https://www.sott.net Signs of the Times: The World for People who Think. Featuring independent, unbiased, alternative news and commentary on world events. en-us Original content Copyright 2025 by Signs of the Times/Sott.net. For other content, see our Fair Use Policy at www.sott.net. Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:05:34 +0000 https://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net https://www.sott.net https://www.sott.net/article/497410-Which-Southern-cities-had-the-most-snow-Here-are-the-biggest-snow-totals-by-state As historic snowfall — in some places more than double-digit totals — fell Tuesday along the Gulf Coast and in the Deep South and Southeast, meteorologists ran out of adjectives to describe what they were seeing. "Just like hundreds of other meteorologists today, I am speechless," one wrote, sharing a video clip of whiteout conditions on Pensacola Bay Bridge in Florida. The city of Milton, Florida, reported 9.8 inches — probably the state's biggest daily snowfall on record. In Louisiana, deep mounds of snow met the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In New Orleans, locals skied down Bourbon Street as the airport recorded 8 inches, smashing the daily record of 2.7 inches. By the end of Tuesday, New Orleans had observed more snow in this single event than New York City and Anchorage did in all of December and January — and according to the data, the area around the city may have been Tuesday's snowiest place, with an estimated total of just over a foot. https://www.sott.net/article/497410-Which-Southern-cities-had-the-most-snow-Here-are-the-biggest-snow-totals-by-state Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:00:11 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497409-United-Kingdom-MPs-to-consider-bill-likely-to-cause-mass-starvation-death-disease-and-societal-collapse-in-near-future This Friday, January 24th, the UK Parliament is due to vote on a Private Member's Bill that could lead to mass starvation, widespread disease and fatalities and the almost certain collapse of civil liberties and society within a few years. The bill has the support of a third of voting MPs and there is a clear and present danger that it could pass. Many MPs depart for their constituencies on a Friday and 200 remaining zealots could have a chance to swing a vote their way. The bill is a thinly-disguised attempt using meaningless climate and nature crisis verbosity to ration and control almost everything that citizens consume. The obvious attack on civil liberties should serve as a warning to other countries to stand against the Net Zero hysterics that have infiltrated large sections of elite British society. https://www.sott.net/article/497409-United-Kingdom-MPs-to-consider-bill-likely-to-cause-mass-starvation-death-disease-and-societal-collapse-in-near-future Thu, 23 Jan 2025 02:59:15 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497408-Americans-Medical-Tourism-in-China This is important for Americans. I would say that I am not in favor of what we call "medical tourism", but the Chinese government doesn't appear to frown on it, so I am not in position to complain. I suppose the government sees it as a social contribution to the world. I have seen many Internet posts and articles on the US healthcare system, which appears inhuman and almost savage on occasion. The US medical system is operated on a for-profit basis, and seems driven almost entirely by greed. Many Americans cannot afford health insurance, and the greatest cause by far of personal bankruptcies in the US is astronomical medical bills. All health care insurance companies have huge departments the only purpose of which is to find any justification to deny paying a claim. Very recently, the CEO of United Health Care in the US was shot and killed, with the sympathy almost unanimously for the young man who shot him. United Health Care is unquestionably one of the most inhuman corporations... https://www.sott.net/article/497408-Americans-Medical-Tourism-in-China Wed, 22 Jan 2025 22:55:38 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497407-The-age-of-interplanetary-exceptionalism Let's start with the key take away: Manifest Destiny reaching the stars. Literally. Trump 2.0 - the greatest show on earth - did start with a (big) bang: "We will pursue our Manifest Destiny into the stars." And that means planting the American flag on Mars. The real thing. Not a Netflix flick. No wonder platinum sidekick Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, achieved instant rapture. Welcome to Interplanetary Exceptionalism. Literally. As in the land of the free, home of the brave, in this new golden era, will be "far more exceptional than ever before". Imperial decline is over. Embrace the new, brutally benign Empire. Or else. In practical terms, it all started, predictably, with a flurry of executive orders - like a psychedelic vortex. Time to send troops to the southern border (El Paso is already blocked) to stop the illegal immigrant "invasion"; declare drug cartels as terrorist organizations; and rename the Gulf of Mexico "Gulf of America". Add to it declaring a state of emergency to boost... https://www.sott.net/article/497407-The-age-of-interplanetary-exceptionalism Wed, 22 Jan 2025 22:12:58 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497405-Back-to-merit-Trump-fires-all-government-DEI-staffers-ends-affirmative-action-for-contractors The Trump administration took a sledgehammer to progressive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives Tuesday night with executive orders designed to root racialist ideology out of the federal government and American institutions at large. President Donald Trump signed an executive order overturning President Lyndon Johnson's 1965 executive order creating race-based hiring requirements for federal contractors. Paired with that is a memo from the Office of Personnel Management placing all DEI employees on leave and shutting down DEI programs and offices. "President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin. This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept," said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. https://www.sott.net/article/497405-Back-to-merit-Trump-fires-all-government-DEI-staffers-ends-affirmative-action-for-contractors Wed, 22 Jan 2025 21:30:46 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497403-Putins-senior-aide-Patrushev-made-some-predictions-about-Trump-China-and-Eastern-Europe The outcome of Trump's continued struggle with the "deep state" will reverberate across the world. Putin's senior aide Nikolai Patrushev, who ran the FSB for nearly a decade (1999-2008) before chairing the Security Council for over 15 years till recently (2008-2024), made three predictions about international affairs in his latest interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda. The first concerns the continued struggle between Trump and the "deep state", the latter of which can be described as US' permanent military, intelligence, and diplomatic bureaucracies, some members of whom are known to oppose him. Patrushev expects Trump to implement domestic and foreign policies that are practically the opposite of Biden's, which he characterizes as pragmatic and more aligned with the interests of the American people, but he's unsure whether he'll ultimately succeed due to internal resistance. The precedent from his first term bodes ill for his second, but the outcome of this latest struggle will... https://www.sott.net/article/497403-Putins-senior-aide-Patrushev-made-some-predictions-about-Trump-China-and-Eastern-Europe Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:57:54 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497402-Trump-roars-back-into-office-Why-US-vassals-are-panicking The newly-inaugurated president is serious about bringing back the glory days and risks leaving Washington's allies in the dust. It's shock and awe time for Uncle Sam's allies in the clown car who have mindlessly gone along for the ride. Not only is freshly re-minted US President Donald Trump reversing course at breakneck speed but, if his newly declared priorities are any indication, he seems to be headed, pedal to the metal, all the way back to the 80s. One has to look back about 40 years to find a "simpler" time in Western society. Life was straightforward. You worked, earned a commensurate livable wage, and focused on your life and that of your family. Period. You didn't have to dedicate bandwidth to navigating lunacy like which pronouns you should be using when you meet someone. Or whether to chop off your kid's junk before the school demands it for his mental health and suggests you be re-educated if you object. Or whether your neighborhood soon risked looking like it was... https://www.sott.net/article/497402-Trump-roars-back-into-office-Why-US-vassals-are-panicking Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:57:23 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497401-Another-door-opens Why is this man glaring? At a moment of peak triumph and celebration, President-elect Donald J. Trump looks stern in his inauguration portrait. "...there's little political upside in defending the rights of undocumented shoplifters." — Michelle Goldberg, The New York Times If past is prologue, Mr. Trump lacks the acumen to carry out his ambitious agenda. The first problem is management style. In his first term, Mr. Trump was a poor administrator because of his mercurial, polarizing style and a general indifference to facts and the hard work of governance. — Jack Goldsmith, The New York Times Thus spake one Shawn McCreesh of The New York Times, America's all-wise, all-knowing font of everlasting rectitude. But to answer his question, why blah blah: Donald Trump is glaring because he means bidness. His bidness is to shift the paradigm on the mendaciously sanctimonious managerial class of the USA, of which The New York Times is the principal mouthpiece. DJT looks stern, does he? All... https://www.sott.net/article/497401-Another-door-opens Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:56:39 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497400-Head-of-IDF-resigns-over-Oct-7-failures-as-opposition-leaders-call-on-Netanyahu-to-step-down The head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has resigned and will leave his post on March 6. According to the Times of Israel, Halevi said in a statement: "I am leaving after recognizing my responsibility for the failure of the IDF on October 7, and at the point in time in which the IDF has recorded significant achievements, and is in the process of implementing an agreement to release hostages. I will transfer command of the IDF in a high-quality and thorough manner to my replacement." Meanwhile, the head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, is following Halevi's lead, and says he too plans to resign from the military over his responsibility for the IDF's failures leading up to the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack. https://www.sott.net/article/497400-Head-of-IDF-resigns-over-Oct-7-failures-as-opposition-leaders-call-on-Netanyahu-to-step-down Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:56:00 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497399-Moscow-comments-on-Trumps-two-genders-diversity-rollback The US president has signed executive orders reversing protections for transgender rights and DEI programs. The decades-long US promotion of the diversity and inclusion agenda should be investigated on an international level, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. Zakharova made the remarks on Tuesday, a day after newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump ended protections for transgender rights and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the federal government. Zakharova wrote on Telegram: "Can you imagine how many people's lives have been ruined over the years of promoting this nonsense? What should hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people do now, who have been forced to accept the ideology of amputating healthy genitals and replacing them with artificial ones?" Zakharova stated that officials in Washington have been forcing other countries: "To show solidarity with what they called anti-scientific narratives, which in essence was the very... https://www.sott.net/article/497399-Moscow-comments-on-Trumps-two-genders-diversity-rollback Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:53:16 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497398-J-Js-ketamine-derived-nasal-spray-approved-by-FDA-to-treat-depression The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Johnson & Johnson's ketamine-derived nasal spray to help millions of U.S. patients suffering from severe depression. Spravato, approved as a standalone treatment, is "the first and only monotherapy for adults living with major depressive disorder who have had an inadequate response to at least two oral antidepressants," the pharmaceutical giant said Tuesday. An estimated 21 million adults in the U.S. are living with major depressive disorder, one of the most common psychiatric disorders, but one-third of them will not respond to oral antidepressants alone, hindering their quality of life, according to Johnson & Johnson. "Treatment-resistant depression can be very complicated, especially for patients who do not respond to oral antidepressants or cannot tolerate them. For too long, healthcare providers have had few options to offer patients much-needed symptom improvement," Bill Martin, global therapeutic area head of... https://www.sott.net/article/497398-J-Js-ketamine-derived-nasal-spray-approved-by-FDA-to-treat-depression Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:27:11 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497397-Trump-suspends-US-foreign-assistance-for-90-days-pending-reviews-except-for-Israel President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals. It was not immediately clear how much assistance would initially be affected by the Monday order as funding for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress and is obligated to be spent, if not already spent. The order, among many Trump signed on his first day back in office, said the "foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values" and "serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries." Consequently, Trump declared that "no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States." https://www.sott.net/article/497397-Trump-suspends-US-foreign-assistance-for-90-days-pending-reviews-except-for-Israel Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:22:31 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497396-More-activism-less-credibility-What-CNNs-defamation-loss-says-about-journalism-today "Your credibility with me ... is about none." Those words to CNN counsel by Judge William Henry also clearly spoke for the Florida jury which, on Friday, awarded $5 million for Navy veteran Zachary Young and approved an additional amount, still to be determined, for punitive damages. Comment: Jury finds that CNN committed defamation against Navy veteran, awards punitive damages The CNN loss is only the latest in a series of media cases that have reversed decades of case law where the media largely prevailed under highly protective legal standards. It says a great deal about the state of modern journalism and its unrelenting efforts at self-destruction. In "The Indispensable Right," I discuss the radical shift in American journalism that occurred with the rejection of neutrality and objectivity in favor of advocacy journalism. J-schools now teach that objectivity is a dated concept. As former New York Times writer (and now Howard University journalism professor) Nikole Hannah-Jones... https://www.sott.net/article/497396-More-activism-less-credibility-What-CNNs-defamation-loss-says-about-journalism-today Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:19:35 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497395-Trump-Pardons-Approximately-1500-Jan-6-Political-Hostages President Trump on Monday gave a 'full pardon' to over 1,500 political prisoners who were involved in the Jan. 6 riot. Earlier in the day, Trump told a yuge crowd at the Capitol One Arena that he was going to "release our great hostages," referring to the Jan. 6 prisoners. "As soon as I leave, I'm going to the Oval Office, and we'll be signing pardons for a lot of people, a lot of people," Trump continued. Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy, is currently being processed for release from FCI Pollock, a medium security federal prison in Louisiana, NBC News reports. Tarrio had been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison after his conviction. "He is being processed out," said his attorney, Nayib Hasssan. "We do not know what type of clemency he is receiving." https://www.sott.net/article/497395-Trump-Pardons-Approximately-1500-Jan-6-Political-Hostages Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:13:16 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497394-Doomsday-fish-found-on-beach-in-Mexico-sparks-fears-of-a-looming-disaster A rarely seen 'doomsday' fish was found ashore on a Mexico beach, sparking fears of a looming disaster. Surfers spotted the creature, known as an oarfish, on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. The massive fish, about as long as a surfboard, featured a silvery-blue body with a stunning red fin trailing down its back but had an injured tail. They can measure up to 36 feet in length and weigh over 441 pounds. Legend has it that the fish are harbingers of earthquakes and other natural disasters. A local who witnessed the scene in Mexico said: 'They say those fish appear when there is going to be a very strong tsunami.' https://www.sott.net/article/497394-Doomsday-fish-found-on-beach-in-Mexico-sparks-fears-of-a-looming-disaster Wed, 22 Jan 2025 14:39:52 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497393-Japans-Sakurajima-volcano-erupts-sending-ash-plume-6500ft-into-sky-on-January-19 The active Sakurajima stratovolcano in Kagoshima, Japan, erupted on Sunday, sending a huge plume of ash into the sky. Dramatic timelapse footage captured the ash cloud shooting from the volcano's crater more than 6,500 feet into the air over surrounding towns. This is the volcano's 15th eruption this year - authorities are monitoring the situation closely. https://www.sott.net/article/497393-Japans-Sakurajima-volcano-erupts-sending-ash-plume-6500ft-into-sky-on-January-19 Wed, 22 Jan 2025 14:06:01 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497392-Russian-lawmaker-wants-body-positivity-recognized-as-undesirable-ideology The ideology of body positivity should be designated undesirable in Russia, as it poses a threat to the nation's health, controversial Russian State Duma lawmaker Vitaly Milonov has said in a letter to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, which was seen by RT on Wednesday. According to Milonov, who serves as deputy head of the parliamentary family protection committee, the social movement that advocates for acceptance of all body types and a questioning of traditional beauty standards - is a cause for concern globally and in Russia. "Considering the social and medical danger of body positivity, I am asking you to put forward an initiative to recognize this ideology as undesirable on the territory of Russia," he urged the minister. The trend runs counter to the Russian government's efforts to protect the health of the citizens, promote a healthy lifestyle, and support traditional family values, the lawmaker claimed. https://www.sott.net/article/497392-Russian-lawmaker-wants-body-positivity-recognized-as-undesirable-ideology Wed, 22 Jan 2025 13:55:56 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497391-Investigation-underway-after-UFO-vanishes-from-radar-in-Kastamonu-Turkiye Turkish authorities are searching for an unidentified flying object (UFO) that entered radar detection Tuesday evening in Kastamonu before disappearing over a forested area in the Kirisoglu village vicinity. The incident, which prompted an extensive response from local and national authorities, involved the Turkish Air Force, Kastamonu Provincial Gendarmerie Command, the Provincial Disaster and Emergency Directorate (AFAD), Gendarmerie Search and Rescue (JAK) and commando units. https://www.sott.net/article/497391-Investigation-underway-after-UFO-vanishes-from-radar-in-Kastamonu-Turkiye Wed, 22 Jan 2025 13:00:39 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497390-Rare-snowstorm-hits-US-south-with-4-deaths-reported-10-5-inches-of-snow-recorded-in-Louisiana A rare winter storm is bringing snow and freezing rain to parts of the US deep south, closing highways and airports in Texas and prompting a first-ever blizzard warning in southwest Louisiana. Four people are thought to have died from cold exposure so far - two cases are being investigated as cold-related by Austin authorities in Texas, while two deaths from hypothermia were reported in Georgia and Milwaukee. Up in the country's north, parts of New York state are being hit by another storm, blanketed by up to 18 inches of snow. More than 2,200 flights within the US were cancelled on Tuesday, and 3,000 more were delayed, according to online tracker Flight Aware. https://www.sott.net/article/497390-Rare-snowstorm-hits-US-south-with-4-deaths-reported-10-5-inches-of-snow-recorded-in-Louisiana Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:22:16 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497389-Meteor-fireball-over-Michigan-and-Ohio-on-January-19 We received 5 reports about a fireball seen over MI and OH on Sunday, January 19th 2025 around 01:31 UT. For this event, we received one video. https://www.sott.net/article/497389-Meteor-fireball-over-Michigan-and-Ohio-on-January-19 Wed, 22 Jan 2025 11:19:01 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497388-The-merits-of-a-demilitarized-Trans-Dnieper-region-controlled-by-non-Western-peacekeepers This proposal is the most realistic means for keeping the peace after an armistice. Bloomberg cited unnamed "people with knowledge of Kremlin thinking" to report that Russia will only demand that Ukraine restore its constitutional neutrality, "drastically cut back military ties with the NATO alliance", limit its army, and freeze the front lines, albeit with some territorial swaps. Also: "The Kremlin's position is that while individual NATO members may continue to send arms to Ukraine under bilateral security agreements, any such weapons should not be used against Russia or to recapture territory." To be sure, Bloomberg might have either invented their sources or they're uninformed of what the Kremlin thinks, but there's also the possibility that they're accurately reflecting what it plans to ask for during peace talks. Hopefully Russia's demands of Ukraine are more than what Bloomberg just reported, however, because the aforesaid requests would be settling for much less than it... https://www.sott.net/article/497388-The-merits-of-a-demilitarized-Trans-Dnieper-region-controlled-by-non-Western-peacekeepers Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:43:47 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497387-Bibi-assures-Israelis-that-the-genocide-will-resume-after-42-days Everything we attempted to do has failed. We could not destroy Hamas or the Palestinians. We were powerless in preventing the Syrian revolution. We killed Nasrallah but failed to destroy Hizballah. We most certainly did not destroy the Houthis. We lost. Ori Goldberg On one hand, the ceasefire agreement appears to be the worst deal that Hamas could have made. But on the other hand, the agreement helps to show that — after 16 months of nonstop slaughter and destruction — Israel has failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives nor has it dampened the spirits of the indomitable Palestinians. On top of that, Israel has exposed itself as a thoroughly immoral rogue regime without a trace of humanity. https://www.sott.net/article/497387-Bibi-assures-Israelis-that-the-genocide-will-resume-after-42-days Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:42:59 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497386-The-lousiest-president-of-all-time Anybody who wants to explain how bad the Biden administration is has to start with COVID. As such, we knew a few things early on in the pandemic, and they were as follows: The average age of death from the virus was in the 80s. It had almost zero effect on young people and children. Most people who died from it had three or more co-morbidities — that is, they were old as hell, fat as a hog, and really liked smoking, or drinking, or cancer. It was in the same class of virus as the common cold. Once we knew these things, especially the last one, the obvious thing to do was to give up. There was no point crippling the strong for the sake of the weak, when the weak depend upon the strong, and most of the weak aren't affected by COVID anyway. We should have put the elderly on welfare and expanded Medicaid a bit and let the rest of us run loose. No — we should have subsidized tickets to bath houses and any place kids eat that has a ball pit. We like to say "hindsight is 20/20," but this... https://www.sott.net/article/497386-The-lousiest-president-of-all-time Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:41:49 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497385-The-madman-strategy-The-secret-behind-Trumps-foreign-policy Why the 47th president's Greenland move could reshape the world order. Donald Trump certainly knows how to grab attention. The new US president has entered the 2025 political season like a bull in a china shop. In less than a month, Trump and his team have managed to rattle Canada, Mexico, and Panama. But while these moves could be dismissed as political trolling, it's Denmark that's really on edge. Overnight, Greenland, previously regarded as a remote, unremarkable landmass, has become the crown jewel of Trump's imperial ambitions. Reports from US media insiders suggest Trump is "100% serious" about his intention to grab the island. The president-elect has even hinted at taking the island by force if Denmark refuses to sell. This has sparked a flurry of debates in the American press, with even Trump's detractors weighing the military capabilities of America and Denmark and calculating the potential benefits of controlling Greenland. Naturally, theories abound as to why Trump is so... https://www.sott.net/article/497385-The-madman-strategy-The-secret-behind-Trumps-foreign-policy Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:40:21 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497384-Trump-to-suspend-security-clearances-for-CIA-contractors-who-colluded-to-discredit-Hunter-Biden-laptop President-elect Donald Trump will suspend the security clearances of 51 former intelligence officials who were found to have coordinated with the 2020 Biden campaign to discredit credible and serious allegations contained on Hunter Biden's laptop about his family's influence peddling operation. According to the Fox News, citing a senior administration official, Trump will take action against the so-called "Spies Who Lie," as one of at least 100 executive orders he's expected to sign on his first day back in the Oval Office. https://www.sott.net/article/497384-Trump-to-suspend-security-clearances-for-CIA-contractors-who-colluded-to-discredit-Hunter-Biden-laptop Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:39:29 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497383-Trump-signs-executive-order-pulling-US-out-of-World-Health-Organization As Trump was seen signing the executive order, he spoke about how under his first term, the U.S. "paid $500 million" to the W.H.O., adding that China was paying less money to the W.H.O. Trump said he felt that it "seemed a little unfair." "That's a big one," Trump said. "So, we paid $500 million to [the] World Health Organization when I was here, and I terminated it. China, with 1.4 billion people, we have 350 ... nobody knows what we have because so many people came in illegally. But, let's say we have 325, they have 1.4 billion, they were paying $39 million, we were paying $500 million. Seemed a little unfair to me, so that wasn't the reason, but I dropped out." https://www.sott.net/article/497383-Trump-signs-executive-order-pulling-US-out-of-World-Health-Organization Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:23:06 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497382-Archeologists-say-new-DNA-evidence-unveils-an-Iron-Age-matriarchal-mystery From Ancient Egypt to the Scandinavian Culture of the Viking Age, evidence of female autonomy and matriarchal political and social empowerment has been documented throughout time. Now, a team of geneticists from Trinity College Dublin and archaeologists from Bournemouth University have discovered compelling evidence that suggests Iron Age Britain may have been even more matriarchal than previously thought. Dr. Lara Cassidy, an Assistant Professor in Trinity's Department of Genetics who led the study, was presented with the opportunity to sequence the DNA of 50 ancient genomes from burial grounds in Dorset, Southern England. https://www.sott.net/article/497382-Archeologists-say-new-DNA-evidence-unveils-an-Iron-Age-matriarchal-mystery Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:22:46 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497381-Democracy-falls-as-man-who-received-the-most-votes-becomes-president A day long feared by people across America and around the world finally became a reality today, with Democracy falling into rubble after a man who received the most votes took the oath of office to become president. Weeping could be heard echoing throughout the streets of every American city this morning as citizens of the United States were confronted with the terrifying truth that democracy had been destroyed by having the man who everyone voted for take office. "This is indeed a dark day," said historian and professor Clifford Martin. "The American experiment has survived for nearly 250 years, continuing the tradition started by the ancient Greeks who created the concept of democracy... but today we have seen its end. The man who won more votes than anyone else has been sworn in as president, and that's just not how democracy works." Experts predicted that the country may never be the same, as having the man people wanted to be president actually win the election was an... https://www.sott.net/article/497381-Democracy-falls-as-man-who-received-the-most-votes-becomes-president Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:04:46 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497380-Bailing-out-Acting-FBI-Director-Paul-Abbate-retires-just-minutes-before-Trump-takes-office Abbate retires a day after former FBI Director Christopher Wray's resignation took effect The acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Paul Abbate, reportedly retired just minutes before Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray announced on Dec. 11 that he would step down from the bureau before Trump took office, and Wray's resignation went into effect Sunday. Abbate, who took the helm from Wray, stepped down from the bureau just a day later, the New York Times reported. His departure took effect at noon ET Monday, around the same time Trump was slated to take his oath of office at the U.S. Capitol. It was not immediately clear who will replace Abbate as acting FBI director. https://www.sott.net/article/497380-Bailing-out-Acting-FBI-Director-Paul-Abbate-retires-just-minutes-before-Trump-takes-office Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:45:08 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497379-New-research-paper-contains-evidence-the-mRNA-Covid-Vaccines-damage-human-heart-cells Sometimes a paper on a new method delivers a side punch to current understanding. Nothing in the title hints at this, and the authors deliver the critical blow en passant. Over a 40-year career in microbiology I've met several cases. For example, the scientist who found a problematic type of antibiotic resistance to be extremely prevalent in Pakistan. This exercised him not one jot, despite obvious implications for treatment and for import into the U.K. What motivated Joe, whose name I've changed, was perfecting a test to detect bacteria with this resistance. One of his collaborators (a former colleague, I think) just happened to be in Pakistan, which proved - owing to the high prevalence of the resistance - to be the ideal testing ground. Some scientists don't want the trouble that comes from a disturbing result, especially when they have a new method to publicise. They fear the opprobrium reserved for heretics and disruptors. At best, controversial observations delay your paper's... https://www.sott.net/article/497379-New-research-paper-contains-evidence-the-mRNA-Covid-Vaccines-damage-human-heart-cells Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:38:10 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497378-A-Recycled-President-Trumpty-Dumpty-returns The US has a new president! Well, not really new - it has a recycled president. Slightly refurbished - but essentially the same one from before. The Washington Post and New York Times were quick to welcome him to office - by scapegoating Anthony Blinken--now called the Secretary of War! Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, contributed $1 million to Trump's inauguration. Go figure! WaPo and the NYT are still DNP mouthpieces but...and they have a constituency — but they couldn't exactly throw Biden under the bus after celebrating his presidency as the Second Coming of Christ.. But Blinken? Why not? Word is he's starting a rock group with Zelly and Bibi. Look - they gotta throw somebody under the bus! At the same time, it pays to be a little circumspect at inauguration time when the guy you never thought could win not only won but won bigly, with support beyond his billionaire and trillionaire backers — that is, with, public support! The MSM want clicks - so they're going to play... https://www.sott.net/article/497378-A-Recycled-President-Trumpty-Dumpty-returns Tue, 21 Jan 2025 19:43:32 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497377-Obamas-shadow-The-Deep-State-and-its-real-faces Part 5 of our series on how Barack Obama undermined U.S. democracy In contemporary political discourse, the term "deep state" frequently arises as a catch-all phrase to describe the entrenched bureaucracy and unseen forces that shape U.S. governance. Washington, D.C., is often portrayed as the epicenter of this so-called deep state, where power dynamics operate independently of electoral outcomes. Some also refer to it as the "blob." While it is true that U.S. governance is steered by unelected and unaccountable entities, such as the military and intelligence complexes, the concept of the "deep state" can oversimplify the complexities of governance in Washington, D.C. It can also serve to deflect accountability from those most responsible for the damage inflicted on our country. The deep state may appear to be a monolithic entity. However, it is, in reality, a complex web of human actors with genuine agency. Among these individuals, Barack Obama stands out as a pivotal figure whose... https://www.sott.net/article/497377-Obamas-shadow-The-Deep-State-and-its-real-faces Tue, 21 Jan 2025 19:37:16 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497376-Despite-Biden-pardon-Fauci-still-faces-legal-perils-here-they-are President Biden's pardon of Dr. Anthony Fauci may protect the former National Institutes of Health official from immediate criminal prosecution, but some critics say he is not completely out of legal jeopardy and that public sentiment might still condemn the man who became known during the COVID-19 pandemic as "Mr. Science." In the days before Biden offered the pardon to Fauci, along with other critics of Donald Trump, some experts who have followed Fauci's career and handling of the pandemic, as well as members of the Trump transition team, reiterated their assertion that Fauci perjured himself on several occasions during the pandemic - especially regarding his agency's links to the lab in Wuhan, China, that might have created the virus that causes COVID-19. The pardon addresses any COVID-related offenses, and is backdated to 2014 — the year a U.S. ban on so-called "gain of function" virus research took effect -- research Fauci is accused of outsourcing to China. https://www.sott.net/article/497376-Despite-Biden-pardon-Fauci-still-faces-legal-perils-here-they-are Tue, 21 Jan 2025 19:21:11 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497375-The-evolution-of-the-militarized-data-broker While often mythologized as having been created to champion human freedom, the internet and many of its most popular companies were directly birthed out of the national security apparatus of the United States. Today, the world's economy no longer runs on oil, but data. Shortly after the advent of the microprocessor came the internet, unleashing an onslaught of data running on the coils of fiber optic cables beneath the oceans and satellites above the skies. While often posited as a liberator of humanity against the oppressors of nation-states that allows previously impossible interconnectivity and social organization between geographically separated cultures to circumnavigate the monopoly on violence of world governments, ironically, the internet itself was birthed out of the largest military empire of the modern world - the United States. https://www.sott.net/article/497375-The-evolution-of-the-militarized-data-broker Tue, 21 Jan 2025 18:38:34 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497374-Why-has-Chrystia-Freeland-deleted-her-WEF-page-and-hidden-her-Instagram-content Just before launching her bid to become the next leader of the Liberal Party in Toronto on Sunday, Chrystia Freeland deleted or archived all her previous Instagram posts, publishing new material uniquely focused on her new leadership campaign. In what appears to be an attempt to reorganize her digital footprint, her profile on the World Economic Forum (WEF) website has also been deleted. Freeland's WEF profile listed her career achievements and biography, while also associating her with the unpopular network that came under heavy scrutiny during the Covid pandemic. https://www.sott.net/article/497374-Why-has-Chrystia-Freeland-deleted-her-WEF-page-and-hidden-her-Instagram-content Tue, 21 Jan 2025 17:56:58 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497373-How-Musk-helped-boot-Ramaswamy-from-DOGE-Everyone-wants-him-out Elon Musk has already achieved his first cut at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency: his co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy. Musk, the tech tycoon and Donald Trump confidant, made it known that he wanted Ramaswamy out of DOGE in recent days, according to three people familiar with Musk's preferences who, like others for this article, were granted anonymity to discuss them. An ill-received holiday rant on X by Ramaswamy about H-1B visas apparently hastened his demise. Just 69 days after Trump announced the team, Ramaswamy is now leaving DOGE and planning to announce a run for Ohio governor next week. Musk's ability to ice out Ramaswamy, who for a variety of reasons had irked some Republicans in Trump's circle, is the latest sign of his influence in the incoming administration. And it presages an encore of all of the infighting that marked Trump's first term. https://www.sott.net/article/497373-How-Musk-helped-boot-Ramaswamy-from-DOGE-Everyone-wants-him-out Tue, 21 Jan 2025 17:42:52 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497372-Godspeed-DJT I was going to write something happy and positive and optimistic, about a future that looks brighter after spending 4 years out in the wilderness. But then I saw that the Democrats have pardoned the worst amongst themselves, and thereby every single one of them, for everything they've done over these 4 years, and before it. The entire Democratic party has been placed above the law, along with their Republican friends. The USA is now officially a lawless state. That is something to think hard about. Because why would you still maintain a judicial system, with courts and judges and prosecutors, if that system doesn't apply to a large group of people? I can't think of a good reason. The rule of law in America is now an abstract idea that belongs in the past. What might be good about this is that the Dems have lost any and all future rights to go after any and all Republicans. But it still doesn't sit well. You can forgive someone for something they've done, but you can't pardon them... https://www.sott.net/article/497372-Godspeed-DJT Tue, 21 Jan 2025 16:43:37 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497371-5-killed-in-landslide-after-torrential-rain-in-Bali-Indonesia At least five construction workers have died following a landslide that hit a village on the Indonesian island of Bali on Monday, an official told local media. According to a preliminary report, the disaster took place in their accommodations in Ubung Kaja Village in Bali's provincial capital of Denpasar. Three others, also workers, reportedly managed to survive the disaster and are now at the nearby hospital. Rescuers deployed an excavator in a bid to evacuate the victims as the accommodations were buried at a depth of 50 meters, according to Nyoman Sidakarya, head of Bali's search and rescue agency. Those deceased have been taken to nearby hospitals for identification. Sidakarya said that the main cause of the landslide remained unknown, however, the region was poured by torrential rain on Sunday. He called on the public to stay vigilant amid the rainy season. Indonesia frequently experiences hydrometeorological disasters during the season. https://www.sott.net/article/497371-5-killed-in-landslide-after-torrential-rain-in-Bali-Indonesia Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:57:50 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497370-Landslides-and-flash-floods-triggered-by-heavy-rains-kill-at-least-16-in-Java-Indonesia At least 16 people have been killed and 10 injured as a landslide struck Indonesia's Central Java province, government authorities said. The landslide in the city of Pekalongan was triggered by heavy rains, a spokesperson for the country's disaster mitigation agency said on Tuesday. Authorities are searching for another three missing people as they warned that the rain was expected to continue for several days. Local news outlet Kompas TV showed houses heavily damaged and partially buried by the landslide. Several cars were also seen submerged in the mud. Roads were damaged with rubble and rocks strewn across them. The spokesperson said two bridges had also been hit. https://www.sott.net/article/497370-Landslides-and-flash-floods-triggered-by-heavy-rains-kill-at-least-16-in-Java-Indonesia Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:27:47 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497369-Monk-found-dead-with-dog-bite-wounds-pit-bull-in-room-in-Thailand A monk was found dead in his room with critical dog bite wounds and his pet dog, a one-year-old pit bull, at a temple in Muang district. Police from Bang Sri Munag station were called to a monastic room at a temple in tambon Sai Ma about 1 am on Tuesday. They found the body of Phra Bundit Butrasane, 46, lying face down in a pool of blood. His right hand was missing, and some of the skin on his face. On the right side of the monk's head were nibble wounds, deep into the bone. Police said the monk had been dead for about two days before his body was found by a temple disciple identified only as Ou. https://www.sott.net/article/497369-Monk-found-dead-with-dog-bite-wounds-pit-bull-in-room-in-Thailand Tue, 21 Jan 2025 11:33:15 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497368-A-magnitude-6-earthquake-in-Taiwan-leaves-15-people-with-minor-injuries An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6 struck southern Taiwan early Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, leaving 15 people with minor injuries. The quake hit at 12:17 a.m. local time (1600 GMT Monday), with its epicenter 12 kilometers (7 miles) north of Yujing at a preliminary depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), USGS said. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration recorded a magnitude of 6.4. There were no immediate reports of deaths from the quake, though rescuers were still assessing damage. Taiwan's fire department said 15 people were sent to hospital for minor injuries. Among them were six people, including one child, who were rescued from a collapsed house in Nanxi District, Tainan city. The Zhuwei bridge on a provincial highway was reported to be damaged. https://www.sott.net/article/497368-A-magnitude-6-earthquake-in-Taiwan-leaves-15-people-with-minor-injuries Tue, 21 Jan 2025 10:10:57 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497367-Austin-Tices-mom-says-Trump-already-offering-to-help-bring-him-home-from-Syria-after-Biden-did-nothing President Trump has already promised to do everything he can to bring home Austin Tice, the Marine veteran who vanished more than 12 years ago while working as a journalist in Syria, according to his mom. Trump's people reached out even before he re-entered the White House on Monday — while President Biden did nothing during his four years in office, Debra Tice said Sunday. "I have great hope that the Trump administration will sincerely engage in diligent work to bring Austin home," the hopeful-sounding mom said during her first visit to Damascus since insurgents toppled President Bashar al-Assad last month. https://www.sott.net/article/497367-Austin-Tices-mom-says-Trump-already-offering-to-help-bring-him-home-from-Syria-after-Biden-did-nothing Tue, 21 Jan 2025 08:42:11 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497366-Canada-from-Ukraine-The-suppression-of-a-shameful-history A few days before Remembrance Day, November 11, 2024, the Government of Canada announced that it will not release that portion of a report produced by the Commission of Inquiry into War Criminals in Canada (Deschênes Commission) that names 900 Canadians accused of war crimes committed on behalf of the Nazis. Canada admitted these people and others after the Second World War, including many former members of the Waffen SS Galizien (Ukrainian). We then learned that it was Global Affairs Canada which prevented Library and Archives Canada (LAC) from granting an access to information request to make these names public. According to the LAC spokesperson, the decision to keep the list sealed "was based on concerns regarding risk of harm to international relations." Comment: Canada has already committed grievous harm to their international relations, as the last dozen years have attest. The Globe and Mail, which along with others filed the access to information request, explained the... https://www.sott.net/article/497366-Canada-from-Ukraine-The-suppression-of-a-shameful-history Tue, 21 Jan 2025 03:30:22 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497365-Bidens-border-entry-phone-app-was-flooded-with-166-MILLION-appointment-requests-in-just-two-years Migrants reportedly made millions of attempts to secure an asylum appointment through a phone app popularized by former President Joe Biden in just the past two years. Asylum seekers made 166 million attempts to secure an appointment with U.S. immigration officials through the CBP One App in the past two years, according to internal documents obtained by CBS News. The CBP One allowed nearly one million foreign nationals to enter the United States before President Donald Trump followed through on a campaign promise Monday and immediately shut down the app. First established in October 2020 with a very limited scope, the Biden administration greatly expanded the use of CBP One in January 2023. The app has since enabled migrants to schedule appointments to obtain exemptions at ports of entry and permits them to submit biometric data to federal immigration authorities in order to apply for travel authorization and obtain parole. https://www.sott.net/article/497365-Bidens-border-entry-phone-app-was-flooded-with-166-MILLION-appointment-requests-in-just-two-years Tue, 21 Jan 2025 02:20:22 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497364-Left-devours-its-own-SNL-skewers-MSNBCs-Trump-obsession-in-fiery-takedown-of-host-Rachel-Maddow This weekend's Saturday Night Live roasted MSNBC in a skit ridiculing the left-wing cable news network about everything from its hysteria-prone coverage of President-elect Donald Trump to its anchors' personalities and appearances. The segment featured Sarah Sherman as Rachel Maddow — complete with the host's signature close-cropped hairstyle and thick-rimmed glasses — who introduced herself warning that dads watching at home had "better hide their older, bookish-looking lesbian daughters." Sherman then introduced the panel, whom she described as "basically like 'The Avengers' for your aunt" and which included cast members mimicking network regulars including Ari Melber, Joy Reid, Stephanie Ruhle and Chris Hayes. https://www.sott.net/article/497364-Left-devours-its-own-SNL-skewers-MSNBCs-Trump-obsession-in-fiery-takedown-of-host-Rachel-Maddow Mon, 20 Jan 2025 23:06:15 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497363-Study-suggests-an-interstellar-visitor-may-have-changed-the-course-of-4-solar-system-planets An object eight times the mass of Jupiter may have swooped around the sun, coming superclose to Mars' present-day orbit before shoving four of the solar system's planets onto a different course. A planet-size object that possibly once visited the solar system may have permanently changed our cosmic neighborhood by warping the orbits of the four outer planets, a new study suggests. The findings may shed light on why these planets' paths have certain peculiar features. For decades, astronomers have debated how the solar system's planets formed. However, most hypotheses agree on the type of orbit the planets should have: circles that are arranged concentrically around the sun and lie on the same plane. (If you viewed them edge-on, you would see only a line.) However, none of the eight planets, including Earth, have perfectly circular orbits. Plus, the planets' paths don't lie precisely on the same plane. https://www.sott.net/article/497363-Study-suggests-an-interstellar-visitor-may-have-changed-the-course-of-4-solar-system-planets Mon, 20 Jan 2025 22:41:00 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497362-Nigel-Farage-proclaimed-Britains-future-PM-at-Trump-celebration-party Nigel Farage was proclaimed "the next prime minister of Great Britain" at a huge party overlooking the White House to celebrate the upcoming inauguration of his friend and ally Donald Trump. The Stars and Stripes Union Jack reception on the rooftop of the Hay Adams hotel on Friday night became a gathering of the glitterati of the US and UK political right, with Maga Republicans rubbing shoulders with Reform UK, senior Conservatives, and Brexiteers. Organised by the so-called "bad boys of Brexit" Andy Wigmore and Arron Banks, who had initially been blocked from entering the US, along with leading Washington fixer Gerry Gunster, the party became a celebration of Farage (the guest of honour) and his eight years of friendship with Mr Trump. The victory of the incoming president against what many in the room saw as staggering odds was taken as a sign of what could happen in the UK and Europe. Mr Gunster opened the speeches, proclaiming: "I hope when we are next gathered it is not in... https://www.sott.net/article/497362-Nigel-Farage-proclaimed-Britains-future-PM-at-Trump-celebration-party Mon, 20 Jan 2025 20:55:23 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497361-Trump-to-issue-executive-order-defining-sex-as-male-and-female-These-are-sexes-that-are-not-changeable President Donald Trump on his first day in office Monday will issue an order defining a person's sex as "male or female" — requiring government agencies to use the "immutable" designation on forms and IDs while also ordering changes to federal prison policies that govern transgender inmates. "What we're doing today is defining that it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes: male and female. These are sexes that are not changeable, and they are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality," an incoming White House official told reporters. The policies are included in an executive order — one of dozens that Trump, 78, is expected to sign shortly after he assumes the presidency around noon. https://www.sott.net/article/497361-Trump-to-issue-executive-order-defining-sex-as-male-and-female-These-are-sexes-that-are-not-changeable Mon, 20 Jan 2025 20:49:37 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497360-Therapists-suggest-group-crying-forest-bathing-for-liberals-to-deal-with-sense-of-hopelessness-on-Trump-Inauguration-Day As President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration approaches, some Americans are "dreading" the Republican's return to office and experiencing increased anxiety, a new report says. Time Magazine reported Friday about 11 "science-backed" activities people can try on Monday to cope with their "sense of hopelessness" about the incoming administration. Psychology experts and therapists suggested a variety of activities that could help those emotional about Trump's return take their focus off their anxiety and gain a new perspective. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, a psychology expert and science director at the University of California at Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, recommended exercising, doing a creative activity, showing an act of kindness, smiling at strangers, and going to see a performance. These activities can boost your mood, help you regain a sense of control and feel connected to others, she said. https://www.sott.net/article/497360-Therapists-suggest-group-crying-forest-bathing-for-liberals-to-deal-with-sense-of-hopelessness-on-Trump-Inauguration-Day Mon, 20 Jan 2025 20:45:52 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/497359-Pharma-spends-billions-on-drug-ads-fears-Trump-Administration-will-try-to-ban-them Drug companies report their biggest concern with the incoming Trump administration is the fear that the government will try to ban direct-to-consumer drug ads, according to a new report from The Lever that examines the industry practice. Companies said such a ban would "almost certainly" lead to a drop in drug sales, according to a recent report by industry research firm Intron Health, which claims the return on investment for drug ads is as high as 100%-500%, depending on the drug. The U.S. and New Zealand are the only two countries that allow drug companies to advertise directly to consumers. When President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.), was running as a presidential candidate, he promised to ban the ads through an executive order on his first day in office. https://www.sott.net/article/497359-Pharma-spends-billions-on-drug-ads-fears-Trump-Administration-will-try-to-ban-them Mon, 20 Jan 2025 20:05:03 +0000