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U.S. surgeon says Israeli snipers deliberately targeted Palestinian children In an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning” that aired Sunday, July 21, an American surgeon who volunteered in Gaza, Dr. Mark Perlmutter, claimed that Israeli snipers are deliberately targeting Palestinian children, including toddlers. “I had children who were shot twice,” said Dr. Perlmutter, who volunteered in Gaza at the end of April and the first couple of weeks of May. “I have two children that I have photographs of that were shot so perfectly in the chest I couldn’t put my stethoscope over their heart more accurately and directly on the side of the head in the same child.” Perlmutter added, “No toddler gets shot twice by mistake by the world’s best snipers. And they’re dead-center shots.” Similar accounts were reported by other foreign doctors who volunteered in Gaza and spoke to the Guardian in April, stating that Israeli snipers were targeting children in the head. Earlier this month, Israeli outlet +972 Magazine published a report citing Israeli soldiers, detailing how the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza essentially had no restrictions on who they could shoot. The report claimed that the IDF “routinely executes” civilians who enter areas deemed “no-go zones” by the military and it included incidents where young children were killed. (Related: Israeli army approves BRUTAL and SHOCKING “free-for-all” violence in Gaza.) Dr. Perlmutter, vice president of the International College of Surgeons, said in his interview that what he witnessed in Gaza was worse than all the disaster zones he had seen combined. “Forty mission trips, 30 years, Ground Zero, earthquakes. All of that combined doesn’t equal the level of carnage that I saw against civilians in just my first week in Gaza,” he said. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. When asked if the civilians he saw wounded or killed were mostly children, Perlmutter responded, “Almost exclusively children. I’ve never seen that before. Never seen that. I’ve seen more incinerated children than I’ve ever seen in my entire life combined. I’ve seen more shredded children in just the first week.” Explaining what he meant by “shredded” children, Perlmutter said, “Missing body parts, being crushed by buildings, the greatest majority, or bomb explosions, the next greatest majority. We’ve taken shrapnel as big as my thumb out of eight-year-olds.” Nearly 16,000 Gaza children killed by Israeli troops According to the Gaza Health Ministry, nearly 16,000 children have been killed by the Israeli assault on Gaza and about 38,000 have been wounded, many of whom have become amputees. Due to the Israeli siege, children’s limbs have been amputated without anesthetics. Children make up over a third of the more than 32,000 casualties in Israel’s months-long assault on Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in April. Tens of thousands of young people have suffered severe injuries, including amputations. Nine doctors, mostly foreign volunteers, shared their experiences of working in Gaza hospitals. They said many of the dead and wounded children were hit by shrapnel or burned during extensive bombardments of residential neighborhoods. Some children were killed or injured by collapsing buildings, with many still missing under the rubble. Doctors also noted a disturbing pattern of treating children, elderly people and non-combatants with single bullet wounds to the head or chest, suggesting they were targeted. Eyewitness accounts and video evidence support claims that Israeli soldiers have fired on civilians, including children, outside of combat situations. In mid-February, a group of UN experts accused the Israeli military of targeting Palestinian civilians, including children, seeking shelter. The Guardian‘s review with military experts and forensic pathologists found it difficult to conclusively determine the circumstances of the shootings but noted the use of Israeli military ammunition. Eyewitness accounts described civilians coming under fire while waving white flags, and Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israel routinely fires on civilians in areas declared as “combat zones.” The IDF uses snipers during combat operations and both Israeli and foreign human rights groups have documented instances of snipers firing on unarmed Palestinians, including children. A new development in the Gaza conflict is the use of armed drones, or quadcopters, which can hover over streets and target individuals. Palestinians report that these drones have been used to shoot civilians. More related news can be found at Genocide.news. Watch this video of Israeli Snipers shooting and killing anything that moves in the Gaza Strip. This video is from Cynthia’s Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Israel used U.S.-made missiles and bombs in deadly Gaza school strike. Death toll in Gaza could hit nearly 600,000 people as “indirect deaths” pile up, The Lancet projects. Hunger “worse than bombings” in starved-out Gaza: “people dizzy and weak.” Sources include: News.Antiwar.com TheGuardian.com Brighteon.com

Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla plans to launch humanoid robots for internal purposes beginning next year, with plans for wider production by 2026. “Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for Tesla internal use next year and, hopefully, high production for other companies in 2026,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted on his X account Monday, July 22. (Related: In two years, China plans to unleash mass-produced humanoid robots to replace human workers.) The announcement came after Musk said in April that the Tesla robot Optimus would be able to carry out factory jobs by the end of this year and could be ready for sale by the end of 2025. Tesla first revealed plans to work on humanoid robots in 2021 at an AI [artificial intelligence] Day event. The company unveiled Optimus a year later, noting that its anticipated value would be less than a Tesla car. Musk said at the time that several robots that came before the Optimus were “missing a brain” and didn’t have the intelligence to move on their own. He noted that Optimus will be an “extremely capable robot,” and with a reasonable price tag of less than $20,000. “Optimus is going to be incredible in five or ten years, like mind-blowing,” Musk stated. Humanoid robots resemble humans Humanoid robots are created to resemble humans, emulating facial expressions and movements. Many companies, including Japan’s Honda and Hyundai Motor’s Boston Dynamics, have been betting on humanoid robots to address possible labor shortages in certain industries by doing repetitive tasks that may be viewed as dangerous or tedious. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity’s knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Musk earlier said that robot sales could become a bigger part of the Tesla business than other sectors. Valued at $1.8 billion in 2023, the international humanoid robot market is expected to surge to more than $13 billion over the next five years, as reported by research firm MarketsandMarkets. Tesla has been developing a humanoid robot for years. The company said one of its goals is to make a “general purpose, bi-pedal, autonomous humanoid robot capable of performing unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks.” Musk introduced a prototype of the Optimus in 2022. At the time, Optimus was made out of wires and metal constructed unclearly in the shape of a human. The first generation could only make very fundamental movements, such as taking a few steps and waving to the crowd. Tesla showed off its next generation of Optimus robot last year, this time with a smoother design, as well as enhanced features and sensors that allow the robot to work faster. In a video presentation, the robot demonstrated its dexterity by picking up, holding and laying down an egg without breaking it. The concept of humanoid robots is not new, and many tech companies have already started production of comparable models. The recent announcement about the Optimus robot comes at a time when Tesla is encountering challenges in its core EV business. With EV demand showing signs of decreasing and comprising over 80 percent of Tesla’s quarterly income, Musk is now shifting the company’s focus into AI, autonomous driving software, robotaxis and humanoid robots. The change in focus mirrors Tesla’s strategy to expand its range of products and income flows. It also highlights the company’s commitment to staying at the center of technological innovation. Follow Robots.news for more stories like this. Watch the video below about Elon Musk saying that the ratio of humanoid robots to humans will be at least two to one. This video is from the Thrivetime Show channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Workers in warehouses could soon lose their jobs to HUMANOID ROBOTS. CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED: Humanoid robots claim they could run the world better than humans. Former Joint Chiefs chairman predicts one-third of U.S. military will be replaced with ROBOTS in the next 10-15 years. Tesla in Full Self-Driving mode SLAMS into parked police car. Robot civil servant in South Korea commits “suicide.” Sources include: RT.com Independent.co.uk WIONews.com

Charges withdrawn against 4 Canadians who refused to comply with COVID-19 vaccine mandate Four Canadians who did not comply with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandate as ArriveCAN requirements at the Toronto Pearson International Airport had charges against them withdrawn. But they’re not exactly happy with the decision. “This outcome is bittersweet for each of our clients,” said Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) lawyer Chris Fleury. “It is positive for each of them personally. On the other hand, they were deeply interested in seeking a determination of the constitutionality of the irrational and unscientific decision forcing unvaccinated Canadians to quarantine.” The withdrawn charges include those against Elim Sly-Hooten of British Columbia, who felt that his personal medical information should remain private and chose not to disclose his vaccination status via ArriveCAN at the said airport. Peel Regional Police and Public Health Agency of Canada personnel detained him. Sly-Hooten eventually revealed his vaccination status due to intense pressure and the fact that he did not have counsel. He received a $5,000 ticket for violating the?Quarantine Act?and was ordered to quarantine in his home for 14 days. Sly-Hooten, with the help of JCCF, launched a constitutional challenge against ArriveCAN. He cited his right to liberty, his right to be protected from unreasonable search and seizure, his right to be free from arbitrary arrest and detention and his right to counsel after arrest and detention. Other travelers whose tickets were withdrawn were Mark Spence, Aaron Grubb and Evan Kraayenbrink. They were also charged for choosing not to provide information on the app and also ordered to quarantine for two weeks. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity’s knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. ArriveCAN has been criticized since its implementation. Canada Border Services Agency launched ArriveCAN in April 2020 and mandated in November 2020 in response to the World Health Organization’s declaration of a global pandemic. The $59.5 million scandal-ridden travel app was used to track the COVID-19 jab status. All travelers entering Canada had to use it to submit their travel and contact information as well as any COVID-19 vaccination details before crossing the border or boarding a flight. (Related: HIGHWAY ROBBERY: Watchdog finds 75% of contractors paid by government did not work on Canada’s $54M ArriveCAN COVID-19 travel app, which “could’ve been built in a weekend for $200,000.”) Quebec recommends vaccine mandate this fall Since vaccine mandate is still considered constitutional in Canada, Quebec’s immunization committee has released recommendations on administering vaccines this fall through a report published earlier in the week. The committee report warned that people who have never had COVID-19 are more likely to develop complications following their first infection with SARS-CoV-2 despite good vaccination coverage because the effectiveness of the vaccine tends to wane after several months, especially when new variants emerge. It also said that the likelihood of experiencing severe symptoms leading to hospitalization is much higher for elderly people and that risk is compounded when a person has a chronic illness. “The vaccine is very effective in preventing severe hospitalization. It’s not as effective to prevent transmission,” said Dr. Nicholas Brousseau, a public health physician at the National Public Health Institute of Quebec. “That’s why our recommendations target at-risk people.” The committee is also recommending that the