Last week, Colorado joined a growing number of states, cities, and counties in suing Purdue Pharma L.P., the maker of the prescription painkiller Oxycontin on the grounds that the company intentionally misled health care providers, policymakers and the public regarding the medications risks.

Its the latest chapter in the current opioid epidemic narrative: Greedy Big Pharma pushed addictive drugs on naive doctors who over-prescribed them to patients with chronic or post-surgery pain. Patients became addicted and, unable to feed their addiction, turned to heroin and other street drugs. Government sued the bad guys on behalf of the victims. The end. The storyline is a rerun of the past two epidemics when Big Food made us all obese and Big Tobacco forced us all to smoke two packs a day.

Frankly, Im grateful to Purdue. Ive had five orthopedic surgeries in ten years and Oxy made recovery from each possible. I didnt lie in bed wailing in pain as I had done post-surgery in the mid-80s when doctors were a bit stingier with prescription painkillers. Opioids made my dads three year battle with terminal cancer livable. Nothing else can block the searing pain of bone tumors. Also, the little white pills keep a friend of mine from losing her mind from unrelenting chronic pain from a rare disease. None of us has taken painkillers recreationally; not that being tired, out-of-it, and constipated isnt tempting. What happens to us when lawsuits drive up the cost of painkillers or encourage doctors to not prescribe them when needed for acute or chronic pain?

The problem with the current opioid narrative is that it doesnt take into account the millions of people who responsibly take opioids for pain management. In fact, the issue of personal responsibility doesnt come up at all. Drug addiction is always the fault of drug companies, irresponsible doctors, despondency in the Rust Belt, cultural breakdown in Appalachia, or some other cause other than the choices of the person taking the pills. This blame game does not help addicts or those who take painkillers responsibly.

First of all, most people who take opioids for pain do not become addicts.  One survey of research found that people without a history of addiction who took prescription opioids for long-term pain relief had a very low risk of developing addiction or abuse.

They may develop dependence, but thats not the same thing. According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse, drug dependence occurs when the body has come to rely on the presence of the drug and reacts adversely when it is withdrawn. Thats why regular coffee drinkers get a headache when they abstain. Because of severe, possibly life threatening withdrawal symptoms, people who are physically dependent on opioids need medical support to cease use. Drug addition, according to the Institute, is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and long-lasting changes in the brain. The changes can result in harmful behaviors by those who misuse drugs, whether prescription or illicit drugs.

Sometimes a person who has responsibly taken opioids for chronic or acute pain becomes dependent and addicted, is denied refills, and turns to street drugs to treat pain and withdrawal symptoms.  More often than not, though, abuse leads to addiction.

A person who has been in and out of rehab, who has been resuscitated with Naloxone from near death, who has lost custody of his  neglected kids, and who continues to shoot up isnt a hapless victim of Purdue Pharma. Pretending otherwise doesnt help him.

Nowhere in 12-step programs for addiction recovery do they encourage blaming others. Rather, addicts are encouraged to acknowledge the power of addiction, their personal responsibility, and their need for help.

Addiction is hard to break and many wonderful people struggle with it.  We can support their recovery without blaming others, conflating their habit with responsible drug use, or resorting to expensive lawsuits that could curtail access to painkillers for those who need them.

Krista Kafer is a weekly Denver Post columnist. Follow her on Twitter: @kristakafer

To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.

Kafer Opioid epidemic narrative omits role of personal responsibility


Official website of the Donetsk People's Republic

DONETSK, September 2. /TASS/. Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed
unrecognized Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR), Alexander Zakharchenko, who was
killed in a terrorist attack in Donetsk on Friday, has been buried at
Donetsks Donetskoye More cemetery with military funeral honors.

The burial ceremony was accompanied by artillery and gun salvo. Acting head of
the Donetsk republic, Dmitry Trapeznikov, DPR government officials, army
commanders, delegates from foreign states, Zakharchenkos relatives and
friends came to the cemetery to pay last respects.

The lying-in-state ceremony was held earlier on Sunday at the Donetsk State
Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, with tens of thousands of people attending.
The funeral procession marched along Donetsks main street, with more than
200,000 taking part.

Delegations from Russia, the Lugansk Peoples Republic (LPR), Abkhazia and
South Ossetia came to Donetsk to pay their respects.

Alexander Zakharchenko, 42, who had been DPRs Prime Minister since 2014, died
in an explosion in downtown Donetsk on Friday. The blast left two people dead
and nine injured, including DPR minister of taxes and duties, Alexander
Timofeyev, and the head of a local youth organization, Nataliya Volkova.
According to DPR Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Trapeznikov, who was appointed
acting head of the republic, law enforcement agencies have already detained
several suspects in the blast, who confirmed the Kiev governments
involvement. Earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) denied any role in
the blast.

In other media

Slain DPR leader Zakharchenko buried in Donetsk with military funeral honors


Robert Icke will create a new version of Henrik Ibsens 1884 play The Wild Duck for a production at the Almeida Theatre.

Icke, who is an Associate Director at the Almeida, is known for his acclaimed adaptations of classic plays. He picked up numerous awards for his 2015 production of Aeschylus Oresteia , which went on to transfer to the West End, and won praise in 2016 for versions of Chekhovs Uncle Vanya and Schillers Mary Stuart .

It will be his first production at the Almeida since his 2017 production of Hamlet , which starred Andrew Scott. The show transferred to the West End and was broadcast on BBC Two earlier this year.

The Wild Duck is a tragicomedy about one man returning to his family after a long time away, intent on exposing the truth about their lives. It was adapted for a new version in 2011 by Yerma director Simon Stone, in a production that featured a real duck.

Casting for the show is yet to be announced, but the production will be designed by Bunny Christie. It will also be performed for free to under 25s on October 27 as part of the Almeida For Free festival, which also includes workshops and a Q&A with Icke.

The Wild Duck will run from October 15 to December 1. Tickets go on sale to general public on August 16; almeida.co.uk

Click here to buy London theatre tickets with GO London Tickets

Robert Icke to reimagine Ibsenaposs The Wild Duck at Almeida Theatre


U.S. President Donald Trump has not exactly been known for being normal. Hes attempted to make that a selling point of his rise, but many have had to live with real world consequences of his dedication to charting out a unique course for himself and his administration no matter what the cost.

Two such specific individuals highlighted by a new report from POLITICO are Solomon Lartey and Reginald Young Jr., both of whom until relatively recently worked in the records management division of the Trump administration. Neither of the men were political appointments, but even still, they were subjected to strikingly out of the ordinary requirements thanks to the changing political winds in D.C. Both of the well paid, career staffers were, along with others in government, tasked with taping documents back together that Donald Trump had ripped up.

The reason for their job duties changing to include that task once Trump took office is the presidents incessant habit of ripping papers up when hes done with them. That might not have mattered when he was in the private sector, but now, hes subject to the Presidential Records Act, which means that any and all even remotely non-personal documents that he handles have to be preserved.

That preservation has, according to POLITICO, taken the form of guys like Lartey and Young taping pieces of paper back together again.

Neither of the men set out to share potentially embarrassing information about the inner workings of the Trump administration, POLITICO notes. They first ended up in contact with reporter Annie Karni after she got in touch with Young while researching for an article about unfair firing practices in the Trump administration, seeing as at present the men feel as though they have no answers for why they were abruptly terminated.

Thats not to say that they were particularly at home with taping things back together that the president ripped up, however.

We had to endure this under the Trump administration. Im looking at my director, and saying, Are you guys serious? Were making more than $60,000 a year, we need to be doing far more important things than this. It felt like the lowest form of work you can take on without having to empty the trash cans.

Throughout all of the time that has so far transpired with Trump in power, scraps of paper being collected by presidential staffers and sent to records management to be taped back together is not known to have stopped. The practice was still ongoing when Young and Lartey left government work earlier this year, despite the efforts of staffers close to Trump to get him to stop ripping things up.

The story of Trump incessantly tearing papers up is a not particularly reassuring piece of information in the middle of a sea of other indicators of the presidents instability. The perhaps most well known such indicator is his Twitter feed; just recently, he took to the platform to shame the Canadian prime minister as weak.

Considering past patterns of behavior from Trump, its not likely that he will stop tweeting such material  or ripping up papers  anytime soon.

Wild Trump Tantrum Inside WH Leaked To POLITICO Craziest Thing Ever


The final Deadpool 2 trailer dropped this morning, about a month ahead of the movies premiere. As with past trailers, this one shows off a decent amount of Josh Brolins Cable, whos joining the series as the newest evil villain, and X-Force, Deadpools group of mutant superheroes.

In classic Deadpool style, the sequel looks like itll feature a lot of slapstick violence, explosions, flying motorcycles, kicks to the face, and goofy one-liners, like Deadpools breather in the middle of a gunfight: Ohh, your bullets. Theyre really fast.

The movie also stars Zazie Beetz as Domino, T.J. Miller as Weasel, and Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, among others.

The final Deadpool 2 trailer is all flying motorcycles slapstick and snark


Stephen Miller is one of the most villainous of all of Trumps merry cabinet of morons. His Smithers-like features and personality make him a questionable fit for any work environment, especially one relating to the welfare of others, like a position in the United States government.

Miller is currently Donald Trumps senior advisor for policy, and previously worked as Jeff Sessions communication director. He has made ridiculous statements about atrocious things that he quite obviously cant feel the depth of. One of those things. Torture.

Now, a new story has emerged of Stephen Miller acting like an ass once again. According to a report by Washington Post, One night, after Miller ordered $80 of takeout sushi from a restaurant near his apartment, a bartender followed him into the street and shouted, Stephen! When Miller turned around, the bartender raised both middle fingers and cursed at him, according to an account Miller has shared with White House colleagues.

Miller was apparently furious over the disrespectful employee and tossed out the $80 in sushi he had just purchased.

Maybe he was worried about getting a sneezer.

This is what you can expect when you have pushed the limits of acceptable behavior to the point that people on the street carry hatred for you without ever meeting you.

Stephen Miller Goes Berserk After Bartender Curses Him Out Hurls 80 Sushi Plate


The U.S. has temporarily closed several ports of entry with Mexico after officials received reports that the migrant caravan of 3,000 is preparing to bum-rush the border, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced Monday.

This AM, all of #SanYsidro Port of Entrys northbound lanes were temporarily closed to initiate additional port hardening efforts after @CBP officials were notified that a large # of caravan migrants were planning to rush the border in an attempt to gain illegal access to the US, Nielsen tweeted.

In response, Customs and Border Protection issued a statement, saying they blocked several port-of-entry lanes and reinforced their numbers to head off the invasion, in conjunction with the Department of Defense.

In the early morning hours, CBP officials received reports of groups of persons from the caravan gathering in the city of Tijuana for a possible attempt or attempts to rush illegally through the port of entry instead of presenting themselves as required to a CBP officer.

CBP officials suspended operations to safely place impediments at the port of entry that would restrict access to a large group attempting to run through the border crossing. After the CBP response at San Ysidro, no activity materialized at the border crossing, the statement read.

San Ysidro is known as the borders busiest crossing, with over 100,000 people entering the U.S. daily.

About 10 lanes were reopened several hours after the closure.

Nielsen reminded the caravan that entering the U.S. by force is illegal and wont be tolerated.

Unfortunately, some members of the caravan are purposely causing disruptions at our border ports of entry. There is a legal and illegal way to enter the US. We have deployed additional forces to protect our border. We will enforce all our laws.

Video has emerged of residents of Tijuana, Mexico, clashing with members of the caravan over the weekend, saying President Trump was right to call it an invasion.

US Closes Ports of Entry Amid Reports Caravan Preparing To Rush Border


Kelly Hoppen MBE started her interior design business when she was just 16 years old. Since then, she has achieved international fame with commissions from the likes of Claridges and Cuixmala to the The Puli Hotel and Spa.

Not only that, but she has designed homes for a legion of celebrities too - from the Beckhams and Martin Shaw to Guy Edwards - and in 2009, was awarded an MBE for her services to interior design.

But, as it turns out, her creative flair extends well beyond the four walls of a home. Turning her hand to jewellery design, Hoppen launched her first collection of semi-precious pendants, necklaces and earrings in partnership with QVC back in 2015.

This week, the 59-year-old Londoner drops her second collection with the television shopping channel; a range set in gold vermeil and containing pave topaz stones. Aesthetically, many of the pieces seem reminiscent of Hoppens pared-back, elegant interiors - whilst others bear more playful, paring slogans of Live, Laugh and Love.

We caught up with Hoppen to talk about her love of jewellery, and how to style the collection.

What was the inspiration behind your latest jewellery collection

All my inspiration really comes from my travels in Italy and especially Capri - I have always loved the jewellery Ive seen over there. I wanted to create a collection that was based on the way I wore jewellery. I love to layer it, so I wanted to make pieces that are easy to wear and that complement one another, with discs and charms that you can add or take off.

This really allows you to simply change your look from morning to evening, making the collection accessible and affordable.

How does your approach to designing jewellery differ to interiors?

Well, you cant wear a room! Well actually, you can I suppose...

Design comes from the same part of the brain, but for me, its more about the tactile feeling of something that youre wearing, and also how it looks on your body, against different textures and clothes.

In that way its kind of similar, but its just a different medium. With jewellery, you almost have to sample everything to see how it feels, because everybody is unique and it has to feel comfortable.

Whats your favourite piece in the collection?

This is now my second collection with QVCUK.com and I really couldn't choose! I adore all of the hero chains and the discs with phrases on them. Some of the pieces Ive named after people in my family and a pet too, and theyre definitely important to me, but I love them all.

If I had to choose something, I suppose it would be the necklaces because I wear them every day and theyre a big part of who I am.

Do you have a mantra when it comes to styling your jewellery?

It totally depends on how you feel at that moment. I think its like designing a room, sometimes you can put too much in which takes the emphasis away from something thats important. I dont think 'less is more' applies to jewellery but I think you know when you look in the mirror whether it works or not.

Who bought you your first piece of serious jewellery?

My mother and father. They gave me my beautiful charm bracelet, and they would always buy me a new charm when we travelled. Ive still got it, and then I carried on the tradition and did the same for [my daughter] Natasha.

Do you collect jewellery? And if so how do you store it?

Do I just! I keep it in my K by Kelly Hoppen jewellery box which is also available on QVCUK.com - its fantastic. I designed it so that you can put everything in it - your chains, rings, earrings - in a way that allows you to easily see everything. I love to lay everything out.

Do you have pieces you wear every day?

Ive worn the hero chain every day since the day I got it, and I wear a ring [my husband] John gave me. Im pretty uniform with my jewellery and have core pieces that I wear daily, then I add things to them to change it up from day-to-day.

Sum up your jewellery aesthetic in 5 words...

Shop the K by Kelly Hoppen jewellery collection here

Kelly Hoppen MBE on the difference between designing jewellery and interiors


(Natural News) Athletes know that hydration is crucial to maintaining peak performance because water helps to regulate the body temperature. Water also helps lubricate the joints.

According to a study, even seniors need to stay hydrated when exercising because it can help them reap the full cognitive benefits of exercise.

The researchers involved in the study delved deeper into the connection between hydration status before engaging in physical activities and exercise-enhanced cognition among the elderly.

While earlier studies have determined that dehydration can negatively affect the brain function and exercise performance of young people, not much is known about its effect on older individuals.

The researchers, who hailed from New England, said, Middle-age and older adults often display a blunted thirst perception, which places them at risk for dehydration and subsequently may reduce the cognitive health-related benefits of exercise.(Related: Need another reason to drink more water? Check out these amazing health benefits.)

For the study, the scientists observed a group of recruited recreational cyclists. The participants had an average age of 55, and the group joined a large cycling event on a warm day, with the temperature measuring 78 to 86 degrees F.

The cyclists took part in a trail-making executive function test where they were instructed to quickly and correctly connect numbered dots on a piece of paper using a pencil. The test was done before and after the event.

Executive function involves the skills required to plan, focus, remember and multitask. Regular exercise can help boost intellectual health and executive function.

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The research team tested urine samples from the participants before they exercised. The volunteers were also divided into two groups, the first being normally hydrated with the second being dehydrated, based on hydration status.

People from the normal hydration group had a significantly improved completion time for the trail-making test after cycling, especially when compared to their pre-cycling test results.

Even though the individuals in the dehydrated group also finished the post-cycling test faster, the time reduction wasnt that noticeable compared to the first group.

The results of the study implied that the elderly must stay hydrated to significantly lower cognitive fatigue. Seniors must also stay hydrated while exercising to potentially maximize the benefits of regular physical activity.

Aside from boosting brain function, staying hydrated offers other benefits like:

You can learn more about how hydration and regular exercise can help you live longer at Longevity.news.

Dont forget to drink water when you exercise Hydration is key to boosting performance


Former White House aide Sebastian Gorka is giving out fake, poorly doctored Fox News business cards, according to a Monday Mediate report.

The cards, which include his personal number and email, use an outdated Fox News logo alongside different font and coloration than real Fox News cards.

The fake cards were revealed on the heels of a Daily Beast report that Gorka was banned from the hard news shows on Fox due to his lack of credibility, instead shunted aside to the opinion shows like Hannity and Fox & Friends.

Chief of Staff John Kelly booted Gorka from the White House last August.

Faux News Ex-Trump Aide Seb Gorka Gives Out Fake Fox News Business Cards


(Natural News) The second that President Trump won the election, conservatives across the country knew that the liberals were going to do whatever they could to take him down. This was to be expected, because thats just how liberals are  if they dont get their way, then they whine and complain until they do. What we didnt expect, though, is how repetitive and downright pathetic the liberals would be in their resistance movement.

Earlier this month, NBC News interviewed Obama era Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity chief Jeanette Manfra, and then proceeded to publish a BREAKING news story on something that was already covered eight months ago. To make matters worse, not only was this breaking news already covered, but it was and continues to be rather insignificant.

We saw a targeting of 21 states and an exceptionally small number of them were actually successfully penetrated, explained Manfra to NBCs Cynthia McFadden, adding that she had no doubt that the Russian government interfered. NBC News came up with a headline to go along with this shocking and groundbreaking news  Russians Penetrated U.S. Voter Systems, Says Top U.C. Official  and then tweeted the following:

BREAKING: U.S. official in charge of protecting American elections from hacking tells NBC News that Russians successfully penetrated voter resignation rolls of several U.S. states prior to 2016 presidential election.

The problem here isnt that the report is false, because its not  weve known for quite some time now that the Russians did interfere in the 2016 election, even though there is still no evidence of collusion. Rather, the problem is that NBC News, which prides itself on being a professional and up-to-the-minute news organization, recycled a news story that is almost a year old just so they could take a shot at Donald Trump. Even though the headline itself didnt specifically mention the president by name, its obvious that NBC News revived this story to imply that Trump and his team worked closely with the Russian regime to defeat Hillary Clinton last November.

But in the case of the liberal media, its not just what they do report on thats the problem; its also what they dont. For example, while NBC News was busy covering this bombshell story that most Americans first heard eight months ago, the media refuses to give any attention to the ongoing FBI scandal, which some are considering to be the biggest scandal in modern American history.

As Sean Hannity explained in an article published on Fox News earlier this week, Senators Chuck Grassley and Lindsey Graham have released a heavily redacted, yet very revealing copy of their criminal referral against ex-British spy Christopher Steele, who of course is the author of the phony anti-Trump dossier that was released just weeks before the election. (Related: Following the release of the FISA memo, John McCain claims that we are helping Putin.)

Hannity went on to explain that, according to Grassley and Graham, Steele was being fed information directly from the Obama State Department and from Clinton allies as well as his usual, sketchy Russian sources while working on a second dossier for Fusion GPS, Clintons opposition research firm. Essentially, this means that Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and their allies were working with a foreign spy, Christopher Steele, to discredit and ultimately take down then-candidate Donald Trump. This is what real news looks like, and this is information that the American people need to hear. (Related: A new bombshell report reveals a massive deep state conspiracy to keep Donald Trump out of the White House.)

Perhaps NBC News should take a page or two from Fox News playbook, and while theyre at it, stop acting like radical, anti-Trump activists instead of journalists for a well-established news organization. Read more news coverage of the deliberate disinfo peddled by the legacy media at Disinfo.news.

Left-wing media refuses to cover FBI FISA corruption scandal instead tries to recycle nearly year


The Deep State corruptors and criminals have come unhinged since Trump called on the Justice Department to investigate Obamas illegal spy campaign.

Trump tweeted Sunday: I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes  and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!

The most corrupt Attorney General in US history, Eric Holder came out swinging and called Trumps move dangerous and a threat to our democracy.

We have never seen members of the prior administration protest the current administration like this; it is unprecedented.

Holder tweeted: Trump demand for DOJ investigation is dangerous/democracy threatening. DOJ response is disappointing.There is no basis/no predicate for an http://inquiry.It s time to stand for time honored DOJ independence.That separation from White House is a critical part of our system.

Perhaps Eric Holder should take his own advice because in 2011, on Obamas orders the DOJ stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA):

CBS reported in 2011, President Obama has instructed the Justice Department to no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, the legal prohibition on federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

On Sunday evening, hours after Trumps tweet, the Justice Department asked Inspector General Horowitz to investigate whether there was impropriety or political motivation into the FBIs infiltration of Trumps campaign.

Rep. Mark Meadows and other members of the Freedom Caucus turned up the heat on the Deep State and demanded Rosenstein hand over pertinent, unredacted documents because the DOJ cannot be trusted to investigate themselves.

Eric Holder Lashes Out at Trump For Calling on DOJ to Investigate FBI Campaign Spies


California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell made waves on Twitter Friday when he suggested the government would use nukes on citizens if a civil war broke out in America.

Newsmax TV host John Cardillo tweeted in response to an article discussing Swalwells proposal to ban semiautomatic rifles, saying, Make no mistake, Democrats want to eradicate the Second Amendment, ban and seize all guns, and have all power rest with the state.

Military veteran Joe Biggs commented on Cardillos post, saying a civil war would erupt if politicians like Swalwell get their way.

Responding to Biggs, Swalwell threatened, And it would be a short war my friend. The government has nukes. Too many of them. But theyre legit.

So our government would nuke its own country in order to take guns? Wow, Biggs responded.

Suddenly backtracking, Swallwell replied, Dont be so dramatic. No one is nuking anyone or threatening that.

Dem Congressman Threatens to Nuke Gun Owners In Civil War Scenario


(Natural News) There is no doubt that some of us make incredibly poor decisions when it comes to the food we eat. From processed box meals to plenty of junk food, it is probably true to say that the American diet is one of the worst in the world. And this lack of nutrition has become especially apparent in recent years with the increase in the number of people with obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other lifestyle related illnesses.

Nonetheless, while many of us could probably use some guidance and assistance in making healthier food choices, very few of us would like the right to choose what we eat taken away from us entirely. And yet, that is exactly what the future may hold, according to Hewlett Packards magazine, Enterprise.

The magazine claims that technology should be utilized to help us eat better, and says that the time is coming very soon when doctors will write out food prescriptions to be delivered to our doors via a food service, cooked by your smart stove and restocked by your smart refrigerator.

The theory behind the need for this technological advance is that people are just too busy to cook healthy food, and would therefore rather buy inexpensive, ready-prepared junk food.

As The New Yorker magazine reported:

Fast food has become a synonym for bad food. Yet, the industrial farm system that has made it possible for McDonalds and many other chains to sell cheeseburgers for a dollar has also enabled Americans to spend a smaller percentage of their income on food than people do in any other country.

And that, claims Enterprise, is where online ordering and smart technology can save the day.

Since online food delivery services cut out the middle man, they are often considerably cheaper. They also only deliver the ingredients in the exact amount needed for a specific meal or meals, which can cut down on costs.

But some feel that this model could be taken a step further with the introduction of prescription food services.

Enterprise explains the concept as follows:

Soon your doctor will prescribe more than medicine to get you healthy and keep you that way. That means prescribing technology to help you monitor your condition and maintain your wellness. By this point, the doctor has also diagnosed any conditions you might have and has prescribed a meal plan for you. Food will be delivered and cooked for you with a lot less effort than previously.

Your obedient compliance to this prescription will then be monitored by prescribed medical wearables or other devices, which will report back directly to your doctor via smart apps. The article even claims quite proudly, though its hard to see why, that there may be devices that will analyze your bodily excretions and scan your internal organs  always reporting back to your doctor, of course.

There are several problems with this whole scenario, the most glaring being the fact that the doctors who would be writing these food prescriptions receive virtually no training regarding nutrition in medical school. Many of them still believe in the debunked carbohydrate-loaded food pyramid, and have no knowledge about the dangers of sugar, how polyphenols, antioxidants, etc., can stave off disease, or any of the really important facts regarding true disease prevention. (Related: Discover what really matters at Nutrients.news.)

How would they be in the best position, then, to dictate and control the food their patients eat? (Related: Texas  Is medical freedom in jeopardy?)

Another issue is the fact that much of the feedback to the patient and their doctor would be via smart trackers, which have had very mixed reviews, with some people swearing by them, while others insist that these devices destroy existing healthy habits.

At the end of the day, human nature is such that being forced to do something usually doesnt work out well, right? After all, if we really want to lose weight and be healthy, well do it. And if we dont, no amount of prescribing, delivering, smart cooking or smart app monitoring will make a jot of difference.

The end of food freedom Future food services may control what you eat by stocking food prescribed b


Todays Morning Brief is brought by GovGUIDE Ontario. This new service is your all access GR solution for information on MPPs at Queens Park. Read profiles, access contact information, search by region, committee, cabinet and so much more. To subscribe, contact [email protected]

This probably isnt news you need before youve had your morning coffee, but it turns out were all going to be paying a bit more for the Trans Mountain pipeline  $1.9 billion more than the original construction estimate from Kinder Morgan. But whos counting? Oh, and it could also take a year longer to finish. Funny how thats all coming out now that Canadians are on the hook. The good news was contained in documents the company filed yesterday with the United States Security and Exchange Commission related to its plan to sell the pipeline to the Canadian government for $4.5 billion.

Yay for happy news to start the day!

The news isnt much better for Saudi students studying in Canada, nor for their schools. The students have been given four weeks to pack their bags and leave the country, regardless whether theyve finished their studies. That comes amid reports Saudi Arabia plans to rescind scholarships for thousands of students currently attending school here. I have never heard of anything like this before, University of Toronto vice-provost Joseph Wong told the Canadian Press.

Meanwhile on the farm, one group says the diplomatic spat thats led Saudi Arabia to halt all international trade with Canada is troubling, as it comes amidst rising protectionism in a number of key trading markets. Its not just a size of a market, Cereals Canadas Cam Dahl told iPolitics. Were seeing this on a growing basis. The list of countries where we have significant market access issues seems to grow on a fairly regular basis and theyre not predictable.

On other trade fronts, Canadian officials are set to hold a series of high level meetings on the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in Ottawa today. Canadas Ambassador to Washington David MacNaughton is expected to sit down with officials from the Prime Ministers Office, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Chief of Staff Katie Telford. The discussion is expected to focus on strategy and trade positions. This comes on the heels of meetings between the U.S. and Mexico  which Canada wasnt invited to.

Given how flat Doug Fords announcement about bringing buck-a-beer back in Ontario fell with some yesterday, expect to hear more about it today. And likely tomorrow as well. The premier was pretty hopped up about his plan to approve a new plan for cheaper beer by Aug. 27 by lowering the minimum price of a bottle or can of beer to $1 from $1.25 just before Labour Day weekend. But in a province where plenty of people cant afford food and are looking for affordable housing, protestors who met the premier in Picton said the fact that Ford has made this a priority was ridiculous and insulting to our intelligence.

In Newfoundland and Labrador yesterday, after years of effort and urging by a community group to spur action, work began in Notre Dame Bay to extract the bulk oil the Manolis L took to the bottom when it sunk more than 30 years ago  and has been leaking since 2013. The 145-person response team is aiming to have the oil sucked out of the wreck, which is sitting in 70 metres of water, by early September.

HERE AND THERE

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In Ohio last night, a hotly-contested House election was almost too close to call. While Republican Troy Balderson went to bed with a slim lead (101,574 to 99,820), he didnt give his party much to celebrate in a district Donald Trump had won by nearly 20 per cent in 2016. The Democrats have not conceded and most major networks werent making projections about the winner.

Of course none of that stopped President Donald Trump from sending out a premature celebratory tweet to take credit for a great victory.

Hes no doubt keen to claim this one, as this election was very much a litmus test, pitting the strength of his fiery coalition against the Democratic Partys anti-Trump resistance. CNN has the latest updates on the results.

Gretchen Whitmer won the Democratic nomination for governor of Michigan, joining women in Georgia, Texas, South Dakota and elsewhere who are competing in November to lead their states.

Meanwhile on the Russia front, the negotiation dance is almost done. That dance being determining the terms and conditions required for Trump to do an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller. Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani said they seem to be down near the end and insisted that were not giving them a straight turndown.

Trump took to Twitter yesterday to say hes seeking world peace by imposing the most biting sanctions ever against Iran, the latest example of escalating tensions between the two nations. Surely the same rationale is behind his plan to impose 25 percent tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese imports starting Aug. 23. The two go hand in hand, dont they?

Colombias newly-elected President Ivan Duque took office yesterday, pledging to unite the country and improve economic growth. The conservative political newcomer was elected in June after a divisive election campaign where he saw off left-wing rival Gustavo Petro. In his inaugural address, the former lawyer pledged changes to tackle corruption and invigorate the economy. The leader has also vowed to change the peace deal with the Farc rebel group. The BBC reports.

Robert Mueller doesnt make many public appearances these days  and when he does, youd be hard-pressed to find him smiling. So for that reason, to mark his 74th birthday yesterday, Politico dug up 17 happy photos of him.

Speaking of happy: The seven Gilligans Island puppies that were found starving and alone on an isolated northern Manitoba island are now in loving hands and on the mend. So after starting with pipelines and boycotts, we end with sweet pups, which should get your tail wagging.

Morning Brief Pipelines premature celebratory tweets and puppies


Question: My father says we must not buy the flat we have seen and very much want, because it has good leasehold title. What is the issue?

Answer: Absolute title is the best form of ownership and is granted when the Land Registry is satisfied with the freeholders/lessors title. Good leasehold title is granted when the registry is satisfied regarding the leaseholders title to the property but not satisfied regarding the freehold title. An example is when the freeholder cannot be identified.

Sometimes an application to register leasehold property is made but the freehold is unregistered. If the applicant fails to provide evidence of the freehold title to the Land Registry, the property will be registered with good leasehold title.

A good leasehold title may be vulnerable to challenge, for example, there may be an issue if someone proves they own the freehold title and that the person who granted the original lease had no right to do so. Accordingly, some lenders will not lend where the security for the loan is a property with good leasehold title. However, some will, provided an indemnity insurance policy is in place upon completion of purchase. Establish your lenders position as you may need to change lenders.

It is possible to upgrade good leasehold to absolute title. Ask your solicitor if such an application is possible in your case.

These answers can only be a very brief commentary on the issues raised and should not be relied on as legal advice. No liability is accepted for such reliance. If you have similar issues, you should obtain advice from a solicitor.

If you have a question for Fiona McNulty, please email legalsolutions@standard.co.uk or write to Legal Solutions, Homes & Property, Evening Standard, 2 Derry Street, W8 5EE. Questions cannot be answered individually, but we will try to feature them here. Fiona McNulty is a solicitor specialising in residential property.

What is the difference between a good and an absolute leasehold title


As data-sharing scandals continue to mount, a new proposal in California offers a potential solution: the California Consumer Privacy Act would require companies to disclose the types of information they collect, like data used to target ads, and allow the public to opt out of having their information sold. Now, some of techs most prominent companies are pouring millions of dollars into an effort to to kill the proposal.

In recent weeks, Amazon, Microsoft, and Uber have all made substantial contributions to a group campaigning against the initiative, according to state disclosure records. The $195,000 contributions from Amazon and Microsoft, as well as $50,000 from Uber, are only the latest: Facebook, Google, AT&T, and Verizon have each contributed $200,000 to block the measure, while other telecom and advertising groups have also poured money into the opposition group. After Mark Zuckerberg was grilled on privacy during congressional hearings, Facebook said it would no longer support the group. Google did not back down, and the more recent contributions suggest other companies will continue fighting the measure.

The campaign to pass the California Consumer Privacy Act is almost wholly funded by Bay Area real estate developer Alastair Mactaggart. To date, Mactaggart has spent more than $3 million on the campaign. He argues that, in the personal data industry, theres so much money, and there are very powerful corporations that really have an immense interest in keeping business as usual going and having no regulations. He started working on the initiative about four years ago, after hearing a Google engineer say the public would be frightened to learn how much data the company holds on consumers.

Big Techs latest resistance to the proposal comes during a key moment. The initiative recently submitted 600,000 unverified signatures to qualify for a place on the November ballot. The state is currently sorting through those signatures to determine whether there are 366,000 legitimate ones, the required threshold for a ballot spot. Mactaggart says the measure is polling well, and he expects the constant drip of data-sharing scandals to further buoy the effort.

The campaign for the measure has collected more than 600,000 unverified signatures

In a statement, a spokesperson for the tech industry-aligned group the Committee to Protect California Jobs called the measure flawed and said its not only the tech industry that opposes the plan. Credit unions, grocers, and car manufacturers are among the many recent additions to the coalition and are the top of the iceberg, the spokesperson said.

But tech companies have been the most visible antagonists and have cast the proposal as anywhere from frustrating to an existential threat to their business models. Protecting peoples information is critical to maintaining customer trust  a principle Amazon was built on, a spokesperson for the company said. While we share the initiatives overarching goal of protecting consumer privacy, we are concerned by unworkable requirements that would hinder our ability to innovate on behalf of our customers. We look forward to working with policymakers to find a solution that allows us to do both.

Mactaggart says he and his campaign completely reject the idea that the measure would radically damage business interests, and he says business models like targeted advertising would still be workable.

Earlier this week, the supporters of the initiative slammed Microsoft for its contribution, accusing the company of hypocritically supporting Europes GDPR protections while funding opposition to related efforts in California. In a statement, the company defended the contribution.

Microsoft believes privacy is a fundamental human right, a spokesperson said. Thats why we are strong supporters of GDPR, Europes new privacy regulation, and why we made the commitment to extend the rights at the heart of GDPR to all of our customers worldwide. Its why we have also advocated for national privacy legislation in the U.S. since 2005. We believe the California measure could have unintended consequences for both businesses and consumers and that there is a better way to give consumers the privacy rights they deserve.

Meanwhile, supporters of the proposal are waiting to hear whether they make the ballot and are challenging tech companies to stop funding the countermeasure. If your commitment to your customers privacy is as strong as you say it is, please, Mactaggart wrote in the Microsoft letter this week, prove it.

Amazon Microsoft and Uber are paying big money to kill a California privacy initiative


Donald Trump and his rabid fan base of white nationalists are not unique to the world; instead, they are part of a trend happening in many countries where white people of European heritage are convincing others that brown people are coming into their countries bent on murdering and raping every white person in sight. While the U.S. is not alone in this, we are unique in having a leadership that joins in.

When Trump isnt blaming Democrats for his cruel new policy of separating migrant children from their families at the border, hes convincing his followers that roving bands of undocumented immigrants are all MS-13 gang members and that sanctuary cities are crime-ridden wastelands. This is not a new or unique tactic. Its also happening in Germany, and Trump began pushing the same lies as a presidential candidate and uses the lies about Germany as justification.

While a raging debate over German Chancellor Angela Merkels immigration stance on asylum for refugees rages, the white nationalist groups continue to push a lie that violent crime, and crime overall, is rising to out-of-control levels because of immigration. This is not the case.

According to The Independent:

The new government figures show that 5.76 million crimes were reported in 2017. As a percentage of the population, crime is now at its lowest level for 30 years. Despite the significant overall fall in crime, the figures also revealed a rise in antisemitic attacks, which have gone up by 2.5 per cent with a total of 1,504 incidents in 2017. Mr Seehofer said this was partly attributable to imported antisemitism, referring to attacks carried out by foreigners, however, this portion was vastly outweighed by attacks on Jews by far-right German nationals, which accounted for 94 per cent of antisemitic attacks.

It isnt immigrants the U.S. or Germany needs to be concerned about. The rise in nationalism and white domestic terrorists are far more of a threat.

Twitter users reminded Trump of this fact and many others. See some of their responses below:

Trump Attacks Angela Merkel During 5-Tweet Twitter Tantrum Like An Enemy Of The State


In a Detroit neighborhood filled with abandoned houses and empty lots, a black male resident named Marc Peeples decided to spend his time making the area safer and a little nicer for his neighbors. To do so, he began clearing an empty lot to create a community garden and boarded up the windows of abandoned homes that had attracted criminal activity.

Three white women decided the view from their windows shouldnt include a black man and began repeatedly calling the police with claims that he had a gun, painted gang colors on abandoned homes, was involved in a driveby, made threats to their lives and had been stalking them, and that he was a known pedophile who had been banned by local schools from being in the presence of children.

Police said the claims were outrageous but eventually charged him with three counts of stalking. In court, the women could prove none of their claims.

According to The Detroit Metro Times:

36th District Court Judge E. Lynise Bryant dismissed the charges and said that they should have been levied against the women for stalking Mr. Peeples rather than the other way around.

In court, the women claimed that a local school principal had told them that Peeples was banned from his schools grounds due to allegations of pedophilia. However, neither that principal or any other school official came forward to corroborate the claims. The reports that Peeples had a gun while working on the community garden, which the women claimed he had used to threaten their lives, was unfounded, as well. Police found nothing on the man when they responded to the complaints, other than a rake.

Peeples, whose friends started a GoFundMe page to help cover his lost wages during the legal battle as well as his legal fees, called the womens accusations blatant racism

It was blatant racism. They didnt like the fact that a black man was in so-called their neighborhood without their permission...Its frustrating to have accusations placed on you with no merit, and they get you all the way into court to go to trial. If someone believed their story and I was found guilty, I would be in county jail doing up to a year just because they dont want ... a black person in their area.

Peeples attorney, as well as residents disgusted by the womens claims, say that his only crime seems to have been gardening while black.

White Women Press Stalking Charges On Gardening Black Man Then Court Happens


How much do you really hate the notch?

Companies like Oppo and Vivo, which are devoting serious engineering resources to find creative solutions to avoid 2018s most conspicuous design trend, are hoping that the answer is a lot. The Oppo Find X and Vivo Nex both use complex moving parts to hide and reveal components like selfie cameras and face scanners that would otherwise have to be housed in a notch in an all-screen phone.

I was in Shanghai and Shenzhen a few weeks ago, and one thing that struck me was the huge, ubiquitous marketing for these two phones. They may not be expected to sell the most units, but theyre also far from wild experiments. They need to execute on their futuristic promise in order to establish each brand as an innovator.

And, based on my time with the flagship Vivo Nex S at least, I can say that its a seriously impressive device that essentially delivers on the full-screen phone dream.

The headline feature of the Nex S  its elevating selfie camera  first appeared on Vivos Apex concept phone that I saw at Mobile World Congress in February, so that aspect of the hardware wasnt too novel for me. The biggest change is how the blocky Apex has morphed into an attractive and surprisingly slim premium phone with curved glass and a holographic back panel. The phone does pick up a lot of fingerprints, but the way it shimmers and diffracts in different lighting conditions is just really cool and feels appropriate for a phone positioning itself on the cutting edge.

So, too, does its spec sheet. Inside theres a Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a 4,000mAh battery, a dual-camera setup with a 12-megapixel f/1.8 primary module, a headphone jack, a USB-C port, and a huge 6.6-inch 2316 x 1080p OLED screen.

Along with the mediocre haptics and lack of wireless charging, that screen is actually the only part of the phone that doesnt feel as high-end as it could. Its color reproduction, contrast, and viewing angles are all fine  great, even  and the bezels are almost nonexistent all around (except for the bottom edge, which is roughly twice as thick as the rest). But the resolution is slightly insufficient to be stretched over such an expansive canvas; its a PenTile screen, and you can see jagged edges on text if you look closely. This isnt a huge deal, and I tend to think 1080p is the right choice for most phones, but I feel like Vivo could have sprung for a 1440p panel like Samsung and LG if it really wanted to push the Nex S as the most advanced phone on the market.

The screen does hold one key feature over virtually every other competitor, however: a fingerprint sensor integrated right in the display. This is Vivos thing more than anyone else. The company has been showing off prototypes for over a year, and finally its shipping the recent flagship X21 phone with the feature. Vivo says the Nex S scanner is third-generation with 50 percent higher recognition accuracy and 10 percent higher unlock speed, though, unfortunately, it doesnt have the Apexs much bigger sensor area. You still have to place your thumb on a thumbprint-sized icon.

I havent noticed any improvement over the second-gen sensor in the X21, to be honest; it works almost exactly the same way, only with an area of the screen that lights up neon green instead of teal. As with the X21, I continue to think this is a preferable option to putting a slightly faster traditional fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone or on a chunky bottom bezel, though reasonable people may disagree.

I also think the pop-up selfie camera is an acceptable compromise. Unlike the Oppo Find Xs 3D face-scanning array, its only called into service when you want to use the camera to take pictures or videos, meaning people who dont take selfies or video calls regularly wont see it very often. The mechanism is fast enough to not be a practical problem. The camera will be in position by the time youve framed your shot. At only five megapixels, though, this probably isnt the phone for you if selfies are a priority, even with Vivos assortment of Face Beauty and AI-powered features. Its fine for my needs, but Vivo is a company that markets many of its phones specifically on their selfie capabilities  some with dual front-facing cameras and 25-megapixel sensors, for example  and this is not one of those phones.

Overall, the Nex S deals with the question of where to put a front-facing camera on a bezel-less device far better than any laptop Ive seen. Dells XPS line continues to place webcams below the screen, resulting in unflattering up-the-nose camera angles, while Huaweis MateBook X Pro cleverly integrates a camera into the keyboard but with a similar resulting image. Vivos camera mechanism isnt going to be practical in the ultra-thin top halves of most laptops, of course, but that doesnt make its solution any less ingenious.

The question, however, is whether theres really much of a problem to solve. Virtually every major Android OEM, from OnePlus to LG to Huawei, has released a phone with a notch already this year, and of course Apples instantly recognizable iPhone X design has rendered the idea extremely mainstream. Theres little evidence yet that consumers consider it a dealbreaker.

A problem doesnt have to be a deal-breaker to have an extremely cool solution, though, and thats exactly what it feels like to use the Vivo Nex S. I cant deny that its more natural and cohesive to use a near-bezel-less screen with two-way symmetry, with the extra landscape usability and notification visibility that notches trade away. The in-display fingerprint scanner and pop-up selfie camera are serviceable in regular use, and the moving parts arent called into action nearly as often as on the Oppo Find X, which has to raise its face scanner every time you unlock the phone.

Is the notch a matter so pressing that it should guide your buying decisions? Probably not. But that doesnt stop the Nex S from being a good product, arguably the most technically advanced Android phone on the market right now, and one that should make the whole world take a long look at Vivo as a serious company.

The Vivo Nexs notch-killing trade-offs are worth it


'Over the past decade, Canadians have become much more aware of the horrific conditions in which eggs, pork and veal are routinely produced, and they have begun calling for better standards.'

Most Canadians are surprised to learn that animals raised for food in our country are hardly protected by the law. (AP Photo/Handout-Mercy for Animals)

Californias recent vote on the humane treatment of farm animals could be a harbinger of change for the world, including Canada, in farm-animal welfare. On Nov. 6, California made history as voters approved Proposition 12, a ballot initiative to prohibit the confinement of hens, pigs, and calves to tiny cages or crates. Proposition 12 also requires that eggs, pork and veal sold in California meet this same standard. The measure was approved by 62 per cent of voters, considered a super-majority, and will benefit tens of millions of animals.

As the most populous state and the fifth-largest economy in the world, California has set a new legislative standard. Its citizens have stated loud and clear that they support the humane treatment of farm animals, and that its unacceptable to confine hens, pigs and veal calves in cages and crates so small, they can hardly move.

In Canada, the situation isnt as clear-cut. Over the past decade or so, Canadians have become much more aware of the horrific conditions in which eggs, pork and veal are routinely produced, and they have begun calling for better standards. Most major food companies  retailers like Loblaw and Walmart; iconic chains such as Tim Hortons, McDonalds and Starbucks; manufacturers including Kraft Heinz and Nestle; and food-service providers like Compass Group and Aramark  have agreed its time for these terrible practices to end. They have pledged to stop using cruel battery cages (for laying hens) and gestation crates (for mother pigs) by 2025 and 2022, respectively.

Yet none of these changes is codified in Canadian law. The corporate commitments noted above are not guarantees that the factory farms that produce our food will comply with these deadlines voluntarily, if at all. In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of hens, pigs and calves continue to suffer.

Most Canadians are surprised to learn that animals raised for food in our country are hardly protected by the law. There are just two sets of national regulations (both inadequate) that govern their treatment, and they only apply to transportation and slaughter  that is, after animals have left the farm. To make matters worse, only a few provinces have anti-cruelty legislation that protects farm animals. Nearly everything else that happens is regulated by the animal-agriculture industry itself, through standards developed by the National Farm Animal Care Council. The council is comprised largely of agricultural business representatives, and its standards are not legally enforceable.

Theres no doubt the vast majority of Canadians believe farm animals should live more freely. A poll conducted in 2016 revealed that 83 per cent of Canadians think the government should enact laws mandating cage-free egg production, and a 2013 poll showed that 84 per cent of Canadians support a nationwide ban on the use of gestation crates. Stronger laws and sound enforcement are some of the best ways to ensure that animals are treated humanely, and I urge Canada to follow Californias lead.

In the meantime, businesses and their customers are the biggest drivers of change. Food companies must continue to adopt better welfare practices in their supply chains, and consumers must demand that corporations and governments uphold their values. As individuals, we can also make better choices for animals each time we sit down to eat, through the three Rs of eating: reducing and replacing consumption of animal products, and refining our diets by choosing products from sources that adhere to higher animal-welfare standards.

As the California vote shows, we can make a difference.

Riana Topan is a campaign manager for farmed animal welfare with Humane Society International/Canada. Visit www.hsicanada.org to learn more.

The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the authors alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.

California just made history for animals Heres why it matters to Canada


(Natural News) The notion that the Western diet is not ideal is nothing new; the standard dietary habits in the U.S. and other westernized nations have been linked to major diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and more. But new research has shown that for teenagers in particular, the average American diet could be an even stronger recipe for disaster  especially when it comes to their mental health.

While its already been fairly well established that being obese or overweight can increase the risk of depression in teens, budding research from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania has shown that there is a biological pathway linking poor diet and inflammation to depression. This can spell bad news for teenagers.

Professor Wendy Oddy, hailing from the Menzies Institute, pioneered this ground-breaking research. Along with her team, they found that diet can influence teens risk of depression and other related mental health issues. While past research has shown that having an overweight or obese BMI can increase the risk of depression in youth, this study has highlighted the fact that diet can also play a substantial role in risk.

As sources report, the research team found that the typical Western diet  filled with red meats, processed foods and sugar  contributed to depression in more ways than one. While a Western diet can increase the risk of being overweight or obese, and indirectly also increase the risk of depression, the team found that diets role in depression can also stem from inflammation. In other words, diet appears to be an independent risk factor for depression, regardless of weight.

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Oddy and her team of scientists used data from thousands of adolescents collected under the Raine Study. For their own research, Oddys team looked at data from 1600 children surveyed at age 14, and 1,000 teens who were surveyed again at age 17.

After analyzing the childrens diets and grouping their dietary habits as Healthy or Western, the team found that there were clear indications that diet had an impact on mental health in teens.

In their conclusion, the study authors wrote, A Western dietary pattern associates with an increased risk of mental health problems including depressive symptoms in adolescents, through biologically plausible pathways of adiposity and inflammation, whereas a Healthy dietary pattern appears protective in these pathways. Longitudinal modelling into adulthood is indicated to confirm the complex associations of dietary patterns, adiposity, inflammation and mental health problems, including depressive symptoms.

Truly, the notion that a diet low in nutrients can have adverse effects on mental health should come as no surprise; if low-quality diets have been attributed to problems across the rest of the body, why should the brain be any different? Indeed, research has shown that the typical Western diet increases the risk of many diseases, chronic illnesses and early death.

Whether its cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, a poor quality diet is often in tow. Few people would question the benefits of a healthier, higher quality diet for people with heart disease or diabetes. And it turns out the same holds true for mental illnesses like depression.

Last year, a clinical trial showed that changing over to a better quality, more nutrient-rich diet could help fight depression. Healthy food as an antidepressant could shake up the pharmaceutical industrys hold on people suffering with depression  and it could help give patients a new lease on life. In this trial, 32 percent of people who followed a healthy diet protocol for 12 weeks achieved complete remission  meaning they no longer had depression based on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. On average, healthy diet followers improved their scores on the depression rating scale by about 11 points.

It is clear that diet plays a role in the health of not only your body, but your mind. Who would have thought, our bodies and brains are connected.

Teenagers who eat the standard Western diet found to have increased risk of mental health challenges


The massive caravan making its way up to the U.S. southern border through Mexico has now grown to 14,000 migrants, according to reports.

Despite the mainstream media narrative that the caravan is comprised of hundreds of mostly women and children, local reporting from Mexican newspaper El Universal found that estimate to be grossly misleading.

Additionally, the majority of the caravan are not asylum-seekers  as the media has falsely claimed  but illegal migrants, as testimony from many individuals claim theyre traveling to the U.S. looking for work, not fleeing political persecution.

The fact the caravan dismissed Mexicos offer to process asylum applicants is also evidence the caravan isnt interested in protection from persecution, rather theyre migrating to the U.S. in pursuit of their economic interests.

How 14,000 migrants are procuring food and water, and ridding their waste remains unclear, but reports have emerged suggesting the UN and Soros-backed NGOs are quarterbacking the logistics of the mass migration similar to the waves that hit Europe in 2015.

President Trump echoed the notion Saturday, saying the man-made caravan was launched by some bad people to influence the outcome of the midterm elections.

Trump declared a National Emergency Monday following reports the caravan has grown and shows no signs of stopping, announcing he would deploy the military and Border Patrol to seal the border after Mexico failed to halt the caravan.

Sadly, it looks like Mexicos Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy. Must change laws! he tweeted.

Infowars has also received reports that Trump is prepared to cut UN funding should the global body continue to enable the giant migrant wave.

Report Illegal Migrant Caravan Swells To 14000 As Trump Prepares To Seal Border


March 2018 was pretty crazy. A ton of stuff happened. You probably forgot about a lot of it. We certainly did.

Heres a list of just some of the news events that happened in March. This is the second list in our new monthly series. (We skipped February because there was just too many events, and we didnt finish.) Heres our roundup from January.

What A Year This Month Has Been


WASHINGTON  Whats lost when the president of the United States cant  or wont  show up?

As the remembrances for the late Sen. John McCain shift from Arizona to Washington the rest of this week, President Donald Trump will be glaringly missing. The McCain family asked him to stay away from the four-day tribute to the storied Republican lawmaker. And even if they hadnt, its unlikely Trump would have been eager to eulogize one of his fiercest critics.

But Trumps absence is about more than just a personal feud between two dramatically different politicians. His inability to seize the ceremonial, symbolic power of the presidency, both in times of sorrow and joy, threatens to change an important aspect of the office itself and remake Americans expectations of their commander in chief.

Theres a loss, says Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. A lot of the stuff (Trump) does become norms. Thats the power of a presidency. Now a president can be this way.

The American presidency has always been tangled in partisan divisions. Most recent presidents have been elected by narrow margins after campaigns focused on party loyalists. Like Trump, his predecessors have frequently stuck to friendly environs, preferring the adulation of supporters to the criticism of detractors.

But most modern presidents also have recognized that the office comes with certain ceremonial expectations. Americans not only look to the president to run the government, but also to lead in times of tragedy or cheer in moments of national pride.

In the days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Republican George W. Bush rallied Democratic-heavy New York, standing on a pile of rubble at the World Trade Center and throwing out the first pitch at a Yankees game. Democrat Barack Obama walked the streets of reliably red territory in Missouri, Alabama and elsewhere, hugging residents after natural disasters. He helped ease tensions in South Carolina when he broke into a rendition of Amazing Grace at a funeral for victims of a black church shooting.

McCain asked both Bush and Obama to speak at his funeral Saturday at Washington National Cathedral. Trump is expected to be at the White House, just a few miles away.

Trumps absence in national moments of mourning or remembrance can open the way for others, including potential 2020 opponents, to fill that sort of role and offer a sharp counterpoint to the president. At a Phoenix memorial service on Thursday, former Vice President Joe Biden spoke of a different code, an ancient, antiquated code that McCain lived by, one in which honor, courage, character, integrity, duty were what mattered.

Trump stunned many members of his own party during the presidential campaign by mocking McCains capture during the Vietnam War. Their relationship never recovered, and McCain emerged as one of Trumps sharpest GOP critics. In the days after McCain succumbed to brain cancer, Trump resisted aides efforts to pay tribute to the senator and only grudgingly put out a statement honoring him.

Whats striking is that Trump was elected despite few Americans believing he was well-suited to take on some of the traditional obligations of the presidency. A Pew Research Center survey in November 2016, just before the election, showed that 66 percent did not believe he would set a high moral standard for the office. A Pew poll this summer showed that 71 percent believe he has not.

Many Trump supporters argue that he was elected in part to defy convention and change expectations for the presidency. Indeed, the same Pew poll found that 60 percent of those who approve of Trump listed his personality or approach to politics among the things they like most about him.

But some of his supporters have suggested hes missing an opportunity.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, both a close friend of McCain and a Trump ally, urged the president this week to be a big man in a big office.

John McCain was a big man, worthy of a big country, Graham said on CBS. Mr. President, you need to be the big man that the presidency requires.

At times, Trump has tried to unite or heal in moments of tragedy, with varying degrees of success. He traveled to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria ripped through the island, but he feuded with the Democratic mayor of San Juan ahead of his arrival and the lasting image of his trip was his throwing rolls of paper towels into a crowd. He called the mother of an American soldier killed in Niger to offer condolences, but wound up tangling with a congresswoman who criticized him for telling the family that the soldier knew what he was signing up for.

Increasingly, Trump is simply absent in moments when a president would be expected to show up. He was reportedly asked to not attend funeral services earlier this year for Barbara Bush, the matriarch of one of the nations most prominent Republican families. And with athletes and celebrities often unwilling to be seen alongside Trump, hes sometimes had to skip functions such as the Kennedy Center Honors and cancel sports teams championship celebrations at the White House.

Doug Heye, a Republican strategist who has been critical of the president, said the real concern is not whether Trump can reinstate some of those ceremonial functions, but whether he could bring the country together if he needed to.

If we need a united national response, and were not united, that makes the job of president to do those good and right things harder, Heye said. That seems not possible right now.

AP polling editor Emily Swanson and AP writer Laurie Kellman contributed to this report.

EDITORS NOTE: Julie Pace has covered the White House and national politics for the AP since 2007. Follow her at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Analysis Whats lost when the president cant show up


Epic Games Fortnite is officially out of beta on mobile, meaning anyone with an iPhone SE / 6S or later running iOS 11 (or an iPad mini 4 / Air 2 or later) can download the game and jump into a match. Epic announced the news on its Twitter feed this morning. Previously, Fortnite on iOS was available in an invite-only beta period, though invites were generously given out and friends were able to invite up to three others to join the free-to-play platform. You can download the game from the App Store here.

Its been a whirlwind of milestone-breaking and good news for Epic since the beginning of the year, as Fortnite has experienced a meteoric rise in both sales, popularity, and mainstream recognition. (Thanks Drake.) The games free-to-play business model  which sustains itself purely on a mix of clever in-game costumes, items, and an optional three-month subscription service  helped it best its rival and battle royale pioneer Playerunknowns Battlegrounds. But the games pure fun factor, combined with Epics breakneck update cycle, is whats helped Fortnite remain at the forefront of the online multiplayer scene since its September 2017 launch.

Just last week, Epic added a new and improved snipers-only game mode, a ludicrous homing missile weapon, and a number of in-game clues pointing toward the destruction of the games Tilted Towers section, a potential game-changing event for a persistent multiplayer game that now has the whole community talking and swapping theories on online forums. With iOS now open to everyone, it seems like Epic will only continue to add more players.

Fortnite is now open to everyone on iOS


This is so disturbing.

Eva has horns, a split tongue, and reptilian body art.

 Her nose and ears were whittled down to stumps.

This is the modern day left, folks.

Eva Tiamat Medusa, a transgender woman from Bruni, Texas, believes shes the most modified transgender person in the world. She also identifies as a dragon, and has spent more than 42,000 transforming herself into a reptile. Evas journey to becoming a dragon started when, while living as a man, Eva was diagnosed with HIV. She became determined not to die a human. Leaving her job as a vice president at a bank behind, Eva began to morph into the reptilian form shed always longed to have, claiming that after being abandoned by her parents at the age of five, she was born again under the care of a western diamondback rattlesnake.

How Awful Texas Woman Mutilates Body Calls Herself a Trans-Dragon Lady VIDEO


British travellers will not need visas to visit the European Union for short stays even if there is a no-deal Brexit, the European Commission has said.

Commissioners made the recommendation to put the UK on the visa-exempt list at a meeting in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The policy is dependent on the UK continuing to offer reciprocal visa-free access for EU citizens.

Travel advice issued by the commission says: The European Commission has proposed to the EU legislator to exempt UK nationals from visa requirements for short-term stays.

The decision is still technically subject to confirmation by member states but is very unlikely to be overturned.

The EU puts all countries on either a visa exempt list or a visa required list. Visa policy is coordinated for the whole Schengen passportless area.

British travellers could still be inconvenienced by Brexit because the EU is planning to bring in a system where countries outside the bloc will need to apply for an electronic travel authorisation in advance, even if they are visa-exempt.

Etias  the EU Travel Information and Authorisation System  is modelled on the US Esta system and is being introduced on security grounds.

To what extent British citizens will have the right to work in the EU or move there long-term are separate to the question of travel visas; these questions will be settled as part of the future relationship negotiations between the EU and UK, expected to commence next year.

The move on visas is part of the EUs intensified planning for a possible no-deal Brexit. In a statement, the European Commission said: The European Commission has today proposed to grant UK citizens visa-free travel to the EU after the United Kingdoms withdrawal from the European Union.

It would mean that UK citizens would not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. In the scenario where the UK leaves the EU without a deal, this would apply as of 30 March 2019. If a deal is reached, however, it would apply as of the end of the transition period, as outlined in the withdrawal agreement. This follows the commissions continued commitment that citizens rights must come first in the negotiations on the UKs withdrawal from the EU.

This proposal is entirely conditional upon the UK also granting reciprocal and non-discriminatory visa-free travel for all EU member states, in line with the principle of visa reciprocity. The UK government has declared its intention not to require a visa from citizens of the EU27 member states for shorts stays for the purposes of tourism and business. EU rules on non-EU nationals travelling to the EU, such as those on border control, would of course apply to UK citizens once they are no longer EU citizens.

The visa-free policy covers the 22 EU member countries that are members of the Schengen area and the four Schengen-associated states  Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It will also apply to Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus, which are outside Schengen but coordinate their policies with it.

The advice issued by the commission says holders of British driving licences may need a green card to drive in EU countries, and that they should check with the country they are visiting to see whether an international permit is required.

EU passenger rights to information, reimbursement, or compensation will also no longer apply to UK flights and carriers, as well as much sea, bus and rail travel.

The commission also says the European Health Insurance Card will no longer give UK citizens rights to reciprocal healthcare when abroad and that travellers should make arrangements to get private insurance.

 The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.

 Sign our petition here

Brexit EU says British citizens will not need visas to visit member states in event of no deal


The Bank of England governor says a no-deal Brexit will mean higher prices and disruption to trade as we know it, in a stark warning of the impact on the country.

Mark Carney urged Theresa May and other governments to do all things to avoid it  just hours after No 10 again insisted she was ready to crash out of the EU with no agreement if necessary.

He also likened his efforts to stabilise the financial system for the huge shock to the stockpiling of food and medicines, saying: We have already done the stockpiling.

Banks were ready for house prices crashing by a third, interest rates soaring by more than 4 per cent and the economy going into recession  the worst case scenario.

Speaking ahead of the prime ministers meeting with Emmanuel Macron, the governor described a no deal outcome as highly undesirable  but warned the chances were uncomfortably high.

Mr Carney also highlighted the pain already inflicted by the vote to leave the EU, saying: We have gone from the fastest to the slowest growing [economy] in the G7.

The UK economy had grown by a percentage point less up to spring of this year than we had projected prior to the referendum, he said  with a real pay squeeze on British households.

The interview came before Ms May is expected to issue a Chequers deal or no deal message to the French president when they meet at his summer retreat in the south of France.

The prime minister has cut short her holiday in Italy to try to convince Mr Macron that the UK will not compromise further on the proposals thrashed out by the cabinet in June.

In recent days, senior ministers have talked up the prospects of a no-deal departure insisting Britain can still thrive  although Downing Street has declined to use that word.

But Mr Carney set out a very different immediate future when asked about leaving with no agreement, saying: It is highly undesirable. Parties should do all things to avoid it.

Asked on BBC Radio 4 what it would mean for people, Mr Carney highlighted disruption to trade as we know it, adding: As a consequence of that, a disruption to the level of economic activity, higher prices for a period of time.

He described the banks job as trying to prevent problems reverberating through the financial system, to ensure people did not have things to worry about.

What we dont want to have is people worrying about their money in the bank, whether or not they can get a loan from the bank  whether for a mortgage or for a business idea, Mr Carney explained.

And we have put the banks through the wringer well in advance of this to make sure they have the capital.

Ahead of the two leaders meeting, an Elysee Palace ruled out Mr Macron breaking ranks to help the UK, insisting the meeting was not a negotiation and not a substitute for the negotiations led by Brussels.

The spokesperson said the president had full trust in the EUs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, adding: Thats how it will remain.

 The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.

 Sign our petition here

Brexit Bank of England boss Mark Carney warns no deal outcome will mean higher prices and aposdis


Silicon Valley giant Google employs nearly 10,000 foreign workers, importing them to the United States on visas, a newly leaked video obtained by Breitbart News reveals.

The video is a full recording of Googles first all-hands meeting following the 2016 presidential election in which President Trump historically beat out Democrat Hillary Clinton. These Google meetings occur on a weekly basis and are known inside the company as TGIF meetings, short for Thank God Its Friday.

In the Google meeting, Vice President of People Operations Eileen Naughton reveals the extent to which the tech conglomerate has imported and currently employs close to 10,000 foreign workers with plans to expand their foreign workforce population.

Google Execs Admit to Importing 10K Foreign Workers to Take US Jobs


Rep. Gohmert said not only is Mueller wasting millions of taxpayer dollars, hes covering up his own involvement in the Uranium One scandal while trying to have a coup against the President.

Gohmert is one of the few members of Congress speaking the truth about Muellers attempted coup and cover up of past crimes.

Hes wasted money right and leftamazingly hes hired people like Weissmann that worked with him and Rosenstein in investigating the Russian illegal efforts to obtain our Uranium which they quashed information in order to allow the sale to go through so that Hillary could get the $145 million for her foundation, Gohmert said. So it is really outrageoushes covering for himself, at the same time hes trying to have a coup against the President.

The House voted 207-201 to attach the language to a veterans, military construction, and energy and water spending bill that was headed to pass Friday, reported the Examiner.

The Office of Special Counsel released a statement of expenditures last Thursday revealing over $4.5 million has been flushed down the toilet in just a 6 month period hunting Russian ghosts.

This $4.5 million is in addition to the $6.7 million the Special Counsel cost the first five months. Add to that other Department of Justice costs related to Russia which brings the figure even higher to what Politico estimates to be $17 million total spent on the Russia probe.

Gohmert SLAMS Mueller Hes Covering Up His Involvement in Uranium One While Trying to Have a Coup


Apple has added refurbished HomePods for the first time to its online store, where theyre selling for $50 less than the original price, via MacRumors. Both the white and space gray versions are selling for $299, but youre better off looking elsewhere  Best Buys Black Friday deals show new HomePods selling for even cheaper, at $250.

The HomePod normally costs $349, which is pretty high for a wireless smart speaker that requires you to be locked into Apple products. If youre undeterred by this and more in it for the superb audio quality, getting the discounted, refurbished product through Apples online store might be the smarter choice once Black Friday deals disappear.

Apples refurbished products go through a rigorous testing and certification process, and come with a one-year limited warranty. Thats always an option in case you miss out on Best Buys Black Friday deals, where you can buy a brand-new HomePod for $100 off.

Apple is now selling refurbished HomePods but Black Friday deals are cheaper


Almost half of all US residents in the top five largest cities, or 48%, do not speak English at home according to the latest Census Bureau data.

The Washington Examiner reports that the new report, conducted by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), also reveals that As a share of the population, 21.8 percent of U.S. residents speak a foreign language at home  roughly double the 11 percent in 1980. Overall, roughly 67 million residents dont speak English at home.

In terms of population, Spanish is the most commonly spoken language at home at 41 million residents in 2017, up from 37 million in 2010. Chinese is the next most common language at 3.4 million using it primarily at home.

In terms of the fastest growing non-English languages spoken at home, Telugu experienced the most rapid growth, followed by Bengali, Tamil, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi.

Ranking non-English speakers by state, California leads the pack, followed by Texas, New Mexico, New Jersey, Nevada and New York.

In terms of percentage growth by state, Washington D.C. experienced the largest percent growth in non-English speaking homes between 2010 and 2017, followed by Wyoming, North Dakota, Utah, Delaware, Nevada, Maryland and Nebraska.

The study comes amid several reports of altercations over the use of English, such as last weeks report about a couple who was refused service at a Florida Taco Bell because they did not have any English speaking employees.

In another case last May, a New York man threatened to call immigration police if customers and employees didnt stop speaking English in a restaurant.

Among the top findings from the CIS report:

48 Of US Residents In Top 5 Cities Dont Speak English At Home 67 Million Overall


The King of Saudi Arabia has no knowledge of the fate of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Donald Trump said today.

The US president wrote online: "Just spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened to our Saudi Arabian citizen.

"He said that they are working closely with Turkey to find answer. I am immediately sending our Secretary of State to meet with King!"

The update from Mr Trump came as Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul was expected to be searched over two weeks after Mr Khashoggi's disappearance.

A Turkish diplomat said that the inspection would be jointly carried out by Turkish and Saudi officials this afternoon.

US resident Mr Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, disappeared on October 2 while visiting the consulate.

Turkish officials believe he was killed by a Saudi hit team and dismembered. The kingdom denies the allegations.

Saudi Arabias King Salman today ordered the countrys public prosecutor to open an internal investigation into the case.

The king and President Erdogan of Turkey also vowed to set up a joint working group to investigate.

It also emerged today that Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan, has pulled out of an event in Saudi Arabia dubbed 'Davos in the Desert'.

Mr Dimon was asked last week if he was going to participate in the event, but declined to comment. A JPMorgan spokesman said the bank was not giving any additional comment on Dimon's decision to pull out.

Jamal Khashoggi latest Saudi king has no knowledge of fate of dissident journalist says Donald Tru


The Russia investigation as led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is continuing to proceed whether President Donald Trump likes it or not. This Thursday morning, his former lawyer Michael Cohen abruptly entered a plea deal with the special counsels office that includes him pleading guilty to false statements to Congress as part of the overall inquiry. Those false statements seem to cover Trump efforts to make real estate headway in Russia.

Hes the fifth former Trump associate to face charges from the special counsels office, all of whom have eventually pleaded guilty. Its unclear how much time the plea might add on to the potential several years he was already facing in prison.

Hes already pleaded guilty to other criminal charges in a separate case. Earlier this fall, he declared in a Manhattan courtroom that he had participated in an illegal hush money scheme meant to silence women with whom his boss had affairs at the eventual presidents direction.

In the time since, more information has come out publicly that only further condemns the president. Trump was closely involved in essentially every aspect of the arrangement to the point of directing Cohen to take care of Stormy Daniels story himself after their previous arrangement for the stories to be bought up by the Trump-allied American Media, Inc. fell through.

Similarly to that situation, the president stands to be implicated in Cohens newest guilty plea, which accompanies a formal agreement to cooperate with prosecutors. Hed previously sat for questioning from authorities, including those with the Southern District of New Yorks federal court system, but the cooperation hadnt been formalized. Now, ABCs George Stephanopoulos shares that his newest guilty plea will be coupled with dozens of hours of testimony potentially damaging to Pres. Trump.

The president, fittingly enough, has been freaking out about the Mueller investigation yet again this week.

His Twitter feed provides a curious window into what hes thinking about, and this Thursday, he put his persecution complex on full display and declared:

Its ironic that hes made the no collusion phrase such a bedrock of his defense when its so easily disproved. His son Donald Trump Jr., for instance, secretly met with Kremlin lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in Trump Tower in New York to get dirt from the Russian government on Hillary Clinton. Thats collusion  and Trump Jr. has worried hell be indicted for lying about it.

More recently, it came out that around the time he joined up with the Trump campaign, his former campaign manager Paul Manafort had secretly met with Julian Assange, the man whose organization Wikileaks distributed emails the Russians stole from Democrats.

Manafort was also recently accused of lying and breaching his plea agreement with the special counsel, which could compound his issues when he faces the sentencing associated with his guilty plea.

In other words, Trumps got lots of reasons to worry.

BREAKING Michael Cohen Enters Surprise Plea Agreement With Mueller


While in office, President Donald Trump has continued to carve out a unique global policy path for himself. That carving brought him to recently decide to ease sanctions on the Chinese telecommunications company ZTE, which had previously been penalized for violating U.S. sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

It was on Thursday that the Trump administration formally announced their plans for doing away with sanctions on ZTE, and also on Thursday, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators unveiled their own plan for reimposing those sanctions. The plan comes in the form of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. Debate that will include amendments to the NDAA is expected to begin early next week, Roll Call reports.

The particular amendment in question that would restore sanctions on ZTE is supported by an as previously mentioned strikingly bipartisan group of legislators including Republican Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. Also on board are Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

Commenting on the odd and perhaps unfamiliar coupling, Schumer quipped while speaking on the Senate floor Thursday:

What all of the Senators want to do is hold back ZTE, because its not as though concerns about the company  along with similarly grouped company Huawei  end with a simple oversight that led them to do business with North Korea and Iran. The companies are, rather, seen as national security threats because of the fact that theyre perceived as vulnerable to being compelled by the Chinese government to have their devices be a part of an espionage program targeting the United States.

Thus, the Senators want ZTE and Huawei to remain forbidden from doing business with American companies. Senators had already been working on keeping the government itself from doing business with ZTE and Huawei; because of concerns about espionage capabilities, the Department of Defense prohibited such devices from being sold on military bases  and yet, the Trump administration has proceeded with being open to letting the company advance anyway.

To be sure, the Trump administration has tried to maintain an about face when it comes to the whole ordeal. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross insisted:

The cascade of developments comes after an abrupt policy shift led by a tweet from President Trump himself. Although hes maintained an aggressive stance when it comes to the vast majority of foreign trade issues, on May 13, he wrote on Twitter:

Now, we are at the present point, where that deal the president wished for has been accomplished. Whether the involvement of a bipartisan group of leading U.S. Senators in the effort to get the just lifted sanctions reimposed will be enough to get it to a vote  and then get it to pass  remains to be seen.

Group Of Senators Go Over Trumps Head To Reimpose Sanctions On ZTE Donald Livid