wearechange--2020-05-21--America’s Billionaires Got $434 Billion Richer Since Pandemic Hit

America ’ s billionaires saw their combined net worth soar by $ 434 billion between March 18 and May 19 while the coronavirus pandemic killed tens of thousands of people and ravaged the U.S. economy , forcing more than 30 million out of work .
That ’ s according to a new analysis released Thursday by Americans for Tax Fairness ( ATF ) and the Institute for Policy Studies ( IPS ) titled “ Tale of Two Crises : Billionaires Gain as Workers Feel Pandemic Pain.
” The report shows that the five wealthiest billionaires in the U.S.—Jeff Bezos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook , Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway , and Larry Ellison of Oracle—saw their collective wealth grow by a total of $ 75.5 billion between March 18 and May 19 , a 19 % jump .
ATF and IPS pinpoint March 18 as “ the rough start date of the pandemic shutdown , when most federal and state economic restrictions were in place.
” Bezos—the world ’ s richest man—saw his wealth jump by nearly $ 35 billion in the two-month period .
Yet even as Bezos ’ fortune continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it will not extend $ 2-an-hour hazard pay for warehouse workers beyond the end of May .
“ The pandemic has revealed the deadly consequences of America ’ s yawning wealth gap , and billionaires are the glaring symbol of that economic inequality , ” Frank Clemente , ATF ’ s executive director , said in a statement .
Chuck Collins , director of the IPS Program on Inequality , said “ the surge in billionaire wealth during a global pandemic underscores the grotesque nature of unequal sacrifice.
” “ While millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responders and front line workers , ” said Collins , “ these billionaires benefit from an economy and tax system that is wired to funnel wealth to the top .
”

America’s billionaires saw their combined net worth soar by $434 billion between March 18 and May 19 while the coronavirus pandemic killed tens of thousands of people and ravaged the U.S. economy, forcing more than 30 million out of work.
That’s according to a new analysis released Thursday by Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) and the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) titled “Tale of Two Crises: Billionaires Gain as Workers Feel Pandemic Pain.”
The report shows that the five wealthiest billionaires in the U.S.—Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Bill Gates of Microsoft, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, and Larry Ellison of Oracle—saw their collective wealth grow by a total of $75.5 billion between March 18 and May 19, a 19% jump.
ATF and IPS pinpoint March 18 as “the rough start date of the pandemic shutdown, when most federal and state economic restrictions were in place.”
Bezos—the world’s richest man—saw his wealth jump by nearly $35 billion in the two-month period. Yet even as Bezos’ fortune continues to grow, Amazon announced last week that it will not extend $2-an-hour hazard pay for warehouse workers beyond the end of May.
“The pandemic has revealed the deadly consequences of America’s yawning wealth gap, and billionaires are the glaring symbol of that economic inequality,” Frank Clemente, ATF’s executive director, said in a statement.
?It's that time again:? Our weekly @inequalityorg update on how much U.S. billionaires are profiting off the same pandemic that's forcing millions out of work. There's been some shocking numbers so far. But this week is a knockout. pic.twitter.com/pWW79IZMOo — Institute for Policy Studies (@IPS_DC) May 21, 2020
Chuck Collins, director of the IPS Program on Inequality, said “the surge in billionaire wealth during a global pandemic underscores the grotesque nature of unequal sacrifice.”
“While millions risk their lives and livelihoods as first responders and front line workers,” said Collins, “these billionaires benefit from an economy and tax system that is wired to funnel wealth to the top.”
Republished from CommonDreams.org under Creative Commons


wearechange--2020-05-20--Scientists May Have Discovered Evidence of a Parallel Universe Where Time Flows Backward

The existence of parallel universes sounds like science fiction , but a number of prominent physicists have over the years came to believe the idea is not only compatible with conventional physics but that it may explain some of the anomalies in quantum theory .
A new discovery in Antarctica has caused a stir in scientific circles as possibly representing the first tangible physical evidence of a parallel universe .
Scientists working for NASA ’ s Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna ( ANITA ) have been conducting a cosmic ray detection experiment .
Antarctica is the ideal environment for such an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particles rains down from outer space unperturbed by radio noise .
ANITA is a stratospheric balloon that ferries complicated instruments high into the air surveying over a million square kilometers in search of heavier tau neutrinos trapped by solid-state matter .
But while these high-energy particles do not pass through the Earth , like their lighter low-energy cousins , they should be originating from out in space and moving “ down ” toward us .
However , ANITA scientists discovered something surprising : tau neutrino particles that seem to be arising “ up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re moving backward in time .
Principal ANITA investigator Peter Gorham , an experimental particle physicist at the University of Hawaii , says he was surprised by this and checked for computational or equipment glitches to explain the finding .
“ What we saw is something that looked just like a cosmic ray , as seen in reflection off the ice sheet , but it wasn ’ t reflected , ” said Gorham .
“ It was as if the cosmic ray had come out of the ice itself .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a paper on that , we just suggested that this was in pretty strong tension with the standard model of physics.
” Gorham says these “ impossible events ” are controversial but “ could indicate that we ’ re actually seeing a new class of sub-atomic particle that ’ s very penetrating .
Even more penetrating than a neutrino , which is pretty hard to do .
This particle would be passing through almost the entire earth .
So this could be an indication of some new type of physics , what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Surprisingly enough , one of the simplest explanations for such a finding is that when the Big Bang occurred 13.8 billion years ago , it formed both our universe and a mirror universe where time flows in reverse .
Inhabitants of that universe would likely not experience time going backward but would rather perceive us as the reverse universe .
“ Not everyone was comfortable with the hypothesis , ” Gorham told New Scientist .
Another possibility is that the Earth was inundated from cosmic rays from a supernova blast that penetrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept the possibility of multiple universes .
A few years ago astronomers considered evidence of a “ bruise ” on our universe , an anomalous “ cold spot ” that could represent an ancient collision with another universe in the multiverse .

The existence of parallel universes sounds like science fiction, but a number of prominent physicists have over the years came to believe the idea is not only compatible with conventional physics but that it may explain some of the anomalies in quantum theory.
A new discovery in Antarctica has caused a stir in scientific circles as possibly representing the first tangible physical evidence of a parallel universe.
Scientists working for NASA’s Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) have been conducting a cosmic ray detection experiment. Antarctica is the ideal environment for such an endeavor because a persistent wind of high-energy particles rains down from outer space unperturbed by radio noise.
ANITA is a stratospheric balloon that ferries complicated instruments high into the air surveying over a million square kilometers in search of heavier tau neutrinos trapped by solid-state matter. But while these high-energy particles do not pass through the Earth, like their lighter low-energy cousins, they should be originating from out in space and moving “down” toward us.
However, ANITA scientists discovered something surprising: tau neutrino particles that seem to be arising “up” from the Earth, implying that they’re moving backward in time.
Principal ANITA investigator Peter Gorham, an experimental particle physicist at the University of Hawaii, says he was surprised by this and checked for computational or equipment glitches to explain the finding.
“What we saw is something that looked just like a cosmic ray, as seen in reflection off the ice sheet, but it wasn’t reflected,” said Gorham. “It was as if the cosmic ray had come out of the ice itself. A very strange thing. So we published a paper on that, we just suggested that this was in pretty strong tension with the standard model of physics.”
Gorham says these “impossible events” are controversial but “could indicate that we’re actually seeing a new class of sub-atomic particle that’s very penetrating. Even more penetrating than a neutrino, which is pretty hard to do. This particle would be passing through almost the entire earth. So this could be an indication of some new type of physics, what we call beyond the standard model of physics.”
Surprisingly enough, one of the simplest explanations for such a finding is that when the Big Bang occurred 13.8 billion years ago, it formed both our universe and a mirror universe where time flows in reverse. Inhabitants of that universe would likely not experience time going backward but would rather perceive us as the reverse universe.
“Not everyone was comfortable with the hypothesis,” Gorham told New Scientist.
Another possibility is that the Earth was inundated from cosmic rays from a supernova blast that penetrated our planet.
Scientists have increasingly come to accept the possibility of multiple universes. A few years ago astronomers considered evidence of a “bruise” on our universe, an anomalous “cold spot” that could represent an ancient collision with another universe in the multiverse.
Stephen Hawking’s final paper, released posthumously, proposed a theory for explaining alternate universes.
Republished from TheMindUnleashed.com under Creative Commons


wearechange--2020-05-23--High Ranking Police Detective Arrested, Jailed for Repeatedly Raping a Little Girl

