U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was taken to a Washington‚ D.C. hospital on Sunday for treatment of "symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue"‚ a Pentagon spokesman said. Austin‚ 70‚ was retaining his duties during his hospitalization‚ Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a written statement. Austin was criticized last month for failing to disclose a cancer diagnosis and subsequent hospitalizations in December and January‚ including to President Joe Biden. He...

Israeli forces successfully rescued two Israeli hostages held in the Gaza city of Rafah‚ officials announced early Monday. In a joint operation conducted overnight by the Israeli Defense Forces‚ Israeli Securities Authority and Israeli police rescued Fernando Merman‚ 60‚ and Louis Har‚ 70‚ and evacuated them in a helicopter to the Sheba Tel Hashomer hospital inside Israel. Both are said to be in good medical condition. Merman and Har were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists from the Nir...

In a dilapidated farm shed in New York’s rural North Country‚ the belongings of a migrant family who quietly took shelter one night were still visible months later: some clothing and children’s shoes‚ stiffened by the cold and a thin blanket of snow. Thomas Brassard recalled his surprise when he saw the family — a husband‚ wife and two children — emerge from the shed as he started his truck in the early morning. They asked him in broken English if he could give them a ride to the nearest...

The Expose has previously reported that a powerful Westminster lobby group took money from an organisation with close ties to the State of Israel and that around 80% of Tory MPs are […]

Anthony Bourdain wanted to drink his beer‚ not hear a dissertation-length spiel about it. So you might imagine that he had some issues with ordering craft beer.

Mornings may be hectic‚ but with overnight oats your breakfast doesn't have to be. Fresh blueberries and lemon zest give some zing to this make-ahead meal.

If the game day party has reached its end zone‚ but there's still food on the field‚ you find yourself playing in the Leftovers Bowl. Nachos will be your MVP.

Since Biden was sworn in as president in January 2021‚ there have been at least 7 million encounters near the southern border‚ while the government deals with a backlog of more than 3 million asylum cases in US courts. The Biden administration can’t stop lying to the American public. On Sunday‚ Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had the audacity to claim that the Biden administration doesn’t bear responsibility for the border crisis‚ despite‚ among other things: Terminating the National Emergency at the Southwest borderRevoking a Trump-era Executive Order that was designed to ensure there was meaningful enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.Issuing an executive order protecting DACA recipientsUnveiling the U.S. Citizenship Act‚ which would provide amnesty to millions of illegal aliens in the U.S.‚ demonstrating intent to reward illegal border crossers with a path to citizenship.Announcing a 100-day moratorium on deportations and immigration enforcement‚ effectively providing amnesty to criminal and other removable aliens (It’s a really long list…) And since Biden was sworn in as president in January 2021‚ there have been at least 7 million encounters near the southern border‚ while the government deals with a backlog of more than 3 million asylum cases in US courts. Appearing on NBC‘s “Meet the Press‚” Mayorkas claimed: “It certainly is a crisis. And‚ well‚ we don’t bear responsibility for a broken system‚ and we’re doing a tremendous amount within the system. But fundamentally‚ Congress is the only one who can fix it.”Our fan-favorite Turbo Force Plus is now 40% off! See for yourself the delicious one-of-a-kind energy boost infowarriors CRAVE! And of course‚ zero pushback from the ‘journalist’ sitting across from him. "Do you bear responsibility for what is happening at the border?"MAYORKAS: "We don't bear responsibility" pic.twitter.com/rCdwOIAIAX— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 11‚ 2024 So the narrative is: Biden inherited a broken border from Trump. How much gaslighting can a country take before even Democrats call bullshit? Mayorkas’ comments come after a failed effort by House Republicans to impeach him – in part because Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was wheeled into Congress from the hospital to vote following abdominal surgery. “Sometimes when you’re counting votes and people show up when they’re not expected to be in the building‚ it changes the equation‚” said Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) afterward‚ the NY Post reports. According to Mayorkas‚ “They’re baseless allegations‚” adding “That’s why I really