Taylor Swift Attacks 2020 Census for Only Listing Two Genders: 'That Erasure Was So Upsetting'

The coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on the world, and concerts and festivals certainly haven’t been immune to it.

On Friday, the third annual Pride Live’s Stonewall Day was celebrated virtually. Several celebrities and politicians, including Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, Former President Barack Obama and Former Vice President Joe Biden, made appearances during the livestream event to show their support for the LGBT community.

Stonewall Day has been observed each year on June 28 to remember the police raid that took place in a New York City gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, on that same day in 1969.

According to History.com, “engaging in gay behavior in public (holding hands, kissing or dancing with someone of the same sex) was still illegal” in the ’60s, which is what ultimately caused the Stonewall raid in Greenwich Village that resulted in six days of riots and protests.

The riot has since become a historic timestamp for the gay rights movement.

Swift used this year’s event as an opportunity to express her excitement about how far the gay rights movement has come since 1969.

However, she also used that time to call out the Census Bureau for having only male and female genders listed on the 2020 Census.

“I got my census the other day and there were two choices for gender. There was male and female and that erasure was so upsetting to me, the erasure of transgender and non-binary people,” she said.

“When you don’t collect information on a group of people, that means that you have every excuse in the world not to support them. When you don’t collect data on a community, that’s a really, really brutal way of dismissing them.”

After explaining why she believes the census needs to offer gender options beyond male and female, she asked listeners to look into the absentee voting policies in their states so they can “elect people who care about all communities.”

In recent years, the pop star has become vocal about her political views — especially about her support for the LGBT community.

During last year’s Pride Month, she posted a letter to Tennessee’s Republican U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander on social media asking him to support the Equality Act.

The act protects the LGBT community from discrimination in the workplace, on loan applications, in education and in other aspects of everyday life.

Not only did the Tennessee native speak out about her wishes for the state to protect its LGBT community during last year’s pride month, but she also donated $113,000 to the Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBT advocacy group in the Nashville area.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited across the nation.

Now Swift is advocating for her home state of Tennessee to pass the Equality Act.

http://www.cuzzblue.com/2020/07/taylor-swift-attacks-2020-census-for.html

Fresh complaint submitted to ICC over US-Israel war crimes in Palestine

The court has been asked to investigate senior Israeli and US officials, including Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mike Pompeo and Jared Kushner.

A new request has been submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate senior officials from the United States and Israel over alleged war crimes committed in Palestine. They include Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mike Pompeo and Jared Kushner.

Professor William Schabas, who is leading on the submission to the Office of the ICC Prosecutor, announced details of the complaint at an online press conference today. It calls for a war crimes investigation into senior officials leading the Proposed Peace Plan, known as the “deal of the century”. The plan seeks to annex portions of the sovereign territory of the State of Palestine.

Schabas submitted the communication on behalf of four Palestinians who are directly affected by the plan. The communication highlights that the proposed plan, which is being implemented unilaterally without the consent of Palestine, violates international law, specifically in relation to illegal settlements and the threatened annexation of Palestinian territory.

ICC Prosecutors are urged to investigate the threatened annexation of portions of the sovereign territory of the State of Palestine through the implementation of the plan. The communication emphasises that there is credible evidence that Trump, Pompeo, Kushner and other senior US officials are complicit in acts that may amount to war crimes relating to the transfer of populations into occupied territory and the annexation of sovereign territory of the State of Palestine.

Speaking at the press conference today Schabas, Professor of International Law at London’s Middlesex University, explained that he had submitted the complaint earlier this morning at the request of prominent Palestinians. He explained that the complaint submitted to the ICC brings to the attention of prosecutors in The Hague the relevance of the “Peace Plan” to the wider takeover of Palestine. This morning’s communication urges the ICC to consider the plan within its wider investigation on alleged war crimes committed by Israel.

In December, the ICC’s office of the prosecutor ended a five-year preliminary examination of the “situation in the state of Palestine”, and concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes have been, or are being, committed in the occupied West Bank. Earlier this month, the ICC confirmed that it will proceed with its investigation into Israeli war crimes despite the continued application of the 1993 Oslo Accords. US President Trump reacted to the ICC decision by imposing sanctions against prosecutors and officials of the intergovernmental organisation. He signed an executive order to block ICC officials directly involved in investigating American troops and intelligence officials and those of allied nations from entering the US.

