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Saturday, May 18, 2024

State Department Issues 'Worldwide Caution' Alert For Americans

by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The U.S. Department of State on Friday issued a “worldwide caution” alert for U.S. citizens to remain alert for possible terrorist attacks or other violent actions against Americans.

In a “security alert” posted on its website, the agency said the warning was sent because of the “potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.” Americans who are overseas, it added, are encouraged to use “increased caution.”

The Department of State said it is also “aware of the increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence against” LGBT people, echoing a statement issued by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security earlier this week that terrorist groups such as ISIS could target “Pride” month-related events in June.

“Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists, including Pride celebrations and venues frequented” by those individuals, the bulletin added. It did not provide any specific details about any alleged or reported terrorist plots.

Late last year, the State Department issued a similar worldwide alert for Americans following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack in Israel that triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

About a week ago, the agency issued a statement to U.S. citizens in the Middle East, cautioning them to heed a travel advisory for Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank because of active military operations in the area.

“Terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza,” it said. “Terrorists and violent extremists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets [or] shopping malls, and local government facilities.”

The Israel-Hamas conflict has led to a “complex situation” that could have implications for U.S. citizens’ safety, the department said, adding that the Israel Defense Forces currently has control over the Gaza side of Rafah Crossing.

Israel has said that about 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of about 30 more. Military officials and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said that its forces found the bodies of three Israeli hostages killed by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack, including German-Israeli Shani Louk.

Mr. Netanyahu called the deaths “heartbreaking,” saying in a statement, “We will return all of our hostages, both the living and the dead.”

Hamas-led terrorists killed about 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and abducted about 250 others in the Oct. 7 attack. About half of those hostages have since been freed, most in swaps for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November.

FBI and DHS Warning

In a separate bulletin, both the FBI and DHS said that groups such as ISIS, or Islamic State, might “seek to exploit increased gatherings associated” with “Pride”-related events. The terrorist threats could come via the mail, in person, or online, the agencies stated without elaborating or providing specific details.

The bulletin noted that June 12 is the eighth anniversary of the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando in which 49 people died. After the incident, pro-ISIS groups “praised this attack as one of the high-profile attacks in Western countries” and “supporters celebrated it,” according to the FBI and DHS.

Both agencies also noted that in February 2023, an ISIS-related message board had included “rhetoric and rallied against the growth and promotion” of LGBT groups.

The two agencies revealed “possible indicators” of what they called “potential threat activity,” which includes “unusual surveillance or interest in buildings, gatherings, or events” as well as “unusual or prolonged testing or probing of security measures at events or venues,” violent threats made online or in person, and photography of security related equipment or personnel.

In April, the FBI announced that it had arrested an 18-year-old Idaho man for allegedly plotting to carry out a terrorist attack targeting local churches. The man, identified in court documents as Alexander Mercurio, is accused of telling an FBI informant about his alleged plans and that he wanted to carry out an attack on April 7, but he was thwarted by officials.

Meanwhile, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) earlier this week warned that an ISIS-linked human smuggling network was discovered at the U.S.-Mexico border, adding that the FBI told him about ISIS-linked “individuals who are facilitating the passage of migrants across the U.S.–Mexican border into the United States.”

Mr. Cornyn, who was speaking at a congressional hearing, added that he believes that it is only a matter of “when” and not “if” a terrorist attack is carried out on U.S. soil.

Several weeks ago, FBI Director Chris Wray said foreign terrorist groups are again looking to attack the United States in an “increasingly concerning” way, noting that his agency is attempting to prevent an attack on U.S. soil via terrorist groups such as ISIS-K, a regional branch of ISIS mainly in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“Foreign terrorists, including ISIS, al-Qaeda, and their adherents, have renewed calls for attacks against Jewish communities here in the United States and across the West in statements and propaganda,” Mr. Wray said in April.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/us-state-department-issues-worldwide-caution-alert-americans

'Despite polls, Biden aides insist Gaza campus protests will not hurt reelection bid'

Several top White House aides say they are confident protests across U.S. college campuses against Israel's offensive in Gaza will not translate into significantly fewer votes for Joe Biden in November's election, despite polls showing many Democrats are deeply unhappy about the U.S. president's policy on the war.

The White House optimism on the issue, which is shared by many in the Biden campaign, runs contrary to dire warnings from some Democratic strategists and youth organizers who warn misjudging the situation could cost Biden dearly in a tight race with Republican rival Donald Trump.

Several aides told Reuters they are advising Biden to remain above the fray, rather than directly engage with the relatively small groups of protesters on college campuses, arguing their numbers are too insignificant to harm the president's reelection campaign.

Faced with a choice between Biden and Trump in November, many officials remain confident even Democrats who oppose U.S. policy will choose Biden. Reuters interviewed nearly a dozen top White House officials in recent days, but only two expressed concern about the impact of the protests and Biden's handling of the issue.

The issue returns to the spotlight Sunday, when Biden makes the commencement address at Morehouse College, over some objections by students and faculty, and a warning from the college's president that the ceremony will stop if there are protests.

Most officials Reuters spoke to said they believe housing costs and inflation were the issues top of mind for young voters, not the war in Gaza, pointing to a recent Harvard poll that ranks Israel/Palestine 15th on a list of issues, after taxes, gun violence and jobs. Several aides refer to the protesters as "activists" rather than students.

Asked for comment on the issue, White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said Biden understands this is a painful moment for many communities and is listening. He has said too many civilians have died in the "heartbreaking" conflict and that more must be done to prevent the loss of innocent lives, Bates added.

Biden and Trump are nearly tied in national polls, and Trump has the edge in the battleground states that will decide the election, multiple recent polls show. On economic issues like inflation, Trump scores higher with voters overall than Biden.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found Democrats deeply divided over Biden's handling of both the war in Gaza and the U.S. campus protests against it, with 44% of registered Democrats disapproving of Biden's handling of the crisis, and 51% of his handling of the protests.

Young voters still favor Biden, but support has dropped significantly since 2020, polls show. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in March showed Americans aged 18-29 favored Biden over Trump by just 3 percentage points - 29% to 26% - with the rest favoring another candidate or unsure if anyone would get their vote.

Two White House officials Reuters spoke to emphasized Biden's support among young voters is not where it was in 2020 and said they worry the administration is not taking the drop seriously enough.

With over 35,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since war began in October, U.S. support for Israel's government could weigh heavily on the presidential election in November, they said.

"There is almost a level of defiance when it comes to some of the president's closest advisers on this issue," said a senior White House official with direct knowledge of the matter, who did not wish to be named. "They think the best approach is to simply steer clear and let it pass."

BIDEN SPEAKS CAUTIOUSLY

Protests over Israel's war in Gaza have broken out at more than 60 colleges and universities this year, disrupted Biden's events around the country, pushed Democrats in key battleground states to vote "uncommitted" and divided the Democratic party.

Biden, who is known for saying what he thinks, even when it's not politically beneficial, has been cautious on the issue of protests over Gaza. He spoke in early May on the importance of following the law, while defending free speech and later on addressed the threat of antisemitism on college campuses.

Both times, he mostly avoided the issue that has sparked the protests - how young Americans feel about his support for Israel. But he also said bluntly that protests will not change his Middle East policy.

Groups organizing the protests say that a recent halt to some weapons to Israel was too little too late, and are planning fresh demonstrations, though the summer break may quieten action on campuses.

Michele Weindling, political director of the climate-focused youth group the Sunrise Movement, said "young people are incredibly disillusioned, they are angry at the way the president has treated this conflict."

"A huge risk right now is that young voters will completely stay out of the electoral system this November, or deliberately vote against Biden out of anger," Weindling said.

That has the potential to cost Biden dearly, given 61% of the more than half of Americans aged 18 to 29 that voted in the 2020 general election voted Democratic, a Tufts University research group found. The youth turnout was up 11 points from 2016.

GAZA NOT A TOP ISSUE

Republicans both overwhelmingly disapprove of the protests and Biden's handling of the war, a Reuters/Ipsos poll published this week shows. Some Republicans have called for him to send National Guard troops on to campuses.

But until a day before Biden delivered his first speech on the protests on May 2, he remained unsure he needed to address the issue, two officials said. Biden asked his team to put together "something rudimentary," so he could edit and change it, which he did that evening, one of the officials said.

He did not make the final decision to speak until the morning, after violence broke out on the UCLA campus, the official added.

The Harvard youth poll showing Israel/Gaza is low on youth concerns is being circulated at internal meetings at the campaign and the White House and is in line with private data the White House has seen, the first official said.

The president doesn't speak about every issue in the news, on purpose, another White House official said. It "doesn't always happen, no matter what kind of news it is, whether it's the news of the day or the week or the month," he said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/despite-polls-biden-aides-insist-201125444.html

Fierce Fighting Gets Closer To US-Built Gaza Pier Just As Initial Aid Rolls Off

While global coverage of the Gaza crisis has focused on the Israeli offensive in the southern city of Raffah of late, fierce battles have erupted in the north of the Strip over the last several days, especially in Jabalia, where the IDF military is in a fierce anti-insurgent style battle set amid narrow alleyways.

The city which lies 2.5 miles north of Gaza City saw a 'return' of Hamas fighters after the IDF months ago conquered it. It has long been deemed among the Strip's permanent refugee camps. There are reports that Israeli armor has smashed deep into the heart of the camp and city.

Hamas also appears to have stepped-up its attacks on Israeli forces in various locations, and Al Jazeera reports at least 40 Palestinian deaths over the course of the last day.

"Tanks and planes are wiping out residential districts and markets, shops, restaurants, everything. It is all happening before the one-eyed world," a resident of Jabalia identified as Ayman Rajab told a regional outlet.

The same outlet observed that this intensifying fighting is occurring in the same northern region as the US Army-built humanitarian aid pier:

"People are terrified and they’re trying to get away," Jens Laerke, UN humanitarian office spokesperson, said in Geneva, adding that most were following orders to move north toward the coast but that there were no safe routes or destinations.
As the fighting raged, the US military said trucks started moving aid ashore from a temporary pier, the first to reach the besieged enclave by sea in weeks.

The situation is heating up even as famine is said to be present in this northern area. "To stave off the horrors of famine, we must use the fastest and most obvious route to reach the people of Gaza – and for that, we need access by land now," deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq announced in a statement, even as initial US aid deliveries via the pier get underway from nearby Cyprus.

This of course creates the potential that expanded fighting could occur close to the vicinity where American troops are overseeing pier operations just off the coast.

The Pentagon previously made it clear that if US troops come under fire, they are authorized to defend themselves and fire back. However, the IDF has also said it is providing security on land, and there are at least two Israeli bases established nearby.

Israel has said of the intense Jabalia fight:

The Israel Defense Forces said troops killed more than 60 militants in Jabalia in recent days and located a weapons warehouse in a "divisional-level offensive."
A divisional operation would typically involve several brigades of thousands of troops each, making it one of the biggest of the war. "The 7th Brigade’s fire control center directed dozens of airstrikes, eliminated terrorists and destroyed terrorist infrastructure," the IDF said.

Again, this is all potential recipe for a looming disaster which could suck the Pentagon directly into the chaos of northern Gaza fighting. Some Congressional leaders have recently sought to address this possibility in hearings:

As for Hamas, its armed wing is openly advertising that it is pouring its members into the fight. Via its Telegram channel the group said that its fighters:

shot an Israeli soldier with sniper fire east of Jabalia
attacked a group of 15 soldiers with anti-personnel devices and then used light weapons and hand grenades while they were inside a house in al-Tanour neighbourhood, east of Rafah
targeted a Merkava tank with a Yassin-105 rocket in the same neighbourhood
shelled Rafah crossing
targeted an “Apache” Israeli military helicopter with an anti-aircraft surface-to-air missile (SAM-7)
blew up an Israeli military bulldozer east of Rafah

There further remains the possibility that Palestinian militants could send drones against the pier, which is something both the Pentagon and IDF appear to have prepared for.

How will this all end? Things look to continue to get worse, and there's still no sign of positive momentum toward a ceasefire on the horizon.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/fierce-fighting-gets-closer-us-built-gaza-pier-initial-aid-rolls

Drug may delay onset of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and treat hydrocephalus

A researcher in the Keck School of Medicine of USC's department of surgery has discovered a potential breakthrough in delaying the onset of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and treating hydrocephalus. Young-Kwon Hong, Ph.D., the chief of basic science research in the department of surgery, and his team have developed a drug that can help clear fluid and cellular debris from the brain.

Much like the body, the brain has its own lymphatic system that clears away cellular waste. "It's a lot like a sewer system—and that means it has to drain well for it to work and keep everything clean," explained Hong. When the brain's lymphatic system isn't draining well, fluid and debris can build up. The fluid buildup means there is less room for cerebrospinal fluid, which cushions and nourishes the brain.

Hydrocephalus is a buildup of fluid within the brain. This fluid can push against both the skull and the brain itself. Since the skull's bone development is incomplete in children, hydrocephalus can cause a distortion in the skull as well as potential damage to the growing brain.

In adults, hydrocephalus causes the brain to push against the hardened skull, resulting in headaches and a range of symptoms, from vision problems to difficulties with coordination and cognitive issues. Parkinson's and Alzheimer's both have multiple causes, but waste and plaque buildup in the brain is a significant factor for each.

The advantage of bigger pipes

Hong's team theorized that they could speed up the draining of fluid and waste from the brain. "Think about a kitchen sink that's draining too slowly because it has a two-inch pipe," he said. "We can give you a four-inch pipe." Hong and his team first developed the idea of manually stimulating the drainage process, and then they developed a compound that triggers an increase in the diameter of the lymphatic vessels.

Hong's research was published in Nature Neuroscience in March of this year, and he and his team continue to move forward with this exciting development.

An unusual note to the story is that while Hong has decades of experience in medical and surgical research, he had not done any neuroscience research before this project—everything he had worked on had been from the neck down. He found his inspiration for this project in church.

A fellow member of Hong's congregation had adult hydrocephaly and experienced a terrifying sudden vision loss while driving on the freeway. When Hong heard of the incident, he knew he had to help. "I felt a spiritual calling. I had to do something."

More information: Dongwon Choi et al, Piezo1 regulates meningeal lymphatic vessel drainage and alleviates excessive CSF accumulation, Nature Neuroscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01604-8

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-drug-delay-onset-alzheimer-parkinson.html

Bausch, Salix Late-Breaking Data from Phase 2 Trial of Amiselimod in Ulcerative Colitis

Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC)(TSX:BHC) and its gastroenterology (GI) business, Salix Pharmaceuticals, today announced that they will be presenting data from its Phase 2 trial evaluating Amiselimod as treatment for active ulcerative colitis (UC). The data will be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024 during the IMIBD Late Breakers and Innovations in IBD session on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

"We are pleased to present late-breaking data on Amiselimod, our investigational, oral, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator as a potential treatment for the induction of remission in UC," said Tage Ramakrishna, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and President of Research & Development, Bausch Health. "The abstract underscores our steadfast commitment to developing new and innovative therapies for patients with UC."

The research to be featured at DDW 2024 and available via the meeting's online platform is as follows:

Hanauer, Stephen B. et al. "Amiselimod for the treatment of active ulcerative colitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial" Abstract #4094796

The Phase 2 clinical trial was a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, dose ranging study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Amiselimod in 320 patients with mildly-to- moderately active UC. Bausch Health announced positive topline results from this study in December 2023.

https://www.accesswire.com/864258/salix-to-present-late-breaking-data-from-phase-2-trial-of-amiselimod-in-active-ulcerative-colitis-at-digestive-disease-week-2024

With assaults up in NYC, community activist offers pepper spray in Chinatown

New Yorkers are jumping at the chance to snag free cans of pepper spray, as random assaults continue to climb in the city.

Over the past two Thursdays, a community activist handed out nearly 100 cannisters of pepper spray in Chinatown to vulnerable New Yorkers.

“Random attacks against women can’t be the new norm,” Chinatown Block Watch founder Karlin Chan, 67, who handed out 94 canisters on Mulberry and Mott streets, told The Post. “The 70s were never this bad.”

The takers included a local crossing guard, an 18-year-old female John Jay College student and a worried dad, Stan Moy, 64, a retired postal worker.

“We need to be a little more vigilant,” Moy said.

“It [pepper spray] makes me feel safer,” added student Emily Guaba, who commutes to John Jay from Long Island via train and subway. “You never know what could happen. Especially out here.”

Karen Wong, 75, of Chinatown, who took a cannister while strolling along Mott Street, said she’s been harassed and assaulted in the past, but declined to elaborate.

Upper East Side resident Evelyn Garcia — who heard about the giveaway and made the trek specifically to get the pepper spray — took five canisters for herself and friends.

She said she was accosted May 11 by a hulking 6-foot-3 man who tried to block her from boarding a C train after she accidentally bumped into him.

She kept the thug at bay by shouting, but fears for her safety riding the rails.

“Women and the elderly should definitely have it [pepper spray]. It’s added protection.” she said.

Felony assaults are up 7% year to date (73 from 68) in the 5th Precinct, which covers Chinatown, while misdemeanor assaults have spiked 35% (153 from 113) and retail theft has soared 43% (361 from 253), NYPD data through May 12 show.

Across the city, felony assaults are up 4% (9,755 from 9,363) and misdemeanor assaults spiked 7% (15,962 from 14,972), the data show.

It’s illegal to ship pepper spray here.

But it’s not illegal to own it or use it in certain cases of self-defense.

Chan said he’s distributed more than 6,000 donated canisters to vulnerable New Yorkers since the pandemic started.

His plan is to continue the “pop-up” giveaways, with the target demographic being “younger mobile women who commute to work by subway, bus or walk.”

https://nypost.com/2024/05/18/us-news/with-assaults-up-in-nyc-community-activist-offers-pepper-spray-in-chinatown/

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