People of the Keys!

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
(Ephesians 6:12 ESV)
Cosmic Powers

Dear Friends,

Greetings! The following video, “The CERN Deception” some have already found shocking in its content. When viewing, if you choose to view it, you may want to remind yourself of 1John 4:4 “ “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Of course there is a plethora of comforting verses in God's Word we can claim that will comfort our souls in trying times.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. And on my servants and on my handmaids in those days will I pour out of my Spirit. And I will shew wonders in heaven, and upon the earth, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord come.” Joel 2:28-31

When these verses are quoted in the New Testament in Acts, chapter two, every major English translation of the Bible replaces the word “afterward” with “last days”.

Are we living in the “last days”? We think most would agree that we are living in the “last days”. Notice the verse says last days, not the three and a half years of tribulation, or the last seven years at the signing of the Covenant but last days.

If we connect the dots it would mean these events, the pouring out of God's Spirit, are not events way off in the future but should be manifesting now or very soon, at the door.

Following the video we have some incredible quotes concerning the theme of the video,

from 1973, forty-three years before the release of the video.

We would be interested in your reaction should you care to write us through the contact page.

Have a great week ahead.

***

The CERN Deception

“The evil spirits, of course, would be like anti-matter.
The evil spiritual world a diminishing world (is an) up-side down, backwards and diminishing (world.)
Apparently it's just a reverse of what God intended for it to be.
The spirit world is very scientific.
Those spiritual occurrences are bound to affect the physical world and people in some way.
Science is discovering such big things now they can't even understand it.
It's beyond their mental capacity to even grasp these things. I mean it's just like it's almost driving them crazy because it's just beyond them. They're getting into realms that they don't know anything about and can't understand, like the spirit world. ” David Berg, Black Stars August 1973

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Ken Ham: Ark Encounter Is Christian Message to the World; 7,000 Attend Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

BY STOYAN ZAIMOV , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER

July 6, 2016|7:25 am

(PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANSWERS IN GENESIS)

Ark Encounter ribbon cutting ceremony in Grant County, Ky., on July 5, 2016.

The Ark Encounter, the life-sized Noah's Ark theme-park attraction, held its official ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday in Grant County, Kentucky, ahead of its grand opening on Thursday, July 7th, gathering a crowd of 7,000 to witness the historic event.

Ken Ham, president and CEO of Answers in Genesis and The Creation Museum, told The Christian Post:

"In a world that is becoming increasingly secularized and biased, it's time for Christians to do something of this size and this magnitude."

He told CP that the Ark stands as a reminder.

"To remind the coming generations of the truth of God's word. It's our way of presenting the truth of God's Word to the world," Ham said.

The hour-long event, which was live-streamed and hosted on the Ark Encounter YouTube channel, featured live musical performances, prayers, and Bible readings, along with Williamstown mayor Richard Skinner cutting the ribbon at the end.

"In a professional way we figured out what the city could do, what the county could do, and what the Ark could do. And from that professionalism became a mutual respect that I have for the Ark Encounter and for what they stand," Skinner said about the joint efforts that went into building the theme park.

i(PHOTO: PAUL DECESARE/COURTESY OF ANSWERS IN GENESIS)

Ark Encounter ribbon cutting ceremony in Grant County, Ky., on July 5, 2016.

image: http://graphic.christianpost.com/images/homepage11/enlarge4.png

"We support the Ark Encounter, we support the mission, and we are proud to have the Ark Encounter as our home," he added.

Mark Looy, VP of Outreach and Co-Founder of Answers in Genesis, kicked off proceedings at the ceremony by introducing the crowd to the Ark, which spans 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high.

"You are a beautiful sight this morning, 7,000 of you. There's one sight that equals this, you're looking at it. A life-sized Noah's Ark," Looy said.

Jenean Hampton, the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, also spoke at the ceremony, and said:

"We are so blessed that this great, great attraction was built here in Kentucky, it's just an honor to have this here. We hope to see millions visit Kentucky, to visit the Ark Encounter over the next few years. I can't wait to see the inside," she added, calling it "absolutely beyond imagination."

