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Fears About China Lead To Bloodbath In U.S. Financial Markets

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Fears About China Lead To Bloodbath In U.S. Financial Markets

U.S. stocks spiralled Monday, following the trend in other global markets which experts say has been brought about by the reactions to fears of a continuing slowdown of economic growth in China.

European stocks were down more than four percent, while in it’s greatest one-day drop in eight years the Shanghai Composite dropped 8.5 percent. Japan’s Nikkei closed down 4.6% and stock in India experienced their biggest fall in seven years.  Stocks in India suffered their biggest fall in more than seven years while Germany’s DAX lost nearly six percent and french stock fell while French stocks fell lost seven percent. London’s FTSE 100 although faring a bit better, traded down by five percent.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average fell between 300 to 500 points after experiencing falls as much as 1,089 points in the open.

CEO of Sarhan Capital, Adam Sarhan, said “Fear has taken over. The market topped out last week, We saw important technical levels break last week. Huge shift in investor psychology.”

Chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities, Art Hogan said “Everything seems to be off the same percentage which basically means the index guys are selling out.”

Hogan said sharp opening losses were the result of uncertainty amongst traders and The New York Stock Exchange(NYSE)  implementing the rarely used Rule 48 for the Monday stock market open.

The rule lets NYSE to open stocks without indications.

Hogan said “It was set up for situations like this. The rule was last used in the financial crisis.”

Chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital’s, Peter Cardillo said “The market is not falling on actual facets of a sub-prime situation. It’s falling on fear of the unload of China. That’s really behind this move.”

Fears about China’s economic growth began after a key gauge of the country’s manufacturing activity plummeted to its lowest level in six years.

Oil Drops To Lowest Price Since 2009 Amid Supply Glut And Weak Global Economy

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Early Monday, futures for a drum of West Texas Intermediate crude oil dropped below $39 per barrel – a level that has not been seen since 2009. On Friday, oil closed at $40.29.

That compares to June of 2014, when oil went for a whopping $100 a barrel.

The present slide reflects an increase in the rate of reduction in energy prices that started last fall and could see gas go for $2 a gallon in many regions of the nation later this fall.

The newest crash in the price of oil is another indication that the world still has more oil reserves than it is aware of. It also highlights a weak worldwide economy that has seen demand for energy wane considerably.

A steep increase in production from American shale oil producers has also caused a huge supply surplus at home.

To the amazement of many, U.S. oil corporations have kept producing quickly this year despite miserable prices. That’s partially because cheaper expenses and newer technologies have made it lucrative to produce even at lesser prices.

Usually, when prices drop, OPEC intervenes and stops production. The surge in American output means that strategy is not possible this time. The alliance, led by Saudi Arabia, has declined to dial back and is still pumping out a record volume of oil.

Some consider that part of a tactic to stress American producers and force them out of the industry. It is also a move to warm up its muscle at a time when its control on the international oil market has lost meaning. OPEC used to control about 60% of the worldwide oil market. Today that portion has shrunk to 40%, chiefly because of swelling U.S. production.

Bloc politics may also be playing a part. Iran’s nuclear agreement with the West sets the platform for that nation to fill the market with more oil. Low oil prices also hurt Russia, where oil is its main source of foreign currency. Many have speculated the United States has worked hard to suppress oil prices to provided added incentive for Russian compliance in addition to sanctions.

Some observers believe Saudi Arabia, an old rival of Iran, may keep producing oil just to see Iran blamed in the region for low prices. The Saudis also have the money flexibility to withstand the tempest for some time — something their enemies, such as Iran, do not have.

Not only is there excess supply, but demand side has been slow-moving. Industrial economies in Asia and Europe are hardly growing and emerging markets in South America are falling.

That’s particularly true in the Chinese market, which has slowed radically in recent months.

It’s almost certainly going to lead to sub-$2 a gallon pump prices, in the view of Tom Kloza, principal oil market analyst for the Oil Price Information Service, which keeps tabs on retail gasoline prices for the American Automobile Association (AAA).

According to AAA, a gallon of standard gasoline now goes for $2.60 on average in the U.S.

Yet while a boon for most consumers, cheap oil is weighing on formerly-flourishing oil states like Texas and North Dakota, who derive considerable wealth from the black gold.

Twitter Shuts Down Political Tweet Archives In Bizarre Policy Change

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Twitter, struggling financially amid a lagging stock price, has decided that removing a key source of public information its service provides is in its best interests.

The strange decision means it has effectively closed a network of websites dedicated to recording deleted tweets from political leaders from all countries. The websites — jointly known as Politwoops — were managed by the Open State Foundation (OSF), which stated that Twitter restricted their API access on Friday.

Twitter allegedly told the OSF that its resolution was the outcome of “thoughtful internal deliberation and close consideration of a number of factors,” and that the twitter didn’t differentiate between politicians and ordinary users.

“Imagine how nerve-racking — terrifying, even — tweeting would be if it was immutable and irrevocable?” Twitter allegedly told the OSF, adding, “No one user is more deserving of that ability than another. Indeed, deleting a tweet is an expression of the user’s voice.”

The U.S. wing of Politwoops was closed in June, but this new resolution affects nations worldwide including Egypt, Canada, Turkey, India, Ireland, Tunisia, South Korea, Norway, and the UK.

The Diplotwoops website, dedicated to recording deleted tweets from political leaders, was also closed down, with the OSF noting every account has been “extensively used and cited by journalists around the world.”

The company’s director, Arjan El Fassed, remarked: “What politicians say in public should be available to anyone. This is not about typos, but it is a unique insight on how messages from elected politicians can change without notice.”

The British wing of Politwoops, popularly known by the handle @deletedbyMPs, was among those that Twitter’s decision affected.

Speaking to The Guardian, Jules Mattsson, who operates the account, said: “It’s a terrible shame that Twitter has made this decision. Politwoops has been an important new tool in political accountability in the UK and abroad. Politicians are all too happy to use social media to campaign, but if we lose the ability for this to be properly preserved, it becomes a one-way tool.”

Israel Caught Buying Over $1 Billion Of Oil From Controversial Iraqi Kurds

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Israel Caught Buying Over $1 Billion Of Oil From Controversial Iraqi Kurds

Three quarters of the oil purchased by Israel in recent months has come from Iraqi Kurdistan according to documents obtained by the media. The Kurds are a controversial group, with their militia’s being deemed terrorists by Turkey.

The documents, which include satellite tanker tracking, shipping and trading data, show Israeli oil companies and refineries have imported 19 million barrels of Kurdish oil worth $1 billion from May 1 to mid August.

According to experts this means one third of all oil exports from northern Iraqi, shipped from the Turkish oil port Ceyhan, have gone to Israel in that period of time and was most probably sold to Israel at a discounted price.  

The money from the oil sales to Israel would be a vital income source to the semi-autonomous Kurdish north in its battles against Islamic militants, which the experts say could be the reason Israel had purchased the oil.

Iraq’s government has said the oil belongs to Iraq and legally can only be purchased through Iraq’s Petroleum Ministry.

Officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials denied the sale.

A senior KRG official said “We do not care where the oil goes once we have delivered it to the traders. Our priority is getting the cash to fund our Peshmerga forces against Daesh [ISIS] and to pay civil servant salaries.”

Reuters reported in June 2014 that Israel had started buying oil from northern Iraq after the oil tanker  SCF Altai, registered in Liberia delivered one million barrels of crude oil from the Iraqi Kurdistan’s pipeline.

Late in 2014 the Kurds and the Iraqi government reached an agreement to end a dispute over the Kurdish oil exports, agreeing to jointly export the oil. However slow payments to the Kurds by the Iraqi Government “forced” the   start finding buyers and selling it to them on its own. Israel was a willing customer.

In February the U.S. became tangled in the oil dispute between the KRG and the Iraqi government, when an oil tanker was blocked from unloading its cargo of 1 million barrels of oil from Northern Iraq in Texas, by a Baghdad legal challenge.

After four months the tanker returned to the Mediterranean and delivered the cargo to Israel.

The sale to the USA had been negotiated by the KRG .

Researchers Just Discovered A Silver Bullet That Can Kill All Drug Resistant Superbugs

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Researchers Just Discovered A Silver Bullet That Can Kill All Drug Resistant Superbugs

A recent scientific breakthrough may provide answers in how to treat drug-resistant superbugs. A new study by scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has resulted in the mapping of the “secret passageway” in superbug bacteria. The research shows that antibiotics can enter the bacteria through the passageway, thereby killing it. The development is extremely promising and could eventually render superbug drug resistance useless, as using the long-known yet little understood passageway bypasses the bacteria’s immune system.

Nearly all bacteria have a “back door” or portal that sometimes opens – creating a pathway for antibiotics to penetrate the bacteria’s wall, known as the cell membrane. By pushing through the membrane, the bacteria’s drug resistance is not triggered, rendering it defenseless.

Previous studies of this amazing mechanism showed that a newly developed antibiotic “might” have travelled through a superbug’s portal and killed the bacteria. However, the results were inconsistent and this was due to a lack of understanding the structure of the portal – and the key to opening it.

The new study advances the research by mapping the internal structure of the portal.

Professor Liu Zhenfeng, lead author of the study, stated that, “Scientists can quickly find or design antibiotics if they know the exact structure of the targeted area. It’s like travelling somewhere – it’s much easier if you have a map of the place.” The research was published in the United States journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Zhenfeng further stated that, “Through this fundamental research, which is not directly linked to antibiotics development, the new knowledge may pave the way for a new strategy in our fight against superbugs.”

Prior to the study, the portal’s opening and closing function was believed to be similar to that of a camera’s shutter. The new research indicates that the portal’s structure and mechanics are much more complicated. The hole is believed to initially open like a camera shutter, but as the hole widens, a larger umbrella-like function spurs into action. Liu observed that, “It is incredible that nature has created such a sophisticated device at such a miniscule scale. Every movement of every part will trigger the movement of other parts. It’s beautiful.”

The challenge of studying such a complex, miniscule mechanism took six years to develop. Scientists finally discovered a special catalyst that could speed up the protein’s growth and development, allowing the researchers to view the structure of the portal in significant detail.

While questions remain as to how to consistently open the portal in order to insert the antibiotic, the discovery is a huge step in fighting the war against superbugs.

Speculation Continues To Mount That Vice President Biden Will Enter 2016 Race

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On Sunday, more high-flying Democrats welcomed Vice President Joe Biden to enter the contest for the Democratic nomination as party leader Hillary Clinton continues to fight questions over her utilization of a personal email server.

Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press, Jerry Brown, the governor of California, said that, if he were the Vice President, he would give “very serious consideration” to a presidential run.

According to Brown, the email server saga surrounding Clinton’s personal email server as Secretary of State bore a “dark energy” that indicates a significant challenge for her political campaign.

“It is almost like a vampire. She is going to have to put a stake…in the heart of these emails,” the California Governor said.

Asked if Biden should contest, Brown answered: “You are asking me presidential advice. All I can say is if I were Hillary, I would say don’t jump in. If I were Joe Biden, I would probably give it very serious consideration.”

On Saturday, Speculation increased that Biden may soon face Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination as he met with Senator Elizabeth Warren, a renowned power broker among open-minded Democrats.

Warren, who has significant support from noninterventionist groups that would be vital to success in states that vote early, has said she will not contest for president, but she has not approved Clinton or ruled out being Vice President.

Josh Alcorn, a key adviser for Draft Biden 2016, a Super PAC that is laying the foundation for a possible run, said Biden was “sounding out people in early (primary election) states, activists and potential supporters.”

Speaking to Fox News, Alcorn said, meeting with Warren could helpful in giving Biden more strategies for making the U.S. financial system work better for middle-class citizens.

If Biden runs, Alcorn said it would be imperative for him to declare his candidacy in good time to participate in the first Democratic discussions in October.

Democratic presidential contestant Martin O’Malley said he had a “great deal of respect” for the Vice President.

Speaking to ABC This Week, the former Maryland governor said, “It would be nice to have at least one more lifelong Democrat in the race.”

The remark was partly a reference to Bernie Sanders, independent Senator, and a self-proclaimed communist from Vermont, who is also interested in the Democratic nomination.

Speaking to ABC “This Week” on Sunday, Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said that he would approve Clinton in her effort to win the presidential election set for November 2016, but said Biden would be a tough candidate if he joined the race.

China Could Be On Track To Have The World’s First Operational Hypersonic Missile

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Over the weekend reports emerged that China successfully executed the fifth test of its WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle. The test occurred at the Wuzhai missile range in northern China’s Shanxi province and is believed to have occurred on August 19th.

Pentagon officials said the WU-14 traveled along the edge of the atmosphere and also demonstrated evasive maneuvering capabilities during the latest test, which was closely observed by the U.S. military.

This evasive maneuvering indicates that the hypersonic missile is designed to evade countermeasures, such as those that might be used by the United States during a conflict.

Current U.S. missile defense systems are designed to intercept ballistic missiles that follow predictable flight paths. Maneuverable warheads and glide vehicles cannot be countered by the current systems. This problem becomes even more difficult if the missiles are hypersonic, with speeds in excess of Mach 5.

The problems defending against these systems highlight their appeal to both U.S. and Chinese militaries. India and Russia are also working on similar systems but are not believed to be in such advanced stages of development.

Richard Fisher of the International Assessment and Strategy Center said that to counter the new glide vehicle the U.S. must speed up the development of its railgun technology, which uses an electromagnetic catapult system to launch a projectile at high speed.

The U.S. publicly debuted a demonstration of this technology in February of this year.

Lora Saalman, a hypersonic technology analyst who carefully studies Beijing, said the two most recent WU-14 flights are unprecedented both in terms of pace and frequency. The program appears to be moving along well and on target to be a fully deployed system in the coming years.

When deployed, the hypersonic glide system would extend the range and increase the flexibility of China’s anti-access, area denial technologies beyond that of the already deployed DF-21D anti-ship missiles, says Saalman.

“If this conventional system is mounted to reach an intercontinental range, then it could represent an effort to catch up with or even beat the United States to the punch on its own Conventional Prompt Global Strike aspirations,” Saalman said.

A WU-14 missile armed with a nuclear warhead would be a direct threat to the U.S. homeland with no countermeasures to stop it.

Admiral Cecil Haney, commander of the US Strategic Command, confirmed that hypersonic glide vehicles are emerging weapons that pose a direct threat to the United States.

The U.S. military, working with Boeing, has been testing similar technologies in its X-51 Waverider program, the details of which are largely classified.

Federal Judge Orders FBI, State Department To Expand Investigation Into Clinton Email Scandal

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Federal Judge Orders FBI, State Department To Expand Investigation Into Clinton Email Scandal

A federal judge has found that Hillary Clinton did not comply with federal policies by using a private server located in her home during her tenure as secretary of state. Clinton used the server for her official email account and exposed classified information by doing so.

United States District Judge Emmet Sullivan also admonished the State Department for not communicating with the FBI regarding the issue and urged the two to cooperate to expand the investigation.

Sullivan made the finding during a hearing in the case between the conservative organization Judicial Watch and the State Department. The group is suing the State Department over its failure to provide records pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) regarding the employment of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin.

Judge Sullivan ordered the State Department to communicate with the FBI to determine if any records related the lawsuit might exist on the server and thumb drive turned over recently by Clinton. The server and thumb drive are now in the hands of federal authorities as part its investigation as to whether Clinton’s email system was secure.

The judge also inquired as to whether the company that maintained Clinton’s server had copies of emails sent and received. He urged the State Department to directly ask Clinton if any third parties might have the sought-after emails, although he did not go so far as to order the agency to do so.

The judge’s findings bring fresh headaches to Clinton’s campaign as she continues to take steps to defend herself regarding her use of the private server. In addition to the many FOIA lawsuits seeking information, Congress feels Clinton’s campaign has not adequately explained the situation. Congress also disapproves of Clinton utilizing humor to attempt to deflect and minimize the situation. Florida Senator Bill Nelson stated that, “[He doesn’t] think the campaign has handled it very well. [He thinks] the advice to her of making a joke out of it – [he] think[s] that was not good advice.”

Democrat Representative John Yarmuth feels that the controversy could knock Clinton out of the presidential race. He quipped, “I just never feel like I have a grasp of what the facts are. Clearly she has handled it poorly from the first day. And there’s the appearance of dishonesty, if it’s not dishonesty.”

Although Clinton is the Democratic frontrunner and has much more money and support than other Democratic hopefuls, particularly Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley, the margin is narrowing. New polls indicate that in battleground states, only ⅓ of people feel Clinton is honest and trustworthy.

Whatever people’s perception is of Clinton, the current email controversy is taking away from the issues she wants people to focus on. For the campaign, it’s simply a huge distraction.

In an effort to stop the bleeding, the campaign is trying to reach out to the public.

Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri stated that, “We understand there is confusion about the issue and are being more aggressive in making sure people understand two key facts. First, that using personal email was allowed in keeping with what her predecessors had done. Two, she always treated classified materials with great care, dealt with them in hard copy, not online, and never sent or received material considered classified at the time.”

Dan Pfeiffer, a former Obama White House adviser, feels that once it comes down to Clinton and a single Republican candidate, Clinton will prevail. “The question shouldn’t be, do you trust Hillary Clinton. It needs to be, do you trust Hillary Clinton more than Marco Rubio or Donald Trump on the economy [and] immigration.”

Russian Ruble Drops Even Further As President Putin Scrambles For Options

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Russian Ruble Drops Even Further As President Putin Scrambles For Options

The Russian ruble plunged 2.3 percent on Monday due to a large drop in oil prices, the country’s principal export. The ruble now sits at a seven-month low, severely complicating president Vladimir Putin’s plans for global aggression.

The ruble traded at 70.7 to the dollar in early trading in Moscow, hit by a combination of low energy prices and biting Western sanctions that are now being felt far and wide with Russia. The sanctions have been made even worse by Putin’s ban on western food products and luxury goods.

Oil is the main engine of the Russian economy and its decline follows a sharp decline in the price of crude oil.

U.S. oil contracts on Friday dropped to under $40 per barrel, the first time at such levels since 2009.

Despite obvious signs of distress, Russian officials continue to insist that the economy is strong enough to weather the sharp declines.

On Monday, Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said to reporters that he did not expect the price of oil to stay below $40 a barrel.

This is a convenient assumption given that the Russian government has budgeted all of its spending on an forecasted oil price of $50 per barrel.

Russian stocks clearly do not believe the government, with the benchmark MICEX index down roughly 2 percent on Monday.

Email Extortion Threats, Suicide, Are The Ugly Fallout Of The Ashley Madison Data Breach

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Email Extortion Threats, Suicide, Are The Ugly Fallout Of The Ashley Madison Data Breach

The fallout from the Ashley Madison data breach shows no signs of letting up, as in addition to having their personal information dumped onto the web, people are now reporting email extortion threats.

The despair triggered by the hack has been so great that an employee of San Antonio city, who appeared in the Ashley Madison records dump, even committed suicide.

According to both a tweet from 0x1C and a post on Reddit, one of the companies that made the Ashley Madison information searchable last week, Trustify, is now distributing “you were in the database” emails.

The email exposes that Trustify is retaining searches made against its statistics and is now sending out mails reading:

“You or someone you know recently used our search tool to see if your email address was compromised in the Ashley Madison leak, and we confirmed that your details were exposed.”

The email then continues an offer to “hide the exposed details” – but only if the addressee of the message contacts Trustify.

Argument about the “offer” immediately started on Reddit, with a number of comments questioning anyone’s capacity to hide revealed information. One comment, claiming to be coming from Trustify, stated that the organization isn’t doxxing anybody, and carefully added “I’m going to work with the team on expanding on the messaging.”

Noted privacy advocacy group Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) gave their view on the matter, with CEO Jon Lawrence saying the organization was critical both of websites collecting search statistics and of news channels supporting search websites.

Lawrence wrote, “Whatever the moral issues associated with using the Ashley Madison service, and with their particular business model, the release of this data is clearly a massive invasion of privacy.”

At the thought that it was users who got themselves into trouble by using the questionable dating service, Lawrence called that position “a rather callous and simplistic view that imposes an unwarranted moral element to the right to privacy that we reject.”

Lawrence further explained that the EFA is afraid other abuses of the information will come out.

For instance, he said, “we are also alarmed by reports that a real estate data provider is planning to include geographic data sourced from this privacy breach in their search results to provide some form of ‘marital happiness rating’.”

While the solicitations by Trustify come from a legitimate, if questionably ethical, company illegal spammers wasted little time in extorting users.

Extortion letters were observed that demanded 1.0001 Bitcoin to suppress the victim’s information, despite the fact the spammer could do no such thing.

The files now exist on Bittorrent and many other publicly available website and users’ email addresses and information are now indisputably part of the public record.

Apple Announces Unusual Recall Of Iphone 6 Plus That Exposes Secret New Manufacturing Strategy

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Apple Announces Unusual Recall Of Iphone 6 Plus That Exposes Secret New Manufacturing Strategy

In a rare development, smartphone giant Apple is recalling certain batches of of its iPhone 6 Plus phablet due to some cameras on the devices producing blurry or unclear photos.

The issue has been reported by users for some time now and is particularly important to the Cupertino, California, based company as it has made the iPhone’s camera a key part of its global advertising campaigns.

Unlike other recalls that have affected fewer numbers of devices, the numbers here appear to be quite large. Every iPhone 6 Plus manufactured between September 2014 and January 2015 seems to be affected.

Apple “will replace your device’s iSight camera, free of charge,” which is different than other recalls have been handled. Apple typically just gives users new phones and recycles the old ones.

Yet this quick swap offers a rare glimpse into Apple’s design process and hints at an impressively modular designs.

Rival Google has been keenly developing its now-delayed project Ara, a modular phone where bits and pieces can be removed and upgraded.

Apple’s never spoken about a modular phone like Ara but it seems as though the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple’s newest smartphone, has been engineered with cheaper repairs in mind.

Iphone 6 Plus users can click here to see if their phones are affected.

‘Black Monday’ In China As Stocks Suffer Worst One Day Loss In Eight Years

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China’s stock market fell out of bed overnight, falling by its biggest margin in eight years. A wave of risk-off selling hammered the market. 993 stocks listed on the benchmark index, accounting for over 90 percent of listed companies, either halted trading voluntarily or were halted by the daily 10 per cent limit rule.

The Shanghai Composite Index closed down 298.81 points at 3,208.93 points, down 8.52 percent.

The drop mirrored that of the Shenzhen Composite Index, which closed down 8.85 percent to 3,271.89.

The latest selling came as the result of fears about the sagging Chinese economy.

“The official PMI to be released next Tuesday (on September 1) will be closely watched by the market,” said ANZ Bank in a note to clients. “Activities remain sluggish while the risk of deflation has not abated with PPI falling for 41 consecutive months. We expect a RRR cut in Q3 followed by an interest rate cut.”

Investors fear that China is in for a hard economic landing after a slew of policy incentives failed to improve economic performance.

There has also been deep distrust among investors for Chinese economic data, which recorded just over seven percent GDP growth last month. Many American investors do not believe China is growing anywhere near this level.

China’s Shanghai index has erased all its gains for the year and is now in negative territory in 2015.

U.S. equities look set to follow suit, with all major index futures solidly in the red.

U.S. markets experienced large losses on Friday after a similar result in China, with the benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average losing over 500 points.

South Korea Resumes Propaganda Broadcasts, Demands ‘Clear Apology’ From North Korea

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South Korea Resumes Propaganda Broadcasts, Demands ‘Clear Apology’ From North Korea

The South Korean military continued loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Monday after no progress was made in around the clock peace negotiations.

South Korean officials demanded a “clear apology” from North Korea for its live fire attack on the loudspeaker, the first such incident in many years.

The announcements came as North Korea showed no signs of backing off its threat to target the facilities and after it forward deployed landing craft and 50 of its submarines.

A military official in Seoul reported that broadcasts from all eleven loudspeakers were made as scheduled in the early hours of Monday.

No reaction to the broadcasts was recorded by the South Korean military, who also remain on high alert.

It is believed that the North has its firepower on standby and can target the loudspeakers as soon as an order is given.

The South Korean military has remained on its highest alert since Thursday, North Korea launched rockets across the border.

South Korea and the United States have adopted a joint defense posture, including deploying U.S. multiple rocket launchers near the DMZ.

The two allies have deployed WATCHCON, an intelligence and surveillance system for North Korean provocations, set at its second highest level.

Reconnaissance aircraft, satellites and on-ground reconnaissance assets are monitoring movements by the North Korean military around the clock.

The United States has not released a statement on its military efforts in the region at this time.

Global Trade In Mammoth Ivory Is Exploding Thanks To Melting Arctic Ice

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Global Trade In Mammoth Ivory Is Exploding Thanks To Melting Arctic Ice

As arctic permafrost melts due to rising global temperatures, previously unobtainable mammoth ivory has become accessible to harvesting by paleontologists and ivory traders. Though legal to sell, as mammoth’s are already extinct, the new influx of mammoth ivory is raising fears that it may increase the overall demand for ivory, and with it the poaching of endangered elephants.

In Alaska, gold miners now pursue the formerly frozen ivory, while indigenous Siberians perform the work in Russia. Over half of the world’s exports of the new ivory are from Russia to Hong Kong, but because Russian regulations only permit the sale of full tusks with a permit, many simply cut the mammoth tusks into smaller pieces, avoiding the regulations.

Thousands of mammoth tusks are also becoming available in Alaska and Canada, though 93.5% of the world’s supply comes from Siberia. Prices for premium grade mammoth ivory have risen dramatically in the last five years, from $160 per pound, to $860.

But some see a business opportunity in attempting to pass off illegal elephant ivory as mammoth ivory.

In a report, commissioned by the Save the Elephants charity, incidents of Chinese ivory traders attempting this bait and switch show they have resorted to staining elephant ivory in order to give the appearance of mammoth ivory. Radiocarbon dating and DNA tests to discriminate between the two varieties are too slow and expensive for widespread implementation, raising significant enforcement problems for police.

Researcher Lucy Vigne, who co-authored the report, claimed there is currently no consensus on a proper course of action regarding mammoth ivory, stating, “There is no scientific evidence yet published on whether the mammoth ivory trade has a negative effect on elephants or a positive effect. This ought to be looked into in greater depth before a ban is suggested.”

Little Known Department Of Energy Team Keeps Research Nuclear Material Away From Terrorists

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Nuclear security experts, working for a low profile yet important team, collected thirteen highly radioactive sources from around the U.S. to keep them from being turned into a ‘dirty bomb’ by would-be terrorists. The program is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Off-Site Source Recovery Project (OSRP), and looks to secure hazardous nuclear components and safely store them at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).

The detonation of a dirty bomb in a terrorist attack is one of the main motivations for the effort , but lost or stolen sources can also lead to human casualties due to mishandling of the items.

The thirteen sources, which are transported under high security, are known as radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), and have been used as power sources in remote locations as well as in NASA space probes.

RTGs can contain Plutonium sources, which although used in nuclear weapons would not be employed to cause a nuclear chain reaction in the case of a dirty bomb. A dirty bomb does, however, contain the potential to make a large area uninhabitable for many years. Some of the RTGs transported in July had been in use at an Alaska research outpost to power communications and seismometer equipment since the 1970s.

Since 2003, the OSRP has secured over 34,500 radioactive sources both in the U.S. and from other countries, which are then transported to the Nevada site or to other government or industrial waste disposal facilities. The OSRP obtains most of its foreign sources from Mexico, which has had four incidents of missing sources since 2013.

Those who work on the project often cite an infamous incident in Brazil occurred in 1987 to illustrate the importance of the effort. Following the loss of a radioactive source by a medical facility, it was found by individuals unaware of the danger. Four deaths resulted, with many others experiencing radiation sickness and burn injuries.

Radioactive sources are used in many areas of society including food sterilization, medical treatment, and industrial measurement applications. As such, there will always be a need for the oversight of programs like the OSRP, which do important work to keep our country safe yet receive very little attention for their efforts.

Italy Just Had The Worst Day On Record For Intercepted Illegal Migrants

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Italy’s coast guard confirmed Sunday that it rescued over 4,400 migrants in a single day, a record-high number, as smugglers capitalized on ideal sea conditions off Libya to launch a whole fleet of overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels.

The Italian coast guard carried out 22 separate rescue operations on Saturday for motorized rubber dinghies and fishing boats, all overflowing with migrants desperate to reach Italy’s shores.

The operation entailed close coordination between the Italian coast guard, navy and border patrol along with Norwegian and Irish naval vessels in the area for a European patrol force.

Boats in distress, of which there were many, used satellite phones to call coast guard search and rescue or were spotted by Italian military aircraft patrolling the area.

Already this year some 110,000 migrants have been rescued off Libya and taken into southern Italian ports.

The record numbers have prompted a coordinated European effort to assist countries with vulnerable borders.

North Korea Moves Invasion Forces To Forward Bases As Tensions Continue To Rise

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North Korea Moves Invasion Forces To Forward Bases As Tensions Continue To Rise

South Korean military sources said Monday that North Korea has deployed amphibious landing craft with special forces onboard them to the front lines, as the country keeps increasing its combat readiness despite on-going talks to defuse the situation.

10 North Korean air-cushioned landing craft were observed leaving their home base of Cholsan, North Pyongan Province, and relocating to a forward naval base, about 35 miles north of the Northern Limit Line, the unofficial inter-Korean border in the Yellow Sea. The movements were confirmed by South Korean military sources.

“Since North Korea declared a semi-war state, its invasion vehicles and forces have been actively moving,” another source confirmed.

More than 50 North Korean submarines are now at sea and over one million troops have been put on standby.

On Sunday China reacted to the rising tension by moving thousands of troops and accompanying armored personnel carriers to its border with North Korea.

Talks between the two Koreas continued early on Monday morning local time with np update on progress given by either party.

ISIS Just Destroyed The UNESCO World Heritage Temple At Palmyra

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Islamic State terrorists have demolished the Syrian city of Palmyra’s ancient temple of Baalshamin, Syrian activists and officials confirmed late Sunday.

Syria’s head of antiquities said the temple was destroyed on Sunday while the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims the destruction happened one month ago.

ISIS seized Palmyra in May, triggering fears that the group might demolish the protected ruins. The temple was listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site for being “of special cultural or physical significance.”

The terror group has destroyed several ancient ruins in Iraq and previously had destroyed ancient statues in Palmyra while leaving the temple untouched.

Syrian antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told reporters that ISIS “placed a large quantity of explosives in the temple of Baalshamin today and then blew it up causing much damage to the temple.”

This conflicted with reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which said residents who had fled from Palmyra a month ago said ISIS had planted explosives at the temple at that time.

The news comes after last week’s beheading of the 81-year-old archaeologist who had cared for Palmyra’s ruins for the last four decades.

Mount Everest Opens For First Time Since Deadly April Avalanches

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Mount Everest Opens For First Time Since Deadly April Avalanches

Nepal has officially opened Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, to climbers for the first time this season.

The treacherous mountain has been closed since an earthquake induced avalanche in April killed 19 mountaineers and ended the peak spring climbing season.

The first to attempt to scale the mountain will be veteran Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki. Kripasur Sherpa, Nepal’s tourism minister, awarded Kuriki his climbing permit during a ceremony in Kathmandu on Sunday.

Nobukazu Kuriki
Nobukazu Kuriki

Kuriki will leave for the mountain by helicopter on Tuesday and hopefully reach the summit by mid-September. The autumn season is widely regarded as the most difficult time to attempt Everest and is usually avoided.

“The main purpose of my climb is to spread the message that Nepal was safe for climbers and trekkers even after the earthquake,” Kuriki said to reporters.

It won’t be Kuriki’s first attempt. He’s tried to reach the top on four previous occasions. His last attempt in 2012 cost him nine fingers to frostbite.

Nepal has been desperate to bring back the tens of thousands of mountaineers who hike the country’s mountain trails and climb its mountain peaks. Such activity is the primary source of income for the country, with permits to climb Everest costing thousands of dollars.

Six Astronauts Are About To Be Locked In An Isolation Bubble For 365 Days To Help NASA Prepare For Mars

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Six Astronauts Are About To Be Locked In An Isolation Bubble For 365 Days To Help NASA Prepare For Mars

This Friday a team of six scientists will lock themselves in a 1,700 square foot bubble and won’t emerge for a full year. The experiment, known as Mission IV, is the fourth in the HI-SEA series that is preparing NASA and prime contractor Lockheed Martin for an eventual trip to Mars.

The simulation is hyper-realistic which means that everything from food to belongings to tools will be identical to what astronauts would encounter on a trip to the red planet.

“We will be bringing with us, especially at the start, a lot of freeze dried, pre-packaged foods, and by that, I don’t mean a lot of Cheetos and mac n cheese. I mean a lot of things that are powdered, things that are easy and quick to prepare,” Sheyna Gifford, NASA HI-SEAS Mission IV Chief Medical and Safety Officer, said in a recent interview.

The mission will take place in Mauna Loa, Hawaii, a region that is located at an approximately 8,000 ft elevation in an abandoned quarry on the northern slope of Mauna Loa. It lies next to an escarpment formed from a string of cinder cones dotting a collapsed lava tube. The site contains little vegetation, no rare, threatened or endangered species, and no archaeological sites or cultural practices.

Crew members will be involved in scientific, physical and psychological research tasks, but that there will also be “housekeeping” items, such as keeping the habitat clean, maintaining energy and water supplies, working out, making meals and laundering clothes.

The mission will even have a simulated 20 minute communication delay, the same length of time astronauts can expect on Mars.

The trip will be historic for NASA as no one has ever attempted a 12 month Mars simulation. While the trip is realistic, it still won’t be quite as stressful as the real thing.

“That psychological state of thinking, you know, at any minute I really could get killed by this planet. That’s not something that we can simulate, but we can almost simulate everything else,” said Gifford.

Gifford will simulate rescue efforts to create a blueprint for future real missions.

Interactions with the outside world will come through email and Youtube videos which is likely how future missions will communicate too.

“You kind of miss weird, random, mundane things like watering your lawn, waving to your neighbors,” Gifford said. “Sometimes you even just miss going to the grocery store, but mostly you just miss being the people that you can’t tough and talk to and help and be there for when you need them. Those are the things we usually miss the most.”

NASA says it hopes to make a Mars landing in the 2030s, once the new Space Launch System (SLS) heavy lift rocket has been operational for some time. Lockheed, along with rival Boeing, are the prime contractors for the project.

Here’s a brief glimpse of what life will be like inside the lab:
high-sea-outside

hi-sea-kitchen

hi-sea-rooms

Iran’s President Personally Unveiled A New Ballistic Missile On Live TV Last Night

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Iran unveiled an upgraded version of its short-range solid fuel ballistic missile on Saturday, which can now more accurately pinpoint targets.

The Fateh-313 surface-to-surface missile was unveiled at a ceremony celebrating Iran’s Defense Industry Day and was attended by President Hassan Rouhani personally.

Rouhani proclaimed that military might was necessary for Iran to achieve peace in the Middle East.

State television carried footage of the missile being launched from an unknown location. The new missile is a successor to the Fateh-110. It boasts a quicker launch capability, a longer shelf life and can strike targets with pinpoint precision inside a 310 mile range.

While U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 called on Iran not to undertake any development of ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons Iran maintains none of its missiles are designed for such a task.

Rouhani reconfirmed on Saturday that Iran won’t abide by another part of the resolution that contains an arms embargo against Iran for the next eight years.

“We will buy weapons from anywhere we deem necessary. We won’t wait for anybody’s permission or approval and won’t look at any resolution. And we will sell weapons to anywhere we deem necessary,” Rouhani said on a live broadcast on Saturday.

“Can we be indifferent … when there are special circumstances on our eastern, western, northern and southern borders,” Rouhani said, referring to fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the vicinity. “How can a weak country unable to stand up to the military power of neighbors, rivals and enemies achieve peace?”

ISIS Just Put A Bounty On The Head Of Al Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri

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ISIS Just Put A Bounty On The Head Of Al Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri

The growing rivalry between ISIS and Al Qaeda reached new heights this weekend, with reports that ISIS has begun distributing “Wanted Dead” posters for key Al Qaeda commanders, including the terror network’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The posters first appeared in early August and were created by ISIS’ official branch in Libya. ISIS has been waging a war on other militias for control of the North African country, which is now in a state of lawlessness after the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The initial stages of the campaign saw dozens of posters released offering large bounties for the heads of the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC). The MSC is an Al Qaeda-linked Islamist faction that is currently struggling with ISIS for control of the eastern Libyan city of Derna.

The MSC has proven a formidable adversary and has prevented ISIS’ attempts to take the city so far.

Yet several of its leaders have indeed been successfully assassinated since the bounty program started. The Long War Journal reported that “each time one is killed, the Islamic State’s supporters release a new version of the graphic, changing the format and color to signify his death.”

The posters also carry rewards for the heads of other Libyan militia leaders.

The program has been so successful for ISIS that it has expanded it beyond Libya, to include the leader of Algeria’s Al Qaeda branch.

On Sunday, ISIS issued the most provocative poster yet, putting a bounty on the head of Al Qaeda’s elusive leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Al-Zawahiri took over after the assassination of Osama Bin Laden by U.S. Special Forces in 2011.

ISIS officially broke off from Al Qaeda during February of 2014, over a drawn out power struggle between al Zawahiri and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who now controls ISIS.

Thousands Of Protesters March On Beirut Demanding President’s Resignation

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Thousands Of Protesters March On Beirut Demanding President’s Resignation

Thousands of demonstrators poured into central Beirut late Sunday to demand that the country’s top politicians resign. The protests came hours after Prime Minister Tammam Salam implied he might resign following violent protests over a month long garbage crisis.

The scene was reminiscent of the 2011 Arab Spring demonstrations that rocked the region.

The protesters are fighting against the corruption and dysfunction that has led to the country not having a functioning Cabinet or parliament. Lebanon hasn’t had a president for over a year.

Salam said in a news conference that should this Thursday’s cabinet meeting be unproductive “then there is no need for the council of ministers.”

The sectarian power-sharing system in Lebanon, which ensures equal representation between the country’s religious sects, often leads to total paralysis.

It was not clear why Salam would hint about resignation. It was unlikely that he would step down, as the move could create a total political vacuum and plunge Lebanon into chaos.

Thousands of protesters chanting “revolution” massed by Sunday afternoon, near the government building.

“The people want to topple the regime!” cried demonstrators, a slogan used during the Arab Spring protests. A ring of barbed wire separated them from the government headquarters as two trucks with water cannons stood ready.

The mood was tense after dozens were wounded yesterday when security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons at protesters.

The demonstrations on Saturday were by far the largest since rotting garbage began piling up in the streets after the capital’s main landfill was closed a month ago.

Politicians failed to agree on an alternative system for waste management despite the impending closure.

 

Over One Million North Koreans ‘Volunteer’ To Join War Against The South

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Over One Million North Koreans ‘Volunteer’ To Join War Against The South

While discussions continued in an attempt to de-escalate the Korean border conflict, South Korea claims it is detecting suspicious troop movements in the North.

The report comes on the heels of North Korean state media proclaiming that one million citizens have offered to defend North Korea if aggression breaks out with South Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency reported, “Young people across the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are turning out in the sacred war for defending the country with their faith and will to annihilate the enemies.”

Suspicion between the two countries is at all-time highs after an exchange of artillery on Thursday.

Over the weekend senior level officers from South Korea held round the clock  meetings with North Korean top executives in a bid to quell the current state of affairs.

South Korea’s office of the president said that the discussions had started again for a second day as of Sunday.

Delegates failed to strike a deal on Saturday in talks that went well into the night.

According to Seoul, the North fired the first shot, aimed at huge speakers which have been preaching propaganda across the boundary from South Korea.

North Korea has continued to deny the allegations.

The loudspeakers were installed after two South Korean military officers were injured by landmines while patrolling the demilitarized region. South Korea accused the North of planting fresh landmines, something the North refuted.

A South Korean news organization said that Kim Jong-Un announced a “quasi-state of war” on Thursday after holding an crisis meeting of the communist nation’s armed forces leaders.

South Korea’s armed forces said on Sunday that it has sensed suspicious submarine and troop movements in North Korea that imply Pyongyang could be considering a strike.

Approximately 70% of North Korea’s 77 submarines have departed from their bases, the armed forces said.

A South Korean officer also said that the North had enhanced the strength of its vanguard artillery forces.

Many inhabitants have been evacuated from some South Korean villages near the border.

Notoriously tight lipped UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a citizen of South Korea, urged both sides to get the situation under control.

Volunteers Join The Battle Against Raging Washington State Forest Fires

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Volunteers Join The Battle Against Raging Washington State Forest Fires

A reduction in winds on Saturday helped firefighters battling a series of massive fires in north-central Washington that have resulted in three deaths thus far.

As of late Saturday, the Okanogan Complex wildfires were estimated at 355 square miles, approximately 100 square miles larger than Friday, fire spokesperson Rick Isaacson stated.

But the wildfires were moving away from residential centers in Okanogan County, which is the largest by land area in Washington. Thousands of residents in the county remained under evacuation orders of different levels after powerful winds drove flames across arid land earlier this week.

According to Sheriff Frank Rogers, it was too soon to say how many houses had been destroyed in the 5,300-square-miles county. According to the sheriff, the current estimate of 33 structures and three homes lost was very preliminary.

“That’ll take weeks,” the sheriff said, adding, “I know we are going to have quite a few.”

The wildfires are destroying only single homes or properties at a time, not whole neighborhoods, the sheriff said. “It’s not 45 or 50 in one spot,” he added.

Resources were so stressed that on Saturday fire personnel began providing fundamental fire teaching to volunteers who have equipment like bulldozers and backhoes they can use to dig fire lines.

In the meantime, a second of the four firefighters injured in a raging fire on Wednesday has been moved to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, the region’s main burn center. Speaking on Saturday, Harborview spokeswoman Susan Gregg said the fireman was moved on Friday evening and is listed in stable condition.

Gregg did not reveal the firefighter’s name or the degree of his injuries, but she said he was a 47-year-old man from the area.

According to Gregg, “His thoughts are with the other injured firefighters and those who died.”

Three firemen died and four were injured when the fire overtook them on Wednesday while they were fighting the Okanogan Complex. Another fireman remains in serious condition at Harborview with burns to over 60 percent of his body.

German Carmaker Audi Is Preparing To Launch A Tesla-Killing All Electric SUV

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Investors seemed unusually bullish on startup electric carmaker Tesla Motors this week, after the company raised a stunning $786 million in a follow-on share offering, despite losing over $4,000 on every vehicle it sells.

It appears the future for Tesla is anything but certain after established rival Audi AG announced plans over the weekend to produce an electric crossover with a range that rivals Tesla’s Model S.

The new crossover will also be incredibly similar to Tesla’s upcoming Model X SUV.

Audi’s E-tron Quattro, which will be officially unveiled at next month’s Frankfurt auto show, can drive more than 310 miles on a single charge. That technically beats Tesla’s stated range for the base version of the Model S, yet is slightly behind the upmarket 85D variant.

Audi’s new concept sports three electric motors and features movable components at the front, side and rear for aerodynamic performance and extended driving range.

The E-tron concept is the first step in the design process of an electric sport-utility vehicle the company plans to start producing in 2018.

While Tesla’s model X should be able to hit the market in late 2016, over a year ahead of Audi, the move highlights that large automakers will not be sitting on the sidelines of the electric car revolution.

As Tesla launches the Model X and then the low priced Model 3, it will be facing a slew of mass produced vehicles made by the established automakers.

Bumbling TSA Strikes Again, This Time Publishing Photo Of Their Master Lock Keys

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The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continues to demonstrate they’re standing as one of the most incompetent government agencies after revelations emerged on Sunday that they had inadvertently published a photo of their master lock keys.

The incident happened in 2014, meaning that since then baggage thieves around the country have had full access to all the locked luggage of American travelers.

After the September 2011 terrorist attacks the TSA has required only master keyed locks on passenger baggage so that it can search all luggage. Switching to a non-TSA approved lock will result in it being cut off, leaving travellers with no effective option to secure their belongings.

Security researchers have long warned against using master-keyed locks because if thieves get their hands on a single key, they can then open every lock.

Both the Washington Post and the Washington Herald both showed the images and they are now in wide circulation.

Semi-skilled crooks can easily duplicate the keys and there are even online software projects than can produce plans for a key from images far more blurry than the ones the TSA approved.

The latest TSA gaffe comes after it was revealed earlier this year that tens of thousands of the agency’s airport security badges have gone missing over the last year, potentially allowing terrorists unfettered access to the most sensitive parts of the airport, including physical access to aircraft.

The TSA has so far declined to comment on the incident.

Trump Throws Cold Water On Biden / Warren 2016 Bid, Says ‘They’re The Same As Hillary’

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Trump Throws Cold Water On Biden / Warren 2016 Bid, Says ‘They’re The Same As Hillary’

Donald Trump said on Sunday the entrance of current Vice President Joe Biden into the presidential race wouldn’t matter, saying it would be the same as facing Hillary Clinton.

The remarks come after Biden made an unscheduled trip to Washington, on Saturday, to secretly meet with Senator Elizabeth Warren. It is widely believe Biden approached Warren about being his running mate in the 2016 contest.

“I think they’re the same,” Trump said to George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week.” “I think that Hillary may be very damaged, however, George, because of the email thing. … But I don’t know, assuming she could get over that, which I just don’t know how she possibly can, but if assuming she could, I would say it would be pretty equal.”

The billionaire real estate developer and entertainer is currently leading the race for the Republican nomination. Trump also took the opportunity to knock GOP rivals Scott Walker and Jeb Bush.

“Now, the candidates that are running against me like — like Jeb Bush, he has no clue. He’s never going to be able to do anything,” said Trump. “You just looked at what’s happened with him over the years and what’s happened with — the last thing we need is another Bush.”

Trump reiterated his feeling that the former Florida governor is a “very low-energy person.”

Trump said that Bush would “never be able to” secure the U.S.-Mexico border. “I just don’t think he has the energy — you need energy for this job. You need — you can’t be soft,” Trump continued.

Trump dismissed Walker, saying he wasn’t worried about the governor of Wisconsin because his state was “really in trouble.” He also attacked his flip flopping position on birthright citizenship.

“Scott Walker has changed his mind now, because he keeps going back to his pollster, and his pollster says, ‘Oh, Trump has a good idea, oh, Trump has a bad idea, oh, no, wait a minute, Trump has a good idea,” Trump proclaimed.

Walker then appeared after Trump on “This Week,” and said Trump was “using the talking points of the Democrats” in his criticism of Wisconsin.

Trump has made border security a top issue, unveiling a plan to kick immigrants in the country illegally out of the U.S., while permitting “the good ones” to stay.

When pressed on the costs of such an undertaking, Trump replied: “It’s called good management, and it’s called great people.”

Mutant Head Lice Is Now In 25 States And Regular Chemicals Can’t Kill It

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Research presented at the 250th American Chemical Society meeting last week has given parents around the nation cause for concern. The genetic scientists found more than 95 percent of lice populations tested across the United States had high levels of gene mutations.

More than 25 states have now hosted a form of the “mutant” head lice, most varieties of which are resistant to over the counter treatments.

Laura Edison, an epidemiologist from the Georgia Department of Public Health, said that the over-the-counter treatments can still be effective but users must be very thorough.

She points out that there’s more research to be done and there is still likely a lot more resistance occuring that hasn’t been found yet by scientists. But she cautioned parents is to keep treating their children the same way they did before this new study.

“It may not kill all the lice and you may have an infection. That can be prevented by doing thorough combing. Eliminating lice and eggs,’ Edison said.

Lice can always be eliminated by the careful removal of the parasite itself and its eggs, which are visible to the human eye. But the process is challenging for people with thicker or longer hair as finding every last egg is difficult.

As a result, people have come to rely on specialty shampoos to do this tedious job but it looks as though this once simple cure could be in danger.

Argentina Announces The Return Of Over 4,000 Stolen Treasures To Ecuador And Peru

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Argentina Announces The Return Of Over 4,000 Stolen Treasures To Ecuador And Peru

Speaking on Saturday, Argentinian president Cristina Kirchner said, the country will return thousands of archaeological pieces that were stolen from South American neighbors.

Speaking at the National Museum of Fine Art in the capital she said, “We are doing something unusual, really special: restoring cultural wealth to other countries, in this case Ecuador and Peru. We are returning to them more than 4,000 pieces that had been stolen and have been recovered.”

The president did not describe the artifacts in question or when and from whom they were stolen.

She went on to say that “the world we live in is one in which great powers fight to control the cultural riches of other people. One can see in the great museums of the world pieces from Greece, Syria, Egypt, Asia and even Latin America, and which have not been returned.”

So “just as they should with medicinal patents (using indigenous plants), countries that hold onto cultural riches and refuse to give them back, at least should pay some kind of royalty to the countries they are from,” Kirchner argued, “since they were made by cultures other than their own.”

Excluded from running again by term restrictions, Kirchner, 62, is not running for any post in Argentina’s general elections set for October 25th.

The president urged other nations to follow the example.

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