A highly decorated , high-ranking , and now retired police homicide detective has been arrested and charged with raping an underage girl over a period of two years .
District of Columbia retired detective John Pleasant Johnson Jr. was taken into custody and remains in jail on 11 counts , including aggravated sexual battery , indecent liberties , forcible sodomy and object sexual penetration .
Prince William County authorities arrested Johnson last Wednesday after the now 14-year-old says the retired cop sexually abused her over the course of the last two years starting when she was 12 .
The alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May of 2018 and April of 2020 .
She was an acquaintance of the former officer and the alleged abuse happened at a residence in Woodbridge .
According to the Washington Post : This means he was abusing the pre-teen when he was still a sworn peace officer , something TFTP has reported as a common occurrence in many police departments across the country .
While police officers are human like everyone else they ’ re supposedly held to a much higher standard of behavior but often find themselves in trouble with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served .
Many times they ’ re allowed to walk free without spending one day in jail .
Johnson , however , was denied bond and was being held in jail as of the writing of this article although a second bond hearing was scheduled .
DC Police quickly moved to distance themselves from the former detective .
In a statement to the media , D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said it is , “ disheartening to think that a former member of this Department could be involved in such deplorable conduct .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her family.
” The Washington Post also made mention of several other officers who succumbed to the same fate with which Johnson has now been charged .
Barnhill , a long-time veteran of the D.C. Police Department , was also exposed by the Free Thought Project for running a child sex ring out of his house .
In 2014 , in an early morning search warrant issued for his Southeast D.C. apartment found a 15-year-old girl who had previously been reported missing by her parents .
When police rescued the girl she told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girls inside the Southeast D.C. apartment who told her they were also being prostituted , including with ads posted on backpage.com .
Barnhill also took naked photos of the girls , purportedly for use in advertisements for sex .
Marijuana , condoms and a large mirror were also seized from the apartment ; law enforcement officials say that the seized mirror had the names of other females who were being trafficked written on it .
Around that same time , another cop in the area was also exposed and arrested for trafficking teens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baltimore , pleaded guilty to traveling across state lines and using a telephone and internet to operate a prostitution business using two teens he prostituted out over 300 times .
Just because someone wears or has worn a badge in the past does not mean they can be trusted to be around youth .
As TFTP has reported to the point of ad nauseam , predators will often seek out positions of authority whereby they can use their position to groom , cajole , and recruit youth and teens into being in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children attempt to escape they will use mind control tactics such as threats to keep their victims in line .
They ’ re not just officers .
They are priests , teachers , coaches , and others who seek to gratify themselves with sex involving children .
Some in the mainstream media have attempted to validate their sexual desires by changing the title most often given to predators from “ pedophile ” to “ minor attracted individuals ” .
Both titles indicate the same sick perversion , a desire to sexually abuse and @ @ @

A highly decorated, high-ranking, and now retired police homicide detective has been arrested and charged with raping an underage girl over a period of two years. District of Columbia retired detective John Pleasant Johnson Jr. was taken into custody and remains in jail on 11 counts, including aggravated sexual battery, indecent liberties, forcible sodomy and object sexual penetration.
Prince William County authorities arrested Johnson last Wednesday after the now 14-year-old says the retired cop sexually abused her over the course of the last two years starting when she was 12. The alleged abuses are said to have occurred between May of 2018 and April of 2020. She was an acquaintance of the former officer and the alleged abuse happened at a residence in Woodbridge.
According to the Washington Post:
Johnson started working as an officer in 1987 and retired in 2018. A month after he retired, Johnson returned to work as a senior sergeant until he left again in 2019.
This means he was abusing the pre-teen when he was still a sworn peace officer, something TFTP has reported as a common occurrence in many police departments across the country.
While police officers are human like everyone else they’re supposedly held to a much higher standard of behavior but often find themselves in trouble with the very police departments with which they have served.
Many times they’re allowed to walk free without spending one day in jail. Johnson, however, was denied bond and was being held in jail as of the writing of this article although a second bond hearing was scheduled.
DC Police quickly moved to distance themselves from the former detective. In a statement to the media, D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said it is, “disheartening to think that a former member of this Department could be involved in such deplorable conduct. Our thoughts are with the survivor and her family.”
The Washington Post also made mention of several other officers who succumbed to the same fate with which Johnson has now been charged.
Several other officers on the D.C. police force also have been charged with sexual crimes involving youths. Among them is Linwood Barnhill Jr., a longtime D.C. police officer who was charged in 2013 with prostituting two teenage girls and possessing child pornography. In 2014, Barnhill pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Barnhill, a long-time veteran of the D.C. Police Department, was also exposed by the Free Thought Project for running a child sex ring out of his house. In 2014, in an early morning search warrant issued for his Southeast D.C. apartment found a 15-year-old girl who had previously been reported missing by her parents.
When police rescued the girl she told officers that she had met six other girls inside the Southeast D.C. apartment who told her they were also being prostituted, including with ads posted on backpage.com. Barnhill also took naked photos of the girls, purportedly for use in advertisements for sex.
Marijuana, condoms and a large mirror were also seized from the apartment; law enforcement officials say that the seized mirror had the names of other females who were being trafficked written on it.
Around that same time, another cop in the area was also exposed and arrested for trafficking teens. Lamin Manneh, 32, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to traveling across state lines and using a telephone and internet to operate a prostitution business using two teens he prostituted out over 300 times.
Just because someone wears or has worn a badge in the past does not mean they can be trusted to be around youth. As TFTP has reported to the point of ad nauseam, predators will often seek out positions of authority whereby they can use their position to groom, cajole, and recruit youth and teens into being in a sexual relationship with them.
When the children attempt to escape they will use mind control tactics such as threats to keep their victims in line. They’re not just officers. They are priests, teachers, coaches, and others who seek to gratify themselves with sex involving children. Some in the mainstream media have attempted to validate their sexual desires by changing the title most often given to predators from “pedophile” to “minor attracted individuals”. Both titles indicate the same sick perversion, a desire to sexually abuse and exploit children.
Republished from TheFreeThoughtProject.com with permission


wearechange--2020-05-23--Censorship-Free Social Network “Explodes” After Adding 200,000+ New Users in Just a Few Days

The censorship-free alternative media platform Minds went down temporarily on Thursday , but came back online shortly after .
When the site came back online , representatives of Minds say that the outage was a result of over 200,000+ new people signing up for the site one the same day .
A large number of sign-ups were from Thailand , where increased internet censorship has forced users from mainstream platforms like Facebook and Twitter .
“ Yesterday we saw 200,000+ new users .
We are thrilled to provide privacy , internet freedom and digital rights for Thai netizens .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Minds CEO Bill Ottman said in a statement .
Some of the most notable social media users to recently migrate to Minds includes Wiroj Lakkana-adisorn , an MP for the disbanded Future Forward Party ; social critic Sarinee Achavanuntakul , writer-translator Tomorn Sookprecha , satirical TV host Winyu “ John ” Wongsurawat , and academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun .
“ We are immediately building out our translation and localization framework for Thai and many other languages .
This should be finished within a few weeks .
All of our project is fully open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can submit requests at https : //gitlab.com/minds .
They can also inspect our software to make sure we aren ’ t manipulating algorithms or user privacy .
We already have Thai developers helping with the code and building new tools , ” Ottman said .
Last year , Ottman reported that the site had about 200,000 active monthly users , so gaining 200,000+ in a few days is an incredible win for the site .
Minds was co-founded in 2011 by Bill Ottman and John Ottman , other cofounders were Mark Harding , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In June 2017 , the company raised over $ 1 million in the fastest equity-crowdfunded sale at the time .
Then in March 2018 , Minds exited Beta and launched a white paper and testnet for its new native mobile apps and Ethereum blockchain integration .
In October 2018 , Minds raised $ 6 million in Series A funding from Medici Ventures , an Overstock.com subsidiary .
Patrick M. Byrne , the founder , and CEO of Overstock.com , also joined the site ’ s board of directors .
You can sign up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you follow We Are Change and Truth Theory on Minds !

