The court, lacking the legal and technical ability to second guess the doctors, therefore sided with the expert opinion of the doctors.”6

The media, meanwhile, are painting the reasonable request to honor the precautionary principle as a conspiracy theory and disinformation dreamed up by fringe “anti-vaxxers.” Case in point, The New York Times reported:7

“The case, and the family’s flawed scientific arguments, highlight the continuing dangers of online misinformation and conspiracist narratives, experts say. The dispute has ‘become a cause célèbre in the most toxic way,’ prompting a spike in hate speech on fringe platforms where conspiracy theories run rife, said Sanjana Hattotuwa, a researcher at the Disinformation Project, a New Zealand monitoring group.”

Not only did the New Zealand health service refuse the family’s request, but New Zealand’s High Court granted two doctors authority to make medical decisions regarding baby Will.8 It didn’t need to go this far, supporters have stated, since there is ready availability of blood from unvaccinated donors.9

In a similar case in Italy, however, a judge also ruled against parents who requested blood transfusions only from unvaccinated donors be used during their 2-year-old son’s heart surgery.10

Richard Hirschman

Richard Hirschman, a board-certified embalmer and funeral director with more than 20 years of experience, has come forward stating that, in the time period since COVID-19 shots were rolled out, starting around the middle of 2021, he’s been finding “strange clots” in the bodies of the deceased.

“When I do the embalming, I have to go into the vein. And in order for the embalming process, I have to allow blood to be drained. So I actually pulled this huge, long clot — fibrous looking clot — out prior to an embalming,” Hirschman said.11

The beginning of the clot, which resembles a white, rubbery worm, appears red and like a normal clot. But the majority of the clot is different: It’s composed of a white, fibrous material. “It just isn’t normal,” he said, adding:12

“Typically, a blood clot is smooth; it’s blood that has coagulated together. But when you squeeze it, or touch it or try to pick it up, it generally falls apart … you can almost squeeze it between your fingers and get it back to blood again. But this white fibrous stuff is pretty strong. It’s not weak at all. You can manipulate it, it’s very pliable. It’s not hard … it is not normal. I don’t know how anybody can live with something like this inside of them.”

What’s important to note is embalmers have reported finding unusual clots not only in deceased people who’ve received the shots but also in those who have had a blood transfusion. So while we don’t know what risk there is from receiving blood from someone who’s had COVID-19 shots, “the risk is not zero,” Kirsch said.13

Another case involves a baby, Alexander, who received a vaccinated blood transfusion and developed “an enormous clot that eventually stretched from his left knee, all the way to his heart,” and died.14 According to Kirsch, the hospital then went on to delete all related medical records:15

“Sacred Heart Hospital in Washington State has erased all records of the death of baby Alex who died from a blood clot after receiving a transfusion from a vaccinated patient. So there is no evidence of a problem anymore. They erased it, just like the CDC erased all data linking vaccines and autism. This is how science works nowadays.”

In the U.S., a person is in need of blood every two seconds.16 If you have a medical emergency, getting a blood transfusion can be life-saving. But should patients have the option of choosing to receive blood that hasn’t been exposed to mRNA COVID-19 shots?

The Red Cross states they’re following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s blood donation eligibility guidance, which states, “In most cases, there is no deferral time for individuals who received a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are symptom-free and feeling well at the time of donation.”17

“While the antibodies that are produced by the stimulated immune system in response to vaccination are found throughout the bloodstream, the actual vaccine components are not,” Jessa Merrill, Red Cross director of biomedical communications, told The Daily Beast.18 Further, after speaking to Dr. Peter McCullough, cardiologist, internist and epidemiologist, Kirsch reported:19

“He said he’d take the vaccinated blood because of the critical nature of the matching process. With donor blood, the match quality would not be as good because there is a smaller pool to draw from, and it’s not just blood type that is matched.

Nobody has quantified the risk of using vaccinated blood. He said if the risk were high, it would have been noticed by now (I’m not sure I agree with that; there is a lot of willful blindness for anything associated with the vaccine).”

Pathologist Dr. Ryan Cole compared the current unknowns regarding “vaccinated blood” with HIV-tainted blood that was used for transfusions in the 1980s:20

“We don’t know. Nobody knows. I have clots from unvaccinated deceased that were transfused and formed large clots post transfusion and died. No blood bank is checking. ‘One cannot find, that for which they do not look.’ This is akin to blood banks and hemophiliacs and HIV in the 1980s. It may not be a problem.

