Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey stepped down following the New York Post inquiring about allegations that he had preyed on Lt. Quathisha Epps and requested sexual favors from her.

“He wanted to have anal sex, vaginal sex, oral sex,” Epps told the outlet. “He was always asking me to kiss his penis.”

The NYPD announced that Maddrey would be replaced on an interim basis by Chief of Patrol John Chell.

“Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch accepted the resignation of Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey Friday night, effective immediately,” a department spokesperson said in a statement. “The NYPD takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously, and will thoroughly investigate this matter.” […]

— Read More: justthenews.com

The complaint also accuses CVS of seeking reimbursement from federal healthcare programs for these illicit prescriptions, in violation of the False Claims Act.

The DOJ claims that since October 2013, CVS knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, including “dispensing massive quantities of opioids”, early fills, and dangerous “trinity” prescriptions—combinations of opioids, benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxants. CVS is also accused of filling prescriptions from “pill mill” doctors—those who issue large volumes of prescriptions without medical justification.

Prosecutors assert that CVS ignored evidence from its own pharmacists including data that showed the unlawful prescriptions being filled at its stores. The government also points to staffing shortages that hindered pharmacists’ ability to properly verify prescriptions, accusing CVS’s corporate practices of prioritizing “profits over safety.” The DOJ argues that these actions played a role in fueling the opioid epidemic, which has led to a devastating number of overdose deaths across the nation.

The complaint states:

CVS’s actions contributed to the opioid crisis, a national public health emergencywith devastating effects in the United States. Over the past decade, hundreds of thousands of Americans have died as the result of overdoses from opioids and other controlled substances,including from the illegitimate use of prescription opioids and other prescription drugs. […]

— Read More: redstate.com

Trade between Canada and the US is the largest of any two nations, with cross-border trade totaling $926 billion in 2023—roughly $2.5 billion daily. This dark tariff reality for Trudeau of not responding adequately to Trump’s border security demand risks pushing Canada into an economic crisis.

In response, the Canadian government unveiled a new border security plan on Wednseday, costing about a billion dollars to strengthen border security with the US.

“President Trump is securing the border and he hasn’t even taken office yet,” Trump’s transition team wrote in a news release, adding, “Facing an uproar among his own citizens … embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just announced a billion-dollar plan for major border security improvements and increased border patrols.”

The new border proposal outlines the deployment of drones, helicopters, and other advanced technologies along the 5,525-mile northern border. […]

— Read More: www.infowars.com

Researchers have uncovered a strong and troubling link between long-term exposure to some of the most commonly found air pollutants and a significantly increased risk of blood clots forming in deep veins.

This comprehensive, 17-year-long investigation, which followed over 6,600 adults across six major cities in the United States, provides stark evidence of the far-reaching impacts of air pollution on public health.

The study, published in the prestigious American Society of Hematology journal Blood, highlights the alarming connections between air pollutants and venous thromboembolism (VTE), particularly among those most heavily exposed to environmental toxins.

VTE is a condition characterized by blood clots in deep veins that can travel to the lungs and cause severe complications. VTE is now recognized as a potential consequence of air pollution exposure. (Related: Air pollution can also happen INDOORS – here’s how to spot the worst offenders.)

VTE encompasses two dangerous conditions. The first is deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, typically in the legs or arms. The second is a pulmonary embolism, which is when a deep vein clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, potentially blocking blood flow and becoming a danger to the life of the affected person. […]

— Read More: www.naturalnews.com

Schmitt – who was, as Missouri attorney-general, behind the Missouri v. Biden free speech lawsuit (that became Murthy v. Missouri) said in a post on X that GEC “must be excluded from any subsequent piece of legislation for the remainder of the 118th Congress.”

The senator added that Americans “deserve to know their First Amendment rights are being protected.”

The letter to Schumer reveals that the temporary funding measure, known as “continuing resolution (CR)” among its original 1,500 pages provides for GEC as well.

(It has sine been removed from the slimmer bill that passed on Friday.) […]

— Read More: reclaimthenet.org

The dire situation in West Africa — home to the world’s largest cocoa farms — has pressured bean prices to record highs as crop disease and adverse weather conditions sparked a global supply crunch.

Last week, Goldman analysts told clients to go long cocoa (more about the trade here) for “another rally” driven by “structural supply deficits, under-hedged consumers, and historically low warehouse stocks.”

Supply concerns pushed cocoa futures in New York to nearly $13,000 per ton last week. This surge has driven prices by almost 200% this year, making cocoa a top commodity performer.

Next is orange juice; futures in New York soared 73% on the year amid imploding citrus production in Florida. […]

— Read More: www.zerohedge.com

According to those governments/entities, the only “positive use” for AI as far as social media and online discourse go, would be to power more effective censorship (“moderation”).

A new report from the US House Judiciary Committee and its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government puts the emphasis on the push to use this technology for censorship as the explanation for the often disproportionate alarm over its role in “disinformation.”

We obtained a copy of the report for you here.

The interim report’s name spells out its authors’ views on this quite clearly: the document is called, “Censorship’s Next Frontier: The Federal Government’s Attempt to Control Artificial Intelligence to Suppress Free Speech.”

The report’s main premise is well-known – that AI is now being funded, developed, and used by the government and third parties to add speed and scale to their censorship, and that the outgoing administration has been putting pressure on AI developers to build censorship into their models.

What’s new are the proposed steps to remedy this situation and make sure that future federal governments are not using AI for censorship. To this end, the Committee wants to see new legislation passed in Congress, AI development that respects the First Amendment and is open, decentralized, and “pro-freedom.”

The report recommends legislation along four principles, focused on preserving American’s right to free speech. The first is that the government cannot be involved when decisions are made in private algorithms or datasets regarding “misinformation” or “bias.”

The government should also be prohibited from funding censorship-related research or collaboration with foreign entities on AI regulation that leads to censorship.

Lastly, “Avoid needless AI regulation that gives the government coercive leverage,” the document recommends.

The Committee notes the current state of affairs where the Biden-Harris administration made a number of direct moves to regulate the space to its political satisfaction via executive orders, but also by pushing its policy through by giving out grants via the National Science Foundation, once again, aimed at building AI tools that “combat misinformation.”

But – “If allowed to develop in a free and open manner, AI could dramatically expand Americans’ capacity to create knowledge and express themselves,” the report states.

If you’re tired of censorship and surveillance, subscribe to Reclaim The Net.

Opening its first location in Corpus Christi in 1950, the restaurant began by making burgers for 30 cents each.

Fast-forward to 2019, and Whataburger transitioned from its original family ownership to an investment firm based in Chicago, BDT Capital Partners. This firm also owns Weber grills and is a co-owner of Krispy Kreme.

Some folks are convinced the beloved Texas-based fast-food chain has gone downhill since then.

Outgoing CEO Ed Nelson, set to retire soon, insists that the sale hasn’t altered the company’s mission, and Whataburger continues to focus on food quality and customer service. […]

— Read More: dallasexpress.com

Revelers cheered and beat drums as the sun rose at 8:09 a.m. (0809 GMT) over the giant standing stones on the winter solstice – the shortest day and the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere. No one could see the sun through the low winter cloud, but that did not deter a flurry of drumming, chanting and singing as dawn broke.

There will be less than eight hours of daylight in England on Saturday – but after that, the days get longer until the summer solstice in June.

The solstices are the only occasions when visitors can go right up to the stones at Stonehenge, and thousands are willing to rise before dawn to soak up the atmosphere.

“This is all about renewal, rebirth, we’re entering into the new year, and it’s also a good time to acknowledge what’s taking place in the year that’s been,” said civil servant Chris Smith, 31. “There’s such a vibe. I mean, if you look around, you’ve got everybody here, there´s such an energy in the space.” […]

— Read More: www.breitbart.com

VandeHei and Allen acknowledged citizen journalists on social media platforms have more power than ever to break through the establishment media complex and report what they see and hear.

The validity of citizen journalists seems to have grown in recent years after big media pushed numerous hoaxes on the American worker.

“We aren’t just the media here now,” Donald Trump Jr. posted on X Thursday about the congressional spending fight.

“We are also the government,” he continued, “we finally have the ability to asses information rapidly & pressure our representatives to act in a manner that actually represents what we want. They can’t hide and do the bidding of swamp oligarchs anymore.” […]

Yes

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 19, 2024

— Read More: www.breitbart.com