Developed In Israel To Keep You Safe - Big Brother Is Watching!
Google is still working on Chinese search engine, say employees
Dragonfly On The Wall
Google’s Chinese search engine project that would censor parts of the web — codenamed Dragonfly — might not be dead just yet.
In December, Google CEO Sundar Pichai told the House Judiciary Committee that the company had “no plans to launch in China,” seemingly putting an end to the controversial project.
But on Monday, The Intercept published a report detailing a group of Google employees’ belief that work on Dragonfly is still ongoing — meaning Google might be planning to help the Chinese government police the web after all.
The Code Knows
In August, The Intercept published a report claiming Google was working on a censorship-friendly search engine for China. The following month, Google confirmed the project’s existence, and a wave of backlash followed, with the company’s own employees protesting its involvement in the project.
Soon after Pichai’s congressional testimony, it appeared the project was officially dead, but a group of Google employees wanted to be certain, so they launched their own investigation, they told The Intercept.
These employees began monitoring Google’s code repositories related to Dragonfly and noted approximately 500 changes to the code in December. Between January and February, more than 400 additional changes appeared.
The employees told The Intercept they see these changes, as well as that fact that Google is still maintaining a budget for Dragonfly, as evidence that the project is ongoing.
Temporary Delay
Despite what the employees found, Google maintains that Dragonfly is still dead.
“This speculation is wholly inaccurate,” a Google representative told The Verge. “Quite simply: there’s no work happening on Dragonfly. As we’ve said for many months, we have no plans to launch Search in China and there is no work being undertaken on such a project. Team members have moved to new projects.”
Still, when Pichai testified in December, he included the words “right now” when talking about Google’s lack of plans for a Chinese search engine — leading some to believe the project might not be dead, just dormant.
“Right now it feels unlaunchable, but I don’t think they are canceling outright,” former Google software engineer Colin McMillen told The Intercept. “I think they are putting it on the back burner and are going to try it again in a year or two with a different code name or approach.”
https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/71438/google-is-still-working-on-chinese-search-engine-say.html
Chinese Hackers Allegedly Hacking U.S. Universities Tied To Naval Research
Chinese hackers have been targeting U.S. universities to steal research about military equipment, security experts said.
Most of the universities were studying undersea technologies, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, some under contracts with the Navy. The schools include Penn State and Duke University. The same group of Beijing hackers is suspected to have previously stolen information from Navy contractors.
The hackers are known as Temp.Periscope, Leviathan or Mudcarp.
The hackers took advantage of academic researchers not noticing that emails pretending to be from peers at other institutions were actually “phishing” attempts or contained malware. Infected files then spread, for example, from the University of Hawaii’s Applied Research Laboratory to Penn State.
“They are a full-fledged operation,” Ben Read, senior manager for cyber espionage analysis at FireEye, told the Wall Street Journal. “And they are not going anywhere.”
Many of the schools are linked to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a Massachusetts research institute that located the sunken Titanic and partners with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center.
The team is suspected of hacking a warfare center contractor and stealing plans for a supersonic anti-ship missile.
The cybersecurity firm iDefense said it identified breaches of universities by noticing that the schools’ servers were pinging China.
When it comes to cyber-attacks, while much of America’s attention has focused on Russia, China has allegedly quietly built a formidable operation.
The Intelligence Community Inspector General reportedly detected similar pings from Hillary Clinton’s amateur computer server to China that caused every email to be blind-copied to a Chinese group.
The country hacked the Office of Personnel Management, which houses the roster of federal employees, in 2015. Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, had an alleged Chinese spy on her payroll for decades.
The country has also mounted an influence operation targeted at American universities. So-called Confucius Institutes inside U.S. colleges, which Chinese officials have described as effective arms for propaganda, have grown considerably in recent years. College administrators have expressed little concern even as some Chinese staff affiliated with the program sabotaged academic efforts, and the Chinese government shut down a reciprocal program in that country. Seventy percent of U.S. universities hosting the Chinese program violated the law by not disclosing the foreign funding, according to a bipartisan Senate report.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/03/05/chinese-hackers-universities-naval-research/
Official: Palm Beach exempt from 5G wireless law
Town Manager Tom Bradford said Tuesday that Palm Beach and some other coastal communities have been exempted from legislation that would limit local control on the installation of 5G transmission equipment.
The legislation has passed the House and Senate and is awaiting Gov. Rick Scott’s signature, Bradford said at a meeting of the Underground Utilities Task Force.
“We have been carved out,” Bradford said. “That law does not apply to us.”
The exemption or “carve out” is welcome news in Palm Beach, where Bradford and Mayor Gail Coniglio have warned the new law would be an aesthetic disaster.
The legislation severely limits state and local government control over of public rights-of-way where 5G, or fifth generation wireless technology, is being installed. The legislation’s sponsors, Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Palm Coast, and Rep. Mike La Rosa, R-St. Cloud, say it will promote the use of much faster digital service throughout Florida.