The censorship-free alternative media platform Minds went down temporarily on Thursday, but came back online shortly after. When the site came back online, representatives of Minds say that the outage was a result of over 200,000+ new people signing up for the site one the same day.
A large number of sign-ups were from Thailand, where increased internet censorship has forced users from mainstream platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
“Yesterday we saw 200,000+ new users. We are thrilled to provide privacy, internet freedom and digital rights for Thai netizens. This is exactly the reason Minds exists,” Minds CEO Bill Ottman said in a statement.
Some of the most notable social media users to recently migrate to Minds includes Wiroj Lakkana-adisorn, an MP for the disbanded Future Forward Party; social critic Sarinee Achavanuntakul, writer-translator Tomorn Sookprecha, satirical TV host Winyu “John” Wongsurawat, and academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun.
“We are immediately building out our translation and localization framework for Thai and many other languages. This should be finished within a few weeks. All of our project is fully open source at https://developers.minds.com and people can submit requests at https://gitlab.com/minds. They can also inspect our software to make sure we aren’t manipulating algorithms or user privacy. We already have Thai developers helping with the code and building new tools,” Ottman said.
Last year, Ottman reported that the site had about 200,000 active monthly users, so gaining 200,000+ in a few days is an incredible win for the site.
Minds was co-founded in 2011 by Bill Ottman and John Ottman, other cofounders were Mark Harding, Ian Crossland, and Jack Ottman.
In June 2017, the company raised over $1 million in the fastest equity-crowdfunded sale at the time. Then in March 2018, Minds exited Beta and launched a white paper and testnet for its new native mobile apps and Ethereum blockchain integration.
In October 2018, Minds raised $6 million in Series A funding from Medici Ventures, an Overstock.com subsidiary. Patrick M. Byrne, the founder, and CEO of Overstock.com, also joined the site’s board of directors.
You can sign up for Minds HERE, and make sure you follow We Are Change and Truth Theory on Minds!
Republished from TruthTheory.com with permission


wearechange--2020-05-23--The Truth About Gold From An Industry Insider

You know what ’ s going on with gold and interest rates ?
But the economic collapse is the biggest thing to come out of everything that ’ s been happening .
So today I ’ ve got an in-depth interview for you with someone who runs a gold mining company .
Amir Adnani explains what on earth is going on with the economy… With governments racking up massive debts and the Federal Reserve jacking up the printing press .
Amir also explains what they ’ re trying to do to the stock market and the housing market .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflation .
And of course how all of this is impact the safe haven of gold .
We even get into the recently supply shortage of gold and silver and much more .
Have a watch of this important economic report .
We ’ ve been fully demonetized by YouTube for publishing “ controversial content.
” If you want to ensure our daily reporting is available to you And get extra videos as a bonus Then you can support us on SubscribeStar Where you can pledge as little as a buck a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thank you so much for all the support !

You know what’s going on with gold and interest rates?
I haven’t covered a lot of economic news lately.
But the economic collapse is the biggest thing to come out of everything that’s been happening.
So today I’ve got an in-depth interview for you with someone who runs a gold mining company.
Amir Adnani explains what on earth is going on with the economy…
With governments racking up massive debts and the Federal Reserve jacking up the printing press.
Amir also explains what they’re trying to do to the stock market and the housing market.
And whether or not this is causing major inflation.
And of course how all of this is impact the safe haven of gold.
We even get into the recently supply shortage of gold and silver and much more.
Have a watch of this important economic report.
Keep Independent Media Alive!
We’ve been fully demonetized by YouTube for publishing “controversial content.”
So I’ve started releasing members-only content.
If you want to ensure our daily reporting is available to you
And get extra videos as a bonus
Then you can support us on SubscribeStar
Where you can pledge as little as a buck a month.
Or on Patreon if you prefer.
Thank you so much for all the support!


wearechange--2020-05-24--Bankruptcy Tsunami Begins: Thousands of Default Notices Are “Flying Out the Door”

Two weeks ago , when showing the uncanny correlation between defaults and the unemployment rates , we predicted that the number of Chapter 11 filings that is about to flood the US will be nothing short of biblical .
All that was missing was a catalyst… and according to Bloomberg that catalyst arrived in the past week or so , as retail landlords have been sending out thousands of default notices to tenants , who in turn have experienced a collapse in foot traffic , sales and cash flow due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and are simply unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg , restaurants , department stores , apparel merchants and specialty chains have been receiving notices from landlords – some of whom have gone as long as three months without receiving rent .
“ The default letters from landlords are flying out the door , ” said Andy Graiser , co-president of commercial real estate company , A & G Real Estate Partners .
“ It ’ s creating a real fear in the marketplace.
” The stakes are enormous , and landlords are suffering , too .
An estimated $ 7.4 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been paid , or about 45 % of what ’ s owed , according to a recent analysis by CoStar Group , which also found that just a quarter of of expected rent payments have been received by landlords .
“ If the landlords don ’ t put a pause on their actions , you ’ re going to see more bankruptcies.
” The question then becomes who will bail out the landlords , and whether their creditors will be just as generous in accepting forbearance .
That said , receipt of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a retailers will get booted anytime soon , especially since there is nobody waiting in line for the real estate : some landlords are merely sending letters to preserve their legal rights while discussing the situation with tenants , and to assure their spot as a prepetition creditor once the default tsunami begins in earnest .
One such company , Simon Property Group Inc. , says it ’ s in active negotiations with merchants at its malls , and has been taking their tenants ’ financial status into account .
“ The bottom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract and we do expect to get paid , ” said CEO David Simon during the company ’ s May 11 earnings call .
“ The landlords do have the legal contract , ” said Green Street Advisors senior analyst , Vince Tibone .
“ However , from a practicality standpoint , a lot of these retailers are on the brink of bankruptcy and simply can not pay right now.
” However , as noted above , landlords are of course still stuck with their own bills – including bank debts which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday we reported that US malls are in a crisis which started in January as vacancies hit a record high .
And earlier Friday we reported that US retailers have accounted for the bulk of defaults over the past two months , as they were forced to temporarily close stores in response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Retailers Neiman Marcus Group , J.Crew and J.C. Penney have already filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this month in the United States .
But the real bankruptcy wave was just waiting for the unspoken covid-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the default notices to start flying .
The letters began arriving in March and early April , “ but the rate of such notices picked up materially in late April and early May , ” Stage Stores said .
Some landlords began locking the company out “ and threatened to evict the debtors and dispose of the in-store inventory.
” The company also said that “ responding to and managing these default notices and related litigation outside of Chapter 11 would have been a monumentally difficult task.
” Some landlords get it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of restructuring at real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle .
Retailers he represents are getting default letters that are understanding and sympathetic ; other landlords strike a more combative tone .
What ’ s more interesting is the action , or lack of it , by the landlords afterward , Mullaney said .
“ In a lot of cases , the letters that are being sent aren ’ t being followed up on , ” he said – the landlords are simply preserving their legal rights .
Maybe they just don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Others , meanwhile , are just taking the law into their own hands : some property owners have run out of patience and have locked out Mullaney ’ s clients .
“ The environment is getting pretty testy and emotional on both sides of the table , ” he said .
“ The only thing worse than being a retailer right now is being a retail landlord .
”

Two weeks ago, when showing the uncanny correlation between defaults and the unemployment rates, we predicted that the number of Chapter 11 filings that is about to flood the US will be nothing short of biblical.
All that was missing was a catalyst… and according to Bloomberg that catalyst arrived in the past week or so, as retail landlords have been sending out thousands of default notices to tenants, who in turn have experienced a collapse in foot traffic, sales and cash flow due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and are simply unable to pay their debt obligations.
According to Bloomberg, restaurants, department stores, apparel merchants and specialty chains have been receiving notices from landlords – some of whom have gone as long as three months without receiving rent.
“The default letters from landlords are flying out the door,” said Andy Graiser, co-president of commercial real estate company, A&G Real Estate Partners. “It’s creating a real fear in the marketplace.”
Pressure from default notices and follow-up actions like locking up stores or terminating leases was cited in the bankruptcies of Modell’s Sporting Goods and Stage Stores Inc. Many chains stopped paying rent after the pandemic shuttered most U.S. stores, gambling that they could hold on to some cash before landlords demanded payment.
The stakes are enormous, and landlords are suffering, too. An estimated $7.4 billion in rent for April hasn’t been paid, or about 45% of what’s owed, according to a recent analysis by CoStar Group, which also found that just a quarter of of expected rent payments have been received by landlords.
“If the landlords don’t put a pause on their actions, you’re going to see more bankruptcies.”
The question then becomes who will bail out the landlords, and whether their creditors will be just as generous in accepting forbearance.
That said, receipt of a default notice don’t necessarily mean a retailers will get booted anytime soon, especially since there is nobody waiting in line for the real estate: some landlords are merely sending letters to preserve their legal rights while discussing the situation with tenants, and to assure their spot as a prepetition creditor once the default tsunami begins in earnest.
One such company, Simon Property Group Inc., says it’s in active negotiations with merchants at its malls, and has been taking their tenants’ financial status into account. “The bottom line is, we do have a contract and we do expect to get paid,” said CEO David Simon during the company’s May 11 earnings call.
“The landlords do have the legal contract,” said Green Street Advisors senior analyst, Vince Tibone. “However, from a practicality standpoint, a lot of these retailers are on the brink of bankruptcy and simply cannot pay right now.”
However, as noted above, landlords are of course still stuck with their own bills – including bank debts which they’re expected to pay. On Thursday we reported that US malls are in a crisis which started in January as vacancies hit a record high.
And earlier Friday we reported that US retailers have accounted for the bulk of defaults over the past two months, as they were forced to temporarily close stores in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Retailers Neiman Marcus Group, J.Crew and J.C. Penney have already filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this month in the United States. But the real bankruptcy wave was just waiting for the unspoken covid-related grace period to end, and for the default notices to start flying.
The letters began arriving in March and early April, “but the rate of such notices picked up materially in late April and early May,” Stage Stores said. Some landlords began locking the company out “and threatened to evict the debtors and dispose of the in-store inventory.” The company also said that “responding to and managing these default notices and related litigation outside of Chapter 11 would have been a monumentally difficult task.”
“It’s not like there’s a lot of investors out there looking to buy retailers in a Chapter 11,” said Grasier, adding “Landlords and retailers need to really come together and realize that this a shared pain.”
Some landlords get it, according to Tom Mullaney, managing director of restructuring at real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. Retailers he represents are getting default letters that are understanding and sympathetic; other landlords strike a more combative tone.
What’s more interesting is the action, or lack of it, by the landlords afterward, Mullaney said. “In a lot of cases, the letters that are being sent aren’t being followed up on,” he said – the landlords are simply preserving their legal rights. Maybe they just don’t have the fund to retain lawyers?
Others, meanwhile, are just taking the law into their own hands: some property owners have run out of patience and have locked out Mullaney’s clients. “The environment is getting pretty testy and emotional on both sides of the table,” he said. “The only thing worse than being a retailer right now is being a retail landlord.”
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-05-24--Reforestation Drones Will Plant 40,000 Trees This Month With 1 Billion Goal Set for 2028