Ham, who led the crowd in several moments of reflection and prayer, turned directly to God in his speech and said:

"Lord, this is a reminder for the people of the world, for the coming generations. Let them not forget the wondrous works that you have done. Who you are, and what you've done for each of us. There is our reminder to the world," he said, pointing to the Ark.

With the Ark set to open to the public on on the seventh day of the seventh month, Ham explained that there is a Biblical meaning behind the chosen date. He told the crowd that Genesis 7:7 reads "And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the Ark," which inspired the date of the opening.

In his comments to CP, Ham reflected that there is a rising trend of secularism in America, but people from all over the world have heard of Noah's Ark.

"I believe you're going to find all sorts of people from all walks of life with all sorts of religious backgrounds who are going to come here and even if they don't share our biblical view, they can't help but be impressed by the structure, craftsmanship and by the attention to detail of world class exhibits inside. And who knows? Maybe they'll be challenged to even talk about the Bible as we do," he continued.

As for the question of whether or not the Ark actually floats, the AiG President said that it does not need to float, since in the Bible God declared that there will never be another global flood.

"The Ark was designed as a ship and built as a building. It was designed as a ship, a true timber frame structure, and we did a lot of research on ancient ships to design it. But it was built as a building to code," Ham explained.

In a previous interview with CP, Ham noted that Bill Nye "The Science Guy," his 2014 evolution-creationism debate foe, is considering Ham's offer to tour the Ark Encounter.

"Yes, we have had a response back from him. I believe he is considering coming out here," Ham explained. "We've had a positive response in that regard, so we'll just have to see what happens."

The Ark Encounter website includes information about the various exhibits and the other attractions connected with the Ark, including the Zip Lines and Ararat Ridge Zoo.

***

THE JERUSALEM POST

Israel to UNESCO: ‘We’re not ISIS, don’t sever our ties to the Temple Mount’

UNESCO adopts resolution ignoring Jewish ties to Temple Mount  

UNESCO resolution attacks Israeli practices in the Old City, including its actions on the Temple Mount.

The Temple Mount complex in Jerusalem . (photo credit:REUTERS)

UNESCO called on Israel to halt all its archeological and restoration work in and around the Old City, as it submits its latest draft resolution on Jerusalem that ignores Jewish ties to the Temple Mount.

Upon learning of the matter, Foreign Ministry Director-General Dore Gold on Monday issued a searing letter to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in which he accused them of being totally “disconnected from reality.”

“As the historical heritage sites of this area are being systematically destroyed by jihadist forces, such as the Islamic State, in Syria and Iraq, UNESCO’s adoption of utterly false allegations about Israeli archeological practices is misplaced and hypocritical, at best,” Gold said.

The resolution is due to be voted on in the next week by the 21-members of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee that is now meeting in Istanbul.

It was jointly submitted by Jordan and Palestine, which is recognized as a member state of UNESCO.

It asks that the committee maintain the Old City’s status as an endangered site. It has been a World Heritage site since 1981.

But part of the resolution attacks Israeli practices in the Old City, including its actions on the Temple Mount, which is known to Muslims as Al-Haram/Al-Sharif.

It speaks of the Western Wall once, and then, only in quotations.

UNESCO’s attempts to reclassify Judaism’s holiest site as an exclusively Muslim religious area began back in October.

UNESCO had intended to vote on a resolution to that effect, but backed away from it under international pressure.

But it has since begun to put such a reclassification into practice in a de-facto way, by referring to the area exclusively in Muslim terms, as if no Jewish history had occurred there.

When UNESCO’s 58-member Executive Board met in Paris in April it adopted a resolution whose language ignored Jewish ties to the Temple Mount, even though it is considered holy by all three religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The resolution now before the World Heritage Committee, “also fails to acknowledge Christianity’s ties to Jerusalem,” Gold said.

The Jewish people, Gold told UNESCO, have maintained their connection to Jerusalem from ancient to modern times, even though the Old City was “ethnically cleansed” of Jews from 1948 to 1967.

Since Jews returned to the Old City, Gold said, they have defended the rights of all three faiths.

