Apollo Astronaut & Scientist Rejects IPCC Climate Report

Corruption is Everywhere - Yes, Even in Science

Always comforting to have a world class scientist agree with

what I have been saying for years

Anthony Watts, wattsupwiththat.com

Apollo 17 moonwalker Dr. Harrison Schmitt rejects UN climate report: ‘The observations that we make as geologists…do not show any evidence that human beings are causing this’

NYT asks Geologist and Moonwalker Dr. Harrison Schmitt about UN IPCC report:

The New York Times’ Nicholas St. Fleur: “…as one of the leading climate change deniers, when there was a huge report that just came out last week [talking about] the risk and what is going to happen … as soon as 2040. I’d love to know if you see any irony in your views on people who denied man walking on the moon vs. your views on climate change.”

Schmitt:

“I see no irony at all. I’m a geologist. I know the Earth is not nearly as fragile as we tend to think it is. It has gone through climate change, it is going through climate change at the present time. The only question is, is there any evidence that human beings are causing that change? Right now, in my profession, there is no evidence.”

“The observations that we make as geologists, and observational climatologists, do not show any evidence that human beings are causing this. Now, there is a whole bunch of unknowns…”

The observations that we make as geologists,

and observational climatologists,

do not show any evidence

that human beings are causing this.

“I, as a scientist, expect to have people question orthodoxy. And we always used to do that. Now, unfortunately, funding by governments, particularly the U.S. government, is biasing science toward what the government wants to hear. That’s a very dangerous thing that’s happening in science today, and it’s not just in climate. I see it in my own lunar research.”…

Funding by governments, particularly the U.S. government,

is biasing science toward what the government wants to hear.

“If NASA’s interested in a particular conclusion, then that’s the way the proposals come in for funding. 

So it’s a very, very serious issue, and I hope the science writers in this room will start to dig deeply into whether or not science has been corrupted by the source of funds that are now driving what people are doing in research, and what their conclusions are.”

German Right-Wing Politician Quits Over Scandalous Tour of Nazi Sites

AfD - Germany's rapidly growing anti-immigration party has some serious house-cleaning to do before Germans will ever vote it into a position of power. Tolerating far-right people and ideals is political prostitution. You will never get elected as such, and God help Germany if you ever do.

FILE PHOTO. Inscribed stone outside house in which Adolf Hitler was born

is pictured in Braunau am Inn, Austria. © Reuters / Dominic Ebenbichler

An Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician got himself in hot water over photos of his “pilgrimage” to Hitler-related sites. The party acknowledged the existence of the pictures, adding that the politician had already resigned.

The photos were obtained by the Thuringer Allgemeine newspaper, which reported the scandalous affair. The explosive pictures date back to 2015, when the right-wing politician and his colleagues made a “pilgrimage” to sites associated with Adolf Hitler.

The politician was reportedly pictured with a candle in front of Hitler’s birthplace in the Austrian town of Brannau am Inn. He was also pictured near the Berchtesgaden Alpine retreat of the Fuhrer, as well as posing near swastikas and SS rune-bearing banners.

While the scandalous pictures have not been released, the AfD acknowledged their existence. “The person concerned was clearly reminded by the state board that such incidents are unacceptable and incompatible with AfD membership,” Torben Braga, a party spokesman, said. He added that the politician resigned from the AfD in September.

The politician has not been named, although he’s reportedly closely associated with Bjoern Hoecke, the AfD leader in Thuringia. According to the newspaper, he actually served as one of the judges on the arbitration tribunal of the AfD in Thuringia, which rejected expulsion procedures against Hoecke earlier this year. Hoecke was probed by the party over controversial comments, in which he called for a “180-degree turn” in relation to remembering the country’s role in the Second World War.

Thuringia’s AfD leader has repeatedly been embroiled in Nazism-related controversies. Back in 2017, the politician told the Wall Street Journal that the main problem with the figure of Adolf Hitler was that “one presents Hitler as absolutely evil,” while in fact there was “no black and no white in history.”

