Natural News – Page 2 – Eddie's Blog List

June 1, 2023

DeSantis: Florida National Guard “proud to help” Texas counterparts in addressing Biden-inflicted BORDER CRISIS

(Natural News) Members of the Florida National Guard (FNG) are “proud to help” their counterparts in Texas in addressing the border crisis, according to the Sunshine State’s governor.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted on May 28: “We are proud to help Texas fight [President Joe] Biden’s border crisis.” His tweet came in response to a tweet by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott five days prior, on May 23.

“FNG service members arrived in Texas over the weekend. Thank you to Gov. DeSantis for deploying troops to support our border response,” Abbott’s post read. “While Biden refuses to secure the border, we’ve stepped up to fill the gaps he created.”

The governor of the Lone Star State said members of the Texas National Guard are assisting in reinforcing areas of the border that otherwise lack a physical barrier. The guardsmen are combating a flow of illegal immigrants that continues to outpace those recorded in the previous two years. Fortunately, several Republican-led states have recently announced efforts to send troops, law enforcement and other resources to help stop the surge at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Earlier in May, the Florida governor announced that the Sunshine State was deploying more than 1,100 resources available to assist. These included 101 officers from the Florida Highway Patrol, 200 officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 800 guardsmen and emergency management personnel. Also included were 17 unmanned drones and 10 vessels, including airboats.

“The impacts of Biden’s border crisis are felt by communities across the nation, and the federal government’s abdication of duty undermines the sovereignty of our country and the rule of law,” DeSantis remarked.

“At my direction, state agencies – including law enforcement and the FNG – are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats and planes. While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis.”

Texas also welcomes aid from other states

Chris Olivarez, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, lauded the support sent by Florida. He said: “We welcome the support from the state of Florida as they will provide additional law enforcement resources to help combat criminal activity and interdict deadly narcotics.”

But aside from Florida, Texas also recognized the help and assistance sent by other states – including Tennessee, Nebraska and Mississippi. The Volunteer State announced that it deployed 100 members of the Tennessee National Guard

“America continues to face an unprecedented border crisis that threatens our nation’s security and the safety of Tennesseans. The federal government owes Americans a plan to secure our country. In the meantime, states continue to answer this important call to service,” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said in a May 24 statement.

“I am again authorizing the TNG to help secure the southern border, and I commend these troops for providing critical support.”

Meanwhile, the Cornhusker State deployed 10 members of the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) through its Emergency Management Assistance Compact. The 10 NSP members include drone operators for border surveillance purposes.

NSP Superintendent Col. John Bolduc remarked that his team ” is eager to join troopers from several other states answering Texas’ call for assistance.” He continued: “Our team of drone operators will provide valuable assistance to our law enforcement partners in Texas as they work to keep communities safe at the border.”

“Our nation has a serious and unchecked threat on its hands following Biden’s decision to end Title 42,” said Nebraska Gov. Jim Phillen. “Illegal immigration hurts our nation’s security, undermines the rule of law and threatens the well-being of our state.” (Related: Massive migrant INVASION of the United States just days away as Dems collude to overrun the USA with millions of illegals.)

Phillen reiterated that “Nebraska is committed to using every tool in its tool box to help stop the influx of illegal immigration at our southern border.”

Visit BorderSecurity.news for more stories about the ongoing southern border crisis.

Watch this video that discusses Florida providing aid to Texas as the Lone Star State faces the border crisis.

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

GREEDFLATION: McDonald's, PepsiCo raising prices beyond inflation to generate bigger profits

(Natural News) Food giants McDonald’s and PepsiCo continue to greedily raise prices, forcing many consumers looking for price breaks to keep waiting for the day when food prices normalize.

These price increases are ongoing. Many companies do not plan to change course and will continue increasing prices or keeping them at elevated levels even as some executives are warning that shoppers may become reluctant to spend at outlets that do not stabilize their prices. (Related: Inflation remains a problem for middle- and lower-income Americans as Biden’s Federal Reserve keeps raising interest rates.)

PepsiCo, the New York-based food giant that owns everything from Cheetos and Mountain Dew to Lays and, of course, Pepsi, reported a revenue increase of more than 10 percent to $17.85 billion for the fiscal quarter that ended on March 25. The company now expects organic revenue growth to grow by eight percent for the year, compared with its previous forecast of six percent.