However, it may be. There are assays academically available to check for circulating spike protein. It is criminal negligence to not assure the safety of the blood supply based on bureaucratic declarations without scientific explorations.”

Similarly, in January 1983, after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed evidence strongly suggesting blood and blood products transmitted AIDS and the disease was sexually transmitted, it recommended blood banks directly question donors about their sexual behavior and run blood donations through a series of screening tests.21

The blood bank community issued a statement soon after, stating “direct or indirect questions about a donor’s sexual preference are inappropriate” and not recommending any laboratory screening tests.22 As noted by Encyclopedia.com:23

“In fact, in the early years of the disease, many of the people who contracted AIDS were infected through blood transfusions. Because it took more than five years to develop a test to check for AIDS in blood before it was used in a transfusion, many people got the disease in hospitals.

The AIDS epidemic continued to grow in Africa and Asia during the 1990s and even in the early 21st century because many nations were slow to adopt blood testing.”

In the 1980s, increasing fears over tainted transfusions led many people to say they’d refuse donated blood entirely. One man, whose wife died of AIDS contracted through a contaminated transfusion, told the AP in 1985, “You want to play Russian Roulette? Even if it were an emergency — and I had some say in the matter — I wouldn’t take blood out of the pool.”24

Now, decades later, doctors are hearing similar concerns from patients regarding vaccinated blood. Dr. Davinder Sidhu, the division head for transfusion and transplant medicine for southern Alberta, Canada, told CTV News he gets requests for blood from unvaccinated donors “at least once or twice a month over the last several months.”25

As it stands, blood donation centers may ask about vaccines their donors have received,26 but it’s not guaranteed that this information will be passed on to consumers. The Red Cross also states, “If you’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine, you’ll need to provide the manufacturer name when you come to donate.”27

Still, it’s unlikely that most hospitals will readily divulge this information when it comes to receiving a blood transfusion. So what are your options if you’re looking for blood from a donor that’s hasn’t received a COVID-19 shot? Directed donations, in which a donor donates blood for a specified receiver, are an option, but they’re typically only used in cases where matched blood is unavailable due to extremely rare blood types.28

Autologous donations, or self-donation, is another option, in which you donate blood for your own use, such as before a medical procedure like surgery. In both cases, you’ll need your doctor to submit a Red Cross Special Collections Order form to complete an autologous or directed blood donation.29

A “Safe Blood” donation campaign has also been formed to match blood donors and recipients who have not had COVID-19 shots. For now, they’re acting as a resource to match donors with those in need of blood, but the hope is that an mRNA-free blood bank will be established:30

“There is no blood bank with mRNA-free blood yet, not even with us. And, although we have already asked hundreds of clinics, at the moment — at least in Europe — all of them still refuse to allow the human right of free blood choice with them — or at least do not want to be mentioned, because otherwise they fear reprisals. However, we promise you that we will not give up until we can offer a worldwide network of such clinics.”

As for baby Will, whose parents’ hopes for an mRNA-free blood transfusion have been dashed, Kirsch said:31

“Whatever happened to the precautionary principle of medicine? In my opinion, this isn’t a close call. We can’t know today if the blood supply is safe because nobody wants to even ask the question and do the experiments required to answer it. For that reason, Baby Will’s parents’ request to use unvaccinated blood should be respected.”

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Should Butter Be Kept at Room Temperature or Refrigerated?

best way to store butter

  • Butter is a mainstay in most kitchens, but debate rages on over the best way to store it — on the counter or in the fridge; the answer is it’s up to you

  • Because it’s made primarily of fat with a low water content, butter is not a favorable environment for bacterial growth

  • It’s perfectly safe to store butter at room temperature, but you should use it up within a few days before it turns rancid; this affects the flavor, but still doesn’t make it unsafe to eat

  • Salted butter stays fresher longer when left at room temperature, as the salt further staves off bacterial growth

  • You can keep butter in the freezer for longer storage; unsalted butter can be frozen for up to five months while unsalted butter can be kept in the freezer for up to nine months if stored properly

  • Grass fed butter is a rich source of vitamin A in the most absorbable form, vitamin E, vitamin K2, antioxidants, conjugated linoleic acid, iodine in a highly absorbable form, vitamin D and more; to boost the health benefits of butter, look for varieties made from grass fed milk

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Butter is a mainstay in most kitchens, but debate rages on over the best way to store it — on the counter or in the fridge. The answer is it’s up to you. While you can safely store butter on your counter, there are some caveats to doing so properly. And if you’re not careful, leaving butter out at room temperature can ruin its flavor instead of enhancing it.

