Thursday 3-16-23
Thursday 3-16-23
Verse(s) for today:
looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 KJV
and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV
rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Romans 12:12 KJV
Thought(s) for the Day:
'A red flashing light':
Kids and teens dying at the highest rate in decades — and the COVID-19 virus isn't directly driving the trend:
https://www.theblaze.com/news/kids-and-teens-dying-at-the-highest-rate-in-decades
New research published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the mortality rate for minors ages 1 through 19 jumped by nearly 20% between 2019 and 2021.
This alarming spike is the largest in decades and reportedly cannot be ascribed to the COVID-19 virus.
What does the study say?
TheBlaze reported in August that there had been a precipitous drop in the average life expectancy in America for a second year in a row.
Data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics revealed that in 2019, the average American was expected at birth to live to 78 years and 10 months. That figure dropped to 77 years in 2020. In 2022, the life expectancy for the U.S. population stood at 76 years and one month — the lowest it had been since 1996.
Not only are American geriatrics dying younger on average, but the nation's youth are dying with greater frequency, bucking a trend that saw life expectancy lengthen over the course of the 20th century.
Between 2019 and 2021, the mortality rate for youths ages 1 through 19 increased by 10.7%. For the same demographic, the mortality rate jumped an additional 8.3% between 2020 and 2021.
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and the University of Washington's department of epidemiology noted that while persons ages 10-19 were driving the spike in the pediatric mortality rate, all-cause mortality also jumped by 8.4% in children ages 1-9 in 2021.
Infants (i.e., under one year old) were standouts, however, having not suffered an increase in mortality.
While the timeline might leave some to suspect that the Wuhan coronavirus played a role, the researchers noted that "this reversal in the pediatric mortality trajectory was caused not by COVID-19, but by injuries."
Lethal injuries
Injuries are defined in the paper as "all external causes of morbidity and mortality," which "involve multiple mechanisms including transportation, firearms, and poisoning."
Unintentional drug overdoses constitute a form of poisoning under this definition and since 2016, accounted for over 90% of poisoning deaths at ages 10 to 19.
A study published March 8 in the journal Pediatrics found that opioids were the leading cause of fatal poisonings among children five years old and younger from 2005 to 2018.
The leading causes of death in recent years for persons aged 1 to 19, in order, are: transport, homicide, suicide, and poisoning.
"In 2020, the COVID-19 mortality rate at ages 1 to 19 years was 0.24 deaths per 100 000, but the absolute increase in injury deaths alone was nearly 12 times higher (2.80 deaths per 100 000)," wrote the researchers. "COVID-19 mortality rates at ages 1 to 19 years nearly doubled in 2021 but explained only 20.5% of that year’s increase in all-cause mortality."
The researchers noted that the increase in pediatric injury deaths predates the pandemic — that suicide, homicide, and poisoning deaths have long been on the rise.
Suicides amongst adolescents and teens began to spike in 2007. Murders for this demographic began increasing in 2013.
"Between these nadirs and 2019, the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic, mortality rates for suicide increased by 69.5% and homicide rates increased by 32.7%," says the report. "Likely contributors to both trends include increased access to firearms and a deepening mental health crisis among children and adolescents. Access to opioids (eg, fentanyl) also increased, and overdose death rates for individuals aged 10 to 19 years began increasing shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic."
Elizabeth Wolf, co-author on the paper and an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the VCU School of Medicine, said, "We've now reached a tipping point where the number of injury-related deaths is so high that it is offsetting many of the gains we’ve made in treating other diseases."
While the researchers indicated many suicides are committed using firearms, that does not account for the underlying cause.
"There is a severe shortage of mental health providers who care for children and adolescents, especially in rural areas," said Wolf. "It’s estimated that only half of children with a treatable mental health condition have access to a mental health professional."
Gender inequality
According to the researchers, the increase in injury deaths that took place in 2020 primarily involved males.
Whereas the age-specific all-cause mortality rate per 100,000 people was nearly 40 for males in 2021, the rate was just over 20 for females. In the same year, the injury mortality rate for males was over 25, it was around 11 for females.
Risk also differed greatly by race.
Black youths accounted for 62.9% of homicide victims aged 10 to 19. Black youths in this age range had a homicide rate 20 times higher than Asian, Pacific Islander, or white youths and six times higher than their Hispanic peers.
