Plans to build the largest monkey-breeding facility in the US have attracted anger and concern from animal welfare groups and local residents in Georgia. The giant complex is set to eventually house up to 30‚000 macaques – twice the human population of the local city – which will be sold to universities and pharmaceutical companies for drug testing and biomedical research.Safer Human Medicine (SHM) aims to build the 200-acre complex in Bainbridge‚ a small city in Decatur County‚ Georgia. The plan came closer to fruition in December 2023 when the Bainbridge City Council gave hefty tax breaks for the project to go ahead at the site. The facility will house cynomolgus macaques‚ aka crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis)‚ in numerous large enclosures that will allow them some fresh air and sunlight‚ while remaining enclosed within secure fencing.The idea of sharing their city with thousands of macaques has not settled well with some residents. Along with concerns about the smell and noise‚ locals have voiced concerns about the possibility of environmental contamination and mass-monkey escapes.“I don’t think anybody would want 30‚000 monkeys next door‚” David Barber who lives just 120 meters (400 feet away) from the facility site‚ told local news outlets.“First I heard about it I worried about myself‚ what my property value is going to do‚ what it was going to do to our health‚ and then all of sudden it wasn’t about just me. It was really about all these people in this area‚” added Johnny Reynolds‚ another neighbor of the facility.“Stop the breeding facility. That’s our overall goal‚” he said.PETA has also chimed into the debate and joined the local protests against the facility. According to the animal rights group‚ Bainbridge residents filed a lawsuit on February 15 against the City of Bainbridge and other local authorities for approving the controversial plan. “In a bid to attract a few jobs—many of them low-paying and risking exposure to zoonotic diseases—city and county officials have rolled out the red carpet for an unethical plan by some questionable characters that could spell ecological disaster and potentially spark the next pandemic‚” Dr Lisa Jones-Engel‚ a primatologist and senior science advisor to PETA‚ said in a boldly worded statement.“PETA urges Bainbridge officials to withdraw their support and shut down this project before a shovel hits the dirt."SMH has defended its plan to build the facility in Bainbridge‚ claiming it would invest $270 million towards local infrastructure and create up to 250 new jobs in the area. In an open letter to local residents‚ the company answers several questions that people may have about the facility. They argue that animal testing is a reality of scientific research. Many researchers and scientific establishments still consider animal testing to be the most effective way to study drugs and hypotheses‚ as opposed to testing on computer models and lab-grown organoids (let alone humans). While it might not sit well with some people on ethical grounds‚ science owes many of its breakthroughs to animal testing.“Countless scientific benefits have resulted from animal research. Without animal research‚ we would not have chemotherapy drugs for cancer‚ high blood pressure medication‚ the ability to perform organ transplants‚ insulin drugs for those with diabetes‚ artificial joint replacements‚ drugs such as penicillin and other antibiotics‚ pacemakers‚ vaccines for COVID‚ polio‚ measles‚ rubella‚ and tetanus‚ and hundreds of other medical advances‚” SHM wrote in the open letter. 