On the other hand, if you only store butter in your refrigerator, you’ll be destined to have hard, unspreadable butter when you need it — unless you take it out of the fridge to soften up before your meal. There are also some dishes that require cold butter to turn out correctly. So, some butter enthusiasts recommend keeping a small amount of butter on your counter for daily use and a backup stash of butter in the fridge for recipes that call for it.

Dairy products like milk and cream must be refrigerated for safety, but butter is unique in the dairy world. Because it’s made primarily of fat, with a low water content, it’s not a favorable environment for bacterial growth.1 This means it’s perfectly safe to store butter at room temperature.

You’ll want to keep it in a covered dish or crock to keep out pests and protect freshness. This also keeps it from excess air exposure and light — two factors that hasten spoilage. Your kitchen’s temperature also plays a role in how long butter will last at room temperature. Cooler temperatures will keep your butter fresher, longer, while temperatures much higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit could impact its quality.2

Ideally, only keep a few days’ worth out at a time so you can use it up before it turns rancid. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, butter is safe at room temperature, but “if butter is left out at room temperature for several days, the flavor can turn rancid so it’s best to leave out whatever you can use within a day or two.”3

Speaking with AOL, Caitlin Clark, a food scientist at Colorado State University, explained, “The greater problem with butter is oxidative rancidity, in which oxygen causes fats in the butter to break down and taste rancid, although this does not make it unsafe.”4 U.S. Dairy also states that salted butter stays fresher longer when left at room temperature, as the salt further staves off bacterial growth:5 6

“If you’re a serious supporter of leaving butter out, go with the salted kind. It’s important to note, however, that the amount of salt in different brands of butter can vary. The more salt there is, the safer it may be to leave the butter out on the counter. Regardless of salt quantity, play it safe by limiting time on the counter to no more than a couple of days.”

In addition to keeping butter at just the right consistency for spreading, chef Andrea Uzarowski told AOL that she prefers storing butter on the counter due to taste:7

“Contrary to popular belief, storing it out on the counter does not affect the butter’s flavor in an adverse way … Temperature affects how we taste things as they touch our tongue. When something cold touches our tongues, our taste buds restrict or close up from the cold temperature of the food and this delays our sensations for taste.”

Those on the other side of the fence are in favor of keeping butter in the refrigerator. As an aside, because dairy manufacturers produce large amounts of butter during certain times of the year, it’s often stored for extended periods. According to a study in the Journal of Dairy Science:8

“During refrigerated or frozen storage, degradation of quality may occur and this is an important issue when companies develop specification sheets for butter suppliers or for butter suppliers to design storage regimens.

Butter is commonly stored for extended periods in blocks (25 kg) that are subsequently reworked into quarter-pound sticks. However, retail packages (sticks or quarters as they are referred to by industry) are also often stored for extended periods.”

When they looked into the effect of refrigeration and freezing on butter flavor and texture, they found storage time, temperature and package type all affected butter flavor. Stale, off-flavors were noted in refrigerated butter quarters within six months of refrigerated storage, while bulk butter went stale after being refrigerated for nine months. For frozen butter, off-flavors were evident after 12 months for butter quarters and 18 months for bulk butter.9

Choosing butter made fresh from a local farm, will help you avoid any off-flavors in your butter due to prolonged storage. That being said, storing butter in your refrigerator can keep it fresher, longer, if you don’t plan to use it right away.

Many people store butter in their refrigerator and take out a portion 30 minutes or so before a meal to allow it to soften. And even chef Uzarowski — who prefers room temp butter — noted, “I do keep a stash of cold butter in the fridge for specific uses, such as making pie crust and specific sauces like beurre blanc, which can only be made with cold butter.”10

Yes, you can also put butter in the freezer for longer storage. According to U.S. Dairy, unsalted butter can be frozen for up to five months while unsalted butter can be kept in the freezer for up to nine months — but proper storage is important:11

“To keep it tasting as fresh as possible, keep the frozen butter in its original wrapping. You can also wrap it in foil or plastic and put it in an air-tight container. This will make sure the butter doesn’t absorb other flavors. You can freeze it in blocks, sticks or slice it into pats of butter.”

When you’re ready to use the butter, allow it to thaw in your refrigerator first. If you need it right away, a trick is to grate the stick of butter while it’s still frozen. This will help it to thaw quickly and is especially useful if you’re baking.

The introduction of the first Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 1980, which recommended limiting saturated fat and cholesterol, coincided with a rapid rise in obesity and chronic diseases such as heart disease.