“We urge you to oppose this effort to distort history, which will offend the members of the Jewish and Christian faiths, and undermine the credibility of UNESCO in the future,” Gold wrote.

***

israel today

A Muslim Looking Forward to the Third Temple?

Sunday, July 10, 2016 | Israel Today Staff

The following is a press release from Turkish religious figure Adnan Oktar (pictured, center), who recently hosted a number of Israeli Jewish officials during Ramadan and very interestingly expressed his anticipation for the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Mr. Adnan Oktar, prominent Muslim opinion leader from Turkey, welcomed a delegation of rabbis and politicians from Israel for the iftar dinner he hosted in Istanbul on June 22, 2016. Rabbi Dov Lipman, a top officer from the World Zionist Organization, was among those attending the dinner, along with many Muslim, Jewish and Christian representatives. Following his visit to Istanbul, Rabbi Lipman noted that he was very pleased with the friendship and goodwill blessings he received in Turkey, and the previous negative image about Turkey in his mind had completely changed.

Mr. Oktar’s guests from Israel also appeared on his live program on the A9 television channel, and applauded Mr. Oktar’s unwavering efforts to end anti-Jewish sentiment in Turkey. The program saw important statements on relations between Israel and Turkey, peace in the region and the world, and in particular on the friendship between Muslims and Jews.

Mr. Adnan Oktar explained that the days when the Prophet Solomon’s Masjid and Palace (Solomon’s Temple) will be rebuilt in an atmosphere of global peace and tranquility are at hand. Rabbi Ben Abrahamson, who is a historian and consultant to the Sanhedrin regarding issues related to Islam, emphasized that the rebuilding of the Temple is a very good development for all mankind.

Mr. Oktar said that Muslims, Jews and Christians share many common values and the current opposition was a ploy of satan. He said people of reason who are full of love should come together and enourage peace and love.When Mr. Adnan Oktar was asked what should be done to dispel the tension between Muslims and Jews, he urged the Israeli and Turkish governments to be more courageous, and not be influenced by loveless articles published in the media or be concerned with loss of votes.

***

israel today

Muslims Chant to Remove Jesus at Washington’s National Cathedral

Thursday, November 20, 2014 | David Lazarus

It looked like a chilling scene from a Last Days, anti-Christ-takes-over-the-world disaster movie. Hundreds of Muslims take over America’s most notable church, prostrate on their prayer rugs as their unified chant echoes out in full volume: “There is only one god, he begets not and I bear witness that Muhammad is His only servant and Apostle."

Only this was not a movie. This was the scene, last Friday, for the first time in history, at the iconic National Cathedral in Washington, where orthodox Muslim clerics were invited to lead an Islamic prayer service. A congregation of hundreds were lead by an Imam in declaring that “god has no son, that Jesus Christ cannot be his son, and that there is no god like Allah.”

Only a single middle-age woman jumped up in the middle of the service and shouted, “America was founded on Christian principles. . . . Leave our church alone!” She was escorted quickly out of the church by security guards.

The National Cathedral in Washington, DC has been an extremely important symbol of the Christian roots of the United States. The cathedral was designated by Congress as America's "National House of Prayer." The church has hosted a number of inaugural presidential prayer services, including Franklin Roosevelt and both presidents Bush.

The Rev. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, took to Facebook in reaciton to the Muslim prayer service:

“The National Cathedral in Washington, DC–one of the most prominent Episcopal churches in America–will host a Muslim prayer service to Allah. It’s sad to see a church open its doors to the worship of anything other than the One True God of the Bible, who sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to earth to save us from our sins. Jesus was clear when He said, 'I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me' (John 14:6)."

As of this writing, 80,000 people had “liked” Graham’s post.

The Islamic service at the cathedral was ostensibly intended to promote interfaith dialogue. Its organizers said that they hoped the service would “help correct some Americans’ misperceptions of Muslims as extremists and reinforce tolerance among faiths.”