Much of this massive profit increase comes from the fact that PepsiCo increased prices for its products across the board by an inflation-busting average of 16 percent during the first three months of the year.

McDonald’s, meanwhile, reported $5.9 billion in sales for the first three months of the year, exceeding expectations and increasing quarterly revenues by four percent from a year earlier and eight percent when accounting for the effects of currency fluctuations. Its net income for the first three months was $1.8 billion, up 63 percent from a year earlier.

Like PepsiCo, McDonald’s higher prices helped boost its sales. A Big Mac in the fast food joint now costs as much as $5.31, up from $4.33 in 2012.

This is despite McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski’s warning that more and more customers are buying fewer items per order or refusing to add items to their meals for discounts.

“We are seeing in some places resistance to pricing, more resistance than we saw at the outset,” admitted Kempczinski during a recent investor call.

PepsiCo is experiencing a similar phenomenon, with Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston reporting seeing “a little bit of trade-down,” as consumers switch from purchasing single-serve soda cans to two-liter bottles, or moving from purchasing PepsiCo products at high-end grocery stores to cheaper stores.

“Greedflation” may compel Fed to keep raising interest rates

Economists have warned that this strategy of cushioning corporate profits with massive price increases may be contributing to the very pressures the Federal Reserve is using to justify raising interest rates.

Without any change, these economists believe policymakers at the Fed may keep raising interest rates or at least not lower them, increasing the likelihood and severity of an economic downturn.

“Companies are not just maintaining margins, not just passing on cost increases, they have used it as a cover to expand margins,” warned Albert Edwards, a global strategist at French multinational bank and financial services company Societe Generale. “Inflation is going to stay much higher than it needs to be, because companies are being greedy.”

This greed is already affecting other corporations, as the relentless pace of price increases is weakening consumers’ endurance. Telecommunications giant AT&T recently warned that the mass layoffs and corporate cost-cuttings is denting demand for wireless plans, with more and more customers preferring to stick with their old phones for longer than average. Its rival, Verizon Communications, has posted lower revenues as it lost wireless subscribers.

Market data from the Department of Commerce shows that Americans are already cutting their retail spending as they pull back on purchases of higher-cost items.

The top 20 percent of households by income in the United States typically account for about 40 percent of total consumer spending. Their overall spending on recreational experiences and other luxuries appears to have peaked.

Watch this video from “World Alternative Media” discussing how another food giant – Burger King – is on the brink of collapse.

This video is from the World Alternative Media channel on Brighteon.com.

5 Tips on how to shield your finances from debt default

(Natural News) President Joe Biden doesn’t have a lot of time left to stop America from defaulting on its debts for the first time in history, a move that could trigger financial chaos for American households.

At the same time, negotiations are ongoing between the White House and Congressional Republicans as they deliberate raising the U.S. government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling.

If you’re worried about the future, invest wisely to protect your finances from debt default.

Analysts previously warned that a default could result in mortgage payments skyrocketing and the loss of seven million jobs. It could also result in investments plummeting.

Ratings agency Fitch cautioned that a default could put America’s “AAA” credit rating on a negative watch.

Finance experts are also encouraging American households to prepare for a worst-case scenario. Bloomberg Economics Director David Wilcox said the more time passes, “the more realistic the possibility becomes that we have a full-blown disaster.”

To improve your finances while preparing for the worst, here are some useful tips:

Pay off your credit cards

A default could cause an increase in yields on U.S. treasuries to account for the increased risk.

This could be an issue if you have credit cards because Treasury Yields usually set the benchmark for interest rates, loans, credit cards and mortgages. In turn, repayment rates on these loans could see more hikes down the line.

If possible, try to pay off any debts to get ahead of rising borrowing costs. You should also postpone new loans, such as on a car or a new home, and wait until interest rates settle.

If you are struggling with credit card debt, try to pay more than the minimum so pay less interest overall. If you have several cards, target one debt at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed financially.

Budget for social security payment delays

Social security payments could also be stopped overnight if America defaults on its debt.

At least 66 million retirees, disabled workers and others receive monthly benefits which total $1,827 a month on average. And around two-thirds of beneficiaries rely on Social Security for at least 50 percent of their income.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, an estimated $25 billion is sent out each week. Additionally, other government payments could be affected, such as funding for food stamps and municipalities for Medicaid.