The communication to the ICC highlights that the senior US and Israeli officials who are implementing the plan, are doing so in the full knowledge that it violates the human rights of all Palestinian citizens, including their right to self-determination, citizenship and freedom of movement within the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200630-fresh-complaint-submitted-to-icc-over-us-israel-war-crimes-in-palestine/

Los Zetas Cartel Leaves Message for U.S. Agents in Texas

Border Patrol Agents, while responding to a large drug load crossing into the U.S., discovered a message from Los Zetas Cartel over the past weekend.

Rio Grande City, Texas, is a small community in Starr County situated on the border with Mexico. The area is documented as being under the control of the Gulf Cartel, due to the small cartel-controlled community of Camargo directly across the Rio Grande.

Breitbart Texas, over the last year, reported extensively on the ongoing turf war in the region. On June 9, a shootout occurred between the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN)/Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel near Comales, not far south of Rio Grande City.

U.S. authorities were on alert for any outgunned cartel members trying to flee into Texas at the time. Authorities spotted burned-out armored vehicles indicating the possible use of grenades and other explosives, despite not finding any bodies near the scene.

On June 26, Border Patrol agents responding to a smuggling event near Rio Grande City discovered a message intended for their eyes. Los Zetas marked their new turf.

A Border Patrol agent told Breitbart Texas that authorities were concerned about the announcement. The cartel knew that federal agents were wise to the extensive “halcone” or lookout network operating on U.S. soil. Taking time to leave a message for federal agents while performing a smuggling run offers a clear view into the current mindset of the notoriously violent cartel.

Los Zetas Cartel are one of the most vicious in Mexico. On June 11, a few miles from where the message was placed, a border wall construction crew reported rounds being fired at their position from Mexico. At least one shot impacted the new wall section.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2020/07/01/exclusive-los-zetas-cartel-leaves-message-for-u-s-agents-in-texas/

It’s happened again: AT&T sued for allegedly transferring victim's number to thieves in $1.9m cryptocoin heist

AT&T has been sued for a second time over allegations its staff gave thieves control of a specific individual’s cellphone number to steal a large chunk of cryptocurrency.

Seth Shapiro’s $1.9m claim follows in the footsteps of Michael Terpin, who sued the gigantic US cellular network in 2018 for more or less the same thing: staff ported a subscriber's phone number to a hacker's SIM – a so-called SIM swap scam – allowing the miscreant to steal what Terpin claims in his case was $24m in cryptocurrency.

But while Terpin’s court battle was allowed to move forward, Shapiro is still fighting AT&T lawyers to get his legal challenge past its first stage and approved by a judge for trial. In the most recent filing [PDF] in Shapiro's case, submitted this month, AT&T claimed he “does not come close to curing the inadequacies” of his first filing against the mega-telco.

Shapiro is a technology consultant who has worked with the likes of Disney and Showtime. His cryptocurrency stash was his “life savings,” he said in his lawsuit. One day, he suddenly lost service on his AT&T cellphone, he claimed, and went into one of the carrier's stores in New York to figure out what was going on.

The store told him to get a new phone and SIM, which he did, however, his lawsuit claimed that within minutes of getting service back and while still in the shop, the thieves struck again. This time the hackers were able to gain control of his number long enough to use it to gain access to his online accounts and siphon digital money from his cryptocurrency wallet, he said.

A criminal investigation led to charges against two AT&T employees who, it is alleged, assisted in shifting Shapiro’s number to the crooks. But Shapiro wants his money back, and is suing AT&T for "an egregious violation of the law and its own promises" when it allowed the alleged SIM swap.

Amazingly, just as in the case of Michael Terpin, AT&T allegedly told Shapiro it would put in place special precautions to prevent any SIM hijackings: measures that failed when the pair were targeted.

"AT&T failed to implement sufficient data security systems and procedures and failed to supervise its own personnel, instead standing by as its employees used their position at the company to gain unauthorized access to Mr Shapiro's account in order to rob, extort and threaten him in exchange for money," the lawsuit, filed in California, argued.

Shapiro is going after the telco on several grounds, including alleged negligence and violations of America's Communications Act and consumer protection laws. AT&T argued Shapiro didn’t take his complaint to the carrier before suing, and that he is therefore relying on false information in making his claims. AT&T’s earlier effort to dismiss the case failed, and at the moment it is challenging two of Shapiro's seven claims.

http://www.yourdestinationnow.com/2020/07/its-happened-again-at-sued-for.html

Beijing announces retaliation against Washington's 'unreasonable oppression' of Chinese state media by demanding four US media outlets hand in sensitive company information

China has announced its retaliatory measures against Washington's new restrictions on Beijing's state media by demanding four American media outlets provide sensitive company information.