However, it is hard to understand how a Christian church opening its sanctuary for Islamic prayers that renonce Jesus Christ contributes to interfaith tolerance. Muslims would never allow a Christian to preach the Gospel in a mosque. Palestinian Muslims continue to ban all Jews and Christians from praying at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It would appear that “interfaith dialogue and tolerance” are just more code words calling for Muslims to rise up and conquer.

The Washington Post reported that the Islamic prayer service was closed to the public because of security concerns. Armed guards checked every person and every bag of those in attendance.Islam is growing rapidly around the world, and is now the third-largest religion in the United States, behind Christianity and Judaism, with an estimated 2.6 million American Muslim citizens.

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WND

CHRISTIAN YOUTH CHOIR LIKENED TO NAZIS, ISIS

'This church ticks every box on the Ugly Religious Fundamentalism checklist'

Published: July 14, 2016

BOB UNRUH

Prestonwood Baptist Church’s youth choir

Commentators in Scotland are aghast that a youth choir from a Christian church in America was allowed to perform at a shopping center there, and are comparing the kids from Texas to the Nazis, or ISIS.

The stunning reaction to a performance by a youth choir from Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, came from several commentators who took to their word processors to denounce the group.

“What message does it send when a shopping center welcomes this kind of musical Trojan horse into a Scottish city, and where do we draw the line?” wrote Shona Craven, who writes for the Herald and the National.

“A neo-Nazi puppet show at the Gyle Shopping Center? Magic tricks by Islamic State at Buchanan Galleries? I’m sure most Scots are far too savvy to be taken in by evangelical showmanship, but that’s not really the point. As a nation we should be stating clearly: bigots are not welcome here.”

Stephen Naysmith, of the the Herald Scotland warned that the Scottish Secular Society has issued an alert that “southern baptist (sic) ministries in the U.S. were increasingly looking to use their money and religious influence to attempt to change laws in the UK and other countries.”

The reason for the hate?

The youths’ church follows biblical teaching on homosexuality, abortion and other hot-button issues.

Craven pointed to the church’s pro-marriage and pro-life views as reasons why the youth choir would be “not welcome.”

The performance was just one of literally thousands of performances by American groups that tour Europe as part of their education every year. High schools sent choirs and bands, colleges send choirs and bands, music camps send choirs and bands and more.

Pastor Jack Graham explains on the church website that, “The thing that drives our church is still and forever will be the Great Commission. For us, it is all about the Message – proclaiming it from the pulpit and getting it to as many people as possible.”

The church was launched in 1977, and it has grown since then to now involve about 41,000 members at two campuses.

A report from the Christian Institute in the U.K. noted that a spokesman for Waverly Mall in Edinburgh, where the group was featured, said he did not think the choir sang “anything that would upset anybody.”

“I was unaware of their views and my views are completely different. But the plaza was packed and it was well-received.”

Naysmith, however, gave a platform to officials with the Scottish Secular Society.

“We are very concerned about megachurches who have a growing interest in coming over to Ireland, Scotland and England and pushing their extremely fundamentalist agenda,” said spokeswoman Megan Crawford. “Why are they even allowed here to try to affect our laws and lives?”

The Herald Scotland said the 100-strong group sang and handed out prayer cards.

He accused, “However, there was no outward sign of what the church really stands for. In Texas, Jack Graham the head of the church has backed Donald Trump’s presidential election campiagn and refuses to accept gay marriage laws. ‘The Scriptures’ teaching on marriage is non-negoatible … we cannot and will not affirm the moral acceptability of homosexual behavior,’ he said.”

He charged that the church also “funds a pregnancy center which claims to advise women in crisis but really boasts of persuading half of the 3,000 who visit a year to ‘choose life’ for their baby ‘in a culture all too quick to snuff it out.'”

Craven’s rant wasn’t finished.

“This church ticks every box on the Ugly Religious Fundamentalism checklist: homophobia and transphobia, an obsession with sexual purity, and a firm anti-choice agenda thinly disguised as concern for women’s wellbeing,” she wrote.

“If antisocial behavior is that which seeks to damage and disrupt the tolerance, compassion and respect for human rights that characterize our society, then this organization surely has the potential to do a great deal more harm than a few dozen delinquent teens getting high and making a nuisance of themselves.”