As the world continues to witness warming climate conditions , there has been a frightful uptick in massive wildfires from California to the Amazon rainforest and the Australian bush .
And as the world ’ s forests burn to the ground , this creates a dilemma not only for wildlife habitats but also for us humans – because trees help absorb and store carbon dioxide , they are one of our basic lines of defense against global warming .
However , a Canadian startup has set the lofty goal of using drones to plant a billion trees by 2028 – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes to revolutionize the manner in which the process of reforestation is tackled .
Flash Forest plans to deploy its revolutionary new technology to identify the best planting sites on fire-scorched land just north of Toronto where it can begin firing specially designed seedpods into the ground .
The pods consist of germinated seeds , fertilizer , and a proprietary blend of “ secret ” ingredients , according to Newsweek .
A spray drone would then cover the area with nutrients such as nitrogen , helping the seedlings to grow , before mapping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The company hopes to plant at least 40,000 trees in the Toronto region this month alone .
Later this year , Flash Forest will also plant up to 300,000 trees in Hawaii .
And while people are capable of planting around 1,500 seed pods by hands , per day – requiring a hectic pace , without a doubt – Flash Forest ’ s drone solutions are apparently capable of planting 10,000 to 20,000 at present , with the company hoping to eventually be able to plant 100,000 a day .
And not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in terms of manual labor required , but it ’ s also far cheaper at around 50 cents per seed pod – about 20 percent cheaper than traditional planting techniques .
According to a study published in the journal Science , planting about a billion trees across the globe could remove two-thirds of all carbon dioxide emissions worldwide—approximately 25 percent of the CO2 in the atmosphere—creating a vast natural means to trap and store the emissions in an affordable and politically non-controversial manner .
The company claims that its drones can sharply increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The company said : “ Flash Forest is a reforestation company that can plant at 10 times the normal rate and at 20 percent of the cost of traditional tree planting techniques .
“ With drone engineering , we bring new levels of accuracy , precision and speed to the reforestation industry.
” The world faces a shrinking window of time in which to tackle the problem of heat-trapping emissions , with researchers warning that rampant and accelerating hot conditions across the world could exceed the worst-case scenarios previously forecast by climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts .
Flash Forest co-founder and chief strategy officer Angelique Ahlstrom said that ’ s where its drones can be a crucial part of such a strategy .
She told Fast Company : “ There are a lot of different attempts to tackle reforestation .
But despite all of them , they ’ re still failing , with a net loss of 7 billion trees every year.
” Ahlstrom notes that it ’ s not possible to combat deforestation by planting trees alone – however , Flash Forest ’ s state-of-the-art hardware using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoot pods deep into the soil can be an asset in the cause .
“ It allows you to get into trickier areas that human planters can ’ t. ” Each planting will also consist of four species and eventually eight – covering an aspect of mass tree-planting that similar initiatives have overlooked in the past .
Ahlstrom said : “ We very much prioritize biodiversity , so we try to plant species that are native to the land as opposed to monocultures .
“ We work with local seed banks and also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that climate change brings with temperature rise , anticipating what the climate will be like in five to eight years when these trees are much older and have grown to a more mature stage , and how that will affect them.
” According to their website , they ’ ve so far planted 469 White Spruce , 344 White Pine , around 327 Blue Spruce , 225 Red Maple , 790 White Birch , 621 Sugar Maple , 131 Douglas Fir , and 199 Balsam .
And with researchers claiming that the Earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees that can be planted across the globe , Flash Forest could help change the way any worldwide planting initiative would take shape .
For Ahlstrom , it ’ s pretty simple math .
She said : “ I think that drones are absolutely necessary to hit the kind of targets that we ’ re saying are necessary to achieve some of our carbon sequestration goals as a global society ( and ) when you look at the potential for drones , we plant 10 times faster than humans .
”

As the world continues to witness warming climate conditions, there has been a frightful uptick in massive wildfires from California to the Amazon rainforest and the Australian bush.
And as the world’s forests burn to the ground, this creates a dilemma not only for wildlife habitats but also for us humans – because trees help absorb and store carbon dioxide, they are one of our basic lines of defense against global warming.
However, a Canadian startup has set the lofty goal of using drones to plant a billion trees by 2028 – and in the process, the company hopes to revolutionize the manner in which the process of reforestation is tackled.
Flash Forest plans to deploy its revolutionary new technology to identify the best planting sites on fire-scorched land just north of Toronto where it can begin firing specially designed seedpods into the ground. The pods consist of germinated seeds, fertilizer, and a proprietary blend of “secret” ingredients, according to Newsweek.
A spray drone would then cover the area with nutrients such as nitrogen, helping the seedlings to grow, before mapping drones are sent later to monitor progress.
The company hopes to plant at least 40,000 trees in the Toronto region this month alone. Later this year, Flash Forest will also plant up to 300,000 trees in Hawaii.
And while people are capable of planting around 1,500 seed pods by hands, per day – requiring a hectic pace, without a doubt – Flash Forest’s drone solutions are apparently capable of planting 10,000 to 20,000 at present, with the company hoping to eventually be able to plant 100,000 a day.
And not only is the process far less intensive in terms of manual labor required, but it’s also far cheaper at around 50 cents per seed pod – about 20 percent cheaper than traditional planting techniques.
According to a study published in the journal Science, planting about a billion trees across the globe could remove two-thirds of all carbon dioxide emissions worldwide—approximately 25 percent of the CO2 in the atmosphere—creating a vast natural means to trap and store the emissions in an affordable and politically non-controversial manner.
The company claims that its drones can sharply increase the speed and efficiency of planting trees. The company said:
“Flash Forest is a reforestation company that can plant at 10 times the normal rate and at 20 percent of the cost of traditional tree planting techniques.
“With drone engineering, we bring new levels of accuracy, precision and speed to the reforestation industry.”
The world faces a shrinking window of time in which to tackle the problem of heat-trapping emissions, with researchers warning that rampant and accelerating hot conditions across the world could exceed the worst-case scenarios previously forecast by climate experts – giving added impetus to mitigation efforts.
Flash Forest co-founder and chief strategy officer Angelique Ahlstrom said that’s where its drones can be a crucial part of such a strategy. She told Fast Company:
“There are a lot of different attempts to tackle reforestation. But despite all of them, they’re still failing, with a net loss of 7 billion trees every year.”
Ahlstrom notes that it’s not possible to combat deforestation by planting trees alone – however, Flash Forest’s state-of-the-art hardware using mapping drones and pneumatic-powered firing devices that shoot pods deep into the soil can be an asset in the cause.
Continuing, she said:
“It allows you to get into trickier areas that human planters can’t.”
Each planting will also consist of four species and eventually eight – covering an aspect of mass tree-planting that similar initiatives have overlooked in the past. Ahlstrom said:
“We very much prioritize biodiversity, so we try to plant species that are native to the land as opposed to monocultures.
“We work with local seed banks and also take into account that the different changes that climate change brings with temperature rise, anticipating what the climate will be like in five to eight years when these trees are much older and have grown to a more mature stage, and how that will affect them.”
According to their website, they’ve so far planted 469 White Spruce, 344 White Pine, around 327 Blue Spruce, 225 Red Maple, 790 White Birch, 621 Sugar Maple, 131 Douglas Fir, and 199 Balsam.
And with researchers claiming that the Earth has room for over 1 trillion additional trees that can be planted across the globe, Flash Forest could help change the way any worldwide planting initiative would take shape. For Ahlstrom, it’s pretty simple math. She said:
“I think that drones are absolutely necessary to hit the kind of targets that we’re saying are necessary to achieve some of our carbon sequestration goals as a global society (and) when you look at the potential for drones, we plant 10 times faster than humans.”
Republished from TheMindUnleashed.com under Creative Commons


wearechange--2020-05-24--Hong Kong Erupts: Tear Gas Deployed as Thousands Fill Streets to Oppose China

