Welcome to Sott.net
Mon, 30 Jan 2023
The World for People who Think

Society's Child
Map

Microscope 1

Pfizer admits it 'engineered' new Covid mutations


RT
Sun, 29 Jan 2023 15:30 UTC
scientists, research, researchers, science
© AP / Frank Augstein
FILE PHOTO: Research assistants watch sequencing machines analyzing the genetic material of Covid-19 cases at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridgeshire, England, January 7, 2022
US drugmaker Pfizer admitted on Friday that it "engineered" treatment-resistant variants of Covid-19 in order to test its antiviral medicine. The admission partially backs up earlier claims by an executive with the company who told an undercover reporter that Pfizer was deliberately "mutating" the virus to "preemptively develop new vaccines."

In a statement posted on its website, Pfizer said that it "has not conducted gain of function or directed evolution research," referring to the practice of amplifying a virus' ability to infect humans and the process of selecting 'desirable' traits of a virus to reproduce, respectively.

However, the pharma giant said that it combined the spike proteins of new coronavirus variants with the original strain in order to test its vaccines, and that it created mutations of the virus to test Paxlovid, its antiviral drug.

"In a limited number of cases...such virus may be engineered to enable the assessment of antiviral activity in cells," the company said, adding that this work was carried out in a secure laboratory. The work also sought to create "resistant strains of the virus," it added, describing a process commonly understood as being 'gain of function' research.

Comment: It's gain of function and directed evolution research by other names where the differences are more semantic than practical. See also:

      Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Work till you die: UK town where life expectancy is lower than planned state pension age

Paul Byrne
Mirror
Wed, 25 Jan 2023 06:25 UTC
Blackpool
© CHRIS NEILL
In Blackpool's Bloomfield ward, in the shadow of the town's football ground, the average life expectancy of men is just 67 years and three months - lower than the new proposed state pension age of 68
Government plans to increase the state pension age to 68 have been blasted as "bonkers" in a town where average life expectancy is a low as 67.

For decades the seaside resort of Blackpool has been a much-loved destination for millions of holidaymakers.

But away from the bright lights of the illuminations and the thrills and spills of the Pleasure Beach rides, there are large pockets of poverty.

In 2019 the resort had eight of the 10 most deprived neighbourhoods in England, according to government figures.

Comment: The Western establishment has a solution for the poor who don't want to work until they die: Canada euthanising 1000s of people who aren't terminally ill

See also: France protests: Photographer has testicle amputated after police club him during rally, 1 million people marched across country

      Read More...
Newspaper

Blast reported at military plant in Iran, footage shows multiple explosions & fires at other locations


Reuters
Sat, 28 Jan 2023 21:24 UTC
Isfahan

FILE PHOTO: Power plant in Isfahan
A loud blast was heard at a military plant in Iran's central city of Isfahan, but a security official said there were no casualties, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said on its website early on Sunday.

"The explosion took place in one of the munitions manufacturing centres of the Defence Ministry and according to an announcement by the political and security deputy head of Isfahan Governorate there were no casualties," IRIB reported, without giving further details.

Comment:






The next two Tweets provide more footage of the above building:




The following video has not yet been verified by other sources:



      Read More...
Propaganda

Move over, Jayson Blair: Meet Hamilton 68, media fraud's new king

Matt Taibbi
Racket News
Sat, 28 Jan 2023 19:45 UTC
FBI counterintelligence Clint Watts hamilton 68

Former FBI counterintelligence agent and “disinformation” expert Clint Watts, the spokesman for Hamilton
Ambitious media frauds Stephen Glass and Jayson Blair crippled the reputations of the New Republic and New York Times, respectively, by slipping years of invented news stories into their pages. Thanks to the Twitter Files, we can welcome a new member to their infamous club: Hamilton 68.

If one goes by volume alone, this oft-cited neoliberal think-tank that spawned hundreds of fraudulent headlines and TV news segments may go down as the single greatest case of media fabulism in American history. Virtually every major news organization in America is implicated, including NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times and the Washington Post. Mother Jones alone did at least 14 stories pegged to the group's "research." Even fact-checking sites like Politifact and Snopes cited Hamilton 68 as a source.