It’s almost four years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. As the specter of lockdowns loomed in the West‚ scientists had already been scrambling for weeks to learn as much as they could about the emerging threat. One key question centered around whether there could be a seasonal pattern to infections – the first reports of disease had cropped up during the wintertime‚ and we’re used to seeing other respiratory bugs wax and wane across the year. But so far‚ at least‚ COVID-19 is proving to be a different beast.Why are some viruses seasonal?The idea that COVID-19 could be a seasonal disease was a logical one when we consider how many other viral infections follow a seasonal pattern. Respiratory infections like the common cold‚ flu‚ and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) all peak during the winter months. In countries with temperate climates‚ polio tends to peak during the summer.  For many winter illnesses‚ the cold‚ dry weather is a big factor in helping them to spread. While it’s a myth that going out in the cold will give you a cold‚ it is true that influenza viruses‚ for example‚ thrive much better when the air is cool and less humid‚ giving them a much greater chance of finding an unwilling human to latch onto. Another factor that can come into play during the dark‚ gray winter months is vitamin D – or‚ more specifically‚ the lack thereof. Writing for The Conversation‚ immunologist Margherita T. Cantorna explained that vitamin D deficiency during the winter‚ a particular problem for people with deeper skin tones and those living at northerly latitudes‚ could impact the immune system’s ability to fight off infections.      Then there’s our behavior. In many regions‚ winter brings months of freezing‚ treacherous weather. Combine that with the festivities that also crop up this time of year‚ like Christmas and Hanukkah in the Northern Hemisphere‚ and what are you left with? Lots of people cozying up together indoors‚ sharing food‚ laughter – and all the germs they’ve picked up along the way.So‚ what’s the deal with COVID-19?For a while‚ at least‚ it looked like COVID-19 was following these familiar patterns. As a disease that primarily causes respiratory symptoms‚ it was easy for many of us to start thinking of it in a similar way to the flu.At various points in the pandemic‚ the evidence seemed to agree with this assumption. One study in 2021 concluded that its findings “support[ed] the view of COVID-19 as a true seasonal low-temperature infection‚” based on data from the initial surge of the virus before mitigation measures like lockdowns were put in place. The authors found that higher transmission rates were linked with lower temperatures and humidity levels‚ much as we see every year with flu.However‚ earlier this year a study published in the journal npj Viruses found that‚ while the SARS-CoV-2 virus is more stable in wintry conditions‚ this did not seem to translate to higher levels of airborne transmission when tested in the lab. While we have undeniably seen spikes of COVID-19 cases during the winter over the past few years‚ some experts say it is too soon to define a “COVID season”. For one thing‚ these peaks did not happen at the same time each year.Instead‚ what could be more important – at least at our current stage of learning to live with this virus – is human behavior.“You might look at that data and think‚ maybe this is just a biannual virus‚” infectious disease physician Cameron Wolfe told Wired‚ referring to the summer and winter bumps in infection rates that we’ve previously observed with various COVID variants. “But that gets much harder to say when you factor in that as a society we behave very differently‚ seasonally.”And it’s not just normal seasonal changes in behavior‚ as we talked about earlier. During this pandemic‚ people in different regions have been subject to ever-changing rafts of mitigation measures‚ from mask mandates to social distancing‚ to shelter-in-place orders. We know now that the biggest risk of infection comes from prolonged contact – the person who shares your desk in the office‚ or your neighbor at the theater or cinema. It’s only comparatively recently that these sorts of activities have been restarted in lots of places.While COVID-19 may not have yet settled into a reliable seasonal pattern‚ that doesn’t mean it never will‚ as virologist Vincent Munster explained to Science News. Rather than being solely dependent on the weather though‚ Munster believes any seasonality is more likely to be determined by behavioral factors‚ and fluctuating immunity due to immunization and prior infection. Ultimately‚ science has a lot to figure out about seasonality‚ even for viruses that have been with us for centuries. COVID-19 has been in our lives for less than five years. Unfortunately‚ that probably means that we still have a lot of “waiting and seeing” ahead of us. The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice‚ diagnosis‚ or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

