‘Autonomous zone’ NYC bar is making big bucks on GoFundMe

Staten Island’s self-proclaimed “Autonomous Zone” bar can’t legally open its doors to customers, but the joint is still managing to clean up.

A nearly week-old online fundraiser for Mac’s Public House had raised $75,000 by Saturday afternoon.

“We’ve all been shuttered and struggling since the first shutdowns,” co-owner Danny Presti says in the fundraiser.

“Mac’s Public House decided to take a stand for what is right, and we now ask for your support. With your help and donations, we will continue the fight to stay open, and anything we receive in excess of what we need will go towards assisting other small businesses fighting fines and getting reopened.”

“This isn’t just for Mac’s, this is for all of us.”

Nearly 2,000 people had made donations via GoFundMe by Saturday.

During sporadic openings this week, including on Friday night, the bar has been serving “free” food and drink while requesting patrons make donations in lieu of payment.

https://nypost.com/2020/12/05/autonomous-zone-nyc-bar-is-making-big-bucks-on-gofundme/

Scientists link radiation to mysterious Havana Syndrome that hit US diplomats

A type of radiation that includes microwaves has been linked for the first time scientifically to Havana Syndrome, the mysterious illness that has struck American diplomats in China and Cuba.

Researchers at the National Academies of Science have found that the symptoms described by several dozen government employees — dizziness, unsteadiness, visual impairments, feeling pressure in the head and hearing a loud sound — are consistent with radiofrequency energy, NBC News reported.

In their report, the scientists pointed out that studies more than 50 years ago and Western and Soviet sources more recently “provide circumstantial support for this possible mechanism.”

For years, US officials have suspected Russia was behind the attacks, and the report doesn’t rule out that possibility.

“The mere consideration of such a scenario raises grave concerns about a world with disinhibited malevolent actors and new tools for causing harm to others…,” they wrote.

The illness became known as Havana Syndrome after US diplomats stationed in the Cuban capital began experiencing symptoms in 2016. Diplomats in China reported similar symptoms around the same time.

https://nypost.com/2020/12/05/scientists-link-radiation-to-mysterious-havana-syndrome/