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New study may explain why apathy is the first symptom of Alzheimer's
Compelling new research from the Indiana University School of Medicine has homed in on a degenerative mechanism that could explain why symptoms such as apathy are the first signs of Alzheimer's disease. The findings suggest disrupting this process could slow the progression of Alzheimer's-related dementia. A growing body of research has recently indicated apathy is one of the earliest signs of dementia. Before cognitive decline becomes apparent and memory problems arise, apathy has been found to signal the onset of neurodegeneration. But what is actually going on in the brain to cause this neuropsychiatric symptom? Pharmacologist Yao-Ying Ma spent most of her career investigating the neurological mechanisms of substance abuse. Her background in drug addiction led to a research focus on a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, a brain region that plays a strong role influencing motivation and reward pathways. Ma's recent research focus has shifted to neurodegenerative...
https://www.sott.net/article/467244-New-study-may-explain-why-apathy-is-the-first-symptom-of-Alzheimer-s

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Oklahoma governor signs ban on nonbinary gender markers on birth certificates
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill Tuesday explicitly prohibiting the use of nonbinary gender markers on state birth certificates, a ban experts say is the first of its kind in the nation. The bill followed a flap last year over the Oklahoma State Department of Health's agreement in a civil case allowing a nonbinary option. The birth certificate in that case was issued to an Oklahoma-born Oregon resident who sued after the agency initially refused the request. People who are nonbinary do not identify with traditional male or female gender assignments. News of the settlement prompted outrage among Republicans, including Stitt, and his appointee to lead the agency abruptly resigned the next day. Stitt then promptly issued an executive order prohibiting any changes to a person's gender on birth certificates, despite the settlement agreement. A civil rights group has challenged the executive order in federal court, but the state has not yet responded. Many states only offer male...
https://www.sott.net/article/467245-Oklahoma-governor-signs-ban-on-nonbinary-gender-markers-on-birth-certificates

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Scientific publishing is a scam fed by the government
It may surprise you to know that there has been an embargo against scientists with UK grants publishing in Britain's premier scientific journal, Nature. At root was a dispute about the cost of publishing scientific papers, who has the rights to see them, and at what price. In the case of Nature, that price was €9,500, about $11,300. The episode reveals more than just a haggle over price, however. Deep troubles are roiling the seemingly calm surface of scientific publishing. The dustup over Nature is newsworthy because it brought those troubles to the surface, for all to see. Beneath the surface, though, the culture and practice of science and scientific discourse has been being transformed - radically. It's a complicated story, with a complicated history. Historically, science journals were the bailiwick of science "guilds", associations of like-minded scholars that managed communication among its members. I offer an example close to my professional heart. When I was a graduate...
https://www.sott.net/article/467246-Scientific-publishing-is-a-scam-fed-by-the-government

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Croatian president says Finland, Sweden cannot join NATO before election law change in BiH
Finland and Sweden cannot join the NATO alliance as long as Bosnia and Herzegovina does not change its electoral law, President Zoran Milanović said on Tuesday. The statement triggered strong reactions from Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, while the foreign ministry in Zagreb confirmed its support for Finland's NATO aspirations. Croatia's parliament "must not ratify anyone's accession to NATO" until this law has changed, Milanović told the press. Finland and Sweden's NATO accession can be discussed, but it is "a very dangerous adventure," the president also said, according to the N1 television. "It's dangerous charlatanry. As far as I'm concerned, let them join NATO... but until the issue of the election law in BiH is solved, until the Americans, the English, the Germans, if they can and want to, force (Bosniak officials) to change the election law in the next six months and give Croats their fundamental rights, the Sabor must not ratify anyone's accession to NATO. For me,...
https://www.sott.net/article/467247-Croatian-president-says-Finland-Sweden-cannot-join-NATO-before-election-law-change-in-BiH

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Leaked memo: Facebook does not control its data-sharing practices
Facebook is beginning to realize how little control it has over its ability to regulate data collection and ad operation. A recently leaked internal memo from Facebook revealed that the company has no idea where its user data are going or what it is doing with them. This revelation could complicate the company's future as a growing number of countries attempt to regulate and protect user privacy and digital ad sales. Facebook's privacy engineers, in a 2021 memo according to Motherboard, wrote: "We do not have an adequate level of control and explainability over how our systems use data, and thus we can't confidently make controlled policy changes or external commitments such as 'we will not use X data for Y purpose'. And yet, this is exactly what regulators expect us to do." The memo addressed the growing pressure from the European Union and India over the company's use of private data in advertising and claims that past policy attempts were "insufficient." The reason for problems...
https://www.sott.net/article/467248-Leaked-memo-Facebook-does-not-control-its-data-sharing-practices