'Fuel on the fire'
The pandemic did not start these trends, but it likely exacerbated them.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in June 2021 that by May 2020, "during the COVID-19 pandemic, [emergency department] visits for suspected suicide attempts began to increase among adolescents aged 12–17 years, especially girls. During February 21–March 20, 2021, suspected suicide attempt ED visits were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12–17 years than during the same period in 2019; among boys aged 12–17 years, suspected suicide attempt ED visits increased 3.7%."
Former CDC director Robert Redfield suggested that COVID-19 health protocols and school measures may have adversely impacted America's youth, noting in July 2020, "There has been another cost that we’ve seen, particularly in high schools. We’re seeing, sadly, far greater suicides now than we are deaths from COVID. We’re seeing far greater deaths from drug overdose that are above excess that we had as background than we are seeing the deaths from COVID."
The researchers suggested the pandemic "may have poured fuel on the fire," citing a 22.6% spike in injury mortality at ages 10 to 19 between 2019 and 2020. Much of this surge involved homicides (up 39.1%) and overdose deaths (up 113.5%).
Wolf said the extended school closures supported across the U.S. by various teachers' unions impacted kids in "indirect ways."
"Among children aged 1 to 9, injuries explained two-thirds (63.7%) of the increase in all-cause mortality in 2021, including a 45.9% increase in deaths involving fires or burns," added the researchers.
Concerning the upward trend of pediatric mortality rates, Steven Woolf, lead author on the paper and director emeritus of the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, told VCU News, "I have not seen this in my career."
"For decades, the overall death rate among U.S. children has fallen steadily, thanks to breakthroughs in prevention and treatment of diseases like premature births, pediatric cancer and birth defects. We now see a dramatic reversal of this trajectory, meaning that our children are now less likely to reach adulthood," said Woolf. "This is a red flashing light. We need to understand the causes and address them immediately to protect our children."
[The BLAZE Media]
Border Chief Disputes Mayorkas:
We Don't Control Border:
U.S. Border Chief Raul Ortiz disputed that the Department of Homeland Security has "operational control" of the border with Mexico.
Ortiz's comments came Wednesday in testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee meeting in South Texas. CNN noted his remarks contradict a stance taken by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The news network pointed out that Mayorkas has previously testified before lawmakers that the department does have operational control of the border. It did note he has not been as specific in his public comments.
"Does DHS have operational control of our entire border?" Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., asked Ortiz.
"No, sir," Ortiz responded.
The Hill reported that his reply came after Republicans repeatedly asked the same question to Mayorkas, who has said in hearings that the border was under control.
CNN reported that Green played a clip of Mayorkas saying that conditions at the border were under control.
"Do you think Secretary Mayorkas is lying there?" Green asked.
Ortiz declined to say whether Mayorkas was telling the truth.
"About 10 years ago, we used operational control as a measuring stick of our effectiveness along the southwest border," he said. "My new strategy is geared toward mission advantage."
Ortiz drew praise for his testimony, according to The Hill.
"Chief, you've got courage," Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., said. "I see you trying to be respectful and also see you being straightforward, and I want to appreciate you for doing that, for you to admit that we don't have operational control at our southern border."
A DHS official noted Wednesday that Mayorkas made a more nuanced answer at a hearing before the Senate last May, The Hill said.
"Well, actually there is a statutory definition which provides … that operational control is [if] no individual and no controlled substance passes through our border. So under that strict definition, this country has never had operational control, but obviously a layer of reasonableness must be applied here," Mayorkas said.
Related Stories:
[News Max Media]
Pentagon Releases Declassified Video of Black Sea Drone Incident:
In a rare move, the Pentagon Thursday released a declassified video showing Russia's intercept of a U.S. military surveillance drone downed over the Black Sea two days ago.
It was the first direct U.S.-Russian incident since the Ukraine war began, worsening already tense relations between Washington and Moscow.
In the video, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet comes very close to the U.S. MQ-9 drone and dumps fuel near it, in what U.S. officials say was an apparent effort to damage the American aircraft as it flew over the Black Sea.
It also shows the loss of the video feed after another close Russian maneuver, which the Pentagon says resulted from the Russian jet's collision with the drone. It ends with images of the drone's damaged propeller, which the Pentagon says resulted from the collision, making the aircraft inoperable.
The video, which is about 40 seconds long, has been edited by the U.S. military for length but shows events in a sequential order, the Pentagon said.
Russia has denied U.S. accusations that its jets acted recklessly in the incident on Tuesday over the Black Sea, and instead has blamed "sharp maneuvering" by the drone for the crash, claiming its jet did not make contact.