After months of relative quiet amid the coronavirus pandemic , thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Hong Kong , defying the city ’ s ban on gatherings to voice their opposition to a new “ national security ” law proposed by Beijing which would threaten the city ’ s autonomy and the civil liberties of its residents .
The protesters , most of whom could be seen donning masks , were hit with tear gas less than an hour after the start of the demonstrations which resulted in at least 120 arrests – including 40 of which were people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water cannon truck was also deployed according to SCMP.
” The first rounds of tear gas were fired around 1:30 p.m. local time outside a Causeway Bay shopping mall .
20 minutes later , the first arrest was made , according to the Epoch Times .
Beijing unveiled details of the law on Friday , which would most likely grant the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) ’ s security services jurisdiction over matters in Hong Kong – which drew condemnation from Taiwan , the United Kingdom , the EU , Australia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the report .
It also drew immediate protest from opposition lawmakers .
The national security law would bypass the city ’ s legislture , which is expected to enact a ban on subversion , secession and sedition against Beijing .
It will also enable mainland Chinese national security agencies to operate on city soil for the first time .
On Sunday , Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing must enact the law without delay , and that it is the role of China ’ s central government to enforce national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done without the slightest delay , ” said Wang , who added that the law would ‘ create more stability and confidence ’ in the Special Administration Region as well as a better environment for security .
Shortly after the announcement , Hong Kong residents took to social media to organize a march on Hong Kong Island from Causeway Bay to Wan Chai at 1 p.m. local time on Sunday .
Some protesters were chanting “ Liberate Hong Kong , revolution of our times , ” while others chanted “ Hong Kong independence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to CNN .

After months of relative quiet amid the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Hong Kong, defying the city’s ban on gatherings to voice their opposition to a new “national security” law proposed by Beijing which would threaten the city’s autonomy and the civil liberties of its residents.
Hundreds of riot police charge at protest lines outside Sogo. Some protesters arrested #HongKongProtests #HongKong pic.twitter.com/UOrspVd1m9 — James Pomfret (@jamespomfret) May 24, 2020
Mainstream media, what is happening in #HongKong?pic.twitter.com/vfSU5sZCVb — Oh boy what a shot (@ohboywhatashot) May 24, 2020
The protesters, most of whom could be seen donning masks, were hit with tear gas less than an hour after the start of the demonstrations which resulted in at least 120 arrests – including 40 of which were people accused of blocking Gloucester Road. A water cannon truck was also deployed according to SCMP.”
The first rounds of tear gas were fired around 1:30 p.m. local time outside a Causeway Bay shopping mall. 20 minutes later, the first arrest was made, according to the Epoch Times.
Rounds of tear gas are fired in Causeway Bay on Sunday Video: SCMP/Phila Siu pic.twitter.com/6O5db8ihT8 — SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) May 24, 2020
This map, circulated among #HongKong protesters on Telegram, shows police essentially surrounding SOGO, where protesters are gathering. This comes as multiple rounds of tear gas were fired by police in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai just as the march was beginning. pic.twitter.com/mkrR276unA — Eric Cheung (@EricCheungwc) May 24, 2020
Beijing unveiled details of the law on Friday, which would most likely grant the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s security services jurisdiction over matters in Hong Kong – which drew condemnation from Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the EU, Australia, Canada and the United States, according to the report. It also drew immediate protest from opposition lawmakers.
The national security law would bypass the city’s legislture, which is expected to enact a ban on subversion, secession and sedition against Beijing. It will also enable mainland Chinese national security agencies to operate on city soil for the first time.
On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing must enact the law without delay, and that it is the role of China’s central government to enforce national security.
“We must get it done without the slightest delay,” said Wang, who added that the law would ‘create more stability and confidence’ in the Special Administration Region as well as a better environment for security.
Shortly after the announcement, Hong Kong residents took to social media to organize a march on Hong Kong Island from Causeway Bay to Wan Chai at 1 p.m. local time on Sunday.
Some protesters were chanting “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” while others chanted “Hong Kong independence, the only way out,” according to CNN.
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-05-25--“Designed to Infect Humans”: Australian Scientists Make Disturbing New Coronavirus Claims

A scientific study which found COVID-19 may have been a “ cell-culture ” uniquely adapted for transmission to humans ( more so than any other animal – including bats ) , is gaining steam .
The paper , currently under peer review , comes from Flinders University Professor Nikolai Petrovsky , who has spent over two decades developing vaccines against influenza , Ebola , and animal Sars .
He says his findings allow for the possibility that COVID-19 leaked from a laboratory , according to Sky News .
“ The two possibilities which I think are both still open is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a virus from an as yet unidentified animal to human .
The other possibility is that it was an accidental release of the virus from a laboratory , ” said Petrovsky , adding “ Certainly we can ’ t exclude the possibility that this came from a laboratory experiment rather than from an animal .
They are both open possibilities.
” Professor Petrovsky , who is the Chairman and Research Director of Vaxine Pty Ltd , said COVID-19 has genetic elements similar to bat coronaviruses as well as other coronaviruses .
The way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a protein on the surface of lung-cells called ACE2 .
The study showed the virus bound more tightly to human-ACE2 than to any of the other animals they tested .
“ It was like it was designed to infect humans , ” he said .
“ One of the possibilities is that an animal host was infected by two coronaviruses at the same time and COVID-19 is the progeny of that interaction between the two viruses .
–Sky News “ The same process can happen in a petri-dish , ” added Petrovsky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture and you have human cells in that culture which the viruses are infecting , then if there are two viruses in that dish , they can swap genetic information and you can accidentally or deliberately create a whole third new virus out of that system.
” “ In other words COVID-19 could have been created from that recombination event in an animal host or it could have occurred in a cell-culture experiment.
” In January , Petrovsky began modeling the virus to try and create a vaccine candidate .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ what animal species might have been involved in the transmission to humans ” in order to better understand the origins of the virus , when he discovered how well it infects humans over other species .
“ We found that the COVID-19 virus was particularly well-adapted to bind to human cells and that was far superior to its ability to bind to the cells of any other animal species which is quite unusual because typically when a virus is well-adapted to an animal and then it by chance crosses to a human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have lower-binding to human cells than to the original host animal .
We found the opposite so that was a big surprise , ” he said .
When asked why mainstream scientists are still clinging to the theory that the virus originated in a Wuhan wet market , he said that scientists “ try not to be political ” but that that scientists who support the lab escape theory risk negatively impacting their industry with tighter laboratory controls .
“ For instance , if it was to turn out that this virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accidental lab release that would have implications for how we do viral research in laboratories all around the world which could make doing research much harder , ” he said , adding “ So I think the inclination of virus researchers would be to presume that it came from an animal until proven otherwise because that would have less ramifications for how we are able to do research in the future .
The alternative obviously has quite major implications for science and science on viruses , not just obviously political ramifications which we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Petrovsky has called for immediate investigation now , and not when the pandemic is over – calling any delay in fact finding a “ mistake.
” “ I ’ m certainly very much in favour of a scientific investigation .
It ’ s only objective should be to get to the bottom of how did this pandemic happen and how do we prevent a future pandemic… .
not to have a witch-hunt .
”