government wait for the availability of vaccines that are better adapted to new strains circulating before launching the next vaccination campaign. “By fall 2024, it is expected that new versions of COVID-19 vaccines, targeting one or more strains closer to those currently in circulation, will be developed and authorized,” the report indicated. Visit MedicalMartialLaw.com for stories related to COVID-19 public health mandates that were proven to be ineffective. Watch the video below that talks about how the ArriveCAN app pulled tens of millions from taxpayers’ pockets. This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Vaccinated population accounts for 92% of COVID-19 deaths in Canada. Canadian gov’t agencies spent CA$9.9 million on social media ads to promote COVID-19 vaccines. Canadian military officials hesitated to lift COVID-19 vaccine mandate for service members because it would hurt their “credibility.” Canada wants to require VACCINE PASSPORTS for Americans crossing the border. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com JCCF.ca CBC.ca Brighteon.com

More than 300 deaths suspected to be linked to this summer’s record-breaking heat wave are being investigated in Maricopa County, Arizona. The county’s heat report dashboard this year indicates that 322 deaths are suspected to have been due to heat-related illnesses as of July 13. Almost 100 of those suspected heat deaths happened from July 7 to 13, when temperatures reached 118 degrees. (Related: Must-have items for your heatwave emergency kit.) There have been 23 confirmed deaths in Maricopa related to heat so far this year, 17 of which were directly caused by heat and the six others of which were “heat-contributed.” “We know that June was hotter than June last year,” said Dr. Nick Staab, assistant medical director of Maricopa County Department of Public Health. “We know that the risk for heat-related death increases with those higher temperatures.” There were 579 confirmed deaths related to heat in Maricopa last year, and 386 in 2022, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. The health department said a quarter of last year’s deaths happened indoors, with air conditioning units not working properly for two-thirds of those victims. Heat is the top cause of weather-related fatalities nationwide. But because investigations of suspected heat deaths can take months, and counties use a mishmash of methods to count them, it is difficult to know exactly how many people died in the recent heat waves. There have been at least 73 confirmed heat-related deaths across the U.S. this year, according to an ongoing count by NBC News. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity’s knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. In Phoenix, an average temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit made it the hottest June in the city’s more than 100 years of temperature records, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Parts of Nevada and Texas also endured their hottest June on record In neighboring Nevada, Las Vegas sizzled to its temperature record in June. “Almost any way you slice it, June 2024 was the hottest ever in Las Vegas,” the local office of the NWS wrote on X. The previous record was set eight years ago, in 2016. Triple-digit temperatures were recorded nearly every day last month, the weather service said. The average temperature in June was 94.6 degrees, which was seven degrees above normal and 1.8 degrees hotter than the previous record. The heat was also persistent. The average high temperature hit 106.2 degrees, and the average low temperature touched 83 degrees, meaning the city had little relief from the heat even overnight. But it wasn’t just the milestones that were notable, the National Weather Service said. “What’s more impressive is how much we beat the old records by,” the National Weather Service wrote on X, adding that June’s average high temperature beat the previous record by 1.2 degrees, a bigger margin than what separates second and eighth place. It was a scorching June in West Texas, as well. El Paso had its hottest June on record, breaking a record that had stood for 30 years. The average temperature in the border city hit 89.4 degrees, which was 0.4 degrees warmer than the previous record set in 1994. Extreme heat is expected to persist across the West Coast and parts of the South. Heat advisories and excessive heat warnings are in effect in Washington State, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and Florida. Visit Climate.news for more stories about heat waves during summer. Watch this video to learn some tips for keeping cool during summer heat waves. This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Heat advisories issued in Southern Florida amid record-breaking heat wave. Climate change is a $100 trillion wealth transfer from the poor to the rich. Heat-related deaths are mounting each summer in Europe. Heat waves, drought strain electrical grids and fuel wildfires in US West. Sources include: NBCNews.com Brighteon.com

Whistleblower: Secret Service agent stationed on the rooftop where Trump assassin opened fire ABANDONED post due to heat A whistleblower has disclosed that a Secret Service agent posted to the rooftop where former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin left their post due to the heat. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) revealed this in a July 22 letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. According to the senator’s letter, the whistleblower’s claim ran contrary to the assertion by now-former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle regarding the roof of the American Glass Research building. Cheatle argued that the building’s roof was sloped at its highest point and they considered it a safety factor for the agent. “Contrary to Cheatle’s public statement about the ‘safety’ of the sloped roof, one whistleblower with direct knowledge of Secret Service planning for the event alleges that there was supposed to be a law enforcement presence on the roof that day,” wrote Hawley. Unfortunately, this lack of security allowed 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to position himself and shoot Trump. (Related: WOKE and WEAK: Secret Service gives pathetic excuse for not covering the warehouse roof where Trump’s assassin opened fire.) The informant further alleged that concerns over the hot weather prompted law enforcement to station security personnel inside the building instead of the roof. This corroborated Cheatle’s earlier claim that a decision was made to secure the building from the inside. On July 13, Crook attempted to assassinate Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, shooting him in the right ear, killing one audience member and injuring two others. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity’s knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Cheatle resigns, but she’s not yet off the hook Following the horrendous incident, Cheatle received major backlash over the lack of apparently security during the July 13 campaign rally. On July 23, 10 days after the failed assassination attempt on Trump, she resigned from her post. “The assassination attempt on Trump is the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades,” Cheatle admitted during a July 22 hearing of the House Oversight Committee. However, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), a member of the committee, blasted Cheatle for being “full of s**t” during the same hearing. After Cheatle resigned, Mace announced that she would withdraw a motion to impeach the former Secret Service director. “Now that Cheatle resigned after getting her rear handed to her yesterday and our articles to impeach her, we’re withdrawing our motion to impeach,” said the congresswoman. “Accountability is non-negotiable. This is what we call a mic drop.” U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) also promised that Cheatle’s resignation won’t be the end of this failure, vowing that she won’t “get to slither away and enjoy retirement.” “Cheatle and Mayorkas will face accountability for actions, including possible criminal investigations. I won’t let this go unanswered,” the congresswoman for the Peach State continued. On the same day as Cheatle’s resignation, U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK) introduced a bill called the Secret Service Readiness Act (SSRA). The SSRA seeks to create “a uniform fitness standard for Secret Service special agents and uniformed division officers.” “We believe that there ought to be one set of standards for Secret Service agents. There shouldn’t be multiple different ways you can qualify based upon your sex or your political beliefs,” Brecheen said. “If people who are being protected by [the] Secret Service – if they want the opportunity to let those who can’t meet full historic standards on their details, let them handle it. Don’t force it upon everybody else and potentially make them more vulnerable to an assassination attempt. Head over to Trump.news for the latest stories about the former president. Watch Donald Trump reacting to former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation in the clip below. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Secret Service absent from Trump rally – whistleblowers to senator. Whistleblowers allege Trump was NOT protected by Secret Service agents during assassination attempt. Whistleblowers: Secret Service had “limited resources” to deal with security threats during Trump rally. Trump shot in the ear, survives assassination attempt as questions emerge about Secret Service and local police. Sources include: SputnikGlobe.com FoxNews.com 1 FoxNews.com 2 Brighteon.com

Biden now says he pulled out of the race “to allow a new generation to take over” President Joe Biden addressed the nation about his withdrawal from the presidential race Wednesday night, July 24, days after he announced his move. The 81-year-old Biden claimed he pulled out of the race against Republican Donald Trump to allow a new generation to take over. “I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That’s the best way to unite our nation,” he said. Biden announced his decision to drop out of the race on July 21, further endorsing Harris to replace him. By the evening of July 22, the vice president became the presumptive Democratic nominee as enough Biden delegates officially went all in on supporting her. The president mentioned in his initial letter that he planned to talk about his decision. Meanwhile, Harris has already begun campaigning – securing the support of more delegates in time for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. Her campaign also announced that it had already raised $100 million since its launch on July 21. Biden’s withdrawal brings uncertainty to Kyiv Presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky commented on Harris being the presumptive Democratic nominee. “If she wins, then it will be confirmation that [Biden] did the right thing – to fight against the threat that is Trump – and he will be seen as a legend on behalf of democracy,” explained Chervinsky, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. “If she loses, I think there will be questions about, did he step down too late? Would the Democratic Party have been more effective if he had said he was not going to run?” We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. According to the Associated Press, Harris has spent the better part of the last three years praising Biden’s doings, which only means that any attempt to now distance herself would be difficult to explain. She has to rely on the Biden political operation she inherited to win the election with just over 100 days to go before polls close, the news outlet noted. (Related: Political analysts: Biden’s withdrawal from presidential race has left the Democrats IN TURMOIL.) The Democratic Party isn’t the only one in turmoil following Biden’s withdrawal. Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fears about Kyiv’s future after the 81-year-old confirmed his decision to drop out. The great possibility that Trump will win the election would mean a choke-off of support to Kyiv and would force the nation to pursue peace on terms that favor Russia. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. has sometimes been seen as a frustrating friend despite Washington being Kyiv’s top war benefactor. “The Ukrainians are pretty disappointed with Biden,” said Edward Lucas, a senior adviser at the Center for European Policy Analysis. “Biden’s dithering has a price, paid in the destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure and the slaughter of Ukrainian civilians and in unnecessary battlefield casualties. So although Trump might be worse … a continuation of the Biden line is already pretty grim.” Check out JoeBiden.news for more news related to Biden’s withdrawal of his reelection bid. Watch this video about how former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was prepared to play the “hard way” to get Biden out of the race. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump maintains substantial lead against Biden in six swing states that could decide the election. Watch: Senator says Biden is politically ‘as dead as fried chicken.’ Biden on July 8: ‘We’re done talking about the debate, it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.’ Sources include: Mediaite.com Reuters.com APNews.com Yahoo.com Brighteon.com

