The ‘Killer Kamala’ Convention

 While Kamala Harris spoke to campaign donors inside San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel on Sunday, protesters expressed their displeasure outside: “Killer Kamala, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” they chanted. Variations of the same jingle dogged her at rallies last week, from Las Vegas to Detroit.

The San Francisco Chronicle estimated the crowd at roughly 250. That’s only a fraction of what awaits her next week in Chicago, where tens of thousands of activists will be in town for the Democratic National Convention. They are showing up to hold Ms. Harris to account for the Biden administration’s policy in Gaza, where they accuse Israel of “genocide” against the Palestinian people.

“Democratic Party leadership switching out their presidential nominee does not wash the blood of over 50,000 Palestinians off their hands,” reads a statement from the March on the DNC 2024, one of the coalitions behind the planned protests. All that has changed is the groups’ target. With President Biden’s withdrawal from the race, “Genocide Joe” has given way to “Killer Kamala.”

At a rally in Detroit last Wednesday, Ms. Harris took on protesters after they interrupted her with genocide accusations. “You know what?” she said. “If you want Donald Trump to win, say that. Otherwise I am speaking.”

There’s her dilemma. Ms. Harris is trying to quiet protesters on her left flank who would probably vote for her if it weren’t for Gaza. The problem is that the protesters don’t believe deflecting to Donald Trump is any kind of answer to their concerns about the vice president’s complicity in “genocide.” Zainab Hakim, one of the activists who interrupted Ms. Harris in Detroit, put it this way in an interview with Mother Jones: “What people seem to be forgetting is that she’s not just like some random person who decided to run for president. She has been the vice president for all 300-plus days of this genocide, and could have said something in all of that time. She deliberately chose not to do that.”

Such protesters intend to make Ms. Harris pay for it at the convention. While party leaders hope for a show of unity, protests—especially if they are accompanied by chaos and violence—would paint a different picture for millions of Americans watching from their living rooms. Meanwhile, although Ms. Harris has taken a harsher tone toward Israel than Mr. Biden, her policy is largely the same, including rejecting the protestors’ demand for an arms embargo against the Jewish state.

Meanwhile, a virtual who’s who of the far left is planning for Chicago. Those groups range from Code Pink, the Democratic Socialists of America and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, who have rallied under the March on the DNC coalition, to the Poor Peoples Army, Thank God for Abortion and Jewish Voice for Peace Chicago, which are part of the Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws coalition. The latter has been given a permit for its own march. These groups have different priorities and don’t operate in lockstep, but almost all have included Gaza in their protest messaging. Many have been haggling with the city over permits.

In a February ruling by an administrative judge upholding the city’s denial of one permit, an activist is quoted as saying that organizers are determined to have a “family friendly” protest. If so it would be one of the first. From Columbia University to Washington’s Union Station, anti-Israel protests have often been accompanied by vandalism, intimidation and, sometimes, clashes with police.

With less than a week before the DNC begins, it all ties back to an issue the Harris campaign thought it had put to rest by selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Mr. Walz has explicitly rejected the centrist label and, in the recent “White Dudes for Kamala” Zoom call, said Democrats shouldn’t “shy away from our progressive values.”

Unfortunately for Democrats, the cause that most excites progressives this election is Gaza. For them Ms. Harris’s choice of Mr. Walz, not to mention her own progressive past, only highlights her hypocrisy. Even worse for her, at least some protesters see the Democrats’ 1968 Chicago convention as their model. That was the year a Democratic Party divided by the Vietnam War nominated Hubert Humphrey while outside the convention television cameras captured images of cops beating protesters.

Before Ms. Harris announced Mr. Walz as her running mate, the odds-on favorite was Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. He seemed a moderate from a swing state who could temper Ms. Harris’s image as a San Francisco liberal. Yet she went with Mr. Walz, apparently believing it was more important to avoid angering the party’s left-wing base than to appeal to moderate working-class Democrats and independents in Midwestern battleground states.

In Chicago next week, we’ll see how protesters reward her for it.

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-killer-kamala-convention-could-anti-israel-protesters-ruin-the-dnc-for-democrats-a8873d5a

Grassley Questions Immigration Parole For New Alleged Trump Assassination Plotter

 by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) posed a series of questions to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeking clarity on the recent arrest of a Pakistani national regarding his attempts to assassinate high-ranking U.S. government officials, allegedly including former President Donald Trump, in light of the fact that he was flagged on a federal watchlist and recently granted immigration parole.