The Associated Press, United Press International, Columbia Broadcasting System and National Public Radio must send a written report about their staff, finance, operation and real estate holdings inside China within seven days, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The news comes after the United States announced last month that it would start treating four major Chinese media outlets as 'foreign embassies', a move that will restrict their operations on American soil.

David Stilwell, the senior U.S. diplomat for East Asia, told reporters on June 22 that the designation would affect China Central Television, the China News Service, the People's Daily and the Global Times.

He said the decision reflected their real status as 'propaganda outlets' under the control of the Chinese Communist Party.

China's actions are 'entirely necessary countermeasures against the United States' unreasonable oppression of Chinese media organisations in the U.S.,' Zhao said at a regular press briefing.

The U.S. State Department had already listed five other Chinese media outlets as 'foreign embassies' in February.

All nine outlets 'are effectively controlled by the government of the People's Republic of China,' State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in June.

After the first group of outlets were ordered to cut their Chinese staff working in the United States, Beijing hit back by expelling more than a dozen U.S. nationals working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

http://www.madnesshub.com/2020/07/beijing-announces-retaliation-against.html

America's Newsroom host Ed Henry is FIRED for sexual misconduct allegations made by a former employee - after a four-month leave of absence in 2016 due to extra-marital affair with Vegas cocktail waitress

Fox News announced Wednesday it had dismissed America's Newsroom host Ed Henry over sexual misconduct allegations.

In a memo to all staff, FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and FOX News Media President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace said they received a complaint from the attorney of a former employee on June 25.

The complaint charged Henry, one of Fox's top news anchors, with willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago.

It comes as Henry was rebuilding his career following a four-month leave of absence in 2016 due to an extra-marital affair with a Las Vegas cocktail waitress.

The memo added that Henry, 48, had been suspended the same day the complaint was received pending investigation.

An outside investigator was hired and, based on the results of that probe, Fox fired Henry.

'We would live to bring a very serious matter to your attention in an effort toward full transparency given the actions we have taken to improve the culture here over the past four years,' the memo read.

'FOX New Media strictly prohibits all forms of sexual harassment, misconduct and discrimination. We will continue striving to maintain a safe an inclusive workplace for all employees'.

America's Newsroom will now have rotating co-hosts joining Sandra Smith until a permanent replacement is named.

Henry worked as a late morning news anchor on Fox, between the hours of 9 to 11 am and was considered a rising star.

He joined Fox in 2011 and covered the Obama administration as Fox's chief White House correspondent.

Henry continued at the helm of much of the network's coverage of Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016 before being sidelined over a tabloid scandal.

He had slowly rehabilitated his career following a four-month leave of absence that ended in 2017, after there were published reports of an extramarital affair that he conducted with a Las Vegas cocktail waitress.

The report caused former Fox CEO Roger Ailes to publicly rebuke him, stating that 'this raises serious questions about Ed's lack of judgment, especially given his position as a journalist'.

Ailes was also later forced out of Fox News when he was accused of sexual assault and harassment by numerous women.

Fox offered no details of the complaint that resulted in Henry's firing, only to say that it happened 'years ago'.

http://www.yourdestinationnow.com/2020/07/americas-newsroom-host-ed-henry-is.html

'Wear a damn mask': Jennifer Aniston posts selfie urging fans to use face coverings amid coronavirus saying 'it really shouldn't be a debate'

Jennifer Aniston is telling her followers to do the right thing - and wear a mask.

The issue of whether or not to wear protective face wear when outside amid coronavirus has been causing widespread upset across the globe, and the Friends star is doing her bit to urge people to be cautious.

'I understand masks are inconvenient and uncomfortable,' the 51-year-old began her caption on Tuesday. 'But don't you feel that it's worse that businesses are shutting down… jobs are being lost… health care workers are hitting absolute exhaustion.'

http://www.hideoutnow.com/2020/07/wear-damn-mask-jennifer-aniston-posts.html

Man armed with a BAZOOKA and gunmen with assault rifles turn up to protect protesters in Florissant angry over cop hitting man, 20, with unmarked car because he was mistaken for a suspect

A man armed with a bazooka has been pictured among gunmen with assault rifles who showed up to protect protesters in Florissant.