The incident over international waters was a reminder of the risk of direct confrontation between the United States and Russia over Ukraine, which Moscow invaded more than a year ago and which Western allies have supported with intelligence and weapons.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian ships had been seen near the area where the drone had crashed, though they did not appear to have recovered any parts of the drone yet. It was not clear if they were still in the area.
Washington has said that any recovery efforts relating to the drone would be difficult because of the depth of water in the region. It said it has taken measures to ensure that no sensitive information can be gleaned from the remains of the drone.
The release of the video followed separate calls on Wednesday between the top U.S. general, Mark Milley, and his Russian counterpart, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, as well as between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu.
In remarks to reporters on Wednesday, Milley said it was clear that the intercept and harassment of the drone by Russian jets was intentional, but it was unclear whether the Russian pilots meant to slam their aircraft into the drone — a move that could also put the Russian aircraft at risk. [News Max Media]
McCarthy’s Strategy:
Slowly Release Jan. 6 Tapes:
After receiving backlash for his decision to provide Tucker Carlson, host of Fox News, with exclusive access to official tapes from January 6th, 2021, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that he intends to “slowly roll out” access to the footage to other news outlets.
McCarthy to Open January 6 Footage to Other Outlets
In an interview with Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” McCarthy stated that he intends to provide all news organizations with access to the official tapes of the events that took place on January 6, 2021.
This will enable the news organizations to watch the footage and form their own opinions.
McCarthy’s comments were made public as part of the interview. “We will gradually extend our services to each and every unique news agency. They are welcome to come and see the recordings as well,” he stated.
The decision of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to give Fox News host Tucker Carlson exclusive access to the 41,000 hours of tapes from January 6th, 2021 was met with significant backlash from Democrats.
These individuals criticized the move as a partisan effort to control the narrative that was surrounding the event.
Carlson’s efforts to present the disturbance as a calm tour of the Capitol building have been met with resistance from a number of Republicans, further compounding the matter.
Former Vice President Mike Pence joined the chorus of criticism against Tucker Carlson’s depiction, claiming the incident put him and his family in danger.
He gave examples of cases in which riots and protests had taken place in different locations around the nation, in response to incidents of police misconduct and violence, but the persons involved had not faced any legal ramifications as a result of their actions.
McCarthy voiced his opinion that all instances of this sort need to be resolved in accordance with the principles of justice and equality before the law.
This article appeared in Right Wing Insider and has been published here with permission.
[Statesman Post Media]
COVID testing company faked tests, threw samples away while taking $83 million in government funding, says DOJ:
https://www.theblaze.com/news/testing-company-federal-indictment-23
The co-owner of a Chicago, Illinois, company is accused of cheating the United States government out of money through a fraudulent COVID-19 testing scheme.
ABC News reports that Zishan Alvi, a 44-year-old co-owner of company Laboratory Elite, fraudulently planned to seek reimbursements for providing PCR tests and 15-minute rapid antigen tests after lying about the results.
The scheme was through the Health Resources and Services Administration, which covered costs of COVID-19 testing for those without health insurance.
The indictment alleges that the tests were either not performed, done in such a way that results were unreliable, or had already been paid for by customers when the company sought federal reimbursement.
Between February 2021 and February 2022, the company received over $83 million in federal funding, with some of the money allegedly transferred to the Alvi's personal account.
Alvi is accused of using to the money for personal reasons: buying vehicles, stocks, and cryptocurrency.
"The indictment seeks forfeiture from the defendant of at least $6.8 million in alleged ill-gotten gains, in addition to five luxury vehicles and funds from other trade and investment accounts" according to the U.S. attorney's office.
Another way Alvi allegedly increased profits was by using fewer materials than normally required to process the PCR tests.
"To reduce costs and increase Laboratory A’s profits, ALVI directed Laboratory A employees to alter Laboratory A’s PCR testing method by using less of the materials necessary to process the PCR test, including the reagents, knowing that this made the test results unreliable," the indictment reads.
Alvi also told employees to provide customers with negative results despite tests never being performed:
"In order to conceal the fact that tests were not performed, ALVI instructed Laboratory A employees to release purported negative COVID-19 test results to individuals, when ALVI knew that no tests were performed," the allegations state.
Alvi is charged by a federal grand jury with 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government funds.
"It is absolutely reprehensible that the defendant would use a public health crisis to allegedly defraud taxpayers and further put public health at risk by providing fraudulent COVID-19 test results," said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
The crimes are punishable by up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, while theft of government funds can carry a 10-year sentence. [The BLAZE Media]
Elon Musk made one comment about a Tucker Carlson segment that drove the Left insane:
Elon Musk has quickly acquired enemies within the establishment. They despise the fact that he has purchased Twitter and he can’t be controlled. And Musk made one comment about a Tucker Carlson segment that drove the Left insane.