A scientific study which found COVID-19 may have been a “cell-culture” uniquely adapted for transmission to humans (more so than any other animal – including bats), is gaining steam.
The paper, currently under peer review, comes from Flinders University Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, who has spent over two decades developing vaccines against influenza, Ebola, and animal Sars. He says his findings allow for the possibility that COVID-19 leaked from a laboratory, according to Sky News.
“The two possibilities which I think are both still open is that it was a chance transmission of a virus from an as yet unidentified animal to human. The other possibility is that it was an accidental release of the virus from a laboratory,” said Petrovsky, adding “Certainly we can’t exclude the possibility that this came from a laboratory experiment rather than from an animal. They are both open possibilities.”
Professor Petrovsky, who is the Chairman and Research Director of Vaxine Pty Ltd, said COVID-19 has genetic elements similar to bat coronaviruses as well as other coronaviruses. The way coronavirus enters human cells is by binding to a protein on the surface of lung-cells called ACE2. The study showed the virus bound more tightly to human-ACE2 than to any of the other animals they tested. “ It was like it was designed to infect humans ,” he said. “One of the possibilities is that an animal host was infected by two coronaviruses at the same time and COVID-19 is the progeny of that interaction between the two viruses. –Sky News
“The same process can happen in a petri-dish,” added Petrovsky. “If you have cells in culture and you have human cells in that culture which the viruses are infecting, then if there are two viruses in that dish, they can swap genetic information and you can accidentally or deliberately create a whole third new virus out of that system.”
“In other words COVID-19 could have been created from that recombination event in an animal host or it could have occurred in a cell-culture experiment.”
In January, Petrovsky began modeling the virus to try and create a vaccine candidate. According to the report, he then began to explore “what animal species might have been involved in the transmission to humans” in order to better understand the origins of the virus, when he discovered how well it infects humans over other species.
“We found that the COVID-19 virus was particularly well-adapted to bind to human cells and that was far superior to its ability to bind to the cells of any other animal species which is quite unusual because typically when a virus is well-adapted to an animal and then it by chance crosses to a human, typically, you would expect it to have lower-binding to human cells than to the original host animal. We found the opposite so that was a big surprise,” he said.
When asked why mainstream scientists are still clinging to the theory that the virus originated in a Wuhan wet market, he said that scientists “try not to be political” but that that scientists who support the lab escape theory risk negatively impacting their industry with tighter laboratory controls.
“For instance, if it was to turn out that this virus may have come about because of an accidental lab release that would have implications for how we do viral research in laboratories all around the world which could make doing research much harder,” he said, adding “So I think the inclination of virus researchers would be to presume that it came from an animal until proven otherwise because that would have less ramifications for how we are able to do research in the future. The alternative obviously has quite major implications for science and science on viruses, not just obviously political ramifications which we’re all well aware of.”
Petrovsky has called for immediate investigation now, and not when the pandemic is over – calling any delay in fact finding a “mistake.”
“I’m certainly very much in favour of a scientific investigation. It’s only objective should be to get to the bottom of how did this pandemic happen and how do we prevent a future pandemic…. not to have a witch-hunt.”
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-05-25--It’s Shocking What The Government Is Doing To Small Businesses

In this video , we report on the ground outside Atilis Gym in New Jersey , which has been shut @ @ @ @ @ OH YEAH , since we are not corporate or government owned help us out here @ @ @ @ @ US ON

Wishing you a Happy Memorial Day!
Unfortunately on this Memorial Day the government is sticking it to small businesses.
While letting Amazon and Walmart rake in huge profits
So I did some reporting outside one of the businesses hardest hit by this insane government action
And all I found was a memorial. Have a watch.
Oh and also… listen to what they’re doing to the people who patronized the gym. It’s insane!
Don’t Track Me, Bro!
Speaking of over the top police and government response…
Now they’re not just tracking us digitally.
The police are literally buying robot dogs that follow us around at the park
And tell us to social distance.
So we’ve got the brand new DON’T TRACK ME, BRO shirt
Grab yours now
And send a message to your local government that the robot dogs need to get lost.


wearechange--2020-05-27--Ignoring WHO, India Expands Use of Hydroxychloroquine to Prevent Coronavirus

India will continue using hydroxychloroquine ( HCQ ) as a preventative measure against COVID-19 , after the Indian Council of Medical Research ( ICMR ) declared on Tuesday that the drug was found to be very effective with minimal side effects for prophylaxis .
The ICMR ’ s decision was based on three studies they conducted , which resulted in a Friday advisory to expand the drug ’ s use , according to ThePrint .
Speaking at a Tuesday press conference , ICMR Director General Dr. Balram Bhargava said “ COVID-19 is an evolving field .
We don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not .
There are lots of drugs that have been repurposed for use in COVID whether prophylaxis or as treatment .
HCQ is a very old anti-malarial drug that was being widely used and it continues to be widely used .
It is safer.
” “ We did some invitro study in labs and found that it has antiviral properties .
This drug became suddenly popular when the American government also started using it and they got-fast track approval or emergency use authorisation .
We also thought that it may be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he added .
India ’ s decision to increase the use of HCQ comes as the World Health Organization announced the temporary halt of its clinical trials involving the drug over concerns in a Friday Lancet report that it may do more harm than good .
The WHO has 3,500 patients from 17 countries enrolled in what it calls the Solidarity Trial .
This is an effort overseen by the WHO to find new treatments for COVID-19 .
The patients in the trial have been randomly assigned to be treated with hydroxychloroquine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or three other experimental drugs for treating COVID-19 in various combinations .
Only the hydroxychloroquine part of the trial is being put on hold .
–NPR Investigations were conducted by the ICMR at three central government hospitals in New Delhi , which concluded that “ amongst healthcare workers involved in Covid-19 care , those on HCQ prophylaxis were less likely to develop SARS-CoV-2 infection , compared to those who were not on it.
” The advisory also states that the National Institute of Virology in Pune has found in laboratory testing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICMR also analysed data collected previously , known as retrospective case-control analysis , and found “ a significant ” relationship between “ the number of doses taken and frequency of occurrence of Covid-19 infection in symptomatic healthcare workers who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection ” .
It further said “ the benefit was less pronounced in healthcare workers caring for a general patient population ” .
Another observational study was conducted among 334 healthcare workers at the country ’ s largest public hospital , New Delhi ’ s All India Institute of Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers who took HCQ as preventive drug for an average of six weeks had lower incidence of the infection than those not taking the pill .
–ThePrint As a result of the studies , the Indian government will now administer the drug as a ‘ prophylaxis ’ to asymptomatic healcare workers in non-Covid hospitals , as well as non-Covid blocks of hospitals which have been earmarked for future Covid patients .
It will also be prescribed to contract tracers in containment zones , paramilitary , and police personnel involved in Covid-related activities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals ( including asymptomatic healthcare workers dealing with coronavirus patients ) , as well as asymptomatic household contacts of confirmed patients , were receiving the drug .
“ With available evidence for its safety and beneficial effect as a prophylactic drug against SARS-CoV-2 during the earlier recommended 8 weeks period , the experts further recommended for its use beyond 8 weeks on weekly dosage with strict monitoring of clinical and ECG parameters , which would also ensure that the therapy is given under supervision , ” reads the ICMR advisory .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a daily dose of 200mg to 400mg for treatment of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus for prolonged treatment periods with good tolerance , ” it continues – though it added a warning that it should be discontinued if “ rare ” side-effects such as nausea , abdominal pain , or irregular heartbeat are detected .
That said , the ICMR studies found nausea in 8.9 % of healthcare workers , abdominal pain in 7.3 % , vomiting in 1.5 % , and cardiovascular issues in 1.9 % .

India will continue using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a preventative measure against COVID-19, after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) declared on Tuesday that the drug was found to be very effective with minimal side effects for prophylaxis.
The ICMR’s decision was based on three studies they conducted, which resulted in a Friday advisory to expand the drug’s use, according to ThePrint.
Speaking at a Tuesday press conference, ICMR Director General Dr. Balram Bhargava said “COVID-19 is an evolving field. We don’t know which medicines are working and which are not. There are lots of drugs that have been repurposed for use in COVID whether prophylaxis or as treatment. HCQ is a very old anti-malarial drug that was being widely used and it continues to be widely used. It is safer.”
“We did some invitro study in labs and found that it has antiviral properties. This drug became suddenly popular when the American government also started using it and they got-fast track approval or emergency use authorisation. We also thought that it may be a useful drug for prevention of COVID,” he added.
India’s decision to increase the use of HCQ comes as the World Health Organization announced the temporary halt of its clinical trials involving the drug over concerns in a Friday Lancet report that it may do more harm than good.
The WHO has 3,500 patients from 17 countries enrolled in what it calls the Solidarity Trial. This is an effort overseen by the WHO to find new treatments for COVID-19. The patients in the trial have been randomly assigned to be treated with hydroxychloroquine, which is a common malaria drug, or three other experimental drugs for treating COVID-19 in various combinations. Only the hydroxychloroquine part of the trial is being put on hold. –NPR
The India studies
Investigations were conducted by the ICMR at three central government hospitals in New Delhi, which concluded that “amongst healthcare workers involved in Covid-19 care, those on HCQ prophylaxis were less likely to develop SARS-CoV-2 infection, compared to those who were not on it.”
The advisory also states that the National Institute of Virology in Pune has found in laboratory testing that HCQ reduces the viral load. The ICMR also analysed data collected previously, known as retrospective case-control analysis, and found “a significant” relationship between “the number of doses taken and frequency of occurrence of Covid-19 infection in symptomatic healthcare workers who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection”. It further said “the benefit was less pronounced in healthcare workers caring for a general patient population”. Another observational study was conducted among 334 healthcare workers at the country’s largest public hospital, New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The 248 workers who took HCQ as preventive drug for an average of six weeks had lower incidence of the infection than those not taking the pill. –ThePrint
As a result of the studies, the Indian government will now administer the drug as a ‘prophylaxis’ to asymptomatic healcare workers in non-Covid hospitals, as well as non-Covid blocks of hospitals which have been earmarked for future Covid patients.
It will also be prescribed to contract tracers in containment zones, paramilitary, and police personnel involved in Covid-related activities.
Previous to the announcement, only high-risk individuals (including asymptomatic healthcare workers dealing with coronavirus patients), as well as asymptomatic household contacts of confirmed patients, were receiving the drug.
“With available evidence for its safety and beneficial effect as a prophylactic drug against SARS-CoV-2 during the earlier recommended 8 weeks period, the experts further recommended for its use beyond 8 weeks on weekly dosage with strict monitoring of clinical and ECG parameters, which would also ensure that the therapy is given under supervision,” reads the ICMR advisory.
“In clinical practice, HCQ is commonly prescribed in a daily dose of 200mg to 400mg for treatment of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus for prolonged treatment periods with good tolerance,” it continues – though it added a warning that it should be discontinued if “rare” side-effects such as nausea, abdominal pain, or irregular heartbeat are detected.
That said, the ICMR studies found nausea in 8.9% of healthcare workers, abdominal pain in 7.3%, vomiting in 1.5%, and cardiovascular issues in 1.9%.
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-05-27--Bill Gates’ Web of Dark Money and Influence – Part 1: Narrative Shaping