“We in essence could have every public right of way marred by a utility we have no control over,” Coniglio has said. Coniglio traveled to Tallahassee last month to lobby for the exemption and against a flurry of bills that attack home rule – the ability of counties and municipalities to exert local control.
Bradford said the exemption means the town will have much more control in regulating where the 5G equipment — “small cells” that are the size of a suitcase or small refrigerator — will be located. Coniglio could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Last month, Town Council declared a moratorium on applications to place wireless communications on public property and in public rights of way. Had the town not been exempted, the moratorium would not have protected the town against the state law after it takes effect July 1, Town Attorney John Randolph has said.
The ban temporarily blocks all applications to place wireless facilities on public property, in the public rights of way or in public utility easements while the town crafts new regulations.
“We need rules and procedures on the books,” Bradford said. “We have 180 days [from mid-April] to work all that out, to find a manner to make it acceptable, whether it’s camouflaging or putting [equipment] on roof tops.”
Bradford said that to position itself to take advantage of 5G wireless technology, the town needs to lay additional conduit as part of the town-wide undergrounding project.
The conduit, which could be used for greater bandwidth, has been removed from the underground utilities budget to cut costs, however.
“If people agree, then I need to find the money to make it happen,” Bradford said. “We would be remiss if we don’t do it now.”
“Conceptually, it makes sense and is worth exploring,” task force member Harry Wolin said.
He asked Bradford if he was proposing the conduit for main roads only or into every neighborhood.
“At a minimum we should do the backbone,” Bradford replied.
https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/20170503/official-palm-beach-exempt-from-5g-wireless-law
Slowdown Nation: Israel lags on internet speeds, choked by lack of competition
In fact, not only is Israel’s internet speed slow, it is also increasing more slowly than other countries’. A lack of competition in the market means there is little incentive for the only two major suppliers to invest in costly infrastructure, resulting in Israelis not having the speed they need in a world that is becoming increasingly digitalized.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/slowdown-nation-israel-lags-on-internet-speeds-choked-by-lack-of-competition/
5G = Kill system for the Goyim
Senators Introduce Bill to Get US Out of Afghanistan
Sen. Paul says US should declare victory, withdraw
A bipartisan resolution has been introduced in the Senate on Monday calling for the US to withdraw military forces from Afghanistan. The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Tom Udall (D-NM).
The resolution, called the 2019 Afghan Forces Going Home After Noble Service Act (AFGHAN Service Act), would declare victory. This is on the grounds that Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011 and al-Qaeda is all but eliminated within Afghanistan.
The bill goes further than just Afghanistan, too, as with the completion of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, it would repeal the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). Though the AUMF was initially passed to invade Afghanistan, it has been broadly expanded by presidents since as a legal justification for wars across the world.
The text of the bill calls for all US troops to be out of Afghanistan within a year of passage. It would also call for all US troops who were deployed in the Global War on Terror (estimated at over 3 million troops) to get $2,500 bonuses.
Sen. Paul addressed the bill, saying that the Global War on Terror had cost $6 trillion, adding that the war in Afghanistan should’ve ended years ago. Sen. Paul cited President Trump’s admonishment that “great nations don’t fight endless wars” while pointing out that military goals had all been achieved years ago. He warned Afghanistan had just become a war of nation-building.
It is likely that the administration will object to this bill, since they are in the process of negotiating a settlement of the Afghan War. This bill makes no provision for a negotiated deal with the Taliban, instead turning over all facilities to the Afghan government and withdrawing US troops.
Those wishing to contact their Senators to express support for the AFGHAN Service Act can find information to do so here. There is as of yet no specific timeline for a vote, but contacting them as early as possible may help rally support to advance the bill.
https://news.antiwar.com/2019/03/05/senators-introduce-bill-to-get-us-out-of-afghanistan/
FDA Bans Cancer-Causing Food Additives, but Won’t Enforce Until 2020
Americans are no strangers to food additives: the preservatives, coloring and flavoring agents that keep foods looking fresh and taste better. A product of our desire for fast, cheap and satisfying eats that underscores our detachment from actually fresh, locally sourced foods, they are found in everything from nutrition-boosting salad dressings to McDonald's French fries. But are they safe?
In ancient times, additives may have been used not only to make food more flavorful but to keep it safe for consumption, too. Bruce Eaton, a retired professor of biochemistry at the University of Colorado, Boulder, points out that "the proliferation of the spice trade, which began as early as 3000 BC, led to increasing demand for additives to enhance the taste of food," adding that, "historical records … include the use of spices to preserve meat and inhibit the growth of bacteria."
Fast forward to the 20th century. As the U.S. diet became more synthetic, processed and commercialized, food additives became more common. In 1958, Congress passed the Food Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, requiring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve all additives used in food production. To date, there are hundreds of FDA-approved food additives, ranging from vitamin D3 (a nutritional supplement found in beverages like orange juice) to sulfaquinoxaline (an antibiotic used for livestock and poultry), and another list of approved color additives.