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has partnered with the BioIndustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE) to produce lab-grown foods intended to feed the nation’s military. The public-private partnership, which is largely DOD funded, released a project call in May 2024 looking for proposals in a number of focus areas, including “sustainable food production.”1 Under this category, the Sustainable Logistics for Advanced Manufacturing (SLAM) project includes a call for innovations in food production that “could include, but are not limited to, production of nutrient-dense military rations via fermentation processes, utilizing one carbon molecule (C1) feedstocks for food production, and novel cell culture methods suitable for the production of cultivated meat/protein.”2 Ultimately, the partnership sets up military members as lab rats who will be fed synthetically grown, ultraprocessed junk foods in lieu of a healthy, whole-food-based diet. DOD Plans to Feed Soldiers Fake Meat The biotech industry is rolling out a “tsunami of fake foods”3 that are being positioned as environmentally friendly and health-promoting alternatives to real foods like meat and dairy. Lab-grown meat may one day represent 80% or more of the “meat” consumed worldwide,4 a dramatic departure from the way humans have eaten for centuries. The DOD describes BioMADE as “a nonprofit created by the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC).” In 2020, it awarded the outfit $87 million in funding for a new Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII):5 “Through a close relationship with DOD and the Military Services, BioMADE will work to establish long-term and dependable bioindustrial manufacturing capabilities for a wide array of products. Anticipated bioindustrial manufacturing applications include the following products: chemicals, solvents, detergents, reagents, plastics, electronic films, fabrics, polymers, agricultural products (e.g., feedstock), crop protection solutions, food additives, fragrances, and flavors.” However, the DOD also funds innovation grants, each of which has a $2-million limit up to a total budget of $500 million — funding that earmarked at least in part for BioMADE’s development of lab-grown fake meat products.6 In fact, in March 2023, BioMADE announced that its federal funds budget ceiling had increased from an initial $87.5 million to over $500 million.7 The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) condemned the idea. Ethan Lane, NCBA vice president of government affairs, said in a press release:8 “It is outrageous that the Department of Defense is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to feed our heroes like lab rats … American troops deserve to be served that same wholesome, natural meat and not ultraprocessed, lab-grown protein that is cooked up in a chemical-filled bioreactor. This misguided research project is a giant slap in the face to everyone that has served our country. Our veterans and active-duty troops deserve so much better than this.” Former U.S. Special Forces member Martin Bailey further told the Daily Mail:9 “I think the government should focus on letting the military protect our nation from enemies, foreign and domestic, sometimes, but you know, that’s what the military is there for. They’re not there to be experimental lab rats … why doesn’t the government feed experimental meat product that, you don’t even know what it is, why don’t they feed that to, let’s say, homeless people? Well, there’s a reason they don’t, because that would be completely unethical. So why is it ethical to stick it down the throat of our military service members?” ‘Fermentation’ Processes for Lab-Grown Meat Are Far From Natural In a process completely removed from nature, biotech companies are using precision fermentation based on genetically engineered (GE) microbes to create synthetic food products in a lab. Like other lab-grown meats on the market, BioMADE’s “nutrient-dense military rations” produced “via fermentation processes” will be made using processes far removed from the natural fermentation that occurs in the production of wholesome foods like yogurt. In precision fermentation, GE microbes such as yeast and bacteria are fermented in brewery-style tanks under high-tech, sterile conditions. But serious problems have already emerged. To make fake meat, cell lines are taken from a living organism. They’re then manipulated to grow quickly and consistently. “What are cells that proliferate quickly? Either cancers or fetuses. They have cells that proliferate very quickly,” Dutch investigative journalist Elze van Hamelen says.10 For lab-grown meats, biotech is cryptic about what types of cell lines are actually used. Contamination in cultured meat is another serious issue. It must be controlled down to 2 parts per billion, van Hamelen says, “because as soon as there is a contamination … it becomes riddled with bacteria, and you don’t have a cell culture, you have a bacteria culture.”11 An expose in Wired points to a number of the technological challenges that van Hamelen also speaks of,12 direct from employees at Upside Foods, one of two companies allowed to sell cultured meat in the U.S. Wired reported:13 “One former employee says that between the factory opening in November 2021 and the summer of 2022, they saw dozens of attempts to use the bioreactors to produce sheets of tissue, but they rarely resulted in usable meat. At times, production runs were ruined by contamination that meant the meat was unsuitable for turning into a product, the former employee says. Former Upside employees describe how batches of meat growing in the custom-made bioreactors would frequently be ruined by contamination and have to be incinerated. ‘Once they had any indication it was contaminating, they would try to just stop the run, get the cells, and get any results out of it that they could,’ says a former employee with knowledge of the process.” Meanwhile, despite the pharmaceutical-style manufacturing, lab-grown meat isn’t considered a pharmaceutical product, which means no human testing is required. “If this is brought to market, it’s a human experiment,” van Hamelen says14 — one that apparently the DOD is willing to test out on its own military. BioMADE Funds Bacteria Biomass Protein for Warfighters One BioMADE-funded project that’s already underway is Superbrewed Food’s bacteria biomass protein.15 According to BioMADE:16 “Through this project, member Superbrewed Food (SBF) will produce sustainable protein, formulate it into a format that would be

