The Olympic torch was lit Tuesday as an actress playing a Greek high priestess invoked the names of Zues and Apollo -- neither of whom showed up for the ceremony‚ a reminder that neither of those famed Greek gods actually exists. Mary Mina called out to Apollo in Greek‚ according...

She's testing the limits of the old line about bad publicity. Taylor Swift‚ the pop music megastar who's dominated headlines to an embarrassing degree so far this year‚ is making a different kind of news with the lyrics from the new album released on Friday. And one line in particular...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for ground beef products from Greater Omaha Packing Co. Inc. that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. “FSIS is issuing this public health alert to ensure that consumers are aware that these products should not be consumed. A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase‚” FSIS stated. NEW: A nationwide health alert has been issued for Greater Omaha ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7‚ a particular strain of Escherichia coli that is known to cause severe intestinal infection in humans – KTLA — Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) April 22‚ 2024 Per FSIS: The raw ground beef items were produced on March 28‚ 2024. The products have a “Use/Freeze by” date of April 22‚ 2024‚ and packaging date of “032824.” The list of products that are subject to the public health alert can be found here. The labels for these products can be found on the FSIS website [view labels]. The products subject to the public health alert bear establishment number “EST. 960A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to food service institutions and retail locations nationwide. The problem was discovered by the establishment while conducting an inventory of product that was on hold because it was found positive for E. coli O157:H7. The company notified FSIS that they inadvertently used a portion of the contaminated beef to produce ground beef products that they subsequently shipped into commerce. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration‚ bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days‚ on average) after exposure the organism. While most people recover within a week‚ some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising‚ pallor‚ and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately. “FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ and food service institutions’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them and food service institutions are urged not to serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase‚” Food Safety News wrote. “FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products‚ including fresh and frozen‚ and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature‚” the outlet added. #Alert FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination https://t.co/P98692b1FJ — USDA Food Safety &; Inspection Service (@USDAFoodSafety) April 20‚ 2024 From Food Safety News: Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections‚ which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea‚ which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications‚ according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication‚ known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever‚ abdominal pain‚ feeling very tired‚ decreased frequency of urination‚ small unexplained bruises or bleeding‚ and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks‚ but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems‚ older adults because of deteriorating immune systems‚ and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension‚ chronic kidney disease‚ brain damage‚ and neurologic problems. Review the list of products subject to the public health alert HERE. Read the labels for these products HERE.

According to Dr. Robert Malone‚ the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented a new rule that will bring thousands of meat processing facilities under its jurisdiction. The agency’s overreach is through the ‘Clean Water Act.’ The EPA claims the proposed rule will improve water quality‚ protect human health‚ and protect the environment. However‚ critics say the regulation will put small processing facilities out of business. Per the Federal Register: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is proposing a regulation to revise the technology-based effluent limitations guidelines and standards (ELGs) for the meat and poultry products (MPP) point source category. The proposed rule would improve water quality and protect human health and the environment by reducing the discharge of nutrients and other pollutants to the nation’s surface waters. EPA is proposing several regulatory options‚ including the preferred option discussed in this notice. The preferred option is estimated to cost $232 million annually and reduce pollutant discharges by approximately 100 million pounds per year. Malone states the proposed regulation will bring 3‚879 meat and poultry products (MPP) processing facilities under the agency’s jurisdiction. “This was swiftly followed by an abbreviated comment period which closed on March 25‚ 2024‚ and then immediate implementation of the rule change. All justified by wastewater levels of Nitrogen and Phosphorus coming from animal meat processing‚ mirroring the WEF agenda to minimize Nitrogen runoff from European farms which has sparked the widespread farmer protests throughout the European Union‚” Malone writes. &;quot;EPA Threatens Locally Produced BeefMission Creep: Proposed EPA Rule Shuts Down Small Meat Producers&;quot;Follow the link in the comments for the article: pic.twitter.com/ealSGVe6jK — Robert W Malone‚ MD (@RWMaloneMD) April 8‚ 2024   “Small facilities will either shut down‚ resulting in fewer local meat sources for consumers. Or they’ll sell out larger corporations‚ contributing to even greater consolidation in the meat industry‚” The Defender reports. Tracey Barton‚ Kansas Natural Resource Coalition’s executive director‚ spoke to the outlet about the impact of the EPA’s rule. “The proposed EPA rule will require costly upgrades for meat processing facilities. The anticipated cost is $300‚000-$400‚000 for the initial upgrade with annual maintenance fees of $100‚000. In Kansas‚ many small meat processors are unable to sustain these costs and will be forced to close their doors. For the facilities that are able to sustain the increase in capital‚ the costs will be passed onto farmers/ranchers as well as consumers‚ driving meat prices‚ which are at an all-time high‚ even higher‚” Barton explained. Per The Defender: Margaret Byfield‚ executive director of American Stewards of Liberty‚ said‚ “What is very concerning to us is that in the rule‚ they have several alternatives … The most extreme of these would apply to‚ by their own numbers‚ around 3‚700 meat processors. So‚ that’s going to capture your small local meat processor.” According to American Stewards of Liberty‚ the EPA’s current rule‚ enacted in 1974 and last amended in 2004‚ applies only to “approximately 150 of the 5‚055” small processors in the U.S. Byfield said the rule would put small processors out of business and add to further concentration in the meat industry: “The cost of the regulation is what is going to run these small meat processors out of business. It is taking away Americans’ ability to choose if they want to buy their food locally. “And you probably know there’s a huge movement right now of people very concerned about the consolidation of food in America to where we only have four major meat processors in America‚ the big guys.” According to Barton‚ an estimated 910 million pounds of protein are expected to be removed from the U.S. food supply if the rule change goes through as written. “There are also indirect negative effects on farmers and ranchers: limiting access to local meat processors‚ restricting the ability to sell to local consumers and requiring herd reduction or liquidation.” “It’s been reported that the initial cost to install a water filtration system bringing them into compliance be $300‚000-400‚000 with a minimum of $100‚000 annual maintenance. This would force many small meat processing facilities to shutter their doors‚” Malone writes. The proposed EPA rule will require costly upgrades for meat processing facilities. The anticipated cost is $300‚000-$400‚000 for the initial upgrade with annual maintenance fees of $100‚000.https://t.co/IRfGcdqtri — Sasquatch School (@OregonSwineherd) April 21‚ 2024 Malone noted the regulation is a direct attack on the buy local foods movement‚ explaining local meat producers would likely no longer have a nearby facility to process meat. As a result‚ local meat producers wouldn’t be able to provide their products directly to customers. Robert Malone writes: Demonstrating that the “comment period” was mere window dressing to meet formal federal comment requirements‚ immediately on March 25‚ 2024 the EPA jammed through a finalized version of its devastating new interpretation of the Clean Water Act‚ which it has titled “Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category.” Clearly this is another case of aggressive‚ arbitrary and capricious EPA regulatory overreach‚ directly analogous to the recent Supreme Court case West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency‚ 597 U.S. 697 (2022)‚ a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court relating to the Clean Air Act‚ and the extent to which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can regulate carbon dioxide emissions related to climate change. According to the EPA‚ after months of study and testing to look for bacteria‚ viruses etc‚ what they actually found in the wastewater of processing facilities was Nitrogen and Phosphorus. Two of the fundamental elements which all living things are composed of (Carbon‚ Hydrogen‚ Nitrogen‚ Oxygen‚ Phosphorus). As a result‚ The EPA has decided that the entire meat industry – from slaughtering beef to poultry‚ marinas to packaging – must now retrofit current facilities with lagoons and biomass dissipates to turn “nutrients” into C02 and methane in order to prevent these “pollutants” from entering local water supplies. The EPA anticipates these new rules will‚ at least‚ result in the closure of 16 processing facilities across the country at a time when our country’s meat producers are already struggling to survive due to bottlenecks in USDA certified facilities. However‚ on the high side EPA estimates include an impact range of up to 845 processing facilities. “This is an example of the government picking winners and losers. The losers are farmers/ranchers and small meat processors who cannot afford to comply with the capital investment to meet the EPA standards‚” Barton said‚ according to The Defender. There is proposed legislation to stop the rule but it’s up to concerned Americans to spread the message of the federal government’s overreach. The Defender explained: Byfield said that a proposed congressional bill‚ H.R.7079‚ also known as the “Beef Act‚” would “stop this rule‚” urging the public to call their local congressional representatives. “Additionally‚ we believe there is going to be an effort to defund the rule through the appropriations process‚” Byfield added. “Consumers need to step up and speak out against these draconian government actions‚” Vlieger said. “The number of small farmers is small‚ and their voice does not carry the weight that varying consumer organizations have.” “More than ever‚ it is crucially important to know your farmer and know your food‚” Vlieger said.

