01a Apocalyptic

Trump fails in bid to fire Lisa Cook as Federal Reserve independence clings on– fortune.com
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A federal court ruled Tuesday that embattled Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her position while she fights President Donald Trump’s efforts to fire her.

The ruling, which will almost certainly be appealed, is a blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to assert more control over the traditionally independent Fed, which sets short-term interest rates to achieve its congressionally mandated goals of stable prices and maximum employment. Congress has also sought to insulate the Fed from day-to-day politics.

Trump said he was firing Cook on Aug. 25 over allegations raised by one of his appointees that she committed mortgage fraud related to two properties she purchased in 2021, before she joined the Fed. Cook is accused of saying two properties were “primary residences,” which could have resulted in lower down payments and mortgage rates than if either was designated a second home or investment property.

Cook’s lawyers argued that firing her was unlawful because presidents can only fire Fed governors “for cause,” which has typically meant inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance while in office. They also said she was entitled to a hearing and a chance to respond to the charges before being fired, but was not provided either. Her lawsuit denied the charges but did not provide more details.

Censorship Smothers Criticism of Military Parade– chinadigitaltimes.net
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A host of measures intended to stifle dissent allowed Beijing’s military parade last week to take place without any major disruptions. The following is a summary of some of these examples of censorship and control.

Some of these measures were implemented before the parade began. A recent censorship directive, leaked online and later translated by CDT, advised cyber-regulators to remain vigilant against a long list of “ideological risks” related to the upcoming military parade and other events during the third quarter of the year. Last week, Laura Bicker at the BBC detailed how Beijing tightened control in the lead-up to the parade:

Airport security scanners have been installed in some office entrances. All drones are banned and international journalists have been visited at home, some on multiple occasions, to ensure they get the message.

Guards have been stationed 24 hours a day at the entrances to overpasses and bridges to prevent any protests, some of them in army uniforms.

[…] People living near Chang’an Avenue, which leads to Tiananmen square, were told to stay off their balconies to ensure the rehearsals could be held in secrecy. [Source]

Jerusalem Terror Attack Leaves 6 Dead as Zechariah’s Prophecy Comes Alive – Charisma Magazine Online
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A deadly terrorist shooting in the northern neighborhood of Ramot left six people dead and more than a dozen others injured Monday morning. The attack, which took place near a crowded bus stop, has shaken the city and once again placed Israel’s security challenges at the forefront of world attention.

As reported by Israel365 News, two armed terrorists opened fire on civilians with “locally manufactured ‘Carlo’ submachine guns.” The victims included a man and a woman in their 50s, as well as three men in their 30s. Magen David Adom emergency responders rushed to the scene, treating “seven critically injured individuals” while others sustained moderate and light wounds.

Israeli security forces acted quickly, with “an IDF squad commander and an armed civilian neutralizing the attackers on the spot.” Authorities believe the terrorists arrived from a village near Ramallah, and checkpoints between Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria were immediately closed for security sweeps.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin strikes kills child and hits Kyiv government building in massive drone attack– www.independent.co.uk
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Hopes for peace talks wane as Russia strikes Kyiv

Sunday’s attack is the second mass Russian drone and missile attack to target Kyiv in the span of two weeks, as hopes for peace talks wane.

The attack comes after European leaders pressed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to work to end the war after 26 of Ukraine’s allies pledged to deploy troops as a “reassurance force” for the war-torn country once the fighting ends.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to meet Putin to negotiate a peace agreement, and has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to put punishing sanctions on Russia to push it to end the war.

Tens of thousands of protesters draw the Red Line for Gaza in Brussels– www.euronews.com
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Tens of thousands of demonstrators wearing red gathered in Brussels on Sunday to protest against the Israeli government and to draw a symbolic red line against its war in Gaza. Protesters are also calling on EU member states to take a tougher stance and impose firm sanctions against Israel.

Local police estimated around 70,000 demonstrators took part in the second edition of Brussels’ ‘Red Line for Gaza’ march, but protest organisers estimate 110,000 people attended.

More than 200 human rights groups and aid agencies, including Oxfam, Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Save the Children, and more, participated and are drawing the red line.

The protest comes days after Belgium announced it would join the United Kingdom and France in recognising a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly later this month, and would impose sanctions against Israel, under certain conditions.

Mushroom murderer sentenced to life over toxic family lunch– www.bbc.com
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Watch: What it was like as Australia’s mushroom murderer was jailed for life

An Australian woman has been jailed for life, with no chance of release for at least 33 years, for murdering three relatives and trying to kill another with a toxic mushroom meal.

The jail term, one of the longest ever handed to a female offender in Australia, means Erin Patterson, 50, will be in her 80s before she can apply for parole.

A Supreme Court judge said Patterson’s crimes were the “worst category” for offending and involved an “elaborate cover-up”.

Patterson killed her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, after serving them a toxic beef Wellington at her home in Victoria in 2023.

Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson, a local pastor, survived the lunch after recovering from a coma and has ongoing health issues related to the poisoning.

Patterson’s estranged husband Simon Patterson was meant to attend the lunch too but cancelled at the last minute, in part due to his belief that his wife had been trying to poison him for years.

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Erin Patterson, 50, will be in her 80s before she can apply for parole

Patterson has long maintained her innocence, saying the toxic death cap mushrooms in the dish she prepared were accidentally added and that she never intended to harm her relatives.

She will serve three consecutive life sentences for the three murders and 25 years for the attempted murder of Mr Wilkinson.

During his sentencing remarks, Justice Christopher Beale said the gravity of Patterson’s crimes meant he must impose the “maximum penalty”.

Prosecutors had argued that the mother-of-two should be sentenced to life in jail with no prospect of release – the harshest punishment available in Australia.

Researchers Criticize Putting Preschoolers on Stimulant Drugs– www.madinamerica.com
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In a new study, researchers found that preschoolers are not receiving appropriate guideline-directed care for ADHD.

Clinical practice guidelines for this age group recommend beginning with family/behavioral therapy. Drugs are recommended by the guidelines only after therapy has failed to improve the situation or in very severe cases. But the researchers found that 42.2% of these 3- to 5-year-olds were given stimulant drugs before therapy could even be attempted.

“Clinical practice guidelines recommend medications as second-line treatment in cases with substantial dysfunction or lack of response to behavioral treatment,” the researchers write. Yet, they add, “more than one-third of patients lacked sufficient time for an evidence-based behavioral treatment before starting medications.”

The study was led by Yair Bannett at Stanford University and published in JAMA Network Open.

Strange new bacteria found in Amazon sand flies. Could it spread to humans?– www.sciencedaily.com
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A new species of bacteria of the genus Bartonella has been found in the Amazon National Park in the state of Pará, Brazil, in phlebotomine insects, also known as sand flies. This type of insect is generally associated with transmitting leishmaniasis, but according to the researchers, the DNA of the newly discovered microorganism is similar to that of two other Andean species of bacteria, B. bacilliformis and B. ancashensis. These bacteria cause Carrión’s disease (also known as Peruvian wart and Oroya fever) and are both transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies.

There is currently no evidence in Brazil that this new species of bacteria can cause disease. However, since species of the genus Bartonella are responsible for several diseases in other countries, further studies are needed.

The research was conducted by Marcos Rogério André in partnership with Eunice Aparecida Bianchi Galati. Both researchers are affiliated with Brazilian institutions: the Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences of São Paulo State University (FCAV-UNESP) in Jaboticabal campus and the School of Public Health of the University of São Paulo (FSP-USP). The study was supported by FAPESP through two projects (22/08543-2 and 22/16085-4).