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Italian official fired for supporting Russia
Stefano Gizzi has had his powers revoked after he published a photo of the letter 'Z' and expressed solidarity with Moscow Stefano Gizzi, the Councilor for Culture in the commune of Ceccano, Italy has had his powers revoked after sparking outrage by publicly expressing support for Russia in a now-deleted Facebook post. The official shared a picture of the letter 'Z', which is now associated with Russia's ongoing military offensive in Ukraine, as it has appeared on Russian tanks and vehicles participating in the operation, and wrote: "Solidarity with Russia, the Ribbon of St. George, victorious over the Dragon." The post was apparently taken down by Facebook shortly after it was published, but it nevertheless managed to spark a wave of outrage, as several of Gizzi's fellow politicians, including from his own 'Lega' party, called for him to be fired and for the Mayor of Ceccano to distance himself from Gizzi and his "shameful" and "intolerable declaration."
https://www.sott.net/article/466070-Italian-official-fired-for-supporting-Russia

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Ukrainian priest kidnapped by group of armed men - reports
Videos emerge from a Moscow-affiliated church in Ukraine, where a priest was dragged away by Ukrainian Territorial Defense forces. A priest in the town of Smila in central Ukraine was kidnapped by a group of armed men on Monday. The incident occurred in the middle of service and was captured on video by stunned churchgoers. The footage quickly made its way across social media, with many reporting it as Ukrainian nationalists assaulting and kidnapping a pro-Russian priest. In the video, alleged members of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces can be seen assaulting and forcefully dragging away the priest, as well as another man who was reportedly trying to aid him in the confrontation.
https://www.sott.net/article/466071-Ukrainian-priest-kidnapped-by-group-of-armed-men-reports

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Our athletes would get banned even without Ukraine conflict, most Russians say
A new survey has revealed Russian attitudes to the sporting sanctions imposed on their nation's athletes. The majority of Russians think athletes from their homeland would be sanctioned by global sporting authorities regardless of the conflict with Ukraine, a new poll has indicated. Russia and Belarus have been hit with a wave of sporting sanctions in the wake of Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, leading to athletes and officials being ostracized from dozens of international tournaments.
https://www.sott.net/article/466072-Our-athletes-would-get-banned-even-without-Ukraine-conflict-most-Russians-say

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Disney vows to help repeal 'Don't Say Gay' law, says Florida Gov. DeSantis shouldn't have signed it
After Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill into law on Monday, the Walt Disney Company condemned the legislation and vowed to help have it repealed. "Florida's HB 1557, also known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law," the company said in a statement. "Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that." Disney's public opposition to the new law comes after CEO Bob Chapek was criticized for not speaking up sooner and with more fervor ahead of the bill passing through the Florida Senate. Employees staged a walkout in protest of the company's lackluster initial response and Disney has been rushing to make amends with its staff and the LGBTQA community ever since.
https://www.sott.net/article/466073-Disney-vows-to-help-repeal-Dont-Say-Gay-law-says-Florida-Gov-DeSantis-shouldnt-have-signed-it

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BEST OF THE WEB: Russia sets fixed gold price as it restarts official bullion purchases
Russia's central bank resumed its gold purchases from local banks on Monday, but it set a fixed price on the precious metal. Starting this week, the Russian central bank will pay a fixed price of 5,000 roubles ($52) per gram between March 28 and June 30, the bank said on Friday. This is below the current market value of around $68. The central bank added that the resumption in buying will ensure supply and uninterrupted production of local gold.
https://www.sott.net/article/466074-Russia-sets-fixed-gold-price-as-it-restarts-official-bullion-purchases

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Submarine volcano erupts in Japan's Ogasawara Islands
The Japan Meteorological Agency says a submarine volcano, far south of the country's main island of Honshu, has erupted. It issued a volcanic warning for nearby waters. The agency says a weather observation satellite recorded volcanic material erupting from the Funka Asane area in the Ogasawara Islands at around 6 p.m. on Sunday. The column rose about 5,500 meters above sea level. An image taken by the satellite shows it billowing northeast over waters. Eruptions continued afterwards. Volcanic plumes reached 7,000 meters above sea level at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday and 2:20 a.m. on Monday.
https://www.sott.net/article/466075-Submarine-volcano-erupts-in-Japans-Ogasawara-Islands

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Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Perfect collapse storm commences (Wild foraging may be the future)
With farmlands being bought up to offset carbon footprints across the globe with reforestation, food is not being produced, not Russia moves to a gold backed currency, Shanghai locks down all ports so most Chinese goods are not coming, fertilizer shortages already are shattering agriculture in Central and South America. Now its time to thing foraging wild edibles to keep you stocks up.
https://www.sott.net/article/466076-Adapt-2030-Ice-Age-Report-Perfect-collapse-storm-commences-Wild-foraging-may-be-the-future

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Meskwaki Settlement woman killed by pack of dogs, the sixth fatal dog attack in Iowa since 2010
A pack of feral dogs attacked and killed a woman from the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama County on Monday, according to the chief of the Meskwaki Nation Police Department. "More than five" dogs mauled the woman near her home on Monday afternoon, chief Jacob Molitor said. A Facebook post from the department described the incident as a "vicious dog attack" that took place near Springs Road, a short roadway that connects with Meskwaki Road near the settlement's tribal center. Authorities had not released the age or identity of the woman as of Tuesday afternoon. "It's horrific." said Molitor, who declined to name the breeds involved but said the dogs were located and destroyed Monday. "Everybody at the police department knew this woman."
https://www.sott.net/article/466077-Meskwaki-Settlement-woman-killed-by-pack-of-dogs-the-sixth-fatal-dog-attack-in-Iowa-since-2010

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The exodus from 'liberal' US cities is accelerating, new census data shows
America's largest metro areas saw massive declines in population, new US Census Bureau data show. Three of the top five metros that saw sharp declines between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021 were in California. Leading the way was the Los Angeles-Long Beach metropolitan area, which lost 176,000 residents, a 1.3 percent drop. Next was the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro, which saw a decline of 116,000 residents (2.5 percent decline), followed by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, which shed some 43,000 residents (2.2 percent drop). "We are in this new demographic era for California of very slow or maybe even negative growth," Hans Johnson, a demographer with the Public Policy Institute of California, told the Los Angeles Times. "And it does have implications for everything in our state — from how we live our lives to which schools are getting closed down to how much capacity we might need for transportation networks, and eventually to housing." California metros had company,...
https://www.sott.net/article/466078-The-exodus-from-liberal-US-cities-is-accelerating-new-census-data-shows

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Ukraine calls on world to ban 'Z symbol' associated with Russian military
Ukraine's foreign minister has called on countries to ban the use of the letter "Z" as a symbol of the Russian war on his country. In a tweet on Tuesday, Dmytro Kuleba said the letter in some contexts "means Russian war crimes, bombed out cities, thousands of murdered Ukrainians". Comment: Except the symbol it doesn't represent any of these baseless accusations, because Russia has been bombing military installations, and it has gone out of its way to evacuate civilians via humanitarian corridors, that it set up and is maintaining, and only then has it targeted Ukraine's neo-Nazi aligned military, who have been basing themselves in residential areas in an attempt to use civilians as human shield. Russian troops in Ukraine have painted the letter Z on the side of vehicles and it has been adopted by some in Russia as a symbol of support for what the Kremlin describes as a "special military operation" in the neighbouring country. Comment: When compared to US/NATO wars, Russia's...
https://www.sott.net/article/466079-Ukraine-calls-on-world-to-ban-Z-symbol-associated-with-Russian-military

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Spring storm brings snow to northern Arizona
Portions of the Phoenix area experienced rain and snow was falling in higher elevations of northern Arizona Tuesday, as a spring storm continues to move through the state. On March 28, officials with the National Weather Service issued a blowing dust advisory has been issued for the Phoenix area, as well as southern Maricopa and northern Pinal counties, with officials saying strong wind gusts caused by the storm could produce blowing dust, and possibly reduce visibility to a mile at times in some areas. The alert expired at 8:00 p.m. ADOT officials reported high winds and blowing dust on Interstate 10 near the Broadway Curve area. NWS officials said Monday the storm brought 0.02 inches of rain to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Rain showers wound down for the Phoenix area at around 7:00 p.m. but increased overnight. In the high country, snow was falling in higher elevations early Tuesday morning, NWS said.
https://www.sott.net/article/466080-Spring-storm-brings-snow-to-northern-Arizona

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Mountains resorts in California see up to 8 inches of spring snowfall
It may be officially spring, but the local mountains are looking a lot like winter as more snow blankets the slopes. This week's storm brought a much-needed shot of the white stuff to local mountains resorts. Many resorts were already planning closing dates, but the recent snowfall will be enough to keep lifts operating for at least a few more weeks. The storm added 3-to-5 inches of snow to Big Bear area resorts, while Mountain High in Wrightwood got an estimated 4-to-6 inches. Further away, Mammoth Mountain received 7-to-8 inches.
https://www.sott.net/article/466081-Mountains-resorts-in-California-see-up-to-8-inches-of-spring-snowfall

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Responses to those whitewashing the far-right, ultranationalist movement in Ukraine
There are some comments made on social media, to whitewash and downplay the serious issue regarding a far-right/ ultranationalist movement in Ukraine. Such simplistic takes are seen as a sound reason for denying a Russian military intervention* in Ukraine. This article provides some responses to these, by using a combination of corporate MSM and Ukrainian information to address the points made about a handful of far-right groups and individuals and their influence. How many deputies does Right Sector or other ultranationalists have in the Ukrainian Rada? Remarkably, people use this stance over and over on social media and in the press to justify that there is no ultranationalism problem in Ukraine. To them, support & evidence and ultra-nationalism ought to translate into votes and winning seats in the Ukrainian parliament. If only it were as simple it is seems. It goes much much deeper, and the roots are deeply established.
https://www.sott.net/article/466082-Responses-to-those-whitewashing-the-far-right-ultranationalist-movement-in-Ukraine

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Ukraine calls on world to ban 'Z symbol' associated with Russian military
Ukraine's foreign minister has called on countries to ban the use of the letter "Z" as a symbol of the Russian war on his country. In a tweet on Tuesday, Dmytro Kuleba said the letter in some contexts "means Russian war crimes, bombed out cities, thousands of murdered Ukrainians". Comment: Except the symbol doesn't represent any of these baseless accusations, because Russia has been bombing military installations. Instead, it has gone out of its way to evacuate civilians via humanitarian corridors, that it set up and is maintaining. Only then has it targeted Ukraine's neo-Nazi aligned military, who have based themselves in residential areas in an attempt to use civilians as human shields. Russian troops in Ukraine have painted the letter Z on the side of vehicles and it has been adopted by some in Russia as a symbol of support for what the Kremlin describes as a "special military operation" in the neighbouring country. Comment: When compared to US/NATO wars, Russia's incursion into...
https://www.sott.net/article/466079-Ukraine-calls-on-world-to-ban-Z-symbol-associated-with-Russian-military

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Mysterious, giant stone jars found in India
Mysterious giant jars that may have been used for burial rituals have been unearthed across four new sites in Assam, India. The discovery comes from a major collaboration involving researchers at The Australian National University (ANU). The 65 newly discovered sandstone jars vary in shape and decoration, with some tall and cylindrical, and others partly or fully buried in the ground. Similar jars, some of which span up to three meters high and two meters wide, have previously been uncovered in Laos and Indonesia. "We still don't know who made the giant jars or where they lived. It's all a bit of a mystery," ANU Ph.D. student Nicholas Skopal said. Another mystery is what the giant jars were used for. The researchers believe it is likely they were associated with mortuary practices. "There are stories from the Naga people, the current ethnic groups in north-east India, of finding the Assam jars filled with cremated remains, beads and other material artifacts," Mr. Skopal said. This...
https://www.sott.net/article/466083-Mysterious-giant-stone-jars-found-in-India

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Oldest sun observatory in the Americas built by an unknown culture
Long before the Incas rose to power in Peru and began to celebrate their sun god, a little known civilization was building the earliest known astronomical observatory in the Americas. While not quite as old as sites like Stonehenge, these ancient ruins, known as Chankillo, are considered a "masterpiece of human creative genius", holding unique features not seen anywhere else in the world. Based in the coastal desert of Peru, the archaeological site famously contains a row of 13 stone towers, which together trace the horizon of a hill, north to south, like a toothy bottom grin. Apart from this remarkable structure, known as the Thirteen Towers, the ruins of the observatory also include a triple-walled hilltop complex called the Fortified Temple and two building complexes called the Observatory and the Administrative Center. Completed over 2,300 years ago and abandoned in the first century of the common era, the site has remained a mystery to travelers for centuries. Only when...
https://www.sott.net/article/466084-Oldest-sun-observatory-in-the-Americas-built-by-an-unknown-culture

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Human cells have weird 'tentacles' that help them move around. Here's how they work
A cell is not an island. Each one has a host of ways to detect its surroundings, and even physically reach out to neighbors or enemies using strange cellular appendages. These tentacle-like protrusions are called filopodia, and a new study has given us more insight into how they allow our cells to move about, by twisting the skeleton-like inner scaffolding. "These structures play a pivotal role in .. allowing cells to explore their environment, generate mechanical forces, perform chemical signaling, or convey signals via intercellular tunneling nano-bridges," the researchers write in their paper. "The dynamics of filopodia appear quite complex as they exhibit a rich behavior of buckling, pulling, length and shape changes. Here, we show that filopodia additionally explore their 3D extracellular space by combining growth and shrinking with axial twisting and buckling of their actin rich core."
https://www.sott.net/article/466085-Human-cells-have-weird-tentacles-that-help-them-move-around-Heres-how-they-work

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FEC fines DNC and Hillary Clinton for Trump dossier hoax
The Federal Election Commission has fined the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign for lying about the funding of the infamous, and discredited, Russian "dossier" used in a smear attempt against Donald Trump weeks before he shocked the world with his 2016 presidential victory. The election agency said that Clinton and the DNC violated strict rules on describing expenditures of payments funneled to the opposition research firm Fusion GPS through their law firm. A combined $1,024,407.97 was paid by the treasurers of the DNC and Clinton campaign to law firm Perkins Coie for Fusion GPS's information, and the party and campaign hid the reason, claiming it was for legal services, not opposition research. Instead, the DNC's $849,407.97 and the Clinton campaign's $175,000 covered Fusion GPS's opposition research on the dossier, a basis for the so-called "Russia hoax" that dogged Trump's first term.
https://www.sott.net/article/466086-FEC-fines-DNC-and-Hillary-Clinton-for-Trump-dossier-hoax

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Evacuations after more floods in New South Wales, Australia - up to 15 inches of rain in 24 hours
Northern parts of New South Wales, Australia were hit with a second major flood on 30 March 2022 after a levee along the Wilsons River in Lismore was breached once again. Residents of Lismore are still recovering from the devastating floods that hit the city from late February this year. New South Wales State Emergency Service issued evacuation orders for Lismore on 29 March 2022 after the Wilsons River started to rise. The orders were later cancelled but reissued on 30 March after the levee which protects the central business district (CBD) of the city was breached. The Bureau of Meteorology said the levee height is 10.65 metres. As of 30 March, the Wilsons River at Lismore stood at 11.40 metres. In a statement of 30 March, Lismore City Council said "Major flooding is occurring along the Wilsons River. The Wilsons River at Lismore (AHD) may reach around 12.00 metres overnight Wednesday into Thursday, with major flooding. Further rises possible." Heavy rain on 30 March also caused...
https://www.sott.net/article/466087-Evacuations-after-more-floods-in-New-South-Wales-Australia-up-to-15-inches-of-rain-in-24-hours

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Snow removal work underway on scenic mountain route in central Japan after higher than usual snowfall
Snow removal work on the scenic Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, which runs through the Northern Alps' Tateyama mountain range in central Japan, is progressing, and the beautiful curves created in the silvery white landscape remind people that "spring is near." Snow plows and bulldozers are clearing snow along the route, which connects Toyama and Nagano prefectures, with the aim of opening the entire road to traffic on April 15. According to the city of Toyama-based Tateyama Kurobe Kanko Co. Ltd., which manages the route, snowfall is higher than usual this year, with about 3.5 meters of snow recorded at 977 meters above sea level at Bijodaira, the starting and ending point of a highland bus service. At Murodo, the highest point on the road at 2,450 meters above sea level, about 7.6 meters of snow had piled up.
https://www.sott.net/article/466088-Snow-removal-work-underway-on-scenic-mountain-route-in-central-Japan-after-higher-than-usual-snowfall

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Cars washed away by flash floods in Cádiz, Spain
Flash floods hit Setenil de las Bodegas in Cádiz, Spain on March 29th 2022. Heavy rain caused flash floods in the town, as drains were unable to cope with the volume of water. Streets filled with water as cars were washed down hills by the force of water. Roads were closed as they became impassable.
https://www.sott.net/article/466089-Cars-washed-away-by-flash-floods-in-Cadiz-Spain