Comment: SOTT readers will be well aware of Hamilton 68. It has been reporting on Hamilton 68's nefarious activities for years. It's good to know how deep the rabbit hole goes though.

      Read More...
Sheriff

Tennessee sheriff opens new investigation into two deputies after Tyre Nichols bodycam video is released

Lawrence Richard
Fox News
Sat, 28 Jan 2023 19:29 UTC
tyre nicols murder police brutality
© Memphis Police Department
A view from a camera mounted above the intersection where Memphis police caught up with Tyre Nichols, who died three days later. Authorities released footage of the deadly encounter between Nichols and police Friday.
Tyre Nichols, 29, was severely beaten during a traffic stop on Jan. 7 according to bodycam footage, dying three days later

The Shelby County sheriff's office has placed two deputies on administrative leave following the release of bodycam footage Friday evening of a traffic stop on Jan. 7, showing officers severely beat 29-year-old Tyre Nichols. He later died of his injuries.

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Jr. said he decided to launch an internal investigation after watching the video.

"Having watched the videotape for the first time tonight, I have concerns about two deputies who appeared on the scene following the physical confrontation between police and Tyre Nichols," Bonner said on Twitter.

He added: "I have launched an internal investigation into the conduct of these deputies to determine what occurred and if any policies were violated. Both of these deputies have been relieved of duty pending the outcome of this administrative investigation.

Comment: The Post Millennial reports that the leftist shock troops are out right on schedule:
Antifa vows to 'burn it all down' in NYC following death of Tyre Nichols

On Friday, Antifa called for activists to riot in New York City in the wake of five former officers of the Memphis Police Department being charged with the murder of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols.

According to the Daily Mail, the outlet obtained a poster that told Antifa to assemble at various locations throughout NYC and then "Burn It All Down."

The Memphis Police Department said they will release the body cam footage from the incident Friday night at 7pm, EST.
[...]
On Thursday, Joe Biden called for "peaceful protest" in the streets of Memphis and he released a statement and said, "I join Tyre's family in calling for peaceful protest. Outrage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable. Violence is destructive and against the law. It has no place in peaceful protests seeking justice."

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday also called for "peaceful protest."

Chief Davis said the death of Tyre Nichols was "heinous, reckless, and inhumane"

"I expect our citizens to exercise their First Amendment right to protest, to demand action and results. But we need to ensure our community is safe in this process," Davis continued.

"None of this is a calling card for inciting violence or destruction on our community or against our citizens," Davis said.

The Nichols family has asked that protests remain peaceful.

Other cities across the country are bracing for violence, including Portland, Oregon, where Antifa members have posted plans for violence on the social media platform Mastodon.

"I think it is going to be a VERY long weekend here in this good ole sh*thole country," one Mastodon user wrote. "Urging my friends, again, to tighten up the opsec. Wear a mask, leave your phone at home, and wear eye protection — evidence has shown the cops are aiming at your eyes in hopes of blinding you. F*ck this country."

"EVERY SINGLE MURDER caused by the police should ignite within us a rage that is unstoppable," another person wrote. "The cops should fear us. We have been too quiet. Too peaceful. Too passive. The fires need to burn."

Police Departments from cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Seattle have also been placed on high alert for potential rioting.


      Read More...
Fire

Georgia governor declares state of emergency over Atlanta protests, mobilizes 1,000 National Guard troops

Katabella Roberts
Zero Hedge
Fri, 27 Jan 2023 01:32 UTC
Kemp/Riot
© Unknown/KJN
Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp • Protest in Atlanta
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Jan. 26, allowing up to 1,000 Georgia National Guard troops to be bought in to help deal with violent protests that have broken out in recent weeks, with further demonstrations anticipated over the weekend.

The declaration is effective immediately and will expire on Feb. 9, unless extended by the governor.

Specifically, the state of emergency is being activated owing to "unlawful assemblage, violence, overt threats of violence, disruption of the peace and tranquility of this state, and danger existing to persons and property," according to the declaration, under which all resources of the state of Georgia will be made available to assist in the ongoing response to the state of emergency.