As saturated fats fell out of favor, and health officials wrongly urged Americans to avoid such healthy fats as butter, Americans began replacing them with products made from refined vegetable/seed oils, which are among the unhealthiest foods you can consume.

Many are still not eating enough saturated fats, such as those from grass fed butter. In a systematic review and meta-analysis of nine publications including 15 country-specific cohorts, butter consumption was not significantly associated with cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease or stroke, but increased consumption was associated with a lower incidence of diabetes.12

Grass fed butter, alone, is a rich source of vitamin A in the most absorbable form, vitamin E, vitamin K2, antioxidants, conjugated linoleic acid, iodine in a highly absorbable form, vitamin D and more.13 By consuming nutritious whole foods like butter, you can lower your risk of multiple nutrient deficiencies at once.

Butter doesn’t have to be viewed as a guilty pleasure. You can indulge guilt-free, as butter is a whole food that contains nutrients your body needs:14

Nutrients in Butter:

  • Vitamin A in the most absorbable form

  • Lauric acid

  • Lecithin — necessary for cholesterol metabolism and nerve health

  • Antioxidants

  • Vitamin E

  • Vitamin K2

  • Wulzen Factor — hormone-like substance known to prevent arthritis and joint stiffness (destroyed by pasteurization)

  • Fatty acids, especially short- and medium-chain in the perfect omega-3 to omega-6 balance

  • Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) — anticancer agent, muscle builder and immunity booster

  • Vitamin D

  • Minerals, including selenium, manganese, chromium, zinc, and copper

  • Iodine in a highly absorbable form

  • Cholesterol

  • Arachidonic acid (AA) — brain function and healthy cell membranes

  • Glycosphingolipids — fatty acids that protect against GI infections

Regarding CLA in butter, it’s not only anticancer but also heart healthy and anti-inflammatory with antiobesity effects as well.15 Sphingolipids, such as ceramides, sphingomyelin, cerebrosides, sulfatides and gangliosides, are also found in butter. These compounds influence cell regulation and have antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects, while inhibiting cholesterol adsorption. They also have potential anticancer effects. According to Advances in Food and Nutrition Research:

“When consumed, sphingomyelin is transformed to ceramide by sphingomyelinase, and further ceramide is digested to sphingosine and a free fatty acid before being absorbed. Ceramide is known as a cancer cell apoptosis inducer. The consumption of sphingomyelin was related to the prevention of colon cancer in mice and humans.”16

There’s also butyric acid, an anticancer compound found in milk fat. Butyric acid and its salts, including butyrate, are beneficial for your gut and have beneficial effects on energy homeostasis, obesity, immune system regulation, cancer and brain function. Myristic acid is a long-chain saturated fatty acid also found abundantly in milk fat.

It’s involved in important metabolic processes, and moderate consumption may improve omega-3 fat levels, which could lead to improvements in heart health. The consumption of myristic acid from dairy fat is also linked to increases in HDL cholesterol and decreases in triglyceride levels with additional noted immunomodulatory properties.17

To boost the health benefits of butter, look for varieties made from grass fed milk. The very best quality butter is raw (unpasteurized) from grass fed cows, preferably certified organic. The next best is pasteurized butter from grass fed or pastured organic cows, followed by regular pasteurized butter common in supermarkets.

Even the latter two are healthier choices by orders of magnitude than margarine or other vegetable-oil based spreads, but if you can opt for grass fed butter over conventional butter, you’ll get even more nutrients.

This is because milk from cows raised primarily on pasture has been shown to be higher in many nutrients, including vitamin E, beta-carotene and the healthy fats omega-3 and CLA.18 A study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and nutrition also highlighted the differences in human health after consuming the same foods from animals raised in different ways:19

“Multiple studies have shown that food products from animals raised on pasture instead of grains contain significantly higher amounts of nutrients that may protect against cancer, like omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid.

Due to the general recommendation against dietary fat consumption over the past several decades, there has been a lack of scientific dialogue regarding the differences pasture-raised animal byproducts may have on health and cancer prevention.”

Indeed, they found that while lipid levels remained relatively neutral overall, significant differences were found in inflammatory markers and phospholipids depending on whether the foods came from animals fed grass or grains.

So while debate rages on over whether it’s better to keep your butter refrigerated or at room temperature, a more pertinent issue is the superiority of grass fed butter over conventional. No matter where you store your butter — on the counter or in the fridge — make sure it’s grass fed, if possible.

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