According to a new study published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules‚ modified mRNA used in COVID-19 injections could potentially aid cancer development. “Mounting evidence indicates that these vaccines‚ like many others‚ do not generate sterilizing immunity‚ leaving people vulnerable to recurrent infections. Additionally‚ it has been discovered that the mRNA vaccines inhibit essential immunological pathways‚ thus impairing early interferon signaling‚” the researchers wrote. “Within the framework of COVID-19 vaccination‚ this inhibition ensures an appropriate spike protein synthesis and a reduced immune activation. Evidence is provided that adding 100 % of N1-methyl-pseudouridine (m1Ψ) to the mRNA vaccine in a melanoma model stimulated cancer growth and metastasis‚ while non-modified mRNA vaccines induced opposite results‚ thus suggesting that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could aid cancer development‚” the researchers continued. “Evidence is provided that adding 100 % of N1-methyl-pseudouridine (m1Ψ) to the mRNA vaccine in a melanoma model stimulated cancer growth and metastasis‚ while non-modified mRNA vaccines induced opposite results‚ thus suggesting that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could aid cancer… pic.twitter.com/kXKE2rXp4f — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) April 20‚ 2024 “Based on this compelling evidence‚ we suggest that future clinical trials for cancers or infectious diseases should not use mRNA vaccines with a 100 % m1Ψ modification‚ but rather ones with the lower percentage of m1Ψ modification to avoid immune suppression‚” the researchers wrote. The Epoch Times reports: Modified and natural RNA stimulate different responses in the body. Modified RNA tends to produce more aberrant proteins‚ potentially contributing to cell genome instability. Most importantly‚ modified RNA induces a more muted response in the body than natural RNA‚ which may have broad implications for the body’s ability to fight other infections and cancers. The authors cited studies finding that natural RNA tended to stimulate the activity of type-1 interferon—a key anti-tumor substance—and other immune chemicals. Contrastingly‚ modified RNA stimulates a milder response and is associated with immune chemicals that promote tolerance of foreign RNA injections. An earlier study found RNA containing modified uridine failed to activate a pathway known to be involved in detecting viral infections and fighting cancers. They also cited Ms. Kariko and Dr. Weismann’s paper which found mRNA modification suppressed immune recognition and activation of immune cells. The authors argue that this was a double-edged sword‚ due to wide-reaching immune consequences. A critical piece of evidence the review authors cited comes from a mice study in Thailand. In the study‚ researchers injected natural mRNA and 100 percent modified RNA into two different groups of mice with melanoma. The Thai researchers found that when injected with natural RNA‚ the body had a more robust immune response than when injected with modified RNA. Furthermore‚ the prognosis of the melanoma mice also differed. The survival rate in the mice group without modified RNA was 100 percent. Conversely‚ in the group with the modified uridine‚ only half of the mice survived. In their abstract‚ the Thai researchers wrote that an mRNA vaccine induces type-1 interferon production and downstream signals crucial for controlling tumor growth and metastasis. Modified RNA in COVID Vaccines May Contribute to Cancer Development: Review Researchers argue that modification to mRNA causes immune suppression that may contribute to cancer development.https://t.co/Q8qM0utXDi — The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) April 22‚ 2024 BREAKING: A review in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules has found that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could aid cancer development. The researchers suggest that future clinical trials should not use certain mRNA vaccines in order to avoid immune suppression. Wow. — Dr. Simone Gold (@drsimonegold) April 16‚ 2024 From ScienceDirect: m1Ψ use in COVID-19 mRNA vaccines m1Ψ was added in 2020 to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 