This could also delay the paychecks of at least two million federal civilian workers and 1.4 million active-duty military members. If your household relies on these checks, start preparing an emergency fund and budget for a default. (Related: Scalise: Biden doesn’t have Plan B if he vetoes McCarthy’s debt bill.)

Cook more meals at home and avoid eating out whenever possible to save money.

Be cautious and don’t overinvest

A default could trigger a “relief rally” in the market, which may tempt investors to send their money into stocks while they are low.

Earlier, Moody’s Analytics advised that stocks could shed at least one-third of their value even if an agreement is reached. The result would mean that $12 trillion is wiped from household debts.

However, the added pressure on the economy means investing while stocks are low could be extremely high-risk. Be cautious since it is rarely a good idea for amateur investors to attempt to time the market.

Jessica Schifalacqua, a Vanguard spokesman, said that their “general guidance is for investors to maintain a balanced portfolio in keeping with their goals and to remain disciplined.” Schifalacqua added that a long-term view is crucial, particularly “during periods of uncertainty.”

Teresa Ghilarducci, a labor economist and retirement security expert at The New School, advised citizens to fight their “worst instinct to act on the news.”

”All the academic research shows that if you buy and hold, you will do so much better than if you try to follow market trends, whether that be responding to an economic crisis or a recession,” said Ghilarducci.

Experts also suggest not to panic because stocks “historically roar back after big declines.”

Try to adjust your 401K

Experts also say that volatility in the stock market could affect 401K, depending on your equity-to-bond allocation.

If you are employed, take time to review the investments tied to your retirement fund and make adjustments if necessary.

Stocks are traditionally riskier than bond investments and are more likely to fluctuate as the deadline approaches, and they will come under the most pressure in the coming days.

To address this, experts suggest considering increasing your bond allocation and opting for high-quality investments.

Postpone the purchase of your dream home

Property platform Zillow cautioned that homeowners could see mortgage rates increase by as much as 8.4 percent by September.

In real terms, this means it would push up the average mortgage repayment by at least 22 percent.

In May, average mortgage rates already skyrocketed above seven percent for the first time since March 2023. Because of this, experts advised homebuyers to wait for rates to stabilize before entering into a costly agreement, like buying a new home.

Jully-Alma Taveras, a personal finance expert from InvestingLatina.com, said this means more households may have to continue renting until things settle down.

Artin Babayan, a home loan officer based in Los Angeles, said that there could be a significant drop in buyers and when that happens, property prices could fall. At the same time, different construction and home improvement projects may be put on hold.

Visit GovernmentDebt.news for more updates on America’s public debt.

Watch the video below to see Sen. Ron Johnson discussing House Republicans’ budget bill.

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

Elon Musk's Neuralink receives FDA approval to begin clinical trials for brain implants

(Natural News) Elon Musk’s Neuralink has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin clinical trials for its brain implants.

According to Ars Technica‘s John Timmer, Musk gave an update regarding Neuralink back in December 2022. He said that time that Neuralink was close to starting clinical trials of its flagship brain implants, albeit still six months away. Timmer noted that Musk has been claiming that trials would start soon as early as 2020.

“This time, it seems that the company was correct,” he said, citing a May 26 tweet from the company. “Typically, when the FDA rejects an application for clinical trials, it is willing to communicate in detail why it found the plan for trials insufficient.”

Neuralink tweeted: “We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first in-human clinical study. Recruitment is not yet open for our clinical trial, [however]. We’ll announce more information on this soon.”

“This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA, and represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people.”

However, Timmer noted that the trial is yet to get off the ground. He wrote: “Neuralink is not ready to start recruiting test subjects, and there are no details about what the trials will entail. Searching the ClinicalTrials.gov database for ‘Neuralink’ also turns up nothing.”

“Typically, the initial trials are small and focused entirely on safety and effectiveness. Given that Neuralink is developing both brain implants and a surgical robot to do the implanting, there will be a lot that needs testing. It’s likely that these will focus on the implants first given that other implants have already been tested in humans, whereas an equivalent surgical robot has not.”

Despite the snags, Timmer described the update as “a positive sign for Neuralink that the company was able to address the concerns of federal regulators in a relatively short period.”

