China direct buy

After an early morning police raid, Chinese Christian refugees in Thailand now face imminent deportation back to China and persecution, human rights advocates told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Thai police are allegedly transporting the 63 members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, also known as the Mayflower Church, to Bangkok to be repatriated to the People’s Republic of China, Deana Brown , 68, founder of Freedom Seekers International, told the DCNF while in Thai custody. Along with church members, Thai police also arrested and confiscated the passports of Brown and fellow Texan, Stacy Nichols, 51, who’d both just arrived in Patayya, Thailand, for a week-long visit with the congregation on Thursday, Brown said. In October 2019, the Mayflower Church, led by Pastor Pan Yongguang, fled religious persecution at the hands of the CCP. After a vote, the church decided to resettle in Jeju Island, South Korea, where a travel visa would not be required for Chinese citizens, … [Read more...] about Over 60 Christian Dissidents Detained In Thailand Facing Imprisonment, Torture If Deported To China

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The popular AI image generator Midjourney halted free trials late Wednesday, leading many news outlets to blame fake photos of Donald Trump getting arrested and Pope Francis wearing a white coat , two images that recently went viral. But that’s not the reason Midjourney says it’s stopping free trials of the service. Midjourney CEO David Holz broke the news about the end of free trials on the company’s Discord channel, citing “extraordinary demand and trial abuse,” but that term “abuse” apparently confused a lot of news outlets, which assumed it had something to do with all the fakes that have recently gone viral. Holz, who tried to clarify things on Thursday, told The Verge that it was a “ misunderstanding .” The abuse Holz referenced was people creating multiple accounts in order to get around the free trial limits for the number of images that people could create. Specifically, a large influx of new users from … [Read more...] about AI Image Creator Midjourney Halts Free Trials But It Has Nothing To Do With The Pope’s Jacket

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The Federal Trade Commission often issues warnings for consumers about scams of all kinds. They are raising the alarm about phony treatments and cures for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, sending letters to the companies that advertise these fake products. We can understand why people who desperately want a cure for a disease that is currently not curable will look to the internet for promises. Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias create a long, sad, expensive journey for elders and their families. We address these every day at AgingParents.com, working with these families. No one wants to hear from doctors that there is no treatment to fix the disease and that no drug company has a cure. Denial leads folks to find a way to cope with the sad truth. Desperation for relief is an invitation to manufacturers who create false hope for those affected. Memory Supplements You may see the ads on TV or the internet … [Read more...] about Beware Of Fake “Treatments” Or “Cures” For Dementia

Emily Hikade didn't plan on running a fast-growing startup. After a near-death experience, one thing just led to another. A case officer working undercover for the Central Intelligence Agency, Hikade's job had taken her family to nine countries on three continents, and she wanted a safer life for her children. During a flight over the Indian Ocean to meet an affiliate of a known terrorist group, Hikade's plane started to nosedive. "The lights went out and people were screaming," Hikade told Inc. 's What I Know podcast . "I had three little boys at home, and my youngest one wasn't even a year old. I could see them so clearly in my head, and I felt really profoundly sad that they were going to grow up without a mother." While aspiring entrepreneurs can feel like there's no ideal time to start a company, as the plane righted itself, Hikade thought, well, this is as good a time as any. In 2015, while working in East Africa, Hikade launched Petite Plume, a high-end … [Read more...] about She Worked Undercover for the CIA. Now, Her Apparel Company Tops $10 Million in Annual Sales

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom launched Campaign for Democracy, a political action committee focused on challenging state-level Republicans, Thursday afternoon. The PAC’s website says it will fight against “authoritarianism” and “extremist Republicans,” and it features photographs of former President Donald Trump, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Newsom suggests these and other GOP leaders are a threat to freedom. NEW: I’m launching a new organization, Campaign for Democracy. America is in an existential struggle for democracy. Extremist Republicans are systematically attacking the very foundations of our free society — denying women equality, attacking https://t.co/dhkSqoB0db … pic.twitter.com/cvdJu9mNro — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 30, 2023 “Authoritarian leaders are so hell-bent on gaining power and keeping it that they’re directly attacking our freedoms in state after … [Read more...] about Gavin Newsom Unveils National PAC Targeting Republican-Led States