Hoecke has also called the Holocaust monument in Berlin a “monument of shame in the heart of the capital.” While the politician’s remarks caused a wave of outrage from Germany’s Jewish community and public figures, Hoecke claimed that his words were actually “maliciously and deliberately” misinterpreted. The controversial comment could have cost the politician his career, as the AfD considered suspending him from the party, but changed its mind later.

‘Genuinely Dangerous’: Islamic State Supporter Anjem Choudary Released from Prison

It seems pretty simple to me. Radical Muslims must be declared mentally ill (see sidebar comment by Syrian Psychiatrist Dr. Wafa Sultan at http://northwoodssaveachild.blogspot.com/), and be confined to a very secure mental institution until such time as they recant their faith in literal Islam. 

File Photo: Demonstrator Anjem Choudary © REUTERS / Luke MacGregor

Convicted hate-preacher Anjem Choudary has been released from prison, two years into his five-and-a-half-year sentence. The preacher had been convicted of inviting support for the so-called Islamic State.

The 51-year-old was driven away from London’s high-security Belmarsh prison. Choudary has reportedly been taken to a secure bail hostel in an undisclosed location.

He will now be subject to a large number of requirements as well as monitoring from MI5 and police at a reported cost of £2m a year.

Conditions are thought to include limits on his movements; such as an evening curfew, the wearing of a GPS electronic tag and a ban on visiting specific venues such as Regent’s Park Mosque in central London, where he used to worship.

Choudary’s name has been added to a UN sanctions list, prohibiting him from travelling as well as imposing an asset freeze on him and an ‘arms embargo.’

Prison Minister, Rory Stewart, said ahead of his release that Choudary remains “genuinely dangerous,” adding that the preacher would be watched “very,very carefully.”

Anti-fascist campaigners have warned that Choudary’s release could increase extremism from both the far-right and radical Islamists. Hope not Hate’s Nick Lowles said: “His influence and the damage his actions have caused are unparalleled.

“His release is likely to breathe life back into the extremist movement he once led. No other British citizen has had so much influence over so many terrorists as Choudary.”

Before his arrest Choudary had a constant presence in the British press. Lowles called on the media to “act responsibly” to avoid providing said extremists with an opportunity to “exploit tensions and sow further communal hatred.”

Choudary, one of Britain’s most high profile supporters of Islamic extremism, came to prominence in the early 2000s during the UK’s so-called ‘war on terror.’ The preacher and his group of Muslim extremists, Al-Muhajiroun, toured the country carrying out talks and protests targeting the government and promoting a ‘clash of civilisations’ narrative between Islam and the West.

The murderers of Lee Rigby, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, as well as London Bridge attack ringleader Khuram Butt, were associated with Al-Muhajiroun, now banned in the UK and listed as a terrorist organisation by the US State Department.

‘I’m Not an Anti-Semite. I’m Anti-Termite’: Nation of Islam Leader Won’t Be Suspended by Twitter

Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan has sparked controversy

with anti-semitic remarks in the past. 

© REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

Funny! On the Real Saviour's Day, Farrakhan will not be smiling.

Twitter says it will not will not be banning Louis Farrakhan after the Nation of Islam leader once again courted controversy by comparing Jews to insects on the social media platform.

Twitter previously removed Farrakhan's 'verified' status in July for a similar, anti-semitic infraction when he tweeted: “Thoroughly and completely unmasking the Satanic Jew and the Synagogue of Satan.”

On Tuesday, Louis Farrakhan tweeted a video of fresh controversial remarks in which he likens Jews to insects, seemingly doubling-down and taunting his critics, past and present.

MINISTER FARRAKHAN
@LouisFarrakhan
 I'm not an anti-Semite. I’m anti-Termite.

Twitter is set to introduce new rules in an effort to curb ‘dehumanizing’ language on the platform. Statements “that treat others as less than human" including “comparing groups to animals and viruses,” will be explicitly forbidden. However the new rules are not yet in force, so Farrakhan will not be punished, for the time being at least.