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) foolishly approved the dangerous Opill (norgestrel), as an over-the-counter (OTC) daily oral contraceptive, in July 2023.1 The birth control pills — the first available without a prescription in the U.S. — reached retail pharmacies and online stores in March 2024.2 This was a derelict action by the FDA that violates their mandate to protect the public health. The drug’s maker, Perrigo, is touting Opill as a convenient option for people without health insurance or access to medical services. “No prescription, no appointment, no hassle. FDA-approved,” its website states.3 But Opill contains the hormone norgestrel, which is a type of progestin. Norgestrel is effective in preventing ovulation, thickening cervical mucus to hinder sperm movement and altering the uterine lining to prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.4 However, progestin, the synthetic version of progesterone, is not recommended as it does not have the health benefits associated with natural progesterone — and carries significant health risks. What’s Progestin, the Active Ingredient in Opill? Opill is a progestin-only contraceptive pill, often referred to as a “mini-pill.” Unlike combination oral contraceptives that contain both estrogen and progestin, Opill contains only progestin. This single-hormone formulation is often said to cause fewer side effects, but it’s far from a safe option. In 1943, chemist Russell Marker started extracting progesterone from wild Mexican yams. However, progesterone is poorly absorbed when taken orally, so women had to take inconveniently large doses. In 1951, Syntex S.A. (later acquired by Roche) developed norethindrone, the first synthetic progestin (progesterone analogue). A year later, G. D. Searle (now a Pfizer subsidiary), came up with its own synthetic progestin, called norethynodrel. Both norethindrone and norethynodrel are derivatives of testosterone, the primary androgenic hormone. Syntex and Upjohn Pharmaceutical also co-developed medroxyprogesterone acetate, which is still widely used, both in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and contraceptives, including Depo Provera. Ironically, all these progestins initially received FDA approval for gynecological disorders caused by excess estrogen. Synthetic progestins, while having some of the activity of progesterone, do not have the same physiological effects as the endogenous progesterone produced by your body. Progesterone is one of the most beneficial hormones a person could take while the synthetic version, progestin, is one of the most dangerous. Progestin Increases Breast Cancer Risk According to the FDA, “The most common side effects of Opill include irregular bleeding, headaches, dizziness, nausea, increased appetite, abdominal pain, cramps or bloating.” However, it also notes, “Opill should not be used by those who have or have ever had breast cancer. Consumers who have any other form of cancer should ask a doctor before use.”5 This is because hormonal birth control, including progestin-only birth control pills, may increase breast cancer risk. A case-control study and meta-analysis published in PLOS Medicine, assessed breast cancer risk associated with different types of hormonal contraceptives, including those containing progestagen only.6 Progestagen is a broad term that refers to any natural or synthetic substance that has effects similar to those of progesterone, the natural hormone produced in the body. It includes synthetic compounds like progestin. The study found that current or recent use of hormonal contraceptives was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, with researchers stating:7 “Our findings suggest that there is a relative increase of around 20% to 30% in breast cancer risk associated with current or recent use of either combined oral or progestagen-only contraceptives … When our findings for oral contraceptives are combined with results from previous studies (which included women in a wider age range), they suggest that the 15-year absolute excess risk of breast cancer associated with use of oral contraceptives ranges from 8 per 100,000 users (an increase in incidence from 0.084% to 0.093%) for use from age 16 to 20 to about 265 per 100,000 users (from 2.0% to 2.2%) for use from age 35 to 39.” These risks have been known for some time. The Women’s Health Initiative, which began in 1991, found women who used either Premarin, a weak estrogen, alone or in combination with Provera, the synthetic progestin used in birth control shots, had elevated rates of vascular diseases, cognitive decline, cancers and more.8 In my interview with Susan Wadia-Ells, Ph.D., author of “Busting Breast Cancer: Five Simple Steps to Keep Breast Cancer Out of Your Body,” she also described how progestin may initiate breast cancer: “In 2010, there was an incredibly important study that has gotten buried. The lead researcher was Josef Penninger. On that international study team of about 12 people, one is now the CEO and president of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The researchers spent 10 years working with mice in preclinical settings, trying to figure out why women who take progestin-based drugs — be they birth control drugs or menopausal drugs — have anywhere from a 26% to an eightfold increased risk of developing breast cancer. They finally published a study in 2010 that basically explained, in some more detail, but not totally, how the progestin pulls out or activates something called RANKL, which is a protein. The RANKL, apparently — though they don’t say these words — can suffocate the mitochondria in a woman’s breast cell, initiating that first cancer cell. The sad thing is that no researchers in the field of breast cancer prevention ever cite this study. They’re not aware of it for some reason. But, it was published in October of 2010 in Nature magazine,9 which we all know is a very significant, well-known scientific journal.” The Health Benefits of Natural Progesterone Progestin doesn’t have the many beneficial effects of natural progesterone, which is the main endogenous and most direct and potent glucocorticoid receptor antagonist. As such, it’s also a cortisol blocker. Progesterone is also a GABA agonist and an estrogen blocker. Estrogens are one of the primary factors contributing to increasing your cancer risk — along with the plastic burden contributing their xenoestrogens — as both decrease mitochondrial function. Progesterone is the antidote because it is not only anti-estrogen but, as mentioned, inhibits cortisol

Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published May 29, 2017. You’ve probably seen cooking shows or read cookbooks that recommended removing the bay leaves you added to your spaghetti sauce or other savory dish. But why put them in if you’re just going to take them out? One enterprising chef said if you really want an answer to that question, throw a couple into a pot of water to simmer for a while, then taste it, and it will emit a fairly heady essence of camphor. Serious Eats continues: “Taste it after five minutes and you’ll probably get a good hit of menthol and eucalyptus (think: Vick’s VapoRub). That’s the chemical eugenol you’re smelling, and it’s the biggest constituent in the bay leaf’s flavor arsenal of more than 50 compounds.”1 But after an hour or so of “steeping” a bay leaf or two in your recipe, the mucus-loosening menthol notes dissipate into something softer and more complex. The suggestion of depth may not be identified at first tasting, but bay leaves lend subtle warmth and piquancy that would leave a dish flat without it. Not to give away some of the mystery of this ancient Mediterranean plant or shrub, but like many of the culinary herbal additions used for thousands of years, antibacterial bay leaves have unique and potent gastrointestinal, respiratory, anti-inflammatory, heart and stress benefits, with anticancer and diabetes preventive qualities thrown in, and more. So why take them out before serving them? In short, if you’ve ever taken a bite of bay leaf, you know its removal becomes necessary immediately, which isn’t always pretty. The texture feels like a dropout from a silk bouquet or a stiff piece of vellum. In short, not pleasant. Bay leaves are kept whole for the simple reason that crumbling them will take that much longer to fish those bits out of your pot of soup than plucking out whole leaves. They’re removed to avoid anyone experiencing the aforementioned unpleasantness, and because of the fact that swallowing the pointy leaves might not feel so good going down. So What Are Some of the ’50 Compounds’ in Bay Leaves? Bay leaves are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and vitamin C, the minerals iron, manganese, copper and calcium, all antioxidants with free radical-scavenging abilities, positively impacting your eyesight, bones and blood. While you certainly wouldn’t use 100 grams of bay leaves in one day, showing the nutrients 100 grams contain gives you a pretty good idea of the high concentration a few leaves might have. Here are the most important nutrients and the percentage 100 grams provides, from Nutrition and You:2 Iron — 537% — helps fight anemia Manganese — 355% — helps support thyroid function Vitamin A — 206% — good for your eyes Vitamin C — 77.5% — “probably the most potent antibacterial and antiviral agent ever discovered”3 Calcium — 83% — supports strong bones and teeth There’s also an impressive 133% of pyroxidine, or vitamin B6, important for being able to make use of the energy the foods you eat provide, for red blood cell production, and proper nerve function. Additionally, high zinc content offers immune support. As you may have surmised, they’re also rich in essential oils. Nature Word lists several of the most prominent, like eugenol, which has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, particularly lethal to several types of colon cancer cells. There are quite a few of these essential oils: Cineol, the main bay leaf component, found to slow leukemia cell growth4 Geranyl acetate Neral Myrcene — Anti-inflammatory and analgesic; has mild sedative effects for stress relief Alpha-pinene, opens upper respiratory airways,5 and may reduce tumor size as an anticancer agent6 Linalool, also found in hemp, has mild sedative effects for stress relief Methyl chavicol Limonene works against brain cancer cells Beta-pinene — Inhibits growth of potentially infectious endocartis7 Alpha-terpineol Clinical Studies on How Bay Leaves May Help Your Body Lauroside is another compound that, when extracted from bay leaves, has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of skin cancer cells by bringing on programmed cell death, or apoptosis.8 The study succinctly states, “Induction of apoptosis by (lauroside) in human aggressive melanoma cell lines has a potential high biological value.” You’ve no doubt heard how lethal or at least intensely uncomfortable Escherichia coli (E. coli) can be, as well as Salmonella infection. A study at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University examined both the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of several essential oils for their effectiveness. The oils tested included white wormwood, rose-scented geranium and bay laurel, which was applied to fresh produce against Salmonella and E. coli. While all three essential oils showed antioxidant properties, the most potent activity took place with the bay laurel essential oil.9 One study showed that consuming 1 to 3 grams of bay leaves per day for 30 days “decreases risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and suggests that bay leaves may be beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes,” with a positive effect on lowering blood sugar levels and improving insulin function. The study involved 40 people with Type 2 diabetes; half given bay leaf and the other half a placebo for 30 days. At the end of the study, the placebo group had no improvement, while the herb group showed both decreased heart and diabetes risk factors.10 Another review notes the antifungal properties in bay leaves, published in the Archives of Oral Biology, which demonstrate its effectiveness against Candida: “In the study, the bay laurel disrupted adhesion of Candida to cell walls, therefore reducing its ability to penetrate the membrane, making it a great addition to a Candida diet in order to combat this condition.”11 More Benefits of Bay Leaves Even traditional medicine recommends using bay leaves for digestive issues such as ulcer pain, heartburn, gas and colic, as well as pain from arthritis and other muscle relief. Not just consuming essence of bay leaf is advised, but a