***

WND

WHOM DID THE FRENCH WORSHIP AFTER THEIR REVOLUTION?

Bill Federer recounts misguided inspiration of horrific, bloody time

Published: July 13, 2016

BILL FEDERER

French Revolution

France’s King Louis XVI sent his navy and troops to help America win independence, for which France went into debt. France then had a few years of crop failures and blamed the king. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded in Paris and the French Revolution began with a Reign of Terror.

Robespierre led the “Committee of Public Safety,” giving a speech to the National Assembly, Feb. 5, 1794, titled “The Terror Justified”: “Lead … the enemies of the people by terror. … Terror is nothing else than swift, severe, indomitable justice.”

Robespierre began accusing, arresting, and beheading:

first all the royalty

then the wealthy

then the farmers and businessmen

then those hoarding food

then the clergy

then the former revolutionaries

Over 40,000 were beheaded in Paris.

It was an intentional campaign to de-christianize French society and replace it with a civic religion of state worship. Not wanting a constitution “Done in the year of the Lord,” they made 1791 the new “Year One.”

They did not want a seven day week with a sabbath day rest, so they came up with a 10 day week and 10 month year – 10 being their number of man with 10 fingers and 10 toes.

French Revolutionary Time divided the each day into 10 decimal hours, with each hour consisting of 100 decimal minutes and each minute made up of 100 decimal seconds. They created the metric system with all measurements divisible by ten.

Crosses were forbidden as offensive; religious monuments were destroyed; public and private worship and education outlawed; priests and ministers, along with those who harbored them, were executed on sight; graves were desecrated, including Ste. Genevieve’s, the patron saint of Paris who called the city to pray when Attila the Hun was attacking in 451 A.D.; churches were closed or used for “immoral,” “lurid,” “licentious,” “scandalous” “depravities.”

Robespierre put a prostitute in Notre Dame Cathedral and called her the goddess of reason to be worshiped. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg was turned into a Temple of Reason.

Hundreds of thousands were killed throughout France, especially in a religious area called the Vendée in western France. French officer Napoleon pleaded poor health so as to not participate.

During this time, French privateers ignored treaties and by 1798, had seized nearly 300 American ships bound for British ports. Talleyrand, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, demanded millions of dollars in bribes to leave America’s ships alone.

Talleyrand was a master of deceitful political speech called obfuscation, speaking out of both sides of his mouth, stating: “We were given speech to hide our thoughts.”

Known as the XYZ Affair, the American commission of Charles Pinckney, John Marshall and Elbridge Gerry refused. The cry went across America, “Millions for defense, not a cent for tribute.”

As America and France came close to war, second President John Adams asked George Washington, now retired at Mount Vernon, to again be commander-in-chief of the Army.

Washington agreed, writing the year before he died, July 13, 1798: “Satisfied … you have … exhausted, to the last drop, the cup of reconciliation, we can, with pure hearts, appeal to Heaven for the justice of our cause; and may confidently trust the final result to that kind Providence who has, heretofore, and so often, signally favored the people of these United States. … Feeling how incumbent it is upon every person…to contribute at all times to his country’s welfare, and especially in a moment like the present, when everything we hold dear and sacred is so seriously threatened, I have finally determined to accept the commission of commander-in-chief.”

President Adams declared a day of fasting, March 23, 1798, and again, March 6, 1799: “The people of the United States are still held in jeopardy by … insidious acts of a foreign nation, as well as by the dissemination among them of those principles subversive to the foundations of all religious, moral, and social obligations … I hereby recommend … a Day of Solemn Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer; That the citizens … call to mind our numerous offenses against the Most High God, confess them before Him with the sincerest penitence, implore His pardoning mercy, through the Great Mediator and Redeemer, for our past transgressions, and that through the grace of His Holy Spirit, we may be disposed and enabled to yield a more suitable obedience to His righteous requisitions. … That He would interpose to arrest the progress of that impiety and licentiousness in principle and practice so offensive to Himself and so ruinous to mankind. … ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.'”