In the first few months of 2020 , business tycoon and billionaire Bill Gates saw his popularity soar through the roof .
According to YouGov , 58 percent of Americans polled about Gates had a positive opinion of him , he is equally liked by men and women , and both Boomers and Millennials adore him .
Gates ’ popularity might have increased due to a viral Netflix documentary about his life being released in late 2019 .
Combine that positive press with a wave of media interviews seeking the guidance of the man who “ predicted ” the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gates is a superhero here to save the planet from impending doom .
Of course , this rather cartoonish view ignores several incontrovertible facts , and a few strong theories regarding Gates ’ true intentions .
First , the facts .
Bill Gates has used his immense wealth to garner influence and media time , spreading his message of fixing global health issues while he continues to make billions .
Using the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to dole out grants and donations , Gates has created a web of organizations who owe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly to Gates .
By tracing the Foundation ’ s investments and Gates ’ relationships we can see that nearly every person involved in the fight against COVID-19 is tied to Gates or his foundation by two degrees or less .
This gives Bill Gates and his foundation an unchallenged influence over the response to the pandemic .
Equally worrisome is Gates ’ call for global lock down until the entire world has been vaccinated and given a digital certificate to prove immunity .
Now , the theories : when taking a careful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Gates , it becomes clear that he has a penchant for discussing reducing population growth .
Despite “ fact checkers ” claiming Gates ’ words have been taken out of context , his words speak for themselves .
He believes the population should be reduced or prevented from growing , and he believes this can be done with vaccines and healthcare .
As we attempt to peel back the layers of PR stunts and puff pieces fawning over Bill Gates , we hope to illustrate that the man being propped up on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people as their savior , is anything but .
Despite the apparent growth in support for Bill Gates , there is also evidence on social media that people are beginning to question him and challenge the savior narrative .
This is the first step in unraveling Bill Gates ’ Web of Dark Money and Manipulation .
THE GLOBAL INFLUENCE OF THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION In 1994 , the story goes , Bill Gates asked his father , William Gates Sr. , to help him “ improve reproductive and child health ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gates Foundation .
Gates Sr. agreed and by 2000 , the Foundation was merged with the Gates Learning Foundation to become the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation .
According to the Foundation , Bill Gates has donated $ 36 billion of his personal wealth to the foundation .
The Foundation is estimated to be valued at $ 46.8 billion .
For the last two decades the Foundation has invested in a range of controversial companies and projects while pursuing their goal of improving global health and access to vaccines and reproductive care .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Gates ’ plan to reshape his public image as that of a friendly and kind billionaire whose only aim is to help the world .
The reality is much more suspect .
Let ’ s take , for example , the Netflix documentary mentioned above , Inside Bill ’ s Brain : Decoding Bill Gates .
Rather than being a genuine look at the life and personality of Gates , the documentary failed to acknowledge conflicts of interest which might portray the film – and Bill Gates – in a different light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reach of Gates ’ money , The Nation noted that , “ in the first episode , director Davis Guggenheim underlines Gates ’ s expansive intellect by interviewing Bernie Noe , described as a friend of Gates.
” Noe goes on to tell of Gates reading 150 pages an hour with 90 percent retention .
However , The Nation reported , “ Guggenheim doesn ’ t tell audiences that Noe is the principal of Lakeside School , a private institution to which the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given $ 80 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same school that the Gates ’ children attend .
Of course , using the foundations wealth to influence media coverage is not new for Bill Gates .
Although The Guardian claims editorial independence , their Global Development section is funded in part by The Gates Foundation .
The foundation has also given more than $ 9 million to The Guardian , over $ 3 million to NBC Universal , over $ 4 million to French newspaper Le Monde , over $ 4.5 million to NPR , $ 1 million to Al-Jazeera , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Media Action program .
In light of these investments it ’ s easy to understand how Gates could quickly organize a speaking tour of his favorite media outlets .
Corporate media outlets are not the only beneficiaries of the Gates foundation .
They have also invested in controversial technologies and companies , including Monsanto , geoengineering , 5G technology , and vaccines .
MintPress News recently reported on how the Gates Foundation helped highly controversial pharmaceutical and chemical giant Monsanto Corporation “ gain a stronger foothold in Africa.
” MPN also notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flawed clinical trial of the HPV vaccine in India in 2009 , where 23,000 impoverished girls aged 9-15 were exposed to potentially lethal drugs without even their parents ’ consent , leading to seven deaths.
” In 2010 , it was also reported that since 2007 , Gates had given $ 4.5 million to study geoengineering methods for altering the stratosphere to reflect solar energy , techniques to filter carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere , and brightening ocean clouds .
Geoengineering is the deliberate mass scale manipulation of the weather for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planet .
The Guardian previously noted that Gates gives “ an undisclosed sum ” to geoengineering proponent and Harvard professor David Keith .
Gates also owns majority stake in Keith ’ s geoengineering company , Carbon Engineering .
Prominent geoengineering researcher Ken Caldeira says he receives $ 375,000 a year from Gates and works for Intellectual Ventures , a private geoengineering research company part-owned by Gates and run by Nathan Myhrvold , former head of technology at Microsoft .
The Foundation has also invested $ 10 million towards developing antennas which will accelerate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cellular technology , otherwise known as 5G .
The concerns around Bill Gates fortune and his use of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to influence pet projects is not the only worry expressed by critics of the foundation .
The larger – and more immediate – is that unelected billionaires like Gates are using their fortunes to shape public policy using their philanthropic foundations .
This method of investing billions of dollars in the form of tax-deductible charity donations to private companies is allowing Gates to shape policy and profit by holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gates Foundation .
A recent investigation by The Nation uncovered more than 19,000 charitable grants from the Gates Foundation in the last two decades .
They also found $ 2 billion in these tax-deductible charitable donations to private companies .
Companies receiving these donations include GlaxoSmithKline , Unilever , IBM , and NBC Universal Media .
The Nation noted that the Gates Foundation has given $ 250 million to media companies and “ other groups to influence the news.
” The Nation found close to $ 250 million in charitable grants from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the foundation holds corporate stocks and bonds : Merck , Novartis , GlaxoSmithKline , Vodafone , Sanofi , Ericsson , LG , Medtronic , Teva , and numerous start-ups .
You might see the previous statement and ask , “ how can this be legal ?
Is it not a conflict of interest to hold stock in a company which you also give tax-free donations ?
” The simple fact is there are not rules or laws against doing exactly what the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are doing .
While some might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brilliant – donate your fortune by forming a foundation which can give tax-deductible donations to companies you partly own and reap profits while avoiding taxes – it is allowing him to hide his money in a myriad of ways .
It has almost become impossible to track every donation , investment , or other partnership .
The Nation concluded , “ it is difficult to ignore the occasions where their charitable activities seem to serve mainly private interests , including theirs—supporting the schools their children attend , the companies their foundation partly owns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend wealthy Americans—while generating billions of dollars in tax savings.
” Other notable facts from the investigation include that the Gates Foundation ’ s “ $ 50 billion endowment has generated $ 28.5 billion in investment income over the last five years ” while only giving away $ 23.5 billion in charitable grants .
Additionally , a 2007 LA Times investigation found that the organization was involved in subprime mortgage loans and for-profit hospitals which reportedly performed unneeded surgeries .
The Gates Foundation is also reportedly invested in chocolate companies that use child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as merely a vessel for a rich man to hide his money and reap immeasurable profits .
No , the Foundation is “ more than a collection of grants and projects ” says Dr David McCoy , a public health doctor and researcher at University College London and an advisor to the People ’ s Health Movement .
McCoy says the Foundation “ operates through an interconnected network of organizations and individuals across academia and the NGO and business sectors ” which allows Bill Gates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a kind of “ group think.
” In part 2 of this investigation we will sift through the myriad of connections between Bill Gates , his foundation , and the many players involved in the COVID-19 response .
We will also attempt to answer the essential question : Is Bill Gates a force for good or a force for harm ?