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is a small region located in your brain’s hypothalamus. It serves as the master biological clock that regulates your body’s circadian rhythms — the 24-hour cycles that govern various physiological and behavioral processes, including your sleep-wake cycle, hormone release and body temperature. But your body’s central circadian clock is not alone. The discovery of “peripheral clocks,” also known as peripheral oscillators, expanded our understanding of the body’s circadian system beyond the central clock. Peripheral clocks are found in various tissues and nearly every organ throughout your body, including the liver, lungs, heart and skeletal muscles. These clocks help regulate local physiological processes in coordination with the master clock in the SCN. While ambient light is a primary influence on your central clock, peripheral clocks are sensitive to other factors as well, including the timing of your meals.1 Your Body Has Many Circadian Rhythms While your body’s peripheral clocks are synchronized with your central clock, the peripheral clocks regulate local physiological processes throughout your body. As noted by Dr. Michael Greger, founding member and Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine:2 “Our heart runs on a clock, our lungs run on one, and so do our kidneys, for instance. In fact, up to 80 percent of the genes in our liver are expressed in a circadian rhythm.3 Our entire digestive tract is, too.4 The rate at which our stomach empties, the secretion of digestive enzymes, and the expression of transporters in our intestinal lining for absorbing sugar and fat all cycle around the clock. So, too, does the ability of our body fat to sop up extra calories. The way we know these cycles are driven by local clocks,5 rather than being controlled by our brain, is that you can take surgical biopsies of fat, put them in a petri dish, and watch them continue to rhythm away.” Your liver’s circadian clock, for instance, regulates glucose metabolism, cholesterol synthesis and detoxification processes.6 Your pancreas’ circadian clock regulates insulin secretion,7 while kidney function, including filtration rates and urine production, also follows a circadian rhythm,8 generally increasing during the day and decreasing at night. Circadian rhythms in your heart also influence daily fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rate, which are typically lower during sleep and higher during daytime activities.9 As explained in a review published in Medical Science Monitor:10 “Circadian clocks orchestrate various critical biological processes in virtually all cardiovascular cell types and a diverse spectrum of cardiovascular physiologies undergo circadian oscillations, including blood pressure, ECG pattern, heart rate, and metabolism. The development, progression, and outcome of various cardiovascular diseases are closely linked to aberrant circadian rhythms. Disruption of this circadian regulation has been proven to lead to malfunction in cellular or organ processes, ultimately triggering pathological conditions.” Beyond this, even your immune system and gastrointestinal tract depend on circadian rhythms to function properly. Your Health Depends on Keeping Your Circadian Rhythms in Sync Researchers with the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences used the analogy of a child on a swing to describe what happens if your circadian rhythms fall out of sync.11 Greger explains:12 “‘Imagine a child playing on a swing.’ Picture yourself pushing, but you become distracted by what’s going on around you in the playground and stop paying attention to the timing of the push. So, you forget to push or you push too early or too late. What happens? Out of sync, the swinging becomes erratic, slows, or even stops. That is what happens when we travel across multiple time zones or have to work the night shift. The ‘pusher’ in this case is the light cues falling onto our eyes. Our circadian rhythm is meant to get a ‘push’ from bright light every morning at dawn, but if the sun rises at a different time or we’re exposed to bright light in the middle of the night, this can push our cycle out of sync and leave us feeling out of sorts. That’s an example of a mismatch between the external environment and our central clock. Problems can also arise from a misalignment between the central clock in our brain and all the other organ clocks throughout our body.” Many factors can throw your circadian rhythms off kilter, from working the night shift to a bout of jet lag. However, these rhythms rely on zeitgebers to get back on track. Zeitgebers are external cues that help regulate and synchronize your circadian rhythms. The term “zeitgeber” comes from the German words “Zeit,” meaning “time,” and “geber,” meaning “giver” or “supplier.” Your Master Clock Relies on Signals From Light and Darkness Since ancient times, humans have adapted to light from the sun during the day and darkness at night, save for light from the moon and stars, and the warm glow of fire. It’s only been about a century since the invention of electric lights, which radically changed the way humans interact with daily light and darkness. Soon after electric light bulbs were invented, night shift work began as humans found a way to extend “daylight” hours.13 With the advent of television, computers, tablets and smartphones, humans are exposed to light at night at an unprecedented level. This disruption to circadian rhythm, which is stabilized by bright light exposure during the day and complete darkness at night, can take a toll on your health. More light exposure at night, for instance, is linked to an increased risk of several psychiatric conditions, including:14 Major depressive disorder Generalized anxiety disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Psychosis Bipolar disorder Self-harm behavior In another study, exposure to any amount of light at night was linked detrimental effects on the health of older adults, increasing the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.15 Further, nighttime exposure to light inhibits the secretion of melatonin, which can cause circadian disruptions that play a role in cancer.16 It’s previously been shown that higher exposure to outdoor light at night may increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer,17 and evidence