France’s godless Revolution became the blueprint for every Communist revolution, where a bloody killing off of the old order was justified in order to set up a promised utopian paradise, which sadly always proved to be a totalitarian dictatorship.

President John Adams successfully led the young nation of the United States to avert war with France.

Where France pulled away from God, America experienced a religious revival called the Second Great Awakening which spread across country.

Brought to you by AmericanMinute.com.

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DALLAS/FORTWORTHHEALTHCAREDAILY

Children’s Health Adopts Ingestible Microchip Technology

MEDICAL DEVICES 07/6/2016| by Danielle Abril

Children’s Health has begun offering patients an ingestible microchip and digital patch that can track whether an individual takes his or her medicine and monitors their diagnostics afterward. The technology is part of the health system’s initiative to expand its telehealth programs and bolster the portfolio of its investment arm, which now includes relationships with four companies.

“We have a percentage of medically fragile children, and it’s imperative they take their medication,” said Julie Hall-Barrow, Children’s vice president of virtual health and innovation. “We’re now driving the care plan to see if it’s in action.”

The technology comes from Proteus Digital Health, a Silicon Valley-based company founded by Mark Zdeblick, Dr. George Savage, and CEO Andrew Thompson in 2004. Proteus places the prescribed pill and a microchip the size of a minced garlic flake into a capsule, which the patient then swallows. The capsule communicates with a patch that is worn on patients’ torsos, letting the software system know that the medication has been ingested. The patch then continues to monitor the patient’s diagnostics, reporting real-time data that can be accessed by a patient, care team, or attending doctor via a digital platform. Children’s is providing its patients iPad minis for monitoring.

( Proteus was a minor sea god who had the power of prophecy but would assume different shapes to avoid answering questions. Ed)

The partnership represents the healthcare system’s fourth technology relationship developed through Children’s Health Ventures, which supports startups that offer innovative ways to deliver healthcare. This arrangement differs in that Children’s did not invest in it like it did the others: the urgent care startup Mend, the analytics platform Pieces, and the physical activity software company GoNoodle.

“Your ZIP code shouldn’t determine whether access [to care] is available or not,” Hall-Barrow said. “What we’re focused on is how to remove the barrier of distance and the barrier of access to the provider.”

Children’s solidified its partnership with Proteus in May and is launching the program with liver and kidney transplant patients initially. The first patient to use the technology is a 5-year-old girl who recently received a kidney transplant from her father. It has already identified 75 patients to serve as its first cohort for the treatment. While Children’s is not investing in the company, it is planning to rollout the technology across its departments, subject to usage regulations outlined by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. It expects to eventually develop the technology, which is currently being provided to the targeted patients for free, as a billable service.

Proteus, which has about 200 employees and has raised more than $400 million, spent the last several years developing the technology and getting approval from the Food and Drug Administration. With clearance as a sensor technology, children can safely consume up to 30 microchips daily; they are made of copper, magnesium, and silicon. Microchips pass through the normal bowel cycle. Proteus introduced its product to the market last year and has since rolled out to three health systems in California. The Dallas healthcare system represents the first children’s organization to adopt the technology.

“Over the last four years, we have been working to identify where this technology will create the most value for physicians, care teams, patients, and their families,” said Molly O’Neill, Proteus’ chief commercial officer. “The pediatric use is really the next evolutionary step for the company.”

It’s the next step for Children’s, too. Children’s made big strides with its telehealth program in 2015, expanding its telemedicine program across 57 schools throughout Dallas-Fort Worth. It then invested in GoNoodle, which provides interactive videos to keep children active, and Dallas-based Mend, a startup that offers on-demand home healthcare services. Its most recent investment was in Pieces Technologies, which provides healthcare systems and community organizations data analytics for better care.

Children’s only makes partnerships with companies that develop technology that it is willing to implement in its healthcare system.

“We don’t want to just be a partner; we want to be a user,” Hall-Barrow said. “We want to … be a leader in the country for how we use them and how we co-develop them.”

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COSMOS

Introducing robo-ray: part animal, part machine

The tiny artificial stingray is the first step to bigger, more complex tissue-engineered robots, scientists say. Belinda Smith reports.