The heavily armed men, calling themselves the People's Protection Group, marched alongside demonstrators against the police in Missouri on Tuesday.

It comes after a police detective from the town was suspended and charged with two counts of assault, one felony and one misdemeanor, and one count of armed criminal action.

Detective Joshua Smith, 31, was caught on a Ring doorbell camera running down a 20-year-old black man with his unmarked police car before beating him.

The gunmen raised their fists in solidarity with protesters and some were seen talking to police outside their department building.

http://www.stationgossip.com/2020/07/man-armed-with-bazooka-and-gunmen-with.html

US Urges Israel to Make a Gesture to Palestinians to ‘Offset’ Annexation

Netanyahu vows to keep planning for annexation

July 1 was the most recently announced annexation date for Israel to seize wide swathes of Palestine, but signs are that won’t actually see anything happening. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to keep working on annexation.

Netanyahu has planned to claim much of the West Bank, including the entire Jordan Valley, though some reports are that the US has sought him to limit how much he takes at once, to avoid angering the Palestinians or precluding future talks.

Moreover, the US is now urging Israel to make some concessions to the Palestinians meant to offset anger at the annexation. This could include redefining some land in the West Bank as out of the military run Area C, or granting Palestinians some building permission in some areas.

That’s going to be tough for Netanyahu, because even minor concessions will be unpopular with politically powerful settler groups. Any valuable considerations would leave a door open for possible Palestinian statehood, something the settlers would oppose loudly.

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/06/30/us-urges-israel-to-make-a-gesture-to-palestinians-to-offset-annexation/

Edmond de Rothschild Achieves 4-year Goals for Sustainable Development

The Edmond de Rothschild Group publishes its sixth Sustainability Report, which reflects how sustainable development challenges are integrated in all the Group’s activities.

Edmond de Rothschild is a conviction-driven investment house that favors strategies and investments rooted in the real economy, combining long-term performance and impact.

The 2019 report provides a comprehensive view of its ongoing progress and its continuous engagement to reach its 2020 objectives for sustainable development. It features performance results and examples across its unique ecosystem.

2019 REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

Supporting innovation for responsible investment

23 bn. USD assets under management (AUM) in Responsible Investment

96% of our open funds and dedicated SRI funds have calculated their carbon footprint

111 mill. USD AUM managed in our Responsible Investment Mandate for private clients

2.75 bn. USD of private equity assets are managed with the integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations

Ensuring ethical and responsible behaviour

More than 16,000 hours of training on Ethics & Compliance subjects delivered

Developing the talents and qualities of internal entrepreneurs to serve our transformation

100% of employees attended at least one training programme

Almost 6,000 training hours delivered within the leadership development programme

Managing the environmental impact

35,000 trees planted in small local farms of Nicaragua since 2017 through our Insetting programme

25% reduction in the carbon footprint per employee since 2014

Collaborating with the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations* in societal engagements

60 employees committed to various philanthropic programmes in 2019

More than 20 start-ups benefitted from our employees expertise

The Group is a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2011. This report represents its Communication on Progress (COP) and outlines its contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). It was prepared by conforming as much as possible to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards Key performance indicators were verified by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a member of the PwC international network.

ABOUT EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD

As a conviction-driven investment house founded upon the belief that wealth should be used to build the world of tomorrow, Edmond de Rothschild specialises in Private Banking and Asset Management and serves an international clientele of families, entrepreneurs and institutional investors. The group is also active in Corporate Finance, Private Equity, Real Estate and Fund Services. With a resolutely family-run nature, Edmond de Rothschild has the independence necessary to propose bold strategies and long-term investments, rooted in the real economy.

Created in 1953, the Group now has CHF 173 billion (€ 160 billion) in assets under management, 2,600 employees and 32 locations worldwide.

• The Edmond de Rothschild Foundations are a network of 10 private foundations under the leadership of Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild. They are entirely separate and independent from the Edmond de Rothschild Group. In 2017, over 30 projects have been supported and developed by the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations. To find out more about these and other projects click here.

https://www.activistpost.com/2020/07/edmond-de-rothschild-achieves-4-year-goals-for-sustainable-development.html

Israel Defense Ministry Launches COVID-19 Voice Test for Americans

A company formed at the behest of the Israeli Ministry of Defense has begun collecting voice data from Americans to detect COVID-19 symptoms through technology with dubious diagnostic value, but highly profitable applications in law enforcement.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense has launched a project to analyze people’s voices and breathing patterns using artificial intelligence (AI) in order to determine if they have COVID-19. The software allegedly listens for detectable “signs of distress,” ostensibly from the respiratory effects of the virus. A May 27 report in the Jerusalem Post stated that the research was already being conducted at several hospitals in Israel, where confirmed COVID-19 patients were asked to provide voice samples to be compared to those of a control group from the general population.

