Author Archives: stuartbramhall

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About stuartbramhall

Retired child and adolescent psychiatrist and American expatriate in New Zealand. In 2002, I made the difficult decision to close my 25-year Seattle practice after 15 years of covert FBI harassment. I describe the unrelenting phone harassment, illegal break-ins and six attempts on my life in my 2010 book The Most Revolutionary Act: Memoir of an American Refugee.

City of Los Angeles Accused of Hiding the Homeless Ahead of the Oscars: ‘They Kicked Everybody Out of Union Station So It Looks Better for the Image’

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“They came to us about a week ago saying that we had to move by Friday, 6 p.m. because they were trying to clean up for the Oscars and they told us if we didn’t move, they were gonna just demolish our stuff,” DJ, a man living in a tent in LA, told Fox 11. “They forced us to go to the Grand Hotel on 3rd and Figueroa and they kicked everybody out of Union Station so it looks better for the image.”

A homeless man sits outside Union Station as a growing number displaced people spread out from downtown Los Angeles, California on December 1, 2015. AFP PHOTO/ MARK RALSTON / AFP / MARK RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

HP McLovincraft's avatarHellbound and Down

The Oscars are a day away and are already coming under fire. The city of Los Angeles is being accused of hiding the homeless as Hollywood prepares to toast itself ahead of Sunday’s 93rd Academy Awards ceremony. One man told local news he was told to either move or have his things demolished.

The celebrity-studded ceremony is being held at Union Station in Los Angeles, an areabedeviled by homelessness. But on Sunday,the homeless will not be seen anywhere near Union Station, according to areportby Fox 11 Los Angeles.

“They came to us about a week ago saying that we had to move by Friday, 6 p.m. because they were trying to clean up for the Oscars and they told us if we didn’t move, they were gonna just demolish our stuff,” DJ, a man living in a tent in LA, told Fox 11. “They forced us to go to the Grand…

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Ivermectin: NIH Plays Legal Games While US Citizens Die

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NIH plays legal games while US citizens die

BY Peter Yim.

On January 14, 2021, the NIH updated its recommendation on the use of ivermectin in COVID-19. It removed its recommendation against the use of ivermectin in COVID-19. However it stated:

“There are insufficient data for the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel (the Panel) to recommend either for or against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19.”

The “Panel” consists of 47 medical experts and patient advocates. Presumably, recommendations in the Guidelines are endorsed by a vote of the Panel. However, there is ambiguity about voting since the Guidelines state:

“Updates to existing sections that do not affect the rated recommendations are approved by Panel co-chairs without a Panel vote.”

I submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the NIH on January 25 to find out if there was a vote:

“On January 6, 2021, the NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel met to consider updating their recommendation on the use of Ivermectin in COVID-19. Please answer the following question. As of today, has that Panel taken a vote on whether to change its recommendation? (Date Range for Record Search: From 01/06/2021 To 01/25/2021)”

The NIH responded:

“Please be advised that the FOIA is not intended to answer questions, but rather it is meant for the public to request specifically identified and searchable Federal records that are already in existence, i.e. a record cannot be created in response to a FOIA request. Considering this, your request is not deemed a proper FOIA request as it is in the form of a question, and your NIH FOIA case has been administratively closed.”

I rephrased and resubmitted the FOIA request on January 28:

“All updates to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines that were endorsed by a vote of the Panel. (Date Range for Record Search: From 01/01/2021 To 01/28/2021)”

There was only one update to the Guidelines in that time period and that update was for the ivermectin recommendation. Therefore, if there was a vote on the ivermectin recommendation, the NIH should provide that update. If there was not a vote, the NIH should state that no record is available.

The NIH did not respond to this request within 20 business days as required by law. I have challenged that non-response by the NIH in federal court.

[…]

Via https://trialsitenews.com/nih-plays-legal-games-while-us-citizens-die/

Social Media Influencer Exposes COVID Vaccine Pay-To-Propagandize Scheme

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Instagram influencer

Tap News / Weaver

An Instagram social media personality, known as the 1776 wife, revealed that COVID-19 vaccine providers are paying social media ‘influencers” who have large subscriber audiences to hawk their vaccines. The pay-to-propagandize scheme offered to pay her $1300 to market the vaccine in three steps: sharing excitement about taking the jab or preparing to be vaccinated, sharing videos and images relaying what they’re most looking forward to doing after getting the shot, and finally encouraging followers to share what activities they are hoping to engage in after vaccination. The narrative that people can get “back to normal” after more individuals are vaccinated is a farce because people who have taken the vaccine are told to continue wearing masks and socially distance. Last week, the Biden administration announced that it invested $3-billion in a “Community Core” operation meant to “provide fact-based messages into the hand of local messengers.” Another influencer, toxinfree.tiffany, published a list of the billions of dollars in fines that have been paid out for fraud and damages by Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and GlaxoSmithKline. -GEG

A popular social media influencer shared a private message she was sent offering a cash payment if she promoted the COVID-19 vaccine to her followers.

“As a leading provider of the COVID-19 vaccine, (censored) wants your help in amplifying the social movement, raising awareness, and establishing a positive association for the COVID-19 vaccine,” the proposal stated.

The message continued, “The goal is to promote an overall hopeful sentiment around things people are looking forward to once they are vaccinated (eg., hugging grandparent, a night out with the girls, going to a ballgame, a concert, etc).”

Once willing social media influencers upload their pro-vaccine content, the notice says, “You’ll receive $1,300 via PayPal.”

Watch video here: https://www.newswars.com/social-media-influencer-exposes-covid-vaccine-pay-to-propagandize-scheme/

Via https://truth11.com/2021/04/24/social-media-influencer-exposes-covid-vaccine-pay-to-propagandize-scheme/

 

Climate is the New Covid

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By Kit Knightly

Offguardian

The “public health policies” allegedly in place to fight Covid19 are being rebranded as “saving the planet”.

Yesterday was Earth Day. The traditional day environmental hashtags temporarily trend across all social media sites. This year was no different, with the exception of the stronger than usual whiff of agenda.

The narrative of the “deadly viral pandemic” is slowly losing momentum. Whether this is through the public having “post viral fatigue”(as it were), or a deliberate shift in media talking points is unclear. But there’s certainly less energy in the story than at this time last year.

That said, it’s also perfectly clear that governments around the world are in no mood to give up their newly acquired “emergency powers”, and that alleged “anti-covid measures” are not going away anytime soon.

Especially lockdowns, which are being freshly marketed as “good for the planet”.

The narrative that locking down the public was “helping the Earth heal” actually dates back to last March, when it was reported all across the world news that only a few weeks of lockdown had cleared up the water in Venician canals so much there were dolphins swimming through the city.

This story later proved to be completely untrue, but that didn’t stop dozens of outlets from picking up the story and running with it.

At various times in the intervening year, Covid has been sold as a having an environmental silver-lining. Including potentially “saving the planet”.

Just last month, the Guardian published a story with the headline:

Global lockdown every two years needed to meet Paris CO2 goals – study”

That this is all about marketing and opinion control is only further evidenced by the fact that, with a few hours, they edited the headline to remove mention of lockdowns, the new one reading:

Equivalent of Covid emissions drop needed every two years – study

At around the same time, they had another article, warning that emissions will increase to “pre-pandemic levels” once lockdowns are ended. Another saying lockdown has taught us to “love nature”. And another claiming the UK’s “star count” had increased thanks to lockdown.

All this kicked into another gear on Earth Day, the theme of which is Restore Our EarthTM (yes, it really is a registered trademark).

Yesterday morning I woke up to a news alert on my phone, claiming this Earth Day we should “celebrate how much the planet has healed during lockdown“.

Later, I saw an advert for a new documentary titled “The Year the Earth Changed”, chronicling the ways nature has rebounded during lockdown, and how much the “Earth has healed”.

[…]

Via https://off-guardian.org/2021/04/23/climate-is-the-new-covid/

Drug Trafficking: The Watered Down Al Jazeera Version

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Drug Trafficking, Politics and Power : ALJAZ : January 7 ...

Drug Trafficking Politics and Power: The Lost Territories

Al Jazeera

Film Review

This documentary mainly focuses on the role of Afghanistan in heroin production, of Colombia in cocaine production and of Mexico in smuggling cocaine, heroin and fentanyl into the US.

Despite a brief mention of the role of (nearly all) global major banking institutions in laundering illicit drug money, it makes no mention whatsoever of CIA involvement in international trafficking in Afghanistan and elsewhere. See Afghan, Heroin and the CIA, and articles by Peter Dale Scott and Alfred McCoy.*

In fact, the film gives the misleading impression that the Taliban is mainly responsible for Afghan heroin production, with some participation by Afghan warlords and members of former president Hamid Karzai’s government.

According to filmmakers, major heroin production began in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation, when the (CIA-financed and trained) Mujaheddin (1979-1992) helped finance their opposition Soviet occupation via (CIA-facilitated) opium and heroin production. Beginning in 1994, the Taliban would also rely on heroin production to finance their efforts to bring Afghanistan under their control.

In 2000, seeking global recognition of their legitimacy (and foreign aid), they banned heroin production and burned all the country’s opium plantations over the next year. The US reintroduced opium and heroin production to Afghanistan with their 2001 invasion and occupation.

The segments on Colombia and Mexico mainly focus on the ungovernability of both countries owing to the rise of paramilitary forces (in Colombia) and armed drug cartels (in Mexico).

With the rise of the Medellin cartel (1972-1993), cocaine traffickers organized their own paramilitaries, while FARC rebels had their own guerrilla groups (1964-2017). Following cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar’s death in 1993, Mexican drug cartels would take charge of global cocaine distribution. After 2003, they would add heroin and fentanyl to their inventories.

The film identifies Sinaloa, Jalisca New Generation, Gulf, Ciudad Juarez and Los Zetas as the major Mexican cartels. Each is identified with a specific geographic region, though turf struggles translate into constant boundary shifts. Each cartel also controls the extortion, kidnapping and human trafficking schemes for their region.*

When the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) ruled Mexico (1929-2000), they received a cut of the cartels’ drug profits. In return, they played a mediating role in disputes between cartels.

When the PRI was voted out of power in 2000, this mediating role ceased, which the film blames for Mexico’s massive increase in violence. More than 60,000 Mexicans have been murdered or disappeared since 2006.

*Peter Dale Scott CIA Drug Trafficking and The Politics of Heroin

**Afghanistan currently produces 80% of the world’s heroin

***Criminals who engage in such activities must pay a “tax” to the drug cartel running their region.

The film can be viewed free at the Al Jazeera website: https://www.aljazeera.com/program/featured-documentaries/2021/1/25/drug-trafficking-politics-and-power-the-lost-territories

Shocking new study finds 4 out of every 10 Americans live in areas with unhealthy air pollution

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A pedestrian walks during sunset as a layer of pollution can be seen hovering over the downtown skyline in Los Angeles on April 24, 2019. – The city retains its dubious dinstinction as the city with the dirtiest air in the US, according to the annual ‘State of the Air’ report from the American Lung Association. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Los Angeles, along with other California regions, ranked among the locations with the poorest air quality.

Story at a glance

  • The American Lung Association released its 2021 State of the Air report.
  • It noted that western wildfires have contributed to increasing levels of air pollution.
  • People of color were also more likely to live in highly polluted areas.

About 40 percent of Americans are living in places with unhealthy air quality, according to the American Lung Association’s (ALA) most recent issue of its State of the Air report.

This amounts to more than 135 million people. It includes data from 2017 to 2019.

The report authors highlight that Americans of color are about three times more likely to consistently breathe polluted air than their white counterparts. They were up to 61 percent more likely than white Americans to live in a county with failing air quality grades.

“More than four in ten Americans…are living in the 217 counties across the nation with monitors that are capturing unhealthy levels ozone or particle pollution,” the report reads. It focuses on tracking fine particulate matter in the air emitted from sources like transportation, manufacturing and power plants.

[…]

Via https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/549713-shocking-new-study-finds-four-out-of-every-10/

US drop in vaccine demand has some places turning down doses

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In this March 19, 2021, file photo, nurses fill syringes with a COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination site in Kansas City, Mo. Demand for the coronavirus vaccine has fallen off in some places around the United States to the point where some counties are turning down new shipments of doses. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)

By LEAH WILLINGHAM, HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and MICHELLE R. SMITH

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Louisiana has stopped asking the federal government for its full allotment of COVID-19 vaccine. About three-quarters of Kansas counties have turned down new shipments of the vaccine at least once over the past month. And in Mississippi, officials asked the federal government to ship vials in smaller packages so they don’t go to waste.

As the supply of coronavirus vaccine doses in the U.S. outpaces demand, some places around the country are finding there’s such little interest in the shots, they need to turn down shipments.

“It is kind of stalling. Some people just don’t want it,” said Stacey Hileman, a nurse with the health department in rural Kansas’ Decatur County, where less than a third of the county’s 2,900 residents have received at least one vaccine dose.

The dwindling demand for vaccines illustrates the challenge that the U.S. faces in trying to conquer the pandemic while at the same time dealing with the optics of tens of thousands of doses sitting on shelves when countries like India and Brazil are in the midst of full-blown medical emergencies.

More than half of American adults have received at least one vaccine dose, and President Joe Biden this week celebrated eclipsing 200 million doses administered in his first 100 days in office. He also acknowledged entering a new phase to bolster outreach and overcome hesitancy.

Across the country, pharmacists and public health officials are seeing the demand wane and supplies build up. About half of Iowa’s counties have stopped asking for new doses from the state, and Louisiana didn’t seek shipment of some vaccine doses over the past week.

[…]

Via https://apnews.com/article/nm-state-wire-health-coronavirus-government-and-politics-108f1fd0813f0d2ecec1589fd137625d?

Entire School Shut Down After Major Vaccine Side Effects — Renegade Tribune

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The Upper Perkiomen School District said late Thursday that dozens of staff members had already submitted a sick day for Friday, mostly due to reactions from recent vaccinations.

vᚻællKᚱᛁᛗvosᛏ's avatarVermont Folk Troth

This entire school had to shut down after a 125 staff had to call in sick after getting vaccinated, but apparently it’s still “worth it”.

Entire School Shut Down After Major Vaccine Side Effects — Renegade Tribune

ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PA CLOSED FRIDAY AFTER MORE THAN 40 STAFFERS CALLED IN WITH “VACCINE REACTIONS” — State of the Nation

More than 40 staffers in a Pennsylvania school district called in “sick” due to reactions to the COVID-19 mRNA gene therapies. Pennsylvania has been vaccinating teachers and school staff members with its allocation of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson gene therapy, labeled a vaccine.

The Upper Perkiomen School District said late Thursday that dozens of staff members had already submitted a sick day for Friday, mostly due to reactions from recent vaccinations.[…]

ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PA CLOSED FRIDAY AFTER MORE THAN 40 STAFFERS CALLED IN WITH “VACCINE REACTIONS” — State…

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Northern Ireland moves closer to re-unification as poll suggests majority now favour it

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By Sqawkbox (SW)

But will a corrupt and unprincipled Tory government honour the requirement of the GFA when Johnson has already shown contempt for the agreement and the peace that depends on it?

A new poll puts pressure on the Tory government to call a re-unification referendum in Northern Ireland. The poll suggests that a majority of people in Northern Ireland – 51% – now favour leaving the UK and unity with the Republic:

The terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (GFA) state that the UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland must call a referendum,

if at any time it appears likely to him that a majority of those voting would express a wish that Northern Ireland should cease to be part of the United Kingdom and form part of a united Ireland.

Some in the UK have tried to misrepresent recent loyalist riots in Belfast as a response to Brexit – nonsense when many loyalists also supported Brexit. In reality, however, Northern Ireland insiders have said all along that the violence was an attempt by some who want to remain part of the UK to force the UK government to clamp down because they knew that the recent census would reveal a majority of Roman Catholics – and therefore more likely republican – triggering the GFA referendum provisions.

This poll suggests that the balance has shifted anyway. But will a notoriously corrupt and unprincipled Tory government, which has already shown contempt for the GFA and for peace, honour the terms of the Agreement?

[…]

Via https://skwawkbox.org/2021/04/23/northern-ireland-moves-closer-to-re-unification-as-poll-suggests-majority-now-favour-it/