Blaze Media podcast host Glenn Beck is sounding the alarm about Big Tech’s latest efforts to stifle free speech just in time for the 2024 election. Beck addressed the growing concerns during an episode of The Glenn Beck Show on February 14. He lambasted censorship-obsessed tech companies like Apple‚ Facebook‚ YouTube‚ in addition to the “digital brownshirts” over at the activist social media watchdog Center for Countering Digital Hate. Beck told viewers and listeners that these entities were orchestrating a new assault on unapproved ideas just in time for election year. “The giants of social media are attempting to control the narrative and dictate what information you have access to‚ by punishing people like me‚ or perhaps people like you‚ for wrong think‚” Beck proclaimed.  “Earlier this week I got a notification that Facebook is making shadowbanning company policy‚” Beck said. “Shadowbanning‚ in case you didn’t know‚ is when social media company allows you to post all the content you want but then it limits the reach that content can hit so it’s well‚ I call it the digital ghetto. You know‚ they’re just rounding everyone up that disagrees with the government‚ and they just put them in this little digital ghetto.” Beck pointed out that this effectively censors posts because “there’s a wall around it. Well‚ they can speak all they want‚ but nobody’s going to hear them‚ ok‚ unless you go into this ghetto.” Beck’s response was referring to Facebook’s newly unveiled announcement that political content will no longer be recommended on Instagram or Threads. Instead‚ users will have to proactively go into their settings and toggle an option if they want to see political content again. This control will eventually be implemented on Facebook as well.  Also subject to Beck’s smackdown was an activist organization‚ the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH)‚ which issued a report on January 16 slamming Youtube for supposedly allowing the spread of so-called “New Denial” of climate change on its platform. \ “The Center for Digital Hate defines the new denial as anything that claims global heating is beneficial or harmless. That global elite’s climate solution may not work‚” Beck explained. “Or that the so-called climate science or the climate movement can’t be trusted.” In Beck’s view‚ the CCDH is “furious that social media companies are allowing a new form of climate change denial to spread to their platforms.”  The CCDH also made it personal and targeted Beck and the Blaze specifically.  “This is a threat‚” Beck argued. “Because the CCOH then demanded that YouTube demonetize any content that spreads new denial.”  Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.  

On CNN‚ a “reporter” interviewing Vice President Kamala Harris gushes‚ “I’m struck‚ just in your presence! Looking you in the eye‚ with your passion ... ” Really? Even Harris looked embarrassed. My new video shows how the mainstream media treat conservatives and libertarians differently.     We shouldn’t be surprised. Reporters overwhelmingly lean Democrat. A survey by The American Journalist found that for every Republican in a newsroom‚ there are 10 Democrats. The reporters claim to be objective. They aren’t. News networks always covered Iowa Caucus victory speeches. Not this year -- After Donald Trump won. CNN cut away from his speech‚ and MSNBC didn’t carry it at all. Recently‚ NPR hired a new CEO. They chose Katherine Maher‚ who once tweeted that “Trump is a racist.” During BLM looting‚ she tweeted‚ “It’s hard to be mad about protests not prioritizing the private property of a system of oppression.” Now she’s the boss of government-funded radio? Sadly‚ yes. Recently‚ the media got very upset about rule of law. Outraged anchors said‚ “Texas refuses to give in to federal law.” This was because Texas politicians won’t remove a fence that the feds told them to remove. An outraged NBC asked‚ “Why isn’t the Biden administration suing Texas?” That’s actually a reasonable question. Rule of law deserves discussion. But when it comes to sanctuary cities‚ the media show no such outrage. These places merely “choose not to follow federal immigrations laws‚” says an ABC anchor. They don’t “refuse‚” like Texas does. Finally‚ it’s absurd how the media label politicians. Argentina’s new president‚ Javier Milei‚ is a libertarian. He wants to shrink his country’s corrupt bureaucracy. So‚ the media call him a “far-right radical.” But we libertarians aren’t “far-right‚” or even “right.” Most of us want to end wars. We support free trade‚ gay marriage‚ drug decriminalization and other things far from “far-right.” Milei wants to increase the supply of donated organs by legalizing their sale. That’s not “far-right.” The American Economic Association found 43% of conservatives oppose organ sales. But the media smear Milei as “far” or “hard” or “extreme right.” Maybe it’s because he wants to cut the size of the government. The clueless media like big government. They exaggerate any proposed cuts. “Republicans Set on Hurting Their Own Constituents With Draconian Budget Cuts” is an actual Forbes headline. (The magazine went downhill after Steve Forbes stopped running things.) What were the “draconian” cuts? Instead of increasing spending by 7.8% last spring‚ politicians “cut” the increase to 3.9%. How is that a “draconian” cut? Sometimes the media label anyone who doesn’t agree with them “right-wing.” Or “Donald Trump like.” Stephen Colbert calls Milei the “Donald Trump of Argentina.” Yes‚ Milei has big hair‚ and he’s good on TV. He’s not a traditional politician. But that doesn’t make him a “Donald Trump of Argentina.” Milei is for free trade. He opposes protectionist interventions like tariffs. Unlike Trump‚ he’s an economist who’s smart about economics. He’s serious about shrinking the state. Trump‚ by contrast‚ grew our national debt by $7.8 trillion. I’ve worked as a reporter for 50 years -- for NBC‚ then CBS‚ then ABC‚ then FOX. But now I’ve come to hate most of the media. They scare people to death about minor threats‚ and spin left while pretending to be neutral. They routinely smear libertarians. The Guardian headlines‚ “Libertarian ideology is the natural enemy of science.” But there is some good news. More people now ignore leftist media. CNN’s prime-time viewership recently fell behind the History Channel’s‚ and even behind an obscure channel that just plays old Western movies. Today‚ more people get their news from independent journalists who publish in places like Substack and YouTube. Like Stossel TV. That’s a good trend‚ because we’re more thoughtful than the biased people on TV.