Comment: See also:

Antifa riots in Atlanta: Police arrest 6 in night of chaos after violent protesters lit cop car ablaze, smashed windows

      Read More...
Take 2

Germany apologizes after African Union accuses it of insult


RT
Fri, 27 Jan 2023 11:44 UTC
Africa signage
© Eduardo Soteras/AFP
Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Germany's attempt to mock the trip of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Africa has backfired after the African Union chided Berlin over the use of a stereotypical emoji. The criticism prompted Berlin to issue a hasty apology.

On Tuesday, the German Foreign Office tweeted that Lavrov had embarked on a tour of Africa "not to see leopards, but to bluntly claim that Ukraine's partners 'want to destroy everything Russian'." The word 'leopards' was depicted in the form of an emoji.

Local officials, including Ebba Kalondo, spokeswoman for African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki, were unimpressed by the pun.
      Read More...
Attention

Urgent public health warning issued over lost radioactive capsule in Western Australia

Cason Ho
ABC News
Fri, 27 Jan 2023 02:20 UTC
CNN alert
© CNN
Lost capsule alert to the public
A missing radioactive capsule lost somewhere between Perth and a Pilbara mine site over an area of 1,400 kilometres has sparked an urgent health warning.

In an emergency press conference on Friday afternoon, WA's chief health officer urged people to stay away from the capsule if they see it because of its radioactive properties.

The capsule is tiny - 6mm diameter by 8mm high.

The radioactive gauges are commonly used in mining. It went missing from a truck sometime after January 10.

WA radioactive substance risk alert

The radioactive capsule could be anywhere along the more than 1,400 km journey between Malaga, in Perth and Newman in WA's remote north.
map WA
© unknown
Lost capsule route Western Australia
      Read More...
Camcorder

Pfizer consultant assaults James O'Keefe, Project Veritas journalists after being confronted over comments on 'mutating' COVID-19 virus


The Post Millennial
Thu, 26 Jan 2023 18:39 UTC
Jordan Walker pfizer project veritas
© Project Veritas
Pfizer scientist Jordan Walker reacts as he is confronted by a Project Veritas film team
Walker eventually attempted to snatch the iPad out of O'Keefe's hands, and following a brief struggle, he smashed it on the ground.

On Thursday, Project Veritas released shocking footage of a high-level Pfizer employee becoming irate at James O'Keefe and other journalists after he was confronted over his comments regarding the company "mutating" the Covid-19 virus.

Jordan Trishton Walker, who serves as director of Worldwide R&D Strategic Operations and mRNA Scientific Planning at the pharmaceutical giant, also attempted to destroy an iPad containing undercover recordings of him made by Project Veritas, and eventually called the cops.

After secretly recording Walker on what he thought was a date, O'Keefe walked up to his table and revealed that it had been a sting operation.
      Read More...
Heart - Black

Mozart Group trains Ukrainians to 'kill Russians' - founder


RT
Sat, 28 Jan 2023 18:37 UTC
Mozart Group
© AFP / Juan Barreto
Ukrainian soldiers train with the Mozart Group near Donetsk, Russia, September 22, 2022
Despite its professed humanitarian mission in Ukraine, the Mozart Group is a private military company training Ukrainian soldiers to kill Russians, its founder and CEO told RT's Afshin Rattansi on Saturday's episode of 'Going Underground.'

Founded by US citizens Andrew Milburn and Andrew Bain last March, the Mozart Group has been described as the Western answer to the Wagner Group - the Russian private military company currently fighting the Kiev forces for control of the key Donbass city of Artyomovsk (known as Bakhmut in Ukraine).

Speaking to Rattansi, Milburn was keen to dispel any comparison between Mozart and Wagner. He told the RT host that his group's mission is "purely humanitarian," and that Mozart's members primarily work to supply and evacuate civilians living near the front lines.


Comment: Ukraine's very own White Helmets!


However, the group's other mission is the training of Ukrainian soldiers, which often takes place "very close to the front line," Milburn, a former US Marine Corps commander, said.

"Sadly in this war - in any war actually - the more of the adversary you take off the playing field, or kill, the less the danger is to your own guys," he said. "Why do we train guys? It isn't simply to defend themselves, it's to kill the enemy."
      Read More...
Amazon Smile
Revolt! T-shirts