A tissue-engineered, soft robotic ray that can be steered through obstacle courses.

KARAGHEN HUDSON AND MICHAEL ROSNACH

08 July 2016

It’s a cybernetic organism. Living tissue over a metal endoskeleton.

No, it’s not the T-800 from the 1991 film Terminator 2 – but a robotic stingray made of rat heart cells stretched over a gold frame that can glide through water just like the real thing.

Sung-Jin Park from Harvard University and colleagues in the US and South Korea showed off their new method for building bio-inspired robots with engineered tissue in the journal Science.

Batoid fish, a family that includes stingrays, are ideal inspiration for robotics. As they manoeuvre through water, their wing-like fins ripple with a front-to-rear undulating motion. And by subtly shifting these ripples, they’re able to nimbly steer.

This means they're exceptionally energy-efficient swimmers and, as a bonus, their flattened body stabilises them against rolling.

Inspired by batoids, Park and colleagues decided to reverse engineer a stingray’s muscle and skeletal structures – albeit on a smaller scale.

A 3-D body made of stretchy polymer, overlaid by a stiff gold skeleton and another stretchy polymer layer, comprised most of the robo-ray. Living cells were added last.

They weren't just any old cells. To copy the stingray’s undulating waves, the researchers looked to tissue that contracts naturally. And what better than those that keep hearts beating?

They genetically engineered rat heart cells to contract when exposed to certain coloured light. These were printed onto the top of the robo-ray in a "serpentine" pattern, like squiggles, on the fins.

The robo-ray ended up just 16 millimetres long and weighing 10 grams, but housed 200,000 heart cells.

Cells at the front of the robo-ray, when stimulated, contracted the fins down. When they relaxed, the gold skeleton popped them up again.

This movement stimulated the neighbouring cell to contract, and so on down the line (just as it does in the heart, where a signal starts in pacemaker cells).

And when popped in a 37 ºC salt solution – similar to a rat heart environment – with glucose for energy and a light, the tiny hybrid propelled itself through the liquid, albeit very slowly.

With an average speed of 1.5 millimetres per second, Park and colleagues steered it through an obstacle course by adjusting the light's brightness on either fin – more intense light caused the cells to twitch faster.

And it could maintain 80% of its initial speed for six consecutive days.

Their prototypes, the researchers write, are a step towards “autonomous and adaptive creatures able to process multiple sensory inputs and produce complex behaviours”.

Watch a robo-ray being put through its paces below.

Mirror

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NASA shuts down live International Space Station feed as 'mysterious UFO enters Earth's atmosphere'

22:16, 12 JUL 2016

UPDATED 22:16, 12 JUL 2016

BY ELLE GRIFFITHS

The incident caused speculation online - and is not the first time NASA have been accused of tampering with the feed

UFO spotters have raised the alarm after the International Space Station live feed cut out just as a large mysterious object appeared to enter Earth's atmosphere.

The incident occurred on July 9 and was first reported by prolific UFO hunter Streetcap1 in a video uploaded the same day.

The enthusiast did not directly imply that the object was an alien spacecraft saying: “This could well be a meteor or the like.

But he implied that the camera being turned off was slightly sinister: "What made it interesting was that the camera cut off when the UFO seemed to stop.”

Other enthusiasts put forward theories including one who suggested in could be the Chinese space cargo ship Tiangong-1.

“I have watched the International Space Station a lot over the last 6 years and I can tell you that this is not the moon, nor a meteor,” he wrote.

“It may be the Chinese space station cargo ship, called Tiangong-1, or the other one Tangong-2.”

This is not the first time that UFO hunters have accused NASA of cutting transmission after a mysterious UFO appeared on the live ISS stream.

A NASA spokesperson made a statement earlier in April denying allegations that NASA technicians deliberately shut down transmission when UFOs appear on the live video.

SUNDAY EXPRESS

IMF says EU on brink of collapse, while euro currency may have to be scrapped

THE FUTURE of euro currency and the entire EU project looks unsustainable without major change, according to a damning review by the International Monetary Fund and renowned economists.