am not distracted by them and focused on the work of the Department of Homeland Security.” House Republicans have accused Mayorkas of “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” while presiding over the border crisis and “breach of public trust” for allegedly lying to Congress by saying the border is “secure” and that DHS has “operational control” of it.In addition to the impeachment effort against Mayorkas falling by the wayside‚ a sweeping bipartisan border security reform package in the Senate collapsed last week.The deal had been negotiated for some four months and was widely seen as a means of unlocking Republican support for a broader supplemental featuring aid to Ukraine‚ Israel and Indo-Pacific allies. -NY Post “The system has not been fixed for 30 years. A bipartisan group of senators [has] now presented us with the tools and resources we need … and yet Congress killed it before even reading it‚” said Mayorkas‚ following a failed Senate spending plan which would allocate a scant amount to the border‚ while providing Ukraine and Israel with roughly $80 billion in aid. And yet‚ Biden could simply issue executive orders like Trump in order to close the border. 30 Years of Russia Seeking Peace with the West

According to an investigation by independent journalist Paul D. Thacker published this week in The Disinformation Chronicle‚ officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention openly questioned the findings of its own scientists’ studies contradicting the agency’s public messaging about mask effectiveness The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) own scientists conducted studies showing N95 respirators are no more effective at stopping viruses than surgical masks — yet the agency issued guidance contradicting those and other studies showing both types of masks are ineffective at stopping the spread of COVID-19‚ according to an investigation by independent journalist Paul D. Thacker. The investigation‚ published this week in two parts on The Disinformation Chronicle‚ details how CDC leadership openly questioned the findings of CDC scientists’ studies contradicting the agency’s public messaging about mask effectiveness. During the pandemic‚ mask advocates “shifted goalposts and demanded N95 respirators‚” Thacker said‚ claiming they perform better than surgical masks at stopping the virus. However‚ Thacker said CDC scientists found no difference between N95 and surgical masks in the ability to stop the spread of respiratory viruses. The findings of the CDC studies are consistent with other peer-reviewed studies on the efficacy of masks in preventing COVID-19‚ according to Thacker. “But the CDC responded by saying people can’t say that‚” Thacker told The Defender.Save 40% on DNA Force Plus NOW! Try it today and see why so many listeners have made it an essential part of their daily routine! To shut down the controversy‚ the CDC‚ in its Jan. 23 post on preventing the transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings‚ warned researchers that to suggest facemasks and respirators are the same “is not scientifically correct‚” Thacker wrote. CDC ignores own studies questioning N95‚ mask effectiveness According to Thacker‚ CDC guidance for controlling the spread of infections had not been updated since 2007. This prompted the CDC‚ in 2022‚ to select “a bunch of science experts‚” and ask them “to update the agency’s scientific guidance to hospitals on how to control infections.” In November 2023‚ the experts produced an 80-page systematic review and meta-analysis‚ examining whether N95 respirators were more effective than surgical masks. The review found that while N95 respirators are better at filtering particles‚ the finding that they are more effective at stopping viruses “has been less conclusive.” The systematic review also examined the “effectiveness” of N95 respirators and surgical masks “under ‘real world’” conditions and found “no difference” between the two. The review also found numerous symptoms reported by N95 mask users‚ including: “difficulty breathing‚ headaches‚ and dizziness; skin barrier damage and itching; fatigue; and difficulty talking.” According to Thacker‚ the CDC is not pleased with these findings‚ suggesting in its recent update that its own scientists were wrong. “Although masks can provide some level of filtration‚ the level of filtration is not comparable to NIOSH Approved respirators‚” the CDC said. The post also stated‚ “The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the approach we take in healthcare settings to protect healthcare personnel‚ patients‚ and others from transmission of respiratory infections.” More evidence contradicting the CDC’s public position came at a June 2023 CDC meeting in Atlanta‚ when Erin Stone‚ MPH‚ a public health analyst in the agency’s Office of Guidelines and Evidence Review‚ presented the findings of a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of N95 respirators and surgical masks. According to Stone‚ the data “suggests no difference” in their effectiveness. Yet‚ in November 2023 testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee‚ CDC Director Mandy Cohen sidestepped questions regarding mask effectiveness and refused to deny she would reinstate mask mandates for children. According to Thacker‚ in December 2023‚ just six days after Cohen’s testimony‚ The BMJ’s Archives of Disease in Childhood journal published a study finding that “mask recommendations for children are not supported by scientific evidence.” “Recommending child masking does not meet the accepted practice of promulgating only medical interventions where benefits clearly outweigh harms‚” the study authors noted. Thacker: CDC guidance based on politics‚ not science Thacker said the CDC contradicted its own findings on mask efficacy even in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Soon after the pandemic started‚ the CDC began promoting masks to stop the spread of COVID‚” Thacker wrote. “And it did so despite CDC publishing a May 2020 policy study in their own journal‚ ‘Emerging Infectious Diseases‚’ that did not find a ‘substantial effect’ for masks in stopping the transmission of respiratory viruses.” #WearAMask 😷 in public to help #SlowTheSpread of #COVID19. When choosing a mask‚ make sure it fits snugly against your face‚ covers your nose and mouth‚ and has multiple layers. More on masks: https://t.co/iOQv5OMdKA. pic.twitter.com/hOBrfVsFb4— CDC (@CDCgov) April 3‚ 2021 That same month‚ the CDC began publicly promoting N95 respirators as a more effective means of controlling the spread of COVID-19. However‚ on its webpage promoting the superiority of N95 respirators‚ the CDC admitted “there’s not a whole lot of evidence that N95 respirators do in fact work better than masks at stopping viruses‚” Thacker wrote. “Laboratory studies have demonstrated that FFRs [filtering facepiece respirators] provide greater protection against aerosols compared with surgical masks … however‚ the results of clinical studies have been inconclusive‚” the CDC wrote‚ citing a 2019 study in JAMA comparing N95 respirators to masks. “Among outpatient health care personnel‚ N95 respirators vs medical masks as worn by participants in this trial resulted in no significant difference in the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza‚” the JAMA study noted. Given the shortage of N95 respirators during this global outbreak of #COVID19‚ it’s important to understand the difference between N95 respirators and surgical masks‚ and how both are intended to protect healthcare workers. Learn more from @NIOSH: https://t.co/rGGoSYDYUy. pic.twitter.com/8zuKKeiRlU— CDC (@CDCgov) May 2‚ 2020 According to Thacker‚ the results of these studies confirm the widely accepted pre-COVID-19 scientific consensus on the ineffectiveness of masks of any kind in stopping the spread of viruses. Thacker cited statements the World Health Organization made in 2019 and the CDC’s guidance on virus control. In a 2020 appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes‚” Dr. Anthony Fauci said that while a mask might “block a droplet” and “make people feel a little better‚” it does not provide “the perfect protection that people think it is.” According to Thacker‚ “For some reason‚ a ‘masks work’ political movement began to grow‚” despite Fauci’s statements and the findings of these studies. “I’m not really sure what happened or what we do next‚” Thacker wrote. “But something weird took place in America where liberal elites began messaging among themselves ‘masks work.’ They then grew this into a crusade.” The movement was effective in getting the CDC on board with issuing mask guidance‚ Thacker said. Four years after the onset of the pandemic‚ the CDC now openly cheerleads for masks‚ despite research the agency published showing that masks don’t really protect people from catching viruses‚ he said. “And this is why the experts advising the CDC are getting all this pushback: they didn’t tell the CDC what the CDC wanted to hear‚” Thacker wrote. Harvey Risch‚ M.D.‚ Ph.D.‚ professor emeritus and senior research scientist in epidemiology (chronic diseases) at the Yale School of Public Health‚ told The Disinformation Chronicle the CDC “has succumbed to political influences.” Risch said: “It made policies for school closures in order to please the teachers’ union. Its charitable organization allows pharma to feed it hundreds of millions of dollars that would be illegal to go directly to the agency‚ and this gives pharma major influence on CDC policies.” According to Thacker‚ the CDC has continued to double down on guidance promoting mask efficacy. A Jan. 23 letter the agency sent to its own advisers appears to encourage them to add more mask guidance to the agency’s new guidelines for the spread of pathogens‚ based on the conclusion that N95 respirators are effective. “Too much science is forcing CDC to request a science do over‚” Thacker wrote‚ referring to the CDC’s Jan. 23 post‚ which states that its new recommendations should not “be misread to suggest equivalency between facemasks and NIOSH Approved respirators‚ which is not scientifically correct nor the intent of the draft language.” Thacker said his investigation shows that “in their guidance to the CDC‚ experts do recommend masks as part of what they call ‘transmission-based guidance’ which the CDC defines as a second tier of infection control.” However‚ the CDC’s own guidance also finds that masks are effective only for “source control” — preventing an already infected person from infecting others. “But this isn’t what the CDC wants‚” Thacker wrote. “They want the experts to write guidelines that recommend healthy people wear masks‚ even though research shows masks won’t really stop healthy people from getting sick.” “The CDC has caught the ‘masks work’ political wave and is now demanding that independent experts conform to their preferred mask dictates‚” he added. In doing so‚ the CDC is rejecting science it doesn’t like‚ including several other non-CDC studies that have questioned mask effectiveness. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine in November 2022 found no difference between N95 respirators and surgical masks in stopping the spread of COVID-19. These findings were mirrored in a January 2023 Cochrane meta-analysis on mask effectiveness. According to the Cochrane report‚ “The use of a N95/P2 respirators compared to medical/surgical masks probably makes little or no difference for the objective and more precise outcome of laboratory‐confirmed influenza infection.” A May 2023 study published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety suggests N95 respirators may expose wearers to dangerous levels of toxic compounds linked to seizures and cancer. A September 2023 meta-analysis published in Clinical Research Study examined mask studies published since 2019 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). According to the findings of the meta-analysis: “MMWR publications pertaining to masks drew positive conclusions about mask effectiveness >;75% of the time despite only 30% testing masks and <;15% having statistically significant results. No studies were randomized‚ yet over half drew causal conclusions. “The level of evidence generated was low and the conclusions were most often unsupported by the data. Our findings raise concern about the reliability of the journal for informing health policy.” Real-world examples also call into question narratives regarding mask efficacy. Sweden‚ for instance‚ did not mandate or recommend masks for the general public during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic‚ and only did so in certain situations in the later stages of the pandemic‚ according to The Conversation. Yet‚ its total excess deaths during the first two years of the pandemic were among the lowest in Europe.” In 2020‚ Swedish state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell said‚ “We see no point in wearing a face mask in Sweden‚ not even on public transport‚” adding there were “at least three heavyweight reports … which all state that the scientific evidence is weak.” A Swedish government commission noted low levels of excess mortality in 2020 and 2021 and said that‚ at most‚ masks should have been “recommended.” Soon after the report was released‚ a Feb. 25‚ 2022‚ Boston Herald op-ed stated that Sweden “got it right.” “I don’t understand what is driving the ‘masks work’ political movement‚” Thacker told The Defender. “There were plenty of stories written pointing out that there isn’t much scientific evidence that masks stop respiratory virus spread.” “Maybe people were just scared and wanted to believe masks provide protection?” he said. Thacker also cited the historical precedent of the Spanish Flu epidemic in 1918‚ when the Red Cross campaigned for masks all across America. “California’s state board of health ran a study comparing towns that had mask mandates against those that did not. They found that there was no difference and published the study in the American Journal of Public Health in 1920‚” Thacker said. “Maybe these mask campaigners need to read a little history‚” he added. Thacker is now calling on whistleblowers inside the CDC to contact him “to discuss what is going on inside the agency.” “I’m talking to CDC people and hope to learn what is going on inside the agency. I plan to write more on this‚” Thacker told The Defender. “CDC Director Mandy Cohen wants to restore trust in the agency‚ but that won’t happen if she keeps putting politics ahead of scientific evidence‚” he said. 30 Years of Russia Seeking Peace with the West

"Putin‚ like Trump‚ is anathema to Davos globalists‚ but I think he warmed the hearts of silent patriots in many nations who deeply distrust unregulated‚ global bureaucracies that seem mostly to protect corrupt billionaires‚ some of whom promoting manifestly crazy policies." Russian President Vladimir Putin‚ like Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump‚ is “anathema to Davos globalists”‚ Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel told Sputnik‚ stressing that the timing of Putin-Carlson interview was perfect. Tucker Carlson‘s interview with Vladimir Putin has attracted over 190 million views on X (formerly Twitter) as of February 11. “I think it was fortunate that the interview occurred well before the heart of the primary season so that voters got a fair chance to see the interaction for themselves in a long format forum that was‚ fortunately‚ not interrupted by pesky commercials‚” Charles Ortel‚ a Wall Street analyst and investigative journalist‚ told Sputnik. “My guess is that getting on Putin’s calendar for such a long interview was a challenge‚ so I imagine it suited both parties to have this video out well in advance of the nominating convention for Democrats and of the general election. It would be great to have one or even more follow-ups in coming months‚” he added. “I also think the contrast between Putin’s measured and thoughtful perspectives‚ having been a world leader for a quarter century with the lack of gravitas — to put it politely of Joe Biden‚ Kamala Harris and many others in both parties who are surface-level‚ donor-captured‚ soundbite specialists was stunning. This contrast was remarkable considering Biden’s post-interview meltdown before what remains of the ‘press’‚” Ortel continued.Save 40% on DNA Force Plus NOW! Try it today and see why so many listeners have made it an essential part of their daily routine! The American people have the same enemy as Russia. I stand against WW3! pic.twitter.com/mqgJ9xsV0A— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) February 10‚ 2024 The Wall Street analyst noted that judging from viewership statistics‚ the corporate — and political donor-controlled — media is destroying itself. He stressed that “no political interview has garnered nearly as much coverage as Putin’s recent sit down with Tucker‚” adding that he expects “it will‚ in the end‚ change the thinking of most open minds.” Clinton Family Had Reasons to Fear Putin Interview Prior to the historic interview‚ US corporate media pundits and Democratic political figures urged Americans to ignore Carlson’s show. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton called Tucker a “useful idiot”‚ claiming that the US journalist “parrots Vladimir Putin’s pack of lies about Ukraine.” Clinton’s remarks before the interview echoed those of Soviet-era apparatchiks who said of Nobel Prize-winning novel Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak: “I haven’t read Pasternak‚ but I condemn him.” “Hillary Clinton’s star set long ago while Tucker Carlson is‚ today‚ one of the most followed and fair-minded voices on earth‚” Ortel said‚ commenting on Clinton’s rant. “Certainly‚ the Clinton family has much to fear as 5 November 2024 looms.” The Wall Street analyst‚ who has carried out a private investigation into allegations of fraud by the Clinton Foundation over several years‚ noted that “there are serious unanswered questions over how much foreign government and oligarch money may have funded Hillary’s political campaigns in 2005-6‚ 2007-8‚ and 2015-16‚ including donations from Ukraine’s [oligarch] Victor Pinchuk and his wife.” He added that there are also “reasonable concerns as in the case of the Bidens‚ that the Clinton family exploited their offices to enrich themselves for decades‚ illegally.” “Hillary Clinton will not be remembered well in history‚” Ortel said. “She coasted into national politics‚ at first‚ in sympathy over the Lewinsky affair as she had no actual ties to my home state of New York. As Senator‚ she promoted foreign adventurism in Afghanistan and Iraq that clearly failed. Meanwhile her husband advanced a boldly crooked set of scam charities we have previously covered that bilked governments and other donors of billions of dollars‚ for which there has never been honest accounting.” “For a generation‚ globalists have protected and promoted power couples like the Clintons‚ especially media barons. With the rise of X and evident chronic failures of unchecked globalist schemes‚ many malefactors including the Clintons have much to fear as Trump surges towards potential re-election and then a necessary retribution and restoration of law and order under our Constitution‚” the investigative