FDA earlier rejected Neuralink’s plan over SAFETY concerns

Back in March, the FDA rejected Neuralink’s proposal to test implants in humans. The regulator outlined dozens of issues the company must address before it can proceed with clinical trials. Seven current and former FDA employees confirmed the agency’s decision to Reuters. (Related: FDA rejects Elon Musk’s bid to test Neuralink brain implants in humans.)

Some of the issues the FDA touched on involved the implant’s lithium battery, and the potential for its tiny wires to migrate to other areas of the brain. Questions over whether the device can be removed and how can it be done so without damaging brain tissue were also put forward.

According to one of the seven sources, Musk operates Neuralink in the same way as electric vehicle company Tesla. The latter, which is also owned by the South African-born tech mogul, brought several electric cars to market relatively quickly.

“He can’t appreciate that this is not a car,” the source said. “This is a person’s brain. This is not a toy.”

Owen Faris, principal deputy director of the FDA’s Office of Product Evaluation and Quality, emphasized the agency’s high standards in vetting all products even as it aims to expedite reviews. He said: “Innovation and safety are not an either-or scenario.”

Kip Ludwig, former program director of neural engineering at the National Institutes of Health, remarked that Musk’s claims and impatience pose a critical test for the FDA in balancing demands for speedy review with the diligence that safety and efficacy call for.

“Everybody in the industry was saying: ‘Oh my God, they’re going to run straight into a brick wall,’” Ludwig said of Musk’s application. “Neuralink doesn’t appear to have the mindset and experience that’s needed to get this to market anytime soon.”

ElonMuskWatch.com has more stories about Neuralink.

Watch this video that discusses the FDA’s approval of clinical trials for Neuralink brain implants in humans.

This video is from the Thrivetime Show channel on Brighteon.com.

Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv Day, killing one and injuring another

(Natural News) Russia launched a drone attack on Kyiv Sunday, May 28, killing one and injuring another. According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko a man died when drone debris fell near a petrol station, while a woman was injured.

The attack coincided with the celebration of Kyiv Day, the anniversary of the city’s foundation.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched a record 54 Iranian-made Shahed drones on Ukrainian targets, with 52 of them being shot down. Russia, which began its all-out invasion in February last year, has recently intensified its attacks on Kyiv, looking to overcome the capital’s defenses.

Two high-rise buildings in Kyiv caught fire during the attack. Kyiv officials also reported that warehouses in the southern Holosiyivsky district had been set on fire.

According to Ukrainian officials more than 40 drones were shot down over the capital overnight, but this information has not been confirmed.

“You look up to destroy enemy missiles, aircraft, helicopters and drones. Every time you shoot down enemy drones and missiles, lives are saved. You are heroes,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in praise of the air defense and rescue personnel.

Air raid alerts were activated early Sunday in 12 regions of Ukraine, from Volyn in the north-west to Dnipropetrovsk in the southeast. There were also reports of blasts in the city of Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv.

Russia using kamikaze drones and variety of cruise and ballistic missiles against Ukraine

In its recent attacks, Russia employed kamikaze drones in addition to a variety of cruise and ballistic missiles. (Related: Ukraine may have tried to ASSASSINATE Vladimir Putin using a kamikaze drone.)

The rate of the Russian attacks on Kyiv and elsewhere has been rising as Ukraine prepares a counter-offensive. On Saturday, May 27, one of Ukraine’s most senior security officials told the BBC that the country is ready to begin such an operation.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, declared that an attack to reclaim territory from [Russian] President Vladimir Putin’s occupying forces could start “tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week.”

Ukraine has planned a counter-offensive for months. However, it needed more time to train its troops and to receive military supplies from Western allies.

“We are preparing the battlefield for the new phase of the war. It’s going on now. It is a large number of measures in different sectors of the front line,” Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Zelensky, said in an interview with NBC News on Saturday.

Podolyak also lauded a skillfully made video posted on Telegram Saturday by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces. The video showed Ukrainian troops training, swearing an oath and preparing for battle.

If Ukraine’s top general is implying that, he will have a good reason according to Podolyak while adding that it showed “that Ukraine may be almost ready to start a big operation aimed at the liberation of its territories.”

Meanwhile, Russian forces have been preparing their defenses in the occupied regions of southeastern Ukraine.

Drone attacks by both sides have been increasing with Russia targeting not just Ukraine’s crucial national infrastructure but also military targets. Russia appears to be attempting not only to drain Ukraine’s stock of air defense missiles, but also to destroy the launch systems themselves.