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Former President Donald Trump’s anticipated arraignment next week on criminal charges will be overseen by the same New York state judge who presided over the Trump Organization and former CFO Allen Weisselberg’s convictions for tax fraud—leading Trump to rail against the judge Friday as the ex-president lashes out against his indictment. Key Facts Trump’s case will be overseen by acting New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who the ex-president claimed on Truth Social Friday “HATES ME.” Merchan, who the New York Times notes previously served as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan—the same office that has now indicted Trump—presided over the Manhattan DA’s previous criminal cases against the Trump Organization and Weisselberg, who were charged with tax fraud related to gifts and other “off-the-books” compensation that executives received without the company paying tax on it. … [Read more...] about Trump’s Criminal Charges To Be Overseen By Same Judge Who Sentenced His Company For Tax Fraud—And He’s Not Happy About It

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Billionaire GOP megadonor and onetime ally to former President Donald Trump Ronald Lauder, met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently as the likely 2024 GOP presidential candidate pitches himself as the adult in the room to wealthy donors amid increasingly incendiary rhetoric from Trump. Key Facts Lauder met with DeSantis, who is widely expected to announce a run for president in early summer, at his Long Island estate several months ago, Politico reported , citing two unnamed sources familiar with the meeting. The reported meeting comes after Lauder—heir to Estée Lauder who has known Trump for decades and helped fund his 2020 reelection bid—said through a spokesperson in November that he will not donate to Trump’s 2024 campaign, though he did not say whom he would support in 2024 and did not comment to Politico on the recent DeSantis meeting. DeSantis is reportedly targeting wealthy New … [Read more...] about Billionaire Ex-Trump Ally Ronald Lauder Met With Ron DeSantis As He Courts Wealthy Execs On Trump’s Turf, Report Says

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) launched a personal attack against President Joe Biden on Thursday, as negotiations between the White House and GOP lawmakers surrounding two high-stakes fiscal issues—the debt ceiling and the federal budget—are deadlocked. Key Facts McCarthy offered Thursday to meet with Biden “tonight” to discuss increasing the U.S.’ federal borrowing limit, offering to bring “soft foods” to a White House lunch if Biden would agree to a sit-down, in what appears to be a ham-fisted attempt to ridicule the president about his age. (At 80, Biden is the oldest president in history.) The offer is a non-starter, however, as the White House has repeatedly called on Congress to pass a debt ceiling increase with no strings attached and said it will not negotiate with Republicans on increasing the borrowing limit, which the federal government is expected to reach some time in late summer. … [Read more...] about McCarthy Mocks Biden Amid Debt Ceiling Standoff—Offering To Bring ‘Soft Foods’ To Negotiating Table

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin A new rule under SECURE 2.0 creates a great opportunity for IRA owners 70 ½ or older with charitable inclinations to get a prospective valuable tax benefit and keep cash flow. The current law allows a charitable distribution from an IRA for individuals age 70 ½ or older (irrespective of the new Required Minimum Distribution of age 73) to make a distribution of up to $100,000 a year directly to a qualified charity. This is called a Qualified Charitable Distribution, or QCD, and they are fantastic opportunities on their own. Now, SECURE 2.0 has introduced a provision that allows a ‘split-interest’ gift, which gives the IRA owner a tax break and provides continuing cash flow. Why a QCD is a great idea. QCDs have a lot of advantages over a conventional charitable deduction. 1. A QCD is eliminated from income, and not treated as an itemized deduction. Thus, a donor can use the standard deduction or other itemized … [Read more...] about SECURE 2.0’s New Rule On IRAs And Charity Can Really Pay Off

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin If you live in the United States and are of a certain age, you're probably feeling pretty good about yourself when you separate out your recyclables. But, as much as it was drilled into us as kids that recycled plastic, glass, and cardboard would save the planet, it's pretty apparent that we need to do more. Based on this 2010 study from the USDA Americans generate, on average, 219 pounds of food waste per person, per year. That number hasn't improved in the 13 years since, with some reports tipping the scales at 242 pounds. That's over 200 lbs. of uneaten, expired, and leftover food per person that ends up in landfills, generating methane. Not to mention all the trash bags that you end up tossing. How many times a month do you end up tossing a half-full trash bag out because food scraps generate a toxic cloud that escapes from the can whenever you open the lid? Composting is one of the easiest options to do … [Read more...] about One Month With Lomi—Turn Food Waste Into Something Useful