mRNA candidate vaccine (Comirnaty® or BNT162b2)‚ which codes for the entire transmembrane spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 [36]. A significant amount of m1Ψ-modified SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) spike mRNA was generated by extensive IVT. After demonstrating a favorable safety record and 95 % protection from the disease after a two-inoculation protocol (intramuscular injection)‚ the Pfizer vaccine became the first mRNA vaccine to be fully licensed Is m1Ψ a friend or foe of cancer&;#63; The creators of the mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have emphasized only the positive aspects related to the addition of m1Ψ: it was critical to diminish the disintegration of this synthesized mRNA as well as its immunogenicity to avoid an overly aggressive immune response. However‚ important investigations performed during this pandemic have demonstrated that mRNA-based and inactivated vaccines temporarily disrupt IFN signaling BREAKING: New published study by an international team of researchers confirms what some medical experts have been suspecting for 18 months:The COVID mRNA shots containing N1-methyl-pseudouridine SUPPRESS the immune system and STIMULATE cancer growth&;#33; https://t.co/CwKD14ZQc9 pic.twitter.com/W530bWiVcK — Ned Nikolov‚ Ph.D. (@NikolovScience) April 16‚ 2024 Prior reports stated cancer rates are expected to hit a record high this year. Per Axios: New cancer diagnoses in the U.S. are expected to top 2 million for the first time in 2024‚ driven in large part by an alarming increase in cancers among younger Americans‚ according to new American Cancer Society data. There have been major improvements in cancer survival‚ but there’s a worrying rise in some cancers at the same time doctors are trying to figure out why they’re seeing more young patients with cancer. This demographic shift comes with psychological‚ physical and financial burdens that are less common with older patients‚ experts say. Patients under 50 are more likely to be uninsured‚ juggling career and caregiving responsibilities‚ and face a higher lifetime risk of treatment-related side effects like second cancers. “It’s overwhelming for anybody‚ but especially for these younger patients who are going on with their daily lives and then suddenly get this life-altering diagnosis and really don’t know where to turn‚” Robin Mendelsohn‚ co-director of the Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancers at Memorial Sloan Kettering‚ told Axios. Read the study at ScienceDirect.

A.F. Branco Cartoon – Students in America seem to have no idea how good they have it here. Talk about biting the hand that feeds them; many are now chanting‚ “Death To America&;#33;” while asking that country to pay off their student loans. Far-Left Activists Chant “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” During Conference in Chicago (VIDEO) By Anthony Scott – April 14‚ 2024 A frightening video that has gone viral on X shows an organizer with the Anti-War Committee Chicago teaching far-left activists how to chant “death to America” and “death to Israel” during an “anti-war” conference held at Teamster’s Union’s Headquarters in Chicago‚ Illinois. The Free Press reported during a breakout session at the “anti-war” conference‚ Shabbir Rizvi‚ who serves as an organizer with Anti-War Committee Chicago‚ began to teach far-left activists how to chant “death to America” and “death to Israel” in the Persian language Farsi. Rizvi told the radical leftists in attendance to chant “Marg bar Israel‚” which in Farsi means “death to” or “down with” Israel. READ MORE… DONATE to A.F. Branco Cartoons – Tips accepted and appreciated – $1.00 – $5.00 – $25.00 – $50.00 – it all helps to fund this website and keep the cartoons coming. Also Venmo @AFBranco – THANK YOU&;#33; A.F. Branco has taken his two greatest passions (art and politics) and translated them into cartoons that have been popular all over the country in various news outlets‚ including NewsMax‚ Fox News‚ MSNBC‚ CBS‚ ABC‚ and “The Washington Post.” He has been recognized by such personalities as Rep. Devin Nunes‚ Dinesh D’Souza‚ James Woods‚ Chris Salcedo‚ Sarah Palin‚ Larry Elder‚ Lars Larson‚ Rush Limbaugh‚ and President Trump