Groups are generally more easily spotted and tracked than individuals‚ but they can mount a watch‚ put together more formidable ambushes‚ and may be able to make use of small unit tactics depending on training‚ group makeup‚ equipment‚ and so forth. The post Secure Foot Travel: Getting from A to B After the World Goes Sideways [Part 3] appeared first on Survivopedia.

As a group‚ conservatives tend to disagree on nearly every issue. One issue that conservatives do agree on is that the GOP stinks. For decades now‚ Republican politicians have proven themselves to be incompetent‚ ignorant‚ and impotent. Although they pledge to restore law and order‚ encourage prosperity‚ safeguard freedoms‚ and have a strong military presence and a secure border‚ they routinely cave or compromise on all these issues. This has become ever more apparent in the past year‚ as the country is beset by several crises and the majority of Americans are pessimistic about the future. We can change the dynamic this year by finally voting these fools out. When illegal immigrants cross the southern U.S. border in record numbers‚ Republican leadership responds by pushing for more funding and less accountability and bungling the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. When federal agencies like the FBI harass conservatives and concoct elaborate hoaxes (e.g.‚ the January 6 pipe bomber‚ the kidnapping of Gretchen Whitmer‚ Russian collusion) for political purposes‚ Republicans reward them by voting for more funding and hosting useless hearings. When omnibus spending bills result in massive increases in federal debt as well as inflation‚ Republicans refrain from breaking up these fiscal monstrosities into single-issue spending bills and instead pass continuing resolutions that maintain omnibus spending levels anyway. In my home state of Texas‚ a large number of Republican legislators have betrayed their constituents in two major ways: impeaching Ken Paxton‚ one of the most effective attorneys general in the country‚ and voting against school choice. Fortunately‚ the Texas legislature meets every other year‚ which limits how much damage lawmakers can do. Could be worse? Of course‚ the rejoinder to all this is that they “aren’t as bad as the Democrats.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) may be a kindly Christian jellyfish‚ but at least he isn’t Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) may suffer periodic brain freezes and place the security of Ukraine’s borders over our own‚ but he isn’t Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). The whole host of Republican state congressmen may usher in chaos and poverty‚ but they aren’t the crazy Marxists who want federal funding for drag queen story hour and critical race theory. Those are fair points. But we’re setting the bar remarkably low. And so‚ the Republican Party manages to win re-elections despite everything‚ only to occasionally shout “Slow down!” at nihilistic Democrats intent on bankrupting and dissolving the country into nothing. It’s also worth mentioning that something like this happens for old-school Democrats who don’t like voting for leftists but who do so anyway because the alternative is supposedly a “right-wing bigot.” Perhaps we can change the dynamic this year by finally voting these fools out. In the coming months‚ each state will have its own primary election where conservative voters can actually pick alternatives to today’s sorry slate of Republicans. Instead of lamenting how bad the GOP has become‚ how the country is being invaded‚ how the American dream is no longer possible‚ or how brain-dead geriatrics run the country‚ people can vote for better and possibly younger candidates. Imagine that! 'Moderation' vs. 