Tucker Carlson exploded the Democrats’ January 6 narrative by releasing never-before-seen security footage from that day. “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley was shown on security cameras being shepherded through the building by Capitol police officers. Elon Musk has a message about the January 6 Shaman.
The Democrats and left-wing pundits begged viewers not to believe their lyin’ eyes, but at least one viewer was persuaded.
New Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted, “Free Jacob Chansley” after watching the Carlson segment and a separate re-resurfaced video that showed Chansley asking everyone to leave the premises peacefully. [Un-muzzled News]
The Latest...
1. Federal Judge dealt out a reality check to future lawyers who tried to dress him down 2. The FBI miscalculated when they targeted this Congressman 3. Jim Jordan ripped one Democrat to shreds for trying to censor Elon Musk 4. Merrick Garland's DOJ is out of control after one jaw-dropping J6 trial bombshell 5. Brett Kavanaugh heard “Hanoi” Jane Fonda say one word to Joy Behar that is sure to alarm his family
Rumors: Rumors: Rumors: Rumors: Rumors: Rumors: Rumors:
This is just ‘Informational’ and YOU
must make up YOUR OWN MIND!
Here is what is floating around and not covered by the MSM:
Global Currency Reset:
· Mon. Evening 13 March Two High Up Contacts: The new rates are locked in on Bank Screens; Tier 1 has already gone; Tier 2 is processing right now and Tier 4 (including Us, the Internet Group) will likely go within a couple of days.
· Tues. 14 March Bruce: Sources say we may be looking at a Wed. 15 March, or Thurs. 16 March start for Tier4b to receive notification and set Foreign Currency Exchange and Zim Bond Redemption appointments.
· Tues. 14 March Rod Steel: Iraqi Dinar is International IN COUNTRY-in other words Iraqis can use their Dinar internationally.
Wed. 15 March Wolverine: The Iraqi Dinar is now international and we should see that trading on Forex maybe at any hour. Remember the Iraqi Dinar is the lynchpin to start the RV. I don’t think I’ll be getting any sleep tonight.
· Wed. 15 March MarkZ:
Today they are scrambling and scrambling hard. Banks are tanking like we said they would….. They are already talking about the reset now all over the place in world news….….and the need to wipe debt and go back to an asset backed currency. … My banking contacts are still of the mindset that we are going to see something around the 20th or so. …Lots of chatter kicked off today about Fines and Penalties….with some believed to start delivering possibly as early as tomorrow. ….My DHS source thinks that they will start Friday night through Saturday. Fingers crossed and I am praying guys as I am expecting 2 different deliveries. I am hopeful this is accurate….Most of the chatter out of Iraq is looking at this weekend as well. Remember we do not know the timing….but the chatter is exceptionally good. …A number of folks in the Reno crowd is calling for it this evening….I think that may be a little premature…but I hope they are right and I am wrong. …I got permission to share this one today. A person who left a Credit Union and started working for a Regional bank. They were recently told about the “foreign currency exchange” and was told that right now the dinar was acting “funny” on all of their screens. Then they had a meeting with the “top dogs” and she asked if they were “Basel backed” The look on his face was very surprised that I knew about this. But he said “yes…we are Basel 3 backed” . Now we come to the bills. For some reason they have many 2017 crisp and new looking bills –they may have been expecting a bank run. Also they are having regular meetings on the wealth management side. Every two weeks. Also we had training on NDA’s and how seriously we would have to take the NDA’s. We have not yet been asked to sign any.
https://dinarrecaps.com/our-blog/coffee-with-markz-wednesday-morning-chat-3-15-2023
https://dinarrecaps.com/our-blog/wednesday-evening-news-with-markz-3-15-2023
· Mon. 13 March RV Update, Okie (not OkieOilMan) via Twitter: This RV of 166 countries is happening now. The US Treasury received word that all systems are Green to Go. There are no more hold ups or delays.
· As of Friday 10 March, banking systems were able to use the new Unified Payment Interface (UPI) on the QFS for foreign currency swaps. https://dinarrecaps.com/our-blog/goldilocks-prepare-yourselves-for-the-old-guard-to-fall-3-11-2023
Election Fraud
· Florida: Two people have been charged with third-degree felonies for election crimes in Florida.