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US tech giants censored criticism of Biden over 640 times since he took office
Since the latest presidential election, Republicans have been given ample reason to suggest that Silicon Valley works 'hand in glove' with Democrats and the current administration in the United States. More than 640 cases of major tech companies censoring criticism of President Joe Biden since March 2020 have been detected by the Media Research Center (MRC), a media watchdog group. MRC's CensorTrack database, which tracks censorship of prominent political voices by major social media platforms, analyzed data over a 24-month period from March 2020 to March 2022. According to the report, tech giants such as Facebook and Twitter attempted to manipulate informational space 646 times in a two-year cycle to maintain a more positive image of President Biden. "According to the MRC, the cases of 'censorship' included 'bans, deleted content and other speech restrictions placed on those who criticized Biden on social media over the past two years." Meanwhile, the censorship was said to...
https://www.sott.net/article/467249-US-tech-giants-censored-criticism-of-Biden-over-640-times-since-he-took-office

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US will keep supporting Taiwan's 'asymmetric' defense efforts, Antony Blinken says
The US government will support Taiwan's efforts to build "asymmetric" defence capabilities meant to deter an attack by mainland China's military, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers on Tuesday, amid questions from members of both parties about US President Joe Biden's resolve on the issue. Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken said the administration was "determined to make sure that [Taiwan] has all necessary means to defend itself against any potential aggression, including unilateral action by China, to disrupt the status quo that's been in place now for many decades. We're focused on helping them think about how to strengthen asymmetric capabilities ... as a deterrent." There has been heightened concern about a possible attack on Taiwan by Beijing's military since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, and the mainland stepped up fighter jet sorties near the island even before the war began.
https://www.sott.net/article/467250-US-will-keep-supporting-Taiwans-asymmetric-defense-efforts-Antony-Blinken-says

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Poland still buying Russian gas - via Germany - Polish households left without gas due to sanctions
Poland continues to buy Russian natural gas from Germany via reverse flows, after its direct supplies were suspended due to non-payment in rubles, Russia's energy giant Gazprom said on Thursday. "This week Poland refused to pay for the Russian gas with the new terms, in rubles. It was grandly announced that they no longer needed Russian gas and would not buy it any more. But in fact Poland keeps buying Russian gas after the direct supply was halted. It now buys the gas from Germany, and it comes back to Poland with the reverse flow via the Yamal-Europe pipeline," Gazprom's official representative Sergey Kupriyanov said. On Wednesday, Gazprom announced a complete halt of gas exports to Poland as Warsaw had failed to pay for its fuel in rubles in line with a new payment mechanism launched earlier this month. According to Gazprom, supplies will not resume until Warsaw complies with the new terms. Deliveries to Bulgaria were also halted, for the same reason. Poland raised its bid for...
https://www.sott.net/article/467251-Poland-still-buying-Russian-gas-via-Germany-Polish-households-left-without-gas-due-to-sanctions

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Most in US fear Ukraine war misinformation, mistakenly believe Russian gov't is to blame - poll
A majority of U.S. adults say misinformation around Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a major problem, and they largely fault the Russian government for spreading those falsehoods. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows 61% of people in the United States say the spread of misinformation about the war is a major problem, with only 7% saying it's not a problem. Older adults were more likely to identify the wartime misinformation as an issue, with 44% of those under 30 calling it a problem, compared with 65% of those 30 or older. Comment: This might reveal how the current generation of youth are even less capable of critical thinking, less aware of events more generally, and are more likely to believe their government than ever before; so much for a rebellious youth. It's likely that indoctrination schooling plays is partly to blame. Misleading social media posts, fake pictures or videos and propagandized headlines have proliferated on...
https://www.sott.net/article/467252-Most-in-US-fear-Ukraine-war-misinformation-mistakenly-believe-Russian-govt-is-to-blame-poll

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Russia nearly doubled its income from energy sales to the EU during wartime, study shows
Moscow continues to benefit from Europe's energy dependence on Russian oil despite a reduction in sales due to sanctions imposed to pressure it to end its war against Ukraine, according to experts with a Finland-based research organization. New research by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released on April 28 shows that Russia has nearly doubled its revenues from sales of fossil fuels to the EU during the two months of war in Ukraine. Soaring prices have more than compensated Russia for the loss in sales volume due to sanctions, the research shows. Researchers at CREA also say new sanctions promise to drive up prices even more, nullifying efforts to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from using energy to pressure the EU and to finance the war against Ukraine. Since the start of the war, Russia has sold 46 billion euros worth of energy resources to the European Union, and the figure continues to rise. This is about twice as much as the amount of sales in...
https://www.sott.net/article/467253-Russia-nearly-doubled-its-income-from-energy-sales-to-the-EU-during-wartime-study-shows

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Poland's PM admits Russia sanctions don't work, despite this EU working 'intensively' on sixth round of sanctions
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Wednesday noted Russia's success in resisting Western sanctions, expressing his regrets about the fact. "So far, we see that Russia, unfortunately, is coping well with the sanctions," he told reporters, adding that in order to "correct" the situation, Warsaw would work on developing new penalties. Moscow has confirmed the failure of the plans by 'unfriendly' nations to "strangle Russia economically."
https://www.sott.net/article/467254-Polands-PM-admits-Russia-sanctions-dont-work-despite-this-EU-working-intensively-on-sixth-round-of-sanctions

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US claims Russia has deployed trained dolphins at Black Sea naval base
Russia has deployed trained military dolphins at its naval base in the Black Sea - possibly to protect its fleet from an underwater attack - according to new analysis of satellite images. The US Naval Institute (USNI) reviewed satellite imagery of the naval base at Sevastopol harbor, and concluded that two dolphin pens were moved to the base in February at the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Russia has a history of training dolphins for military purposes, using the aquatic mammal to retrieve objects or deter enemy divers.
https://www.sott.net/article/467255-US-claims-Russia-has-deployed-trained-dolphins-at-Black-Sea-naval-base

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Moldova rejects Kiev's offer to help 'capture' Transnistria, President of Transnistria blames recent terror attacks on Ukraine
Moldova has turned down the "offer" to capture its breakaway region of Transnistria by force floated by Kiev, stating that it seeks to reintegrate the self-proclaimed republic only through political means. "The settlement of the Transnistrian issue can be achieved by political means and only on the basis of a peaceful solution, excluding military and other forcible actions, as well as on the basis of the principles of democratization and demilitarization of the region, [and] respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova," the country's office for reintegration told RIA Novosti on Wednesday. The statement came in response to remarks made by Alexey Arestovich, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The official suggested the country was capable of "capturing" Transnistria should Chisinau formally request Kiev's help in conquering the breakaway region.
https://www.sott.net/article/467256-Moldova-rejects-Kievs-offer-to-help-capture-Transnistria-President-of-Transnistria-blames-recent-terror-attacks-on-Ukraine

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Who's aiming to eventually own everything, including you?
The 45-minute video above, "Monopoly — Follow the Money," provides a comprehensive overview of who really owns the world. As it turns out, the vast majority of the world's assets are owned by just two investment firms — BlackRock and the Vanguard Group. Combined, they have ownership in nearly 90% of all S&P 500 firms,1 and through their investment holdings they secretly wield monopoly control over all industries. In short, the idea that there is competition in the marketplace is a clever illusion. BlackRock Is Buying Up Homes
https://www.sott.net/article/467257-Whos-aiming-to-eventually-own-everything-including-you

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Cancel Culture's anti-white crusade risks canceling Western civilization altogether
Rather than belabor America's turbulent history, while vilifying just one race, the United States needs to find a way to turn the corner on this cancel culture madness that exists as a malignant cancer on the body politic. Liberal indoctrination in the United States has gotten so out of control that math textbooks, based on the work of some dead white men, among others, are no longer safe from the virtue-signaling Inquisition. Let's be clear: no society can survive such insanity for long. As difficult as it is to fathom, in the span of a single generation the patron saints of Western civilization - towering historic figures like Shakespeare, Washington, Voltaire and Copernicus - have been systematically dispatched to the local garbage dump primarily due to their hideous whiteness. Indeed, the pale-faced tribe of 'Caucasians', to employ a more outdated racial categorization, has become so offensive to liberal sensitivities that with each passing year the mainstream media reports,...
https://www.sott.net/article/467258-Cancel-Cultures-anti-white-crusade-risks-canceling-Western-civilization-altogether

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Chronic shortages of a few items now will evolve into chronic shortages of hundreds of products later in 2022
What we have witnessed so far is just the beginning of the story. The global response to the COVID pandemic during 2020 and 2021 created the most epic supply chain crisis in modern times, and now "black swan events" such as the war in Ukraine and the bird flu pandemic are making that supply chain crisis even worse. Unfortunately, more global difficulties are coming. There will be more war, there will be more pestilences, there will be more natural disasters, and even the United Nations is admitting that we are heading into the worst global food crisis since World War II. So if you think that global supply chain problems are severe now, just wait until you see what is coming next. If you go into most major retailers today, you will notice that stock levels are lower than usual and there are some empty shelves. But most items are still available most of the time, and that is good news. Of course there are certain product categories that have been experiencing chronic shortages for an...
https://www.sott.net/article/467259-Chronic-shortages-of-a-few-items-now-will-evolve-into-chronic-shortages-of-hundreds-of-products-later-in-2022

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The Madeleine Albright I Knew
The Consortium News editor-in-chief covered Madeleine Albright, who died on March 23, on a daily basis between 1993 and 1997 when she was the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Here are some of his recollections. Every ambassador who represents the United States at the United Nations is arguably regarded by default as the most powerful person at the U.N. It has nothing to do with the individual qualities of the American diplomat, but of the pre-eminent position the U.S. plays in the world and at the U.N. As a correspondent based at U.N. Headquarters in New York for a quarter century from 1990 to 2015, I covered every U.S. ambassador, from the career civil servant Thomas Pickering, to the right-wing ideologue John Bolton, to the liberal interventionist Samatha Power to Madeleine Albright, who died last month and was memorialized on Wednesday. All of them to one degree or another used U.S. clout at the U.N. to push America's aggressive foreign policy in the world. Albright was among the...
https://www.sott.net/article/467260-The-Madeleine-Albright-I-Knew

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Eva Bartlett: Here's what I found at the reported 'mass grave' near Mariupol
According to recent Western media, Russian forces have buried up to 9,000 Mariupol civilians in "mass graves" in a town just west of the Ukrainian city. These reports use satellite imagery as supposed evidence and repeat the claims of officials loyal to Kiev that "the bodies may have been buried in layers" and "the Russians dug trenches and filled them with corpses every day throughout April." I went to the site in question and found no mass graves.
https://www.sott.net/article/467261-Eva-Bartlett-Heres-what-I-found-at-the-reported-mass-grave-near-Mariupol

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Police arrest juvenile suspect in killing of 10-year-old Wisconsin girl
Police investigating the death of a 10-year-old girl in western Wisconsin arrested a juvenile suspect known to the victim, they announced Tuesday evening. The body of Illiana "Lily" Peters was found Monday morning near a walking trail in Chippewa Falls. Police said her death was a homicide. Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm during a brief news conference declined to provide the age or sex of the suspect, whether the suspect was related to the girl or where the arrest occurred. He said there was no longer any danger to the public.
https://www.sott.net/article/467262-Police-arrest-juvenile-suspect-in-killing-of-10-year-old-Wisconsin-girl

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Twitter's earnings report shows missed revenue projections, overstated users
New report reveals missed goals, lower than expected user growth and an error in previous reporting on active daily users. Twitter just reported earnings for the first quarter of 2022, in what may be its last report as a public company after the Board agreed to sell to Elon Musk for $44 billion this week. According to the report, the company missed the expected revenue of $1.23 billion, making only $1.2 billion instead. However, it reported a 16% gain in advertising sales. The gain is the worst pace of growth in six quarters and is in line with reports from Snap Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc., which are also facing lower advertising spending due to issues such as struggling supply chains and inflation. The company reported 229 million Monetizable Daily User Accounts known as mDUAs. The number was slightly higher than the expected 226.9 million, representing a 15.9% increase from the same period last year. The U.S. mDUAs were up 6.4% from the prior year's quarter, at 39.6 million....
https://www.sott.net/article/467263-Twitters-earnings-report-shows-missed-revenue-projections-overstated-users

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Transhumanism is pure eugenics
Transhumanism, boiled down to its bones, is pure eugenics. It calls itself "H ," for more or better than human. Which, of course, is what eugenics is all about. Alarmingly, transhumanist values are being embraced at the highest strata of society, including in Big Tech, in universities, and among the Davos crowd of globalist would-be technocrats. That being so, it is worth listening in to what they are saying under the theory that forewarned is forearmed.
https://www.sott.net/article/467264-Transhumanism-is-pure-eugenics