August, 2019

Each of those skulls had been melded into a different shape, possibly as a way to show they belonged to a specific cultural group... Their analysis revealed that the skeletons were all males who had died between ages 12 and 16. They all showed evidence of malnutrition, but that's not necessarily how they died. They could have had "some kind of disease that killed them quickly and didn't leave any traces on their bones," such as plague... Analysis also revealed that the three had lived between A.D. 415 and 560, a time that corresponds to the Great Migration Period...

DNA analysis of the ancient trio revealed that one of them had a West Eurasian ancestry, another a near-Eastern ancestry and the third an East Asian ancestry... The boy who was of near-Eastern ancestry had a circular-erect type cranial deformation, which means that the frontal bone behind the forehead was flattened and the height of the skull was "significantly increased," Novak said. The boy who likely came from West Eurasia didn't have any skull deformation, and the boy with East Asian ancestry had a skull with an "oblique" deformation, which means the skull was elongated diagonally upward.

The statement is important because more than 500 million hectares — some 13 percent of the world’s forest — are affected by the largest certification systems, which are intended to reassure consumers that the wood they buy is sustainably sourced. The scientists argue that genetically engineered (GE) trees can make significant contributions to sustainable forest management — especially now that forests face mounting stresses posed by invasive pests and climate change.
[...]
In making their call, the scientists noted the “great promise” shown by field trials of trees with traits related to sustainability, such as productivity, wood quality, pest and stress resistance, protection of endangered species and reproductive control. They also pointed out that there are no hazards unique to GE [Gene-Edited] methods compared with conventional breeding methods.

Are Genetically-Engineered Trees The Answer, Or Another Problem?
Those 'environmentalists' that push for tree biotechnology claim to be providing solutions. For example, they will say these trees will grow faster and provide more wood, resist disease, be able to withstand droughts, etc. But this is a clear example of how the proclaimed search for solutions to nature's woes can be manipulated and run amok. During the Obama years, they were promoting the conversion of forests into fuel-burning "energy crops" and scaling them for industrial use. Looking to profit from this, they were selling the idea of genetically edited trees would secrete certain chemicals and other useful properties used for fuel, plastics, and other things.

The idea of contaminating native forests with GMO trees is extremely questionable and dangerously risky. Since trees can spread seeds and pollen over great distances, contamination would be irreversible. Unfortunately in the U.S., testing has been implemented in the south with over 250,000 eucalyptus trees.

Many countries have tried putting a stop to planting Genetically-Engineered Trees on their land, for good reasons. Many people reject GMOs, whether it be trees, and/or foods, because those that do this for profit are not knowledgeable or wise enough to "control" the code of life. Cross-contamination was and will never be controlled and will only lead to further erosion of nature.

WE'RE GOING TO COURT!

This Tuesday we will be going to the Ninth Circuit Court in our lawsuit against Google & YouTube for restricting over 200 PragerU videos.

The mainstream media continues to ignore this historic case - will they cover the upcoming hearing on Tuesday? pic.twitter.com/IhQBrXGtr7

— PragerU (@prageru) August 23, 2019

The much-anticipated opinion finds that an alternative route for the oil pipeline through the state “is in the public interest,” a major victory for pipeline backers. The issue has been languishing in state courts for nearly a decade as TransCanada (now known as TC Energy) struggled to route its pipeline around environmentally and culturally sensitive regions and, since 2017, pushed to take advantage of a pipeline-friendly president. The ruling allows TransCanada to move ahead with a route previously approved by the Nebraska Public Service Commission and bestows eminent domain power on the company.

At least three of Facebook’s early backers for its planned Libra stablecoin launch are considering withdrawing their support in light of the fierce regulatory pushback. A report from the Financial Times on Aug. 23 alleges that two founding partners of Facebook’s Libra Association have held discussions about what their “right next steps” should be. One further — again unnamed — backer is purportedly concerned that their public support for Libra will draw unwanted regulatory scrutiny of their own, independent businesses.

A former General Services Administration manager had oral sex with a White House staffer on the rooftop of the agency’s headquarters and drank alcohol in his office, according to an inspector general report. Former GSA associate administrator Brennan Hart admitted to investigators that he escorted a White House staffer into the GSA’s central office at 1800 F Street in Washington in July 2017 and made drinks for himself and the unidentified worker with vodka he kept at his desk, according to the report...

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has just completed three weeks of radiation treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, the U.S. Supreme Court disclosed Friday. The radiation therapy, conducted on an outpatient basis, began Aug. 5, shortly after a localized cancerous tumor was discovered on Ginsburg's pancreas. The treatment included the insertion of a stent in Ginsburg's bile duct, according to a statement issued by the court.