Ukraine has been targeting essential locations in sections of the country occupied by Russian forces, including command and control sites, logistical supply lines and oil storage centers.

Follow UkraineWitness.com for more news about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.

Watch the video below about the capabilities of Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone.

This video is from the Cynthia’s Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

Portent of things to come: AI-generated image of Pentagon explosion goes viral, triggers market downturn

(Natural News) An image purportedly showing an explosion at the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in Virginia triggered a frenzy of turmoil on social media and caused a market downturn. However, the said image was found to be a fake one generated using artificial intelligence (AI).

Several news outlets tweeted the image, among them Russia’s RT and India’s Republic TV. The Russian outlet initially captioned it as an actual explosion, before deleting its tweet. It later wrote: “Republic TV had aired news of a possible explosion near the Pentagon, citing a post [and] picture tweeted by RT. RT has deleted the post and Republic TV has pulled back the newsbreak.”

A May 23 press release from the Russian state-owned network expounded: “As with fast-paced news verification, we made the public aware of reports circulating. Once provenance and veracity were ascertained, we took appropriate steps to correct the reporting.”

While news outlets were duped by the fake image that went viral on Twitter, several markets experienced downturns thanks to the fabricated picture. The Kobeissi Letter noted that within hours of multiple news sources claiming the image of the explosion was real, the S&P 500 experienced a 30-point drop within minutes. This resulted in a $500 billion swing in market capitalization.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 80 points within a four-minute span after the image went viral, but managed to get back up again.

Things only returned to normal when the Arlington County Fire Department debunked the image and announced that no explosion or incident occurred at or near the DoD compound. A deputy officer for the Defense Department confirmed that the image circulating on social media was fake, but declined to give further comment.

AI-generated fakes will FOOL EVERYONE

A finger-pointing contest soon followed after the truth about the AI-generated image of the explosion was debunked. Some users blamed the advanced technology for generating the fake image. Others, meanwhile, criticized accounts that shared the image without verifying its authenticity.

Nick Waters of the online news verification company Bellingcat explained how the image could be identified as fake. Speaking to Al Jazeera, he shared several inconsistencies in the AI-generated picture. (Related: AI learns to cut corners by hiding data – modern tech now knows how to LIE and CHEAT.)

First, he noted inconsistencies in the Pentagon building’s facade. Waters said the fence merged with the crowd barriers. He also cited the odd-looking floating lamp post and black pole protruding from the pavement.

Second, he noted that no other photos, videos or firsthand witnesses were corroborating the alleged explosion. Waters ultimately emphasized the importance of geolocation and social media searches to identify such fakes.

The combination of AI-powered deep fake technology creating realistic hoaxes – such as the fake image of the Pentagon explosion – is much more dangerous than the advancement of the actual technology. Moreover, this ability of AI to bombard information channels with propaganda and disinformation is equally dangerous.

RT put its two cents on the incident in a post on the Russian social media platform VKontakte. The post sought to shed light on its mistake of re-tweeting the now-disproved image of the explosion.

“Is the Pentagon on fire? Look, there’s a picture and everything. It’s not real, it’s just an AI-generated image,” the Russian state-owned outlet wrote. “Still, this picture managed to fool several major news outlets full of clever and attractive people, allegedly.”

Watch this video explaining how the fake Pentagon explosion photo exposes government propaganda efforts.

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

Category: Natural News

DeSantis: Florida National Guard “proud to help” Texas counterparts in addressing Biden-inflicted BORDER CRISIS

Texas also welcomes aid from other states

More related stories:

GREEDFLATION: McDonald's, PepsiCo raising prices beyond inflation to generate bigger profits

“Greedflation” may compel Fed to keep raising interest rates

More related stories:

5 Tips on how to shield your finances from debt default

Pay off your credit cards

Budget for social security payment delays

Be cautious and don’t overinvest

Try to adjust your 401K

Postpone the purchase of your dream home

More related stories:

Elon Musk's Neuralink receives FDA approval to begin clinical trials for brain implants

FDA earlier rejected Neuralink’s plan over SAFETY concerns

More related stories:

Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv Day, killing one and injuring another

Russia using kamikaze drones and variety of cruise and ballistic missiles against Ukraine

More related articles:

Portent of things to come: AI-generated image of Pentagon explosion goes viral, triggers market downturn

AI-generated fakes will FOOL EVERYONE

More related stories: