Reader’s Links for May 18, 2021

Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

85 Replies to “Reader’s Links for May 18, 2021”

  1. VIDEO

    Ceuta: 6,000 migrants including children swim from Morocco to Spanish enclave
    Spain’s government has deployed troops to the region – with patrols of the north African enclave starting “immediately”.
    https://news.sky.com/story/ceuta-6000-migrants-including-children-swim-from-morocco-to-spanish-enclave-12309701
    Thousands of migrants including children have swum into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the north African coast after taking advantage of relaxed border controls.
    By Tuesday morning, around 6,000 people had crossed the border by sea into the Spanish city since the first arrivals began early on Monday. Of those, 1,500 are thought to be teenagers.
    Spain has announced that troops will be deployed to the region, with border patrols starting “immediately”, a source told news agency Reuters.
    Soaked migrants, either swimming or paddling in inflatable boats, were still arriving on Tuesday although in smaller numbers due to heightened police and military numbers on the Spanish side of the border.
    A spokesperson for the Spanish authorities said one person died during the migration.
    Adults were being transferred to a football stadium before being returned to Morocco, while minors were being sent to an industrial building.
    Ceuta, with a population of 80,000, is located across the Mediterranean from Gibraltar, and shares a land border with Morocco.

    Also see
    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/17/scores-of-migrants-and-refugees-swim-to-spains-ceuta-enclave

  2. Glasgow protesters praised for blocking UK immigration officers
    Hundreds surrounded a deportation van and ultimately secured the temporary release of two men detained by British immigration officers.
    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/14/glaswegians-lauded-online-for-blocking-uk-immigration-officers
    Hundreds of Glaswegians rallied in the Scottish city on Thursday to win the temporary release of two men who had been detained by British immigration officers, earning widespread praise from activists, experts, the refugee community and some sections of the media.
    Video footage from the scene in Kenmure Street showed two men emerging from the back of a van belonging to the United Kingdom’s Home Office, which sets the country’s immigration rules, hours after the pair had reportedly been detained from an apartment in the local area.
    The Home Office said the men had been detained over “suspected immigration offences”.
    But about 200 protesters prevented immigration officials from carrying the men away by surrounding the vehicle and blocking its exit path.
    One demonstrator climbed under the van to stop it from moving, while others nearby stood and sat in the road. Some protesters chanted, “These are our neighbours, let them go.”
    The demonstration forced a standoff with the immigration officials and Police Scotland, who were called to the scene at about 10am local time (09:00 GMT).
    After about seven hours, the Scottish police force decided to release the men on bail, pending investigation.
    They said they wanted “to protect the safety, public health and wellbeing of all people involved in the detention and subsequent protest”.
    Large gatherings are currently banned in Scotland as part of coronavirus lockdown measures.
    Many celebrated the protesters’ efforts, with some calling the demonstration a “heroic act of resistance” against the Home Office and UK immigration laws, which have long been criticised by human rights groups as unduly harsh and unfairly implemented.
    The National newspaper in Scotland, which supports the idea of Scottish secession from the UK, ran with a provocative front-page headline: “Glasgow 1, ‘Team UK’: 0 – People power forces despicable Home Office to back down.”
    Under successive Conservative Party governments determined to make the UK a “hostile environment” for undocumented migration, rules have been tightened over the past decade.
    Others described the protest as a “fantastic display of community solidarity”.
    Sharing a video of the men’s release, one Twitter user said: “When us humans put our minds to it, we are capable of such gorgeous acts of solidarity.”
    Another added: “This is incredible. A brutal deportation prevented by quick-thinking and courageous neighbours. Truly inspirational.”
    Many social media users also criticised UK Home Secretary Priti Patel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party government.
    “Events in Glasgow yesterday and widespread support for both protesters and victims across the UK are a useful reminder, that there are an awful lot of great, decent people in this nation who hate Priti Patel’s … hateful anti-migrant policies,” one Twitter user said.
    Another said: “People power at its best! Well done the people of Glasgow. Priti Patel this is what humanity looks like.”
    Thursday’s scenes also gained the attention of several prominent Scottish politicians, exposing a deepening divide between the country’s devolved government, led by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and Johnson’s administration.
    Sturgeon, who wants to wrest immigration powers from Westminster, welcomed Police Scotland’s actions in releasing the two men and blamed Johnson’s government for what she called a “dangerous situation”.
    Sturgeon, whose Scottish Parliament electoral district includes the area where the incident took place, also said she had complained to UK officials and asked them to avoid such situations in the future.
    Her pro-independence Scottish National Party, which won the largest number of seats in an election for the Scottish Parliament last week, has campaigned for Scotland’s government to receive powers to grant immigration visas.
    “No assurances were given – and frankly no empathy shown – when I managed to speak to a junior minister earlier,” she said in a statement.
    Humza Yousaf, the devolved Scottish government’s justice secretary, tweeted: “I am pleased Police Scot intervened on public safety & health grounds to release individuals involved. But let me be clear, the Hostile Environment created by UK Govt is not welcome here.”
    But the Home Office said it would continue with its plans to speed up deportations of “those who have entered the UK illegally” as part of its so-called New Plan for Immigration.
    “The UK government is tackling illegal immigration and the harm it causes, often to the most vulnerable people by removing those with no right to be in the UK,” a spokesperson for the department said in a statement. “The operation in Glasgow was conducted in relation to suspected immigration offences and the two Indian nationals complied with officers at all times.”

  3. Russia is building a fleet of warships for the upcoming arctic war with China

  4. 9+
    There is an ‘anti-Israeli wave’ based on ‘disinformation’: Acting Israeli Ambassador to Australiahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qOE5GLYajM

      • The left has control of so much of the media we are seeing Jew Hatred appear in all nations, the aggressors of the world are taking advantage of the weakness of the US knowing that it won’t last beyond 4 years.

    • At one point on Wednesday Hamas fired over 130 rockets into Israel in a five minute span, including into the heart of Israel, as part of an Iranian-Hamas strategy to flood Israel’s iron dome with so many rockets that many will get through.

      “Whoever attacks us will pay a heavy price……the terrorist organizations in Garza crossed a red line and attacked us with misses at the entrances to Jerusalem. Israel will respond with great force…….We did not want to escalate, but those who chose to escalate will be hit forcefully”.

      Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

  5. – MINNESOTA ZOO blames ‘Climate Charge’ for decision to euthanize animals that should not be living in that area –

    * Euthanized oxen at Minnesota Zoo are latest victims of climate change *

    “It seems even Minnesota has now become too far south for this species to thrive,” the zoo wrote.

    Though musk ox is native to the arctic tundra, the Minnesota Zoo had long been home to the herd thanks to the state’s historically chilly climate during much of the year. However, the rising average summer temperatures have proven detrimental to the cold-weather creatures.

    “You could tell they were thriving when the temperatures were colder, and then the minute the heat and humidity hit, that’s when I really started watching and could notice changes,” Bjork-Groebner said.

    https://nypost.com/2021/05/17/zoo-euthanizes-animals-as-state-becomes-too-warm/

  6. Front page – picture “these gentlemen” I do believe it should read 1 lady, 2 gentlemen.

  7. More TWITTER violations:

    Twitter suspended a Spanish politician’s account last week after he tweeted “a man cannot get pregnant” because “they have no uterus or eggs”.

    Spanish politician temporarily suspended by Twitter after saying ‘a man cannot get pregnant’
    Twitter told CONTRERAS his comments violated the platform’s policies on “hate speech”

    https://www.foxnews.com/world/spanish-politician-suspended-by-twitter-after-saying-a-man-cannot-get-pregnant

  8. FRANCE: 69% of France’s citizenry oppose immigration as a strategy to save ‘demographics’.

    Because of the decline in the French birth rate, the demographic future of France is no longer assured, according to François Bayrou, High Commissioner for Planning. Despite this red alert, 69% of French people are still opposed to an increase in immigration, while 31% are in favor of it.

    https://twitter.com/F_Desouche/status/1394640383645306882/photo/1

  9. (Johnnyu this one should interest you.)

    How A Helium Shortage Could Put The Brakes On The Tech Boom

    The one thing that underpins every single tech giant in the world is experiencing a shortage–twice over. Semiconductors—some call the “New World Oil” with massive global implications–are in short supply. And Helium, a gas critical to their manufacturing, is experiencing a supply squeeze that can’t be remedied without new exploration and development. Mentioned in today’s commentary includes: Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE: TSM), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD), NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), Maxar Technologies Inc. (NYSE: MAXR).

    https://www.semiconductor-digest.com/2021/05/17/how-a-helium-shortage-could-put-the-brakes-on-the-tech-boom/

  10. VICE NEWS – Inside One of the World’s Largest Edible Insect Factories

  11. Unable to post this May 7, 2021, RFK Jr interview with former Pfizer Vice President Dr. Mike Yeadon. You can find the 46:38 interview on Anchor by Spotify.

  12. Unable to post this May 7, 2021, RFK Jr interview with former Pfizer Vice President Dr. Mike Yeadon. You can find the 46:38 interview on Anchor by Spotify.

  13. Swedish Police Gearing Up for ‘Everybody Draw Muhammad Day’ by Quran-Burning Politician

    Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan rose to fame and notoriety across Scandinavia through provocative demonstrations against Islam in ethnic ghettos that often include torching, tearing up, or otherwise defacing the Quran and are known to have sparked protests. Paludan himself sees it as an exercise in free speech.

    Danish-Swedish politician and Islam critic Rasmus Paludan is planning to hold a Prophet Muhammad drawing contest in the Malmö ethnic enclave of Rosengard home to a substantial Muslim population.

    According to Paludan, the time is ripe to draw attention what he dubbed “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day”. Paludan underscored that this occasion will be held for a second year in a row. This time, slightly fewer Danish cities will participate, but in return a Swedish city will also be taking part, he emphasised to the news outlet Nyheter Idag.

    “We meet up and draw Muhammad. You can also come up with a drawing of Muhammad. The three best drawings win prizes”, Paludan told the news outlet, promising prizes ranging from DKK 300 to 1,000 ($50 to $165).

    Per the daily Sydsvenskan, Paludan applied for permission from the police for a general meeting on Thursday 20 May. The police have, in turn, requested additional information for the application. As of now it remains unclear whether Paludan will get the green light, but law enforcement have already started planning for a special incident.

    “The application has not been approved, but we need to plan for it to be approved, with a high presence to prevent crime and disturbances”, Malmö Police spokesman Nils Norling told the newspaper Sydsvenskan.

    While the application is being processed, the police are working to strengthen their capacity to deal with demonstrations that have followed in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East.

    “We know that international events also resonate in Sweden and this can lead to demonstrations and protests. Therefore, it is important for us to rise above to be able to handle the manifestations. The task of the police is to assess received applications for public gatherings and carefully consider whether a permit can be granted. Freedom of speech, assembly, and demonstration is strong”, Commander Petra Stenkula said in a statement.
    “We had reactions after the events in August of last year when a Quran was burned and the subsequent violent riots remain fresh in the memory, and we have of course learned from those events. This is why we have prepared a special organisation to be able to deal with these issues”, Stenkula added.

    Last August, Paludan was denied permission to demonstrate in Malmö. However, his supporters and like-minded people burned copies of the Quran as initially planned, sparking violent riots with dozens of arrests.

    Former lawyer and politician Rasmus Paludan rose to fame and notoriety in Denmark through provocative demonstrations against Islam in troubled areas present on the country’s official ghetto list, often sparking conflict and later releasing his trips as videos. The demonstrations often feature him torching, tearing up, or otherwise defacing the Quran, yet are celebrated as an exercise in free speech by Paludan himself and his supporters. His unapologetic stance against Islam has made him a lightning rod for numerous threats and assassination attempts, forcing police to keep him under costly round-the-clock protection.

    Paludan’s party Hard Line, which is ethno-nationalist and anti-Islam as well, barely missed the parliamentary threshold in Denmark in 2019. Since then, Paludan has confirmed Swedish citizenship and joined forces with the Alternative for Sweden, an even more anti-immigration offshoot of the Sweden Democrats that has a tougher stance on many issues, including the EU and NATO, compared with its mother party.

    https://sputniknews.com/europe/202105181082925666-swedish-police-gearing-up-for-everybody-draw-muhammad-day-by-quran-burning-politician/

  14. WH adviser makes appeal to young to get vaccinated

    A top White House aide made his pitch for young people to get vaccinated personal, sharing the struggles his own son has dealt with on an ongoing basis since contracting COVID-19 last fall

    • CBC – Federal government invests $200 million to build an mRNA vaccine plant in Ontario

      Expansion of Mississauga, Ont., site will allow Resilience Biotechnologies to produce millions of shots

      The federal government today announced a $200-million investment to help a Mississauga, Ont.-based company build a plant that can churn out millions of mRNA vaccines.

      Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the money will be used to expand an existing site owned by Resilience Biotechnologies Inc. to provide “made-in-Canada solutions such as vaccines and treatments for future pandemics.”

      The funds will expand Resilience’s manufacturing and fill-finish capacity for a number of vaccines and therapeutics, including mRNA shots like the ones now being used to fight COVID-19, Champagne said.

      The government says the plant expansion will create 500 permanent jobs and 50 co-op placements for students once construction is complete in 2024.

      The addition of some 55,000 square feet of factory space will allow Resilience to manufacture between 112 million and 640 million doses of mRNA product each year. The goal is to leave Canada less dependent on foreign vaccine makers when the next pandemic hits.

      Resilience is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), which means it assembles products developed by other companies.

      It’s standard for big pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca, Merck and Pfizer to outsource the actual drug manufacturing process to third parties. Some companies have sold their manufacturing sites to focus on research and development. A Novartis-owned plant in Boucherville, Que. was sold to Avara, a contract manufacturing operation, in 2018.

      There isn’t currently a CDMO in Canada that is capable of producing a supply of vaccines sufficient to meet national and international demands.

      Quebec-based Medicago reports promising early clinical trial results
      Canada has been entirely dependent on foreign sources for shots throughout this COVID-19 crisis. As a result, Canada has had to contend with the threat of export controls and vaccine nationalism, which made for a turbulent first few months of the vaccination campaign.

      Based on recommendations from the COVID-19 vaccine task force — an independent body of industry experts assembled to advise Ottawa on procurement — the federal government signed deals AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Sanofi, and the one Canadian company, the Quebec City-based Medicago.

      Last fall, the federal government floated $173 million to help Medicago develop its COVID-19 vaccine and build a large plant to produce it.

      On Tuesday, Medicago, which is developing the product in combination with GSK, reported positive early clinical trial data on its plant-derived COVID-19 vaccine, which is different than the mRNA shots offered by Pfizer and Moderna or viral vector vaccines from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

      “After two doses, the adjuvanted vaccine candidate induced robust neutralizing antibody and cellular immune responses in all subjects, irrespectively of age,” Nathalie Landry, the executive vice-president of scientific and medical affairs at Medicago, said in a statement.

      “These results give us confidence as we continue to move forward with our phase three clinical trial. We hope to add another tool in the global fight against COVID-19, particularly as cross-protection emerges as an important consideration in vaccination efforts worldwide,” she said, referring to the concept of mixing two different vaccine products.

      In addition to the Resilience funding pledge today and the Medicago commitment, the federal government has already promised some $455 million for a major expansion of Sanofi’s Toronto plant, which will primarily produce flu shots but it can also be retooled to produce vaccines for coronaviruses.

      Once operational, Sanofi will be able to manufacture enough influenza vaccines for all Canadians each year at its Toronto facility.

      Beyond the new money for future vaccine plants, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday that Canada will receive nine million more mRNA shots from Pfizer in July.

      That means the New York-based pharmaceutical company will be sending two million vaccine doses to Canada each week for the foreseeable future. Based on those figures, another nine million shots will be delivered in August and September. Canada has ordered a total of 48 million doses from Pfizer, enough to fully vaccinate 24 million people with two shots.

      https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-government-200-million-mrna-1.6031024

    • COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States puts herd immunity at risk

      Vaccine misinformation is spreading on social media, and it’s most prevalent among people of colour.

    • Deutsche Pravda – Is skepticism undermining US COVID vaccination efforts?

      Without herd immunity, it’ll be harder to stop the coronavirus from always making comebacks.

      Officials say the sudden slowdown in vaccination rates is due to some Americans refusing to get their second shot.

      They’re worried about the side effects.

      The hesitancy and skepticism is stubbornly high among Republicans and white evangelical Christians.

    • Seattle Public Schools host dozens of COVID-19 vaccine clinics for students

    • CBC – Military officer in charge of Canada’s vaccine rollout replaced

      Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie will replace Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin

    • CBC – Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie named new head of Canada’s vaccine rollout

    • ctv news – Manitoba is now North America’s new COVID-19 hotspot | Third wave crushing province’s hospitals

    • global news – Alberta ICUs reaching record numbers despite decline in COVID-19 cases

      There are currently about 186 Albertans with COVID-19 in intensive care, and as of May 14, the province’s ICUs were about 93 per cent full.

      As Heather Yourex-West reports, the province has contingency plans in place through the use of field hospitals to cope with a growing number of patients.

    • One-third of Australians unlikely to get vaccine, survey finds | Coronavirus | Today Show Australia

  15. Two possibilities: Either migrants flee from a lack of opportunities to dance their name in their homeland, or hundreds of thousands of euros of taxpayer money are thrown out the window by the EU for pure nonsense.

    The project “Migrant bodies – Moving borders”, which is overly generously financed with citizens’ money, offers immigrants group cuddling and empowering bouncing. And if you think that’s crazy, you don’t know about the other million-dollar dance course projects.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LXMcNAx3pw

  16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffWPEqZSDCE

    The German media suggest that EU criticism is a special feature of the AfD. That this is wrong is proven by our MP Gunnar Beck.

    For example, the French party “Rassemblement National”, like the AfD, criticizes the enormously high costs for unaccompanied minor refugees. With the costs for one of these unaccompanied of about € 50,000 per year in France, one could build a whole new school in Africa. Instead of taking in 40,000 of these unaccompanied minors in France, one could build 40,000 new schools in Africa – every year. This alternative would be “more beneficial for France and for Europe,” explains Rassemblement National MP Philippe Olivier.

    Just like the AfD in Germany, there are loud voices of criticism of the EU migration pact in all other member states. With this pact, the EU Commission plans to settle about 70 million migrants from the Orient and Africa in the EU by 2035.

    “That would be the end of our Europe, our homeland and our culture. Even one tenth would mean the certain end of our already overburdened welfare state,” comments Gunnar Beck. Europe would thus be giving itself up. And it would not even really help Africa because of the enormously high birth rate there.

    With its criticism of the EU, the AfD has many allies, especially in the joint group “Identity and Democracy” in the EU Parliament. The parties critical of the EU even have a significantly larger share of the vote in many other member states than the AfD in Germany.

    All these people reject a profoundly anti-democratic EU in which almost nothing happens anymore that would not be contrary to EU law and nothing at all that the majority in any member state still wants.

    Besides migration policy, this also applies to the ECB’s monetary policy, the Corona reconstruction fund and the Next Generation EU program.

    In almost all member states, the domestic majority suffers from the EU’s decisions.

  17. Supreme Court Unanimously Strikes Down Warrantless ‘Caretaking’ Firearm Searches – The Truth About Guns
    Dan Zimmermanhttp://www.thetruthaboutguns.com
    3-4 minutes
    Police officers red flag confiscation order
    (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    The Supreme Court has unanimously struck down warrantless so-called “community caretaking” searches of homes for firearms in a decision handed down today. In the search prompting Caniglia v. Strom, Rhode Island police responded to a wellness check request by a man’s wife and confiscated his firearms.

    The police hung the legality of their warrant-free search on the “community caretaking” exception that allows them to search a vehicle that they’ve impounded. But that exception has never been extended to homes. The plaintiff in the case had to sue the police department to get his guns back.

    https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/supreme-court-unanimously-strikes-down-warrantless-caretaking-firearm-searches/

  18. Everyone who flushes you right down the toilet like
    his piss has correctly assessed your “market value”!

  19. Federal Judge Gives IRS An Order On The Clintons – He Demands They Explain Lack Of Investigation Into Foundation
    3-4 minutes

    Federal Judge Gives IRS An Order On The Clintons – He Demands They Explain Lack Of Investigation Into Foundation
    What’s Happening:

    Many stories of investigations into Democrats hit the wires, but then America never hears about the outcomes.

    Why do investigations into Democrats seem to slip into a deep state black hole?

    Well, for once a U.S. tax court judge is holding the Clintons, and the IRS, to account:

    https://thepatriotjournal.com/judge-irs-clintons-investigation/?utm_source=gjwhg&utm_medium=email

  20. President Biden Faces Steep Accusation – PAC Spends $1M Claiming Dark Money Connections With Teachers Unions
    Ben Dutka
    4-5 minutes

    President Biden Faces Steep Accusation – PAC Spends $1M Claiming Dark Money Connections With Teachers Unions

    Ever since Biden stepped into the White House, Republicans and other right-wing organizations have been concerned about his “dark money” ties.

    Many accused Biden and Democrats of using a huge amount of dark money from special interest groups to get him the Presidency, and he apparently has to “repay” the debt.

    https://thepatriotjournal.com/biden-accusation-dark-money/?utm_source=gjwhg&utm_medium=email

  21. Exclusive: Bombshell Photos Reveal Years of Meetings Between Bloomberg Executives and Chinese Propagandists in Beijing
    Alexander Marlow
    9-11 minutes

    Michael Bloomberg and his top associates at his namesake news conglomerate, Bloomberg LP, have regularly met in Beijing with top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials and propagandists, according to the Chinese government. I document these meetings, which have taken place over several years, in my book Breaking the News: Exposing the Establishment Media’s Hidden Deals and Secret Corruption, released May 18th.

    According to documents reviewed while researching for this book, these propagandists regulate Bloomberg LP and control the extent to which the former Democrat mega-donor-turned presidential candidate’s business can access the gigantic Chinese market. Michael Bloomberg himself has spoken favorably—even glowingly—about China, President Xi Jinping, and other top Beijing officials. Bloomberg LP seemingly does a lot more business with China than its competitors.

    https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2021/05/17/exclusive-bombshell-photos-reveal-years-of-meetings-between-bloomberg-executives-and-chinese-propagandists-in-beijing/?utm_source=RC+Investigations+Today&utm_campaign=fafa88dba7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_11_11_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d042379c8d-fafa88dba7-85695671&mc_cid=fafa88dba7&mc_eid=c4a952ab77

  22. We Found Joe Biden’s Secret Venmo. Here’s Why That’s A Privacy Nightmare For Everyone
    Ryan Mac
    10-13 minutes

    BuzzFeed News; Getty Images

    BuzzFeed News found President Joe Biden’s Venmo account after less than 10 minutes of looking for it, revealing a network of his private social connections, a national security issue for the United States, and a major privacy concern for everyone who uses the popular peer-to-peer payments app.

    On Friday, following a passing mention in the New York Times that the president had sent his grandchildren money on Venmo, BuzzFeed News searched for the president’s account using only a combination of the app’s built-in search tool and public friends feature. In the process, BuzzFeed News found nearly a dozen Biden family members and mapped out a social web that encompasses not only the first family, but a wide network of people around them, including the president’s children, grandchildren, senior White House officials, and all of their contacts on Venmo.

    https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/we-found-joe-bidens-secret-venmo?utm_source=RC%2BInvestigations%2BToday&utm_campaign=fafa88dba7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_11_11_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d042379c8d-fafa88dba7-85695671&mc_cid=fafa88dba7&mc_eid=c4a952ab77

  23. The environmental trade-offs of autonomous vehicles
    Science X staff
    6-8 minutes
    vehicles
    Credit: CC0 Public Domain

    Optimistic predictions expect reliable autonomous vehicles to be commercially available by 2030, at a time when mobility is undergoing a profound shift away from traditional modes of transportation and towards door-to-door services. Previous analysis suggested that public transport will lose market share to autonomous vehicles, but the environmental impact of changing transport use has hardly been considered. New research shows that the convenience of autonomous vehicles would likely come at an environmental cost.

    A recent paper by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison addresses the use-phase implications of autonomous vehicles using a stated preference survey to reveal the potential users of autonomous vehicles and the resulting level of competition with traditional modes of transport. The results show an expected increase in environmental impacts across all the categories studied, due to a shift from less carbon intensive transportation options. The authors also confirm that the use of electric autonomous vehicles could change this environmental outcome. Their research is published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

    https://phys.org/news/2021-05-environmental-trade-offs-autonomous-vehicles.html

  24. Iran’s groundwater depletion is reaching crisis levels, warn researchers
    Patrick Lejtenyi
    6-7 minutes
    Iran’s groundwater depletion is reaching crisis levels, warn researchers
    Credit: Amin Hosseinzadeh FARDNIA on unsplash.com

    More than three quarters of Iran’s land is under extreme groundwater overdraft, where the rate of human uptake is higher than the rate of natural recharge. This is according to a new study led by Concordia researchers published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports.

    The article was co-authored by Samaneh Ashraf, a former Horizon postdoctoral researcher now at the Université de Montréal, and Ali Nazemi, an assistant professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering. Amir AghaKouchak of the University of California, Irvine, also contributed to the paper.

    https://phys.org/news/2021-05-iran-groundwater-depletion-crisis.html

  25. ABOUT MASK WEARING and FAUCI = ALL THEATER

    Earlier today the pontificating pustule of parseltongue admitted on Good Morning America that his mask wearing was, as everyone knew, total theater [Video 02:20].

    “I am much more comfortable now, in people seeing me indoors without a mask” … “before the CDC made the recommendation change, I didn’t want to look like I was giving mixed signals” … “But being a vaccinated person, the chances of me getting infected -in and indoor setting- is extremely low.”

    Thus proving all along that Fauci’s mask wearing was purely political optics. Which was Dr. Rand Paul’s entire point.

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2021/05/18/fauci-now-admits-his-mask-wearing-was-political-theater-a-position-he-previously-denied-during-heated-debate-with-rand-paul/