'extremism' Naturally‚ a few objections are bound to come up. The first and main objection is that voters are clueless about the candidates and should just vote for the person with the most name recognition and the most visible campaign. In the internet age‚ this is no longer true. Voters can and should look up who’s running for what and be informed. The establishment’s preferred candidates are often the very ones who will sell out their constituents. The ruling elites in both parties depend on voters being in the dark — this is why they regularly oppose free speech and alternative media platforms. A second objection is that voters need to be told how to vote by party leadership and corporate media or else they might vote for someone who’s “unqualified.” Rather than electing rich political insiders who all earned law degrees from the same schools‚ they might vote for normal people who reflect their values and way of life. It would be chaos. Or it might just be the most democratic‚ most productive‚ and least corrupt government that one could hope for. A third objection is that voters should pick the moderate‚ more established nominee in the primary so he or she can win in the general election. If nothing else‚ Trump’s election in 2016 debunked this myth. As I’ve argued recently‚ voters care most about what a candidate offers‚ not his supposed extremism or lack thereof. This is why Trump and the MAGA movement have been so successful. They promise to do actual things that voters want while their more established Republican opponents only promise that they aren’t Democrats. Conservatives who deride party politics and ignore the horse races have only themselves to blame when their only choices are more of the same. Moreover‚ it’s entirely relative what constitutes “moderate” or “extreme.” In terms of policy‚ Trump was moderate to a fault. He played by the rules‚ respected the Constitution‚ and was reluctant to intervene in either foreign or domestic disputes. By contrast‚ Joe Biden is quite extreme. He breaks the rules constantly‚ ignores the Constitution frequently‚ and intervenes wherever he can. Nevertheless‚ corporate media outlets label Biden a “moderate” and Trump an “extremist” because they have a narrative to push. At this point‚ voters should reject this framing and think for themselves. Overall‚ any objection to voting out establishment Republicans (or establishment Democrats) in this year’s primaries is self-serving. The only ones making these arguments are the ones who directly benefit from status quo. Everyone else can see that shake-up is necessary at every level. Otherwise‚ conservatives who deride party politics and ignore the horse races have only themselves to blame when their choices in November are more of the same.

Brockton High School in Brockton‚ Massachusetts‚ is the largest public school in the state‚ boasting a total of over 3‚500 students. However‚ it also boasts an apparent problem with student violence that has become so severe that four members of the Brockton School Committee sent a letter to their mayor asking for the National Guard to be called in to restore order at the school. The letter was sent last Thursday to Mayor Robert F. Sullivan. The letter claims that "our high school has experienced a disturbing increase in incidents related to violence‚ security concerns‚ and substance abuse" in recent months and blames‚ in part‚ a lack of adequate staffing. In a public school meeting last month‚ many teachers from Brockton High reportedly broke down in tears about the level of school violence. A number of stabbing incidents have also taken place recently at the school. The letter claims that staffing shortages have led to numerous incidents in which trespassers were found wandering on school grounds without authorization‚ leading to concerns about the security of the facility in addition to the issues with violence. For his part‚ Mayor Sullivan promised to forward the request on to Massashusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) but noted that he does not agree with calling up the National Guard at the school. Healey responded to the letter in a statement last Friday‚ saying‚ "Our administration is committed to ensuring that schools are safe and supportive environments. ... We are aware of concerns raised about Brockton High School and are in touch with local officials."The Massachusetts National Guard was activated in 2021 by then-governor Charlie Baker (R) in order to address bus driver shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Massachusetts has seen an increase in overall school violence lately‚ with a number of incidents that have gone viral on social media‚ including a lunchtime altercation at Haverhill High School in early February that attracted significant attention.

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