Results from the research were expected sometime in June. However, the study has now been expanded beyond Israel’s borders. Over one million voice recordings are currently being collected in the United States through a mobile app developed by Massachusetts-based Vocalis Health, under the auspices of the Israeli government.

While growth in the biomarker sector is strong, the applications of voice biomarker technology lean heavily towards surveillance and language parsing, as opposed to diagnostic applications, which are virtually non-existent at the moment. Vocal biometric data has already been making its way into American law enforcement for at least two years.

Thousands of police departments across the United States, for instance, use a voice-recognition technology called “Dragon Law Enforcement” developed by Nuance Communications. This same company has established a strong presence in the healthcare sector as well. In 2018, Nuance partnered with the healthcare software giant, Epic Systems, which is said to hold two-thirds of medical records in the U.S., and its Dragon Medical speech recognition software is used by half a million clinicians throughout the country.

Epic and Nuance Communications are only a few of several companies lurching into the freshly-minted Coronavirus tech marketplace along with at least 150 Israeli startups that began working on ideas relating to COVID-19 back in 2019 – many under the guise of healthcare. But, their value as a medical diagnostic tool looks certain to be outweighed by its broader applications in burgeoning pre-crime law enforcement technologies that are now proliferating across the United States and the world.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/israel-defense-ministry-launches-covid-19-voice-biomarker-test-americans/269120/

Woman Who Faked Death After Cheating VA Out of $300,000 Now Headed to Prison

A woman who staged an "elaborate hoax" including a faked fatal fall into a gorge to avoid the consequences of VA health care fraud was caught anyway – and will serve 3 and-a-half years in federal prison, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Julie M. Wheeler, 43, of Beckley, West Virginia, has been sentenced by Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. to 42 months in prison and restitution of $289,055.07, DOJ officials said in a release.

Wheeler had previously pleaded guilty on Feb. 11 to defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program. According to the release, she had long overbilled as a caregiver for a family member, identified as K.L.

Wheeler, who owned a company called JRW Homecare Support Services, charged the VA-approved rate of $736 per day to provide full-time care to K.L., including bathing, grooming, feeding and other support.

"Wheeler did not provide K.L. the care for and during the time period described," DOJ officials said in the release. "Wheeler submitted claims to the VA stating that she provided care for K.L. eight hours a day, seven days a week, from October 2016 to April 2018 at the full daily rate of $736 a day. Wheeler gave a statement to the VA and the FBI admitting that she greatly inflated the rate and quality of the care that she provided to K.L. This was corroborated by other witnesses who provided statements that Wheeler did not provide eight hours of daily care."

Wheeler acknowledged as well that her conduct had deprived her family member of services, according to the release. Sadly, K.L, who really did have spina bifida, has since died, officials said.

But after pleading guilty, Wheeler sought to avoid paying for her actions in federal sentencing, officials said. On May 31, according to the release, "Wheeler and other family members staged her fall from the Grandview State Park overlook," a popular state park in Raleigh County, West Virginia.

"This report led to an extensive search effort in the New River Gorge by state, federal and local authorities, assisted by numerous volunteers," officials said.

According to local news reports from the time, the search-and-rescue mission for Wheeler continued for three days and law enforcement resources used to find her exceeded $1,000.

Wheeler was ultimately located in her own home, where state police found her hiding in a closet. Wheeler's husband, Rodney was charged with felony and misdemeanor charges including conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, false emergency report and willful disruption of a governmental process, WWVA.com reported.

Some of those charges are still pending; Wheeler herself was slapped with sentence enhancements for obstruction of justice.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/07/01/woman-who-faked-death-after-cheating-va-out-of-300000-now-headed-prison.html

Dr. Vernon Coleman: Your Government Wants You Dead – BANNED from YouTube

Dr. Vernon Coleman is a general practitioner medical doctor in the U.K. He is a Sunday Times bestselling author, and has written over 100 books which have sold over two million copies in the U.K. alone.