The alleged Pakistani plotter, Asif Raza Merchant, 46, was apprehended on July 12, 2024, when he attempted to leave the United States. Currently in federal custody in New York, Merchant’s plot was foiled when he allegedly conspired with undercover agents, who posed as assassins, to attempt to murder high-ranking U.S. citizens.

The alleged scheme was conducted as part of a larger Iranian ploy to retaliate against the killing of General Qasem Soleimani, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said, according to an Aug. 6 Justice Department (DOJ) statement that revealed the incident. Soleimani was taken down in 2020 during the Trump administration for aiming to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

On Aug. 9, Grassley wrote a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asking him for more information regarding Merchant’s immigration parole status. Citing media reports, Grassley said that Merchant was interviewed by the Joint Terrorism Task Force upon his arrival in the United States on April 13 because he was flagged in the federal database as a “Lookout Qualified Person of Interest.”

Despite this, Merchant was granted Significant Public Benefit Parole on April 13 by the DHS, which he overstayed after it expired on May 11, Grassley said. He asked the DHS to provide answers to the following:

1. Did the DHS grant Merchant Significant Public Benefit Parole before or after his placement on the terrorist watchlist and being listed as a “Lookout Qualified Person of Interest”?
2. On what basis was Merchant granted Significant Public Benefit Parole?
3. Provide the entire Alien Registration File (A-File) for Asif Raza Merchant.
4. How many individuals on the Terrorist Screening Database have DHS granted parole and allowed entry into the United States?

Following Merchant’s arrest, Garland said, “The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against American citizens and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America’s national security.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray said of the incident: “This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s complaint allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook.

“A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any U.S. citizen, is a threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI.”

Assassination Attempts on Trump

The Pakistani national’s plan to assassinate Trump has not been confirmed by federal agencies. The Epoch Times reached out to the DHS and the DOJ for comment regarding the issue. The FBI declined to comment.

According to court documents, Merchant’s plot involved “three different criminal schemes: (1) stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; (2) planning a protest; and (3) killing a politician or government official.”

Merchant told the confidential source, an undercover agent, that “trusted” people would be needed to conduct the killing and perform protests after the incident as a distraction, and that they would need “a woman to do ‘reconnaissance.’”

Merchant paid the agent an advance sum of $5,000 to hire hitmen and told him that the final plans would be revealed after Merchant left the country.

He was subsequently arrested on July 12, a day before Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“The failure of the Secret Service in Butler, Pennsylvania, is even more outrageous in light of suspected Iranian-backed assassins targeting former Trump Administration officials, including President Trump himself. That day, the threat of sniper attacks was even higher than normal,” House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said in a statement after the DOJ unsealed its charges against Merchant.

“I was previously briefed concerning the Iranian threat and the circumstances of Mr. Merchant’s arrest and questioned then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on whether she had reviewed the intelligence concerning the Iranian threat. She confirmed to me that she read the intelligence and was aware of this Iranian murder-for-hire plot.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/sen-grassley-questions-immigration-parole-new-alleged-trump-assassination-plotter

Science Behind Intermittent Fasting?

 by Jennifer Sweenie via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Intermittent fasting has gained significant attention in recent years for its potential health benefits, including weight loss, improved metabolic health, and even longevity. As more and more people try it out as a possible means to improve their overall health and well-being, it’s important to take a deeper look into the science behind this way of eating.

Exploring the existing evidence behind the purported benefits of intermittent fasting can provide valuable insights into how it affects our bodies and whether it lives up to the hype.

How Is Intermittent Fasting Different From Fasting?

Intermittent fasting and fasting are two different approaches to the timing of meals and calorie intake. Traditional fasting is refraining from consuming calories—whether from food or drink—for an extended period.

There are myriad ways to fast, from drinking only water to a more modified approach that includes some calories from drinking bone broth or fresh-pressed juices. The duration of the fasting period also varies and may last up to 28 days or more.

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting. Intermittent fasting does not dictate what you eat but rather when you eat. It is a shorter period of fasting and involves adding blocks of time-restricted eating to your daily schedule.

While there is no standard set delineation, the most extended duration of intermittent fasting before it is considered general fasting is commonly agreed upon as 48 hours.

Types of Intermittent Fasting

Several of the most popular approaches to intermittent fasting include:

16:8 Method

The most common approach to intermittent fasting, the 16:8 method, involves fasting for 16 hours and eating all meals within an eight-hour window each day.

Eat-Stop-Eat

This method consists of fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week.

5:2 Intermittent Fasting

This approach involves following a regular diet five days a week and significantly reducing caloric intake on the other two days.

Alternate-Day Fasting

This method includes alternating between days of regular eating and fasting.

One-Meal-a-Day (OMAD)

With this method, you fast for 20 hours daily and eat one large meal, typically at night.

The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting–What We Know

While an evolving area of research, evidence supports several health benefits of incorporating intermittent fasting into your regime.

Weight Loss

Many people seek out intermittent fasting as a means to reduce body fat. Mrinal Pandit, a registered dietitian, clinical nutritionist, and certified nutritional counselor, told The Epoch Times in an email, “Intermittent fasting can aid in weight loss by reducing calorie intake and enhancing hormone function to facilitate weight loss.”

Research supports that intermittent fasting may lead to increased metabolic rate, allowing the body to burn more calories even at rest. There is also evidence that it can lead to a decrease in insulin levels, which allows the body to burn stored fat.

However, some research suggests intermittent fasting produces no additional benefit to weight loss than simple overall continuous caloric restriction. Yet the authors of an article published in the BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine in 2022 noted that intermittent fasting may be responsible for weight loss and a reduction in waist circumference that is independent of just calorie restriction.

More research is needed to uncover the exact mechanism, but weight loss is often seen in people who adopt an intermittent fasting approach to eating.

While intermittent fasting is a means of weight loss, it’s worth noting that in 2023, a review published in Nutrition Reviews highlighted that it takes between five and 20 days of prolonged fasting to see a weight loss of two to ten percent of a person’s total body weight. Given the extended period of fasting time needed to see significant weight loss results, intermittent bouts of fasting may not be the best method if a reduction in body weight is the primary goal.

Metabolic Health

Metabolic health is how well the body breaks down the food you eat and converts it into energy. It refers to markers including optimal body mass index, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Metabolic dysfunction, or poor metabolic health, is a contributor to many chronic illnesses and a cause of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.A study published in 2022 in the BMJ Open Sports & Exercise Medicine saw overall improvements in metabolic health due to intermittent fasting. Pandit said  “Fasting can improve various metabolic markers of health, including improved insulin sensitivity and reductions in blood sugar levels. These benefits are typically observed with fasting windows ranging from 14 to 16 hours daily.”

Autophagy

Autophagy is a process in the body that involves the destruction of cells. It allows the body to rid itself of damaged cells and regenerate new ones. It’s like a self-cleaning oven within cells that helps to maintain their function.

Autophagy has been linked to various health benefits, including the potential to protect against certain diseases and promoting longevity.

Decreased autophagy is linked to various health issues and conditions. Research suggests that a reduction in autophagy may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and metabolic disorders. Additionally, impaired autophagy may lead to accelerated aging and a decline in cellular health.

Research published in the journal Autophagy shows intermittent fasting activates and upregulates autophagy in many of the body’s organs. According to Pandit, “Fasting periods of at least 16–18 hours can initiate autophagy, with the process becoming more pronounced as the fasting window extends.”

Human Growth Hormone

The human growth hormone (HGH) has a myriad of responsibilities in our growth and development in adolescence, but it begins to decrease around middle age. HGH maintains our tissues and organs throughout the body and is believed to play a role in our immune system function, aging process, and mental health and well-being.

Such benefits are seen in more extended periods of forgoing food. According to Pandit, “A fasting window of about 16 to 24 hours is often associated with a noticeable increase in HGH ... production.” Levels of the hormone significantly increase after 24 hours of intermittent fasting, and research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that after 48 hours of intermittent fasting, the amount of HGH present is five times that seen at the 24-hour mark.

Additionally, there is research tying spikes in insulin levels with an interference in HGH communication in the body. Since intermittent fasting involves refraining from eating—and insulin is released upon food intake—blood levels will be lower throughout the majority of the day. Thus, there may be less interference.

Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress occurs when the body’s free radical and antioxidant levels are imbalanced. This imbalance can lead to cellular and tissue damage, inflammation, and cellular aging. Chronic oxidative stress is a driver of many chronic diseases. “Fasting for 16-24 hours can activate pathways that enhance cellular resistance to stress,” Pandit said.

A study published in 2019 in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology suggests that “prolonged nighttime fasting, without altering daily caloric or dietary intake, may improve antioxidant capacity,” thus aiding with any imbalance with free radicals. The study also concluded that intermittent fasting “significantly reduced markers of inflammation while supporting antioxidant function” when combined with physical activity.

A study published in the International Journal of Exercise Science in 2020 found that intermittent fasting also reduced oxidative stress in the heart and brain. However, some research indicates that the oxidative stress benefit may be due to weight loss. Whatever the mechanism, intermittent fasting ultimately mitigates oxidative stress and enhances health.

Cognitive Function

Intermittent fasting is associated with cognitive benefits such as improved brain function and a potentially reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases. A three-year study published in Nutrients in 2020 found that such benefits are beneficial, particularly as we age.

A systematic review published in 2021, also in Nutrients, highlighted the benefits of intermittent fasting on mental health, especially stress, anxiety, and depression. Further, according to the findings of a 2020 randomized controlled trial in the publication, it may have the ability to improve memory function as well.

There is also research suggesting that intermittent fasting may increase the generation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is strongly linked to improved cognitive function. Low levels of BDNF are linked to diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease.

“These cognitive benefits are observed typically with longer fasting periods, usually 18—24 hours, which stimulate protective processes in the brain,” Pandit added. However, more research is needed to fully understand the cognitive effects of the practice in their entirety.

Cardiometabolic Health

A review published in the Annual Review of Nutrition in 2021 suggests that, in particular, alternate-day fasting, the 5:2 diet, and time-restricted eating may lower blood pressure. The review determined that these specific types of intermittent fasting could benefit cardiometabolic health by decreasing insulin resistance and oxidative stress.

“[The improvements] have been associated with fasting periods of 16–24 hours. These benefits arise from hormonal adjustments and improved metabolic responses,” Pandit said.

Conversely, research released by the American Heart Association in March suggested that 16:8 intermittent fasting increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. However, it’s important to note there are limitations to the study, including self-reported data from only two days per week.

Gut Health

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2021 found that, after fasting for 16 hours per day for the entirety of the month of Ramadan, participants had higher levels of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Once the fasting period ended at the end of the month, the levels returned to baseline.

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2020 found a similar increase as well as an enhanced diversity in the gut microbiome of participants who fasted for 16 hours a day for 25 days.

“In regard to gut health, shorter fasting times of 12–16h [hours] might be beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract and could improve gut barrier function and the composition of gut microbiota when compared to non-fasting state,” said Pandit.

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/deeper-dive-science-behind-intermittent-fasting

Leasing model behind Europe's EV drive at risk of breakdown

 Low resale values for electric cars have pushed the leasing firms that drive Europe's auto market to double prices over the last three years and some are threatening to quit the business altogether if regulators force them to go electric too fast, industry executives say.

The jump in prices for electric car leases comes as cuts in subsidies for new EVs in key markets such as Germany are hitting sales and risks stalling Europe's electric transition, just when Brussels wants to step on the accelerator, the executives say.

"If we were pushed very, very hard, that everything has to be electric too soon ... my shareholders will say 'we don't want to take the risk' and we'd be out of the market," said Tim Albertsen, CEO of Ayvens, one of Europe's largest auto leasing firms. "Let's be honest, without us, who will take the risk?"

Ayvens, which is majority owned by French bank Societe Generale, has a fleet of 3.4 million cars, of which about 10% are EVs.

Leasing companies play a pivotal role in Europe as 60% of new cars of all fuel types are leased, according to calculations by environmental group Transport & Environment based on data from market research firm Dataforce.

When it comes to EVs, the proportion is estimated to be as high as 80%.

According to data provided to Reuters by Dataforce, in the 16 European markets where it can identify fleet registrations - including Germany, Britain, France and Spain - 60% of new EVs go to corporate fleets and commercial buyers. Experts say those buyers almost exclusively use leases and about half of the remaining sales to private buyers are also leases.

In markets with no EV subsidies for private buyers, the dominance of corporates is even more pronounced. In Britain and Belgium, for example, individuals accounted for just 23% and 8% of new EV purchases respectively in 2023, Dataforce said.

The price of a lease is designed to account for the depreciation of a vehicle over the typical three-year lease period, based on estimated resale prices, or residual values.

But if second-hand prices end up being lower than anticipated when the lease ends, leasing firms take a financial hit when they get the vehicle back.

For various reasons - from Tesla's price cuts to concerns about charging infrastructure and battery life to the influx of more affordable Chinese EVs - second-hand electric car prices have been sliding in Europe since hitting a peak in October 2022.

According to figures provided to Reuters by data firm Autovista, resale values for EVs in Germany in early July were 24% below pre-pandemic levels and 30% lower in Britain.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/leasing-model-behind-europes-ev-050308426.html

Homecare ‘middlemen’ sue to stop Gov. Hochul’s proposed Medicaid program overhaul

 Gov. Hochul’s plan to overhaul the fraud-ridden $9 billion Medicaid home care program — which allows New Yorkers to get paid to take care of elderly adults — is facing a legal challenge from the “middlemen” companies who work as a payroll agent between Medicaid and the caregivers.

The governor quietly rammed through a measure during state budget negotiations earlier this year to replace the hundreds of financial intermediaries that pay caregivers in the popular Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, or CDPAP, with a singular firm to be picked by the Department of Health.

A group representing the “middlemen” firms she is trying to cut out is now suing to halt the proposal.

“This sweeping change to an eight billion dollar per year program was quietly adopted in the final days of the State budget process without public dialogue, discussion, or debate, let alone input from stakeholders and participants in the Program,” lawyers for Save Our Consumer Directed Home Care Program wrote in the lawsuit. 

New York’s CDPAP program cost taxpayers upwards of $9 billion in 2023, according to recent Department of Health figures.Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard

Continue watchingThis Day in Historyafter the ad

“It will have the effect of putting hundreds of New York state companies out of business, costing thousands of jobs, and significantly disrupting services and/or fully depriving Consumers of services within their homes, forcing them to be institutionalized,” it continues.

Under CDPAP, New Yorkers can be paid around $38,000 a year to provide care for family members or close acquaintances.   

Hochul’s proposal was floated as a way of ensuring oversight — and to cut down on the rapidly ballooning costs.

According to the latest Department of Health figures, spending on the program has ballooned to just over $9 billion last year. Almost 250,000 New Yorkers received care through the program in 2023 compared with around 13,000 in 2015.

However, the lawsuit argues the changes specifically target the fiscal intermediaries and violate their ability to do business under the state constitution, US constitution and federal Medicaid laws.

The contract to replace the hundreds of middlemen firms with a sole firm is currently set to be awarded by Oct. 1.

Meanwhile, critics of the proposal argue that the process for picking the new firm is being rushed without transparency — for example, by specifically excluding the state comptroller’s office from reviewing the new contract, as is standard.

Naysayers also have complained that any prospective firm has to meet extremely limiting criteria, such as having experience being a statewide fiscal intermediary in another state.

In a statement provided to The Post Monday, Hochul’s office said the plan will make more efficient use of taxpayer money.

“We’re committed to protecting home care patients, strengthening CDPAP and ensuring the program is sustainable,” a spokesperson said.

“Our reforms will advance that goal by making sure taxpayer dollars are effectively serving the patients who need them.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently called the CDPAP program a “racket”.James Keivom

The lawyers from Save Our Consumer Directed Home Care Program didn’t immediately respond to request for comment. Records with the New York State Department indicate the group was formed in June of this year.

Bryan O’Malley, Executive Director of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State, was not involved in the lawsuit, but his group has also ripped Hochul’s proposal.

“Governor Hochul is trying to hand over a program that makes it possible for New Yorkers to receive critical care in the comfort of their own home to one out of state corporation,” O’Malley wrote in a statement Monday.

“This process has proven to be nothing more than a half-baked, $8 billion backroom deal, and it needs to be stopped before those it serves are forced into nursing homes,” he added.

https://nypost.com/2024/08/12/us-news/homecare-middlemen-sue-to-stop-gov-hochuls-proposed-medicaid-program-overhaul/