No official date has yet been given by Twitter as to when the rules against such language will be brought into effect.

Twitter users were furious at both the comments themselves and the social media giant’s apparent indifference to Farrakhan’s rampant anti-Semitism.

Joe Bernstein✔
@Bernstein
 Just in from a @Twitter spokesperson: Louis Farrakhan's tweet comparing Jews to termites is not in violation of the company's policies. The policy on dehumanizing language has not yet been implemented. 

So if you want to compare Jews to rats/insects - get it in while you can!

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, tweeted her disgust at the remarks.

“Comparing Jews to termites is anti-Semitic, wrong and dangerous. The responsive laughter makes my skin crawl,” Clinton tweeted, while also apparently calling out activists on her side of the aisle. “For everyone who rightly condemned President Trump’s rhetoric when he spoke about immigrants ‘infesting our country,’ this rhetoric should be equally unacceptable to you.”

Outspoken conservative pundit Ben Shapiro, himself a member of the Jewish community, ridiculed Twitter’s flagrant double standards in relation to online hate speech.

Ben Shapiro✔
@benshapiro
 Twitter's standards are an utterly inconsistent joke https://www.dailywire.com/news/37270/twitter-wont-ban-farrakhan-calling-jews-termites-ben-shapiro …

Many called out Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to address the issue personally, though no answer was immediately forthcoming.

Marla Rossow
@MarlaRossow
Replying to @LouisFarrakhan
How is this not hate speech? @jack

Twitter has drawn the ire of conservative media in recent months for a series of purges targeting online commentators such as Alex Jones.

It is also embroiled in a new controversy at present for deleting up to 1,500 accounts that used the recent 'NPC meme' to satirize left-wing activists, alleging that they were... you guessed it, Russian bots.

A Million More Children Face Famine in Yemen, NGO warns

MOHAMMED AWADH/ SAVE THE CHILDREN

A 14-month-old child suffering from malnutrition receives treatment at a clinic in the city of Amran

A further one million children are at risk of famine in Yemen, the charity Save the Children has warned.

Rising food prices and the falling value of the country's currency as a result of a civil war are putting more families at risk of food insecurity.

But another threat comes from fighting around the key port city of Hudaydah, which is the principal lifeline for almost two-thirds of the population.

Save the Children says a total of 5.2 million children now face famine.

The conflict in Yemen has been raging for years - but what is it all about?

Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in early 2015, when the rebel Houthi movement seized control of much of the west of the country and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad.

Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy, Saudi Arabia and eight other Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government. They have received logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France.

Many families in rebel-held Yemen are reliant on food handouts from aid groups

At least 6,660 civilians have been killed and 10,563 injured in the conflict, according to the UN. Thousands more civilians have died from preventable causes, including malnutrition, disease and poor health.

The fighting and a partial blockade by the coalition have also left 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid, created the world's largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that is thought to have affected 1.1 million people.

Why can people no longer afford food?

The war has also led to severe delays in paying the salaries of teachers and public servants, with some people receiving no wages for almost two years.

Those who are paid face food prices which are 68% more expensive than when the war began.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni riyal has lost almost 180% of its value over the same period, according to Save the Children.

Earlier this month, the currency reached its lowest value in history, placing a further burden on population.

Fears also remain of potential damage to or a blockade of Hudaydah's port as a result of the fighting.

The UN has warned that in a worst-case scenario, the battle for Hudaydah could cost up to 250,000 lives, as well as cut off aid supplies to millions of people living in rebel-held areas.

"Millions of children don't know when or if their next meal will come," the chief executive of Save the Children International, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, said in a statement.

"In one hospital I visited in north Yemen, the babies were too weak to cry, their bodies exhausted by hunger.

"This war risks killing an entire generation of Yemen's children who face multiple threats, from bombs to hunger to preventable diseases like cholera," she added.