In the first few months of 2020, business tycoon and billionaire Bill Gates saw his popularity soar through the roof. According to YouGov, 58 percent of Americans polled about Gates had a positive opinion of him, he is equally liked by men and women, and both Boomers and Millennials adore him. Gates’ popularity might have increased due to a viral Netflix documentary about his life being released in late 2019. Combine that positive press with a wave of media interviews seeking the guidance of the man who “predicted” the next major pandemic, and voila – Bill Gates is a superhero here to save the planet from impending doom.
Of course, this rather cartoonish view ignores several incontrovertible facts, and a few strong theories regarding Gates’ true intentions. First, the facts. Bill Gates has used his immense wealth to garner influence and media time, spreading his message of fixing global health issues while he continues to make billions. Using the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to dole out grants and donations, Gates has created a web of organizations who owe their budget to the foundation or answer directly to Gates. By tracing the Foundation’s investments and Gates’ relationships we can see that nearly every person involved in the fight against COVID-19 is tied to Gates or his foundation by two degrees or less. This gives Bill Gates and his foundation an unchallenged influence over the response to the pandemic. Equally worrisome is Gates’ call for global lock down until the entire world has been vaccinated and given a digital certificate to prove immunity.
Now, the theories: when taking a careful listen to several speeches and statements made by Gates, it becomes clear that he has a penchant for discussing reducing population growth. Despite “fact checkers” claiming Gates’ words have been taken out of context, his words speak for themselves. He believes the population should be reduced or prevented from growing, and he believes this can be done with vaccines and healthcare.
As we attempt to peel back the layers of PR stunts and puff pieces fawning over Bill Gates, we hope to illustrate that the man being propped up on the global stage and sold to the people as their savior, is anything but. Despite the apparent growth in support for Bill Gates, there is also evidence on social media that people are beginning to question him and challenge the savior narrative. This is the first step in unraveling Bill Gates’ Web of Dark Money and Manipulation.
THE GLOBAL INFLUENCE OF THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION
In 1994, the story goes, Bill Gates asked his father, William Gates Sr., to help him “improve reproductive and child health” by founding and leading the William H. Gates Foundation. Gates Sr. agreed and by 2000, the Foundation was merged with the Gates Learning Foundation to become the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. According to the Foundation, Bill Gates has donated $36 billion of his personal wealth to the foundation. The Foundation is estimated to be valued at $46.8 billion.
For the last two decades the Foundation has invested in a range of controversial companies and projects while pursuing their goal of improving global health and access to vaccines and reproductive care. This has all been done as part of Gates’ plan to reshape his public image as that of a friendly and kind billionaire whose only aim is to help the world. The reality is much more suspect.
Let’s take, for example, the Netflix documentary mentioned above, Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates. Rather than being a genuine look at the life and personality of Gates, the documentary failed to acknowledge conflicts of interest which might portray the film – and Bill Gates – in a different light. In a recent explosive investigation examining the reach of Gates’ money, The Nation noted that, “in the first episode, director Davis Guggenheim underlines Gates’s expansive intellect by interviewing Bernie Noe, described as a friend of Gates.” Noe goes on to tell of Gates reading 150 pages an hour with 90 percent retention. However, The Nation reported, “Guggenheim doesn’t tell audiences that Noe is the principal of Lakeside School, a private institution to which the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given $80 million.” Coincidentally, this is the same school that the Gates’ children attend.
Of course, using the foundations wealth to influence media coverage is not new for Bill Gates. Although The Guardian claims editorial independence, their Global Development section is funded in part by The Gates Foundation. The foundation has also given more than $9 million to The Guardian, over $3 million to NBC Universal, over $4 million to French newspaper Le Monde, over $4.5 million to NPR, $1 million to Al-Jazeera, and $49 million to the BBC’s Media Action program. In light of these investments it’s easy to understand how Gates could quickly organize a speaking tour of his favorite media outlets.
Corporate media outlets are not the only beneficiaries of the Gates foundation. They have also invested in controversial technologies and companies, including Monsanto, geoengineering, 5G technology, and vaccines.
MintPress News recently reported on how the Gates Foundation helped highly controversial pharmaceutical and chemical giant Monsanto Corporation “gain a stronger foothold in Africa.” MPN also notes that the foundation funded a, “flawed clinical trial of the HPV vaccine in India in 2009, where 23,000 impoverished girls aged 9-15 were exposed to potentially lethal drugs without even their parents’ consent, leading to seven deaths.”
In 2010, it was also reported that since 2007, Gates had given $4.5 million to study geoengineering methods for altering the stratosphere to reflect solar energy, techniques to filter carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, and brightening ocean clouds. Geoengineering is the deliberate mass scale manipulation of the weather for the stated purpose of reducing heating on the planet. The Guardian previously noted that Gates gives “an undisclosed sum” to geoengineering proponent and Harvard professor David Keith. Gates also owns majority stake in Keith’s geoengineering company, Carbon Engineering. Prominent geoengineering researcher Ken Caldeira says he receives $375,000 a year from Gates and works for Intellectual Ventures, a private geoengineering research company part-owned by Gates and run by Nathan Myhrvold, former head of technology at Microsoft.
The Foundation has also invested $10 million towards developing antennas which will accelerate the roll out of controversial 5th generation cellular technology, otherwise known as 5G.
The concerns around Bill Gates fortune and his use of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to influence pet projects is not the only worry expressed by critics of the foundation. The larger – and more immediate – is that unelected billionaires like Gates are using their fortunes to shape public policy using their philanthropic foundations. This method of investing billions of dollars in the form of tax-deductible charity donations to private companies is allowing Gates to shape policy and profit by holding stock in the same companies supported by the Gates Foundation.
A recent investigation by The Nation uncovered more than 19,000 charitable grants from the Gates Foundation in the last two decades. They also found $2 billion in these tax-deductible charitable donations to private companies. Companies receiving these donations include GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, IBM, and NBC Universal Media. The Nation noted that the Gates Foundation has given $250 million to media companies and “other groups to influence the news.”
The Nation found close to $250 million in charitable grants from the Gates Foundation to companies in which the foundation holds corporate stocks and bonds: Merck, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Vodafone, Sanofi, Ericsson, LG, Medtronic, Teva, and numerous start-ups.
You might see the previous statement and ask, “how can this be legal? Is it not a conflict of interest to hold stock in a company which you also give tax-free donations?” The simple fact is there are not rules or laws against doing exactly what the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are doing. While some might argue that Bill Gates’ scheme is brilliant – donate your fortune by forming a foundation which can give tax-deductible donations to companies you partly own and reap profits while avoiding taxes – it is allowing him to hide his money in a myriad of ways. It has almost become impossible to track every donation, investment, or other partnership.
The Nation concluded, “it is difficult to ignore the occasions where their charitable activities seem to serve mainly private interests, including theirs—supporting the schools their children attend, the companies their foundation partly owns, and the special interest groups that defend wealthy Americans—while generating billions of dollars in tax savings.”
Other notable facts from the investigation include that the Gates Foundation’s “$50 billion endowment has generated $28.5 billion in investment income over the last five years” while only giving away $23.5 billion in charitable grants. Additionally, a 2007 LA Times investigation found that the organization was involved in subprime mortgage loans and for-profit hospitals which reportedly performed unneeded surgeries. The Gates Foundation is also reportedly invested in chocolate companies that use child labor.
It would be a mistake to see the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as merely a vessel for a rich man to hide his money and reap immeasurable profits. No, the Foundation is “more than a collection of grants and projects” says Dr David McCoy, a public health doctor and researcher at University College London and an advisor to the People’s Health Movement. McCoy says the Foundation “operates through an interconnected network of organizations and individuals across academia and the NGO and business sectors” which allows Bill Gates to “leverage” influence” in a kind of “group think.”
In part 2 of this investigation we will sift through the myriad of connections between Bill Gates, his foundation, and the many players involved in the COVID-19 response. We will also attempt to answer the essential question: Is Bill Gates a force for good or a force for harm?
Republished from TheLastAmericanVagabond.com under Creative Commons
Written by Derrick Broze