His U.K. publishers include: PAN, Penguin, Corgi, Arrow, Star, Mandarin, Macmillan, Century, Thames and Hudson, and Sidgwick and Jackson. His books have been translated into 25 languages and sell in over 50 countries.

Dr. Coleman has been exposing the fraud in the COVID Plandemic since the beginning of the “outbreak,” and many of his videos on YouTube have now been banned and are hard to find.

That includes one he just published a few days ago: Your Government Wants You Dead.

In this video, he correctly labels what has just happened to hundreds of thousands of seniors worldwide who have just died during the COVID Plandemic as a “holocaust.”

It is time to stop sanitizing this, and start using the correct terminology, even if the corporate media labels us as “conspiracy theorists,” or even worse, as having a “mental illness” for not believing the Government narrative on the Coronavirus.

I don’t know about you, but I much prefer to be among the minority standing up for the truth, no matter what the cost, than be among the majority who are being complicit to mass murder.

Corrie ten Boom and other noble Germans who sacrificed everything to expose the tyranny in Nazi Germany, rather than comply and go along with the crowd, are our examples to follow during these dark, evil days.

Even though YouTube has deleted this recent video from his YouTube channel, we found some copies of it still remaining, and added one to Bitchute, which is fast becoming one of the main alternatives to hosting videos banned on YouTube, and thus far has not succumbed to censorship and government pressure.

https://theduran.com/dr-vernon-coleman-your-government-wants-you-dead-banned-from-youtube/

Three Former Hilo Correctional Officers Indicted for Assaulting an Inmate and Attempting to Cover it Up

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-former-hilo-correctional-officers-indicted-assaulting-inmate-and-attempting-cover-it

Beyond Meat Partners With Alibaba To Gain Market Share In China

Beyond Meat announced a new partnership with Chinese multinational Alibaba to begin offering Beyond Meat burgers at supermarkets in Shanghai owned by Alibaba

Beyond Meat previously made inroads into China thanks to partnerships with Starbucks China and Yum China making their products available at several fast food chains

Recent expansion efforts include a new processing plant in the Netherlands opened by meat-processing company Zandbergen

As Beyond Meat (BYND) looks to continue its expansion into China, it announced a new partnership with Chinese multinational Alibaba (BABA) to make Beyond Meat products available at grocery stores. Beyond Meat’s meatless burger patties will be available at Alibaba’s 50 Freshippo supermarkets in Shanghai, with plans to expand to an additional 48 Freshippos in Beijing and Hangzhou.

“We know that retail will be a critical part of our success in China, and we’re pleased to mark this early milestone within a few months of our market entry,” Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown said in a statement Tuesday. “Expanding into retail is the natural next step in building our market presence.”

Alibaba spoke about the partnership, hinting at plans to offer more Beyond Meat products soon.

“We have seen a growing interest in plant-based meat among our shoppers and look forward to offering more Beyond Meat products in the future,” said Freshippo head of merchandising Jiayu Zhao.

It’s the latest in Beyond Meat’s expansion efforts as it looks to offer its alternative meat products more widely available, starting in April with a partnership between Beyond Meat and Starbucks China.

At the time, Starbucks China announced partnerships with Beyond Meat — along with oat milk maker Oatly and Beyond Meat competitor Omnipork — to offer several healthier menu items. These included oat milk lattes, lasagna using Beyond Meat products, and Asian noodle salads made with Omnipork.

“Our new menu items make it easy and enjoyable to explore new lifestyles, starting from what we eat and drink,” Starbucks China president Leo Tsoi said in April.

Yum China (YUM) also began offering Beyond Meat products at several KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut locations across China around the same time as the Starbucks partnership.

Those efforts continued in June when Beyond Meat announced the opening of its new manufacturing plant in Zoeterwoude, the Netherlands. Described as a “state-of-the-art facility” owned by meat-processing company Zandbergen, Beyond Meat said the facility would make product distribution easier in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

The manufacturing plant would produce Beyond Meat’s burger and sausage products using new packaging described as “lighter” and “more sustainable.” This eco-friendly packaging includes “fully recyclable trays,” along with “30% less material overall by reducing paper and plastic use.”

https://www.ibtimes.com/beyond-meat-partners-alibaba-gain-market-share-china-3003790

Yemeni Sources Report Airstrikes On Civilian Areas As Saudi-led Coalition Launches Operation Against Houthis

The Saudi-led coalition launched on July 1 afternoon a large-scale aerial operation against Houthi positions throughout Yemen.

In a short press release, the coalition said that the operation is designed to neutralize and destroy offensive capabilities of the Houthis. The coalition called the operation a “response” to the threat posed by the Yemeni group.

A few hours into the operation, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted at least 44 airstrikes on the Yemeni provinces of Saada, Ma’rib, al-Jawf, Hajjah, al-Bayda’ as well as on the capital, Sanaa. Many of the Saudi airstrikes targeted urban areas.

According to the pro-Houthis al-Masirah TV, at least five Saudi airstrikes targeted the Sanaa International Airport, that’s controlled by the Yemeni group.

Despite the intense airstrikes, no casualties have been reported so far. This will likely change, if Saudi-led coalition warplanes continue this intense bombing.

The Saudi-led coalition’s operation appears to be a response to the recent attacks by the Houthis. Earlier this week, the Yemeni group announced that its units had captured a number of areas in Ma’rib and al-Bayda. Saudi forces sustained heavy losses.

https://southfront.org/yemeni-sources-report-airstrikes-on-civilian-areas-as-saudi-led-coalition-launches-operation-against-houthis-photos-video/

State investigating possible hack into Netanyahu bribery case files

A prosecutor at some unspecified time logged on to the staff’s files only to find certain files missing.

The prosecution is secretly probing whether some of its computer files relating to the bribery case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were hacked, Channel 13 reported Wednesday night.

The Justice Ministry refused to confirm or deny the report to The Jerusalem Post.

According to the report, a prosecutor at some unspecified time logged on to the staff’s files only to find certain files missing.

It turned out that new unexpected access had been granted to the files to previously unauthorized persons, leading to the secret probe.

Channel 13 said that the files were eventually salvaged.

The next hearing in Netanyahu’s trial is on July 19.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/state-investigating-possible-hack-into-netanyahu-bribery-case-files-633504

Judicial Watch Sues DC Government for First Amendment Access to Paint Message on DC Street

Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a civil rights lawsuit against DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and other officials for First Amendment violations over their refusal to allow Judicial Watch to paint the message “Because No One Is Above the Law!” on a DC street. (Judicial Watch. v. Muriel Bowser, et al. (No. 1:20-cv-01789)).

On June 5, 2020, after days of protests and riots in Washington, DC, led by the Black Lives Matter organization, Mayor Bowser authorized the painting of “Black Lives Matter” on 16th Street NW, and later authorized or allowed “Defund the Police” to be painted alongside it.

On June 10, 2020, Judicial Watch sent a letter requesting permission to paint “Because No One is Above the Law!” in the identical size and coloring of the “Black Lives Matter” painting on another DC street near its headquarters near Capitol Hill. Judicial Watch offered to pay for the cost of the painting and, citing the timely nature of the issue, asked for a response in three days.

Instead, after three weeks of emails with the Mayor’s office, Judicial Watch has yet to receive a substantive response to its street painting request.

The lawsuit alleges that DC officials denied timely, equal access to Judicial Watch to paint its own expressive message and violated federal civil rights law in:

(a) allowing District streets to be used for the painting of expressive messages, which constitutes protected, First Amendment activity, but denying Plaintiff (Judicial Watch) the timely opportunity to paint its expressive message on a District street for reasons that are not narrowly drawn to achieve a compelling government interest; (b) failing to provide a reasonable basis for denying Plaintiff the timely opportunity to paint is expressive message on a District street; (c) favoring the expressive messages painted on 16th Street NW and/or creating the appearance of endorsing those messages to the exclusion of Plaintiff’s message on a related subject matter; and/or (d) failing to provide reasonable, non-arbitrary processes and procedures for timely consideration of Plaintiff’s request to paint an expressive message on District streets.

“Mayor Bowser gave us the runaround rather than access, as the First Amendment requires, to a DC street to paint our timely message and motto: Because No One is Above the Law!” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Our message is especially relevant today because it applies equally to law enforcement and public officials as well as to protesters, looters, and rioters.”

On Tuesday, June 30, in response New York Mayor de Blasio’s announcement that “Black Lives Matter” is to be painted on prominent streets in all five boroughs, Judicial Watch formally asked the mayor for permission to paint “Because No One Is Above the Law” on a street, preferably Fifth Avenue between 81st and 83rd Streets.

https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-releases/sues-dc-paint/