David Koch, the billionaire former executive Vice President of Koch Industries who, along with his brother, was one of the most prolific and controversial GOP donors in politics, has died, his family confirmed Friday morning. He was 79. Koch's death was officially announced by his older brother, Charles Koch... Charles said David Koch's death came 27 years after he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. At the time, doctors told him he likely only had a few years left to live. “David liked to say that a combination of brilliant doctors, state-of-the-art medications and his own stubbornness kept the cancer at bay," Charles said in the statement. "We can all be grateful that it did, because he was able to touch so many more lives as a result."

The special prosecutor could bring fresh charges against Smollett and charges against anyone else who is believed to have committed a crime during the incident and investigation, the Tribune reported, citing Toomin’s ruling in June.

The actor’s criminal defense attorney, Mark Geragos, could not be reached for comment...

The seized items included gun sights, stocks, muzzles and other parts worth a total of more than $378,000. The parts were intercepted in recent weeks, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the matter, and were packed in their own cargo containers on three separate ships that were also carrying household items, apparel, toys, industrial machinery and other imports.
Customs and Border Protection officers seized the shipments and consulted ATF agents, who confirmed that the firearm parts violated an embargo against Chinese weapons...

His body language says everything.

In 2013, Whole Foods gave plant-based meat start-up Beyond Meat its first shot at selling its vegan "chicken" strips at Whole Foods locations across the country. Early believers and investors in the product were billionaires Bill Gates and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone... "but some of these that are extremely popular now that are taking the world by storm, if you look at the ingredients, they are super, highly processed foods"... "I don't think eating highly processed foods is healthy. I think people thrive on eating whole foods," Mackey says. "As for health, I will not endorse that, and that is about as big of criticism that I will do in public." And Mackey isn't alone. Some dietitians aren't completely sold on the plant-based burger craze either.

For months, the NRA has been immersed in its own problems, seeing top leaders exit and facing questions about its money management. A Fox News poll released last week indicated the organization, for the first time, has a net negative rating from voters... Another pro-gun group, Gun Owners of America, talked up its efforts to fight gun control measures, telling Fox News the organization’s staff is “pounding the halls of Congress, urging lawmakers to vote down gun control, and to instead pass legislation encouraging concealed carry"... While the smaller rivals see an opening, they face a big challenge in raising the massive amount of money the NRA does: According to reports, the NRA brought in $412 million and spent a total of $423 million last year.

In the fifth episode of the last season of Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black,” the character Maritza, who has been languishing in an immigrant detention center, finds out about a toll-free hotline she can call to get a free lawyer. As she’s rejoicing, another character, Gloria, cuts her off. Gloria warns Maritza: “You have to be careful, though. Apparently if they figure out that you’re using the hotline, Big Brother shuts it down.” That’s exactly what happened, advocates say. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shut down a real hotline for detained immigrants run by the California group Freedom for Immigrants less than two weeks after it was prominently featured on the show.

In contrast to the perception of China and India's willingness to overexploit land, water and resources for economic gain, the countries are responsible for the largest greening of the planet in the past two decades. The two most populous countries have implemented ambitious tree planting programs and scaled up their implementation and technology around agriculture.
[...]
The recent finding by NASA and published in the journal Nature Sustainability, compared satellite data from the mid-1990s to today using high-resolution imagery. Initially, the researchers were unsure what caused the significant uptick in greening around the planet. It was unclear whether a warming planet, increased carbon dioxide (CO2) or a wetter climate could have caused more plants to grow.
[...]
Both China and India went through phases of large scale deforestation in the 1970s and 80s, clearing old growth forests for urban development, farming and agriculture. However, it is clear that when presented with a problem, humans are incredibly adept at finding a solution...

It's not a very smart article, and the author isn't that bright either. Regardless, the world will come back greener and stronger despite all these doomsday celebs and weirdos claiming we're nearly dead. CO2 is plant food.

Government troops, meanwhile, started an operation Friday to cleanse Khan Shaykhun of remaining terrorists and dismantle mines and explosives in the region.
Large parts of Idlib Province, occupied by foreign-backed terrorists since 2014, and parts of Hama constitute the last major militant stronghold in Syria...

It looks like Elon Musk's Starship prototype, dubbed "Starhopper," might make its highest hop yet as soon as Monday. This time the hope is that Starhopper will reach an altitude of around 650 feet (198 meters) before returning to the ground. If this next hop is successful, Musk has said, he'll follow it with a public presentation "hopefully mid September," updating us on the design and vision for Starship...