journalist pointed out. US Deep State Withheld Key Facts About Ukraine Conflict Ortel argued that Putin’s history lesson to Carlson‚ tracing the causes of the Ukrainian conflict from the very start‚ was an excellent choice given that most Americans simply do not know much about Russia’s history and development. “Leaving aside the early centuries but starting in 1654‚ when Russia had already a long history‚ America did not even exist then and most colonial experiments had been dismal failures‚” the Wall Street analyst stated. “Even so‚ until Biden‚ American presidents jealously tried to defend our national borders and interests so it is entirely reasonable for Russia to do so at any time but certainly from 1992 forward.” When the Ukraine conflict erupted‚ the Biden administration and the compliant US media sold Americans a “riskless‚ noble cause in supporting Zelensky‚” Ortel noted. However‚ key facts about the conflict were purposefully withheld by the Deep State‚ he stressed. These key facts included‚ in particular‚ the February 2014 coup d’etat‚ American interference in the 2014 Ukraine election‚ corruption of the Biden family — and others — by Ukraine oligarchs‚ the role of neo-Nazis and the massive pilfering of aid to a leadership that certainly is not “democratic‚” “peaceful‚” or freedom-loving‚ according to Ortel. “Putin‚ like Trump‚ is anathema to Davos globalists‚ but I think he warmed the hearts of silent patriots in many nations who deeply distrust unregulated‚ global bureaucracies that seem mostly to protect corrupt billionaires‚ some of whom promoting manifestly crazy policies‚” the Wall Street analyst said. Even though Russia has been painted by the American mainstream press as a dread enemy of the US‚ “the American heartland and the Russian people likely share much in common and might benefit greatly from clear interaction‚ which sanctions certainly impede‚” he highlighted. “Perhaps one simple answer explains much – American and British defense contractors need an enemy to promote arms sales and Russia is their preferred designee. Remember‚ defense contractors are among the most important contributors directly and indirectly to politicians‚” Ortel said. “Overall‚ one consequence of the interview is that Putin came across as a thoughtful and reasonable defender of Russian interests who‚ in my opinion‚ may have been too patient with US-UK aggression since 1992.” Biden’s Inflicting Damage on US Economy‚ Security &; Global Standing During the interview with Carlson Vladimir Putin wondered as to why the Biden administration is inflicting damage on the American economy‚ security and global standing. Ortel said those serious questions must be answered. “Uncertainty is a great enemy in the important process of long-term investing. The Biden ‘Administration’ daily makes mockery of domestic and international law. These ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ cannot simply be washed away in the 2024 election with a Trump landslide. Indeed‚ there must be a full accounting for corruption that courses through the American system and many of our NATO allies‚” the analyst believes. Ortel assumed that the Obama-Biden “war on capitalism” that began in January 2009 is “chiefly responsible for destroying legitimate aspirations of private sector workers and their families who simply wish to sell competitive products and services to the world from American platforms.” “The bi-partisan addiction to deficit-spending and debt is crippling this and future generations of Americans‚” he said. “But the worst damage wrought by Biden is that many now correctly question who his master may be and even whether he and his family actually serve America’s interests.” Still‚ one area where Ortel disagreed with Vladimir Putin was on the subject of China’s economic growth. The Wall Street analyst believes that China’s economy is groaning under too much real and shadow debt‚ and he questions whether capital investments seen in gross domestic product (GDP) accounts are profit-making. Meanwhile‚ after the 2024 election‚ “America should think much more carefully about our budget and capabilities for foreign entanglements because‚ in truth‚ we have pressing internal issues to address concerning our bloated‚ counterproductive domestic bureaucracies‚” he pointed out. Americans and Russians are talented and laborious people who could work out solutions which would be beneficial not only for their respective nations‚ but for the whole world‚ according to the analyst. “On major issues particularly in math‚ science and engineering‚ I believe the best Russian and American minds might make major breakthroughs. In the near future too‚ I hope our people may connect directly‚ bypassing the corrupt vested interests here in America‚” Ortel concluded. 30 Years of Russia Seeking Peace with the West