Though these additives exist in trace or larger quantities in nearly every packaged food we consume, after they are approved, there isn't enough research to understand their long-term health effects. Now, however, regulators are moving in.
Following pressure from several environmental and consumer safety groups, the FDA in October 2018 opted to ban seven synthetic food additives known to cause harm—synthetically derived benzophenone, ethyl acrylate, methyl eugenol, myrcene, pulegone, pyridine and styrene—ingredients you typically don't see on food labels since they're grouped together under the term "artificial flavors." Food companies have 16 months to remove the additives from their products. While that's welcome news for food safety advocates, it means that the newly banned ingredients, which have been proven to cause cancer in lab animals, will still be ingestible in the United States for all of 2019.
But don't panic just yet. Like so many terms in nutrition, the word "additive" isn't inherently negative. "Additives can come from natural sources, can be mimics of natural products or they can be synthetic," said Emma Beckett, a molecular nutritionist at the School of Environmental and Life Sciences at Newcastle University in Australia. She points out that plenty of poisons are, in fact, 100 percent natural, such as mushrooms.
"There are rules about testing additives and limits to their use so that even if someone ate lots of processed foods with additives, they wouldn't be exposed to large amounts," Beckett said. "That said, 'no known risks' doesn't mean 'no risks.' Foods and additives—and their role in health and disease—are constantly under scientific investigation and review."
A banned additive could be lurking in your favorite processed snack, but before purging your kitchen, Beckett recommends reframing the way you think of the FDA-approved food labels. "'Banned' makes it sound scary, but rather, the [additives] were 'delisted,'" she said.
Styrene is an example. Classified as a "reasonably anticipated" human carcinogen in 2011 by the U.S. National Toxicology Program, it was delisted in this recent batch as the additive is no longer used in the food industry.
https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/71439/fda-bans-cancercausing-food-additives-but-wont-enforce-until.html
https://www.ecowatch.com/fda-cancer-food-additives-2630633950.html
US Deaths From Alcohol, Drugs, and Suicide at All Time High
The number of Americans who died from alcohol, drugs, and suicide in 2017 reached the highest level recorded—more than twice as many as in 1999—according to a new joint analysis by two public health organizations.
In 2017 alone over 150,000 Americans died, the highest number since the data collection began in 1999, according to an analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and Well Being Trust (WBT).
Data from the dual analysis released on March 5, found that between 2016 and 2017, the national rate for deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide increased 6 percent from 43.9 to 46.6 deaths per 100,000. Although the increase was lower than the previous two years, it was still higher than the 4 percent average annual increase since 1999.
One of the key drugs contributing to the rise were deaths from synthetic opioids which saw a 45 percent increase between 2017 and 2017—a 10-fold spike over the last five years. According to the analysis, Americans are now dying at a faster rate from overdoses involving synthetic opioids than all drug deaths in 1999.
Fentanyl and synthetic opioids were linked to less than 1,000 annual deaths across America two decades ago. In 2017 however, more than 1,000 Americans died from synthetic-opioid overdoes every two weeks.
Deaths from suicide rose faster between 2016 and 2017 than in previous years, increasing four percent from 13.9 to 14.5 deaths per 100,000. The 2017 increase was the largest rise since 1999. Rates of suicide deaths were the highest among whites, males and people living in rural areas.
“It is important to see hope in the slowing of rates—but it’s not nearly enough. We should not be satisfied at all. Too many of us are dying from preventable causes, and each time we make progress—like with prescription opioids—new problems—like synthetic opioids—appear,” said Benjamin F. Miller, Chief Strategy Officer, WBT. “Tackling such a complex problem is not about adding up small changes—but really about transformation at a systems level.”
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us-deaths-from-alcohol-drugs-and-suicide-at-all-time-high_2825783.html
Florida Lawmaker Introduces 'Stop Social Media Censorship Act' to Protect Free Speech Online
Florida bill SB 1722 would fine giant social media sites for censoring protected religious and political speech.
Chris Menahan
Florida State Senator Joe Gruters (R) has introduced a bill to protect free speech on social media and fine the biggest sites a minimum of $75,000 in statutory damages if they delete or censor a user's religious or political speech.
The law would only apply to social media sites with "more than 75 million subscribers" which are "open to the public" and from their inception have "not been specifically affiliated with any one religion or political party."
The bill also prohibits large social media sites from citing so-called "hate speech" as a justification for political and religious censorship and authorizes the Attorney General to "bring a civil cause of action … on behalf of a social media website user who resides in this state and whose religious speech or political speech has been censored…"
The bill makes clear it would allow social media sites to censor "calls for immediate acts of violence," "obscene or pornographic" material, that which "entices criminal conduct" and that which "involves minors bullying minors."
https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=59882
Warmonger