Earlier this month, Save the Children said that more than 36,000 children could die from extreme hunger before the end of the year.

Thank you, Mr Obama for putting billions of dollars back into the hands of Iranians so they can continue to sponsor this proxy war. 

First Le Pen, Now Melenchon? Another Macron Critic Has Headquarters Raided

Corruption is Everywhere - In French Politics, In French Courts?

© Twitter / Fabien Rives

Former French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon’s home has been raided by police, as part of an investigation into alleged misuse of EU funds that also targeted political firebrand and Macron critic Marine Le Pen.

The leader of France’s left-wing La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) livestreamed the unannounced intrusion on Facebook, vowing to exact revenge on France’s Minister of Justice Nicole Belloubet for the raid, which targeted his home as well as his party’s headquarters.

"Nicole Belloubet, are you proud of what you are doing? Have you forgotten everything: who are you, who I am? So you have no dignity? All shots are allowed?” he said during the livestream.

"You do not know what you're up against – a political force, not an isolated person. We will make you pay politically.”

Melenchon then urged his supporters to meet at the head office of France Unbowed in Paris for an impromptu rally. Police reportedly seized phones and computers from the headquarters as part of their investigation.

The searches are believed to be part of an ongoing probe into fraudulent claims to the EU to cover for fictitious staff members. Melenchon is also under scrutiny for alleged financial irregularities during his 2017 presidential campaign.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s right-wing National Rally, was targeted by a similar EU funds probe last year. Le Pen dismissed the allegations made against her as political persecution.

A raid on National Rally’s headquarters in February 2017, which came amid the French presidential election, was slammed by the party as a “media operation whose sole purpose is to try to disrupt the smooth running of the [Le Pen’s] presidential election campaign.”

Just last week a French court upgraded charges against Le Pen from misuse of EU funds to embezzlement!

Both Melenchon and Le Pen have been fierce critics of French President Emmanuel Macron, who triumphed over the two politicians in last year’s presidential election.

In September, Melenchon led a rally against Macron’s newly-signed labor reforms, describing the demonstration as necessary to prevent a “social coup d’etat” aimed at French workers.

So the question is, is everybody except Macron crooked? Where is the corruption, in the opposition parties, or in the government and the Justice Department?

‘Not Fair’: World Cycling Bronze Medalist Criticizes Transgender Athlete’s Victory

File Photo © REUTERS /Athit Perawongmetha

US rider Jennifer Wagner, who finished third at the UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships, has expressed fury that the race was won by Canadian transgender woman Rachel McKinnon.

McKinnon, who was born a male, dominated the women’s 35-44 age bracket at the event in Los Angeles at the weekend, setting off debate over her eligibility to compete against female rivals.

“First transgender woman world champion…ever,” the Canadian wrote on Twitter while also sharing a picture of her standing on the podium with the two other medalists.

Dr. Rachel McKinnon
@rachelvmckinnon
 First transgender woman world champion...ever.*

UCI Masters Track Cycling Women 35-44 

Along with the praise that flooded into McKinnon’s account, her victory was met with stinging criticism, with many fans insisting she had an unfair advantage over the other competitors.

One of those to wade into the row was bronze medalist Wagner, who called her third place finish an “unfair” result.

“I was the 3rd place rider. It’s definitely NOT fair,” Wagner wrote in response to a controversial tweet by commentator Katie Hopkins, who also spoke against the transgender athlete’s participation in female events.

Katie Hopkins✔
@KTHopkins

 For clarity - this was the WOMENS world championships. I repeat. Women’s. 

Congratulations to the brave faces of silver & bronze. The world is gripped by a febrile madness. pic.twitter.com/P6VkaNFeyy



jen wagner-assali
@jkwagnermd
I was the 3rd place rider. It’s definitely NOT fair.

Some internet users suggested creating a separate category for transgender athletes instead of allowing them to compete against women.

Do you think it's fair? How long be for xgenders own all female records and female athletes just stop competing?