By LAURA MOWAT

PUBLISHED: 10:53, Sat, Jul 9, 2016 | UPDATED: 13:17, Sat, Jul 9, 2016

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde has always warned of the dangers of Brexit

IMF chiefs warned the UK’s decision to leave the EU would seriously hamper growth prospects in the region.

Before the Brexit vote, the IMF forecast a 1.7 per cent expansion for the eurozone.

However, post Brexit the organisation revised that down to 1.6 per cent this year and 1.4 per cent next year.

The IMF did warn of economic chaos in the event of a Leave victory and has urged for a “smooth transition” for post-EU Britain.

The international organisation said: “The euro area is at a critical juncture. Muddling through is increasingly untenable.

“Unless collective problems are solved, the euro area is likely to suffer repeated bouts of economic and political instability leading to crises of confidence and economic setbacks.”

In the damning statement, it said the migrant crisis could even spell the end of free movement and warned that other countries in the bloc could want their own referendums following the Brexit vote.

A Nobel Prize winning economist even said that Europe may have to “abandon the euro”.

The economist, Professor Christopher Pissarides, has said that the uncertainty would reduce investment and hit job creation.

His warnings came as:

French bank Societe Generale analyst warned Italy and France could quit the single currency EU

* Rating agency Moody’s said the future of the entire EU was at risk

* Banks across Europe came under increasing stress

* The world’s biggest hotel group predicted that the fall in the pound would lead to a tourist boom for the UK.

But the IMF has also said that the outlook would be even worse if there are long, drawn-out negotiations between the UK and the EU.

Mahmood Pradhan, deputy director of the IMF's European Department, said: "If that risk aversion is prolonged, we think the growth impact could be larger and at this point, it is very difficult to tell how long that period lasts.”

The Washington-based fund hightlighted the UK's importance as a trading partner for the EU as the destination for 13 per cent of EU exports.

***

SPUTNIK

Ireland Considers EU Exit

01:48 11.07.2016(updated 08:58 11.07.2016)

The country is now a net contributor to the political-economic union and if the European Commission has its way the country’s economic well-being may depend on them leaving Europe altogether.

The Republic of Ireland may be the next country heading for the door following Britain’s historic vote to abandon the muddled European experiment with a group called “Ireland Exit” agitating for a “respectful and mature” debate on whether the Irish should remain a part of the 28-country bloc.

"This debate must take place in a respectful and mature way by all sides and have the long term best interests of Ireland and our future generations at its core," says the group’s spokesperson.

"We are a centre leaning political group who believe the time is right for Ireland to hold a referendum on our continued membership of the European Union."

What once was seen as impossible may make sense for the Irish argues the group appealing not only to issues of migration and undemocratic laws forced through by an overbearing European Commission, but rather to simple economic logic – it may cost more to be in the EU than out of it.

© AP PHOTO/ EMILY A briefing by Ireland’s finance ministry revealed last month that while "Ireland has been a significant net beneficiary from the EU Budget since accession in 1973… 2014 represented the first time that Ireland was a small net contributor." Campaigners claim that the Republic of Ireland lost a total of €136 million ($150 million).

With the country rebounding successfully from the 2008 financial collapse and being a prime destination for corporations looking for a solid workforce along with lower tax burdens, it seems that Ireland may find its contribution growing relative to its partner countries.

Ireland’s pursuit for lower corporate taxes to attract foreign direct investment may also be under assault if they maintain their presence in the European Union with Brussels planning to force a continent-wide "tax harmonisation" plan that would disproportionately harm Ireland’s economy.

Irish MEP Brian Hayes warned this week that any attempt by the bureaucrats in Brussels to force a higher corporate tax rate against the will of the Irish voters would be met with an immediate decision by the country to leave the European Union.

"This is the absolute red line issue. Any attempt to cajole us, as far as I’m concerned, we’re out the door," said Hayes. "We cannot be tied into an anti-business, anti-growth pact while the Brits are allowed to move on. We have a lot more to lose than anybody else."

Several other countries with non-traditional tax systems, such as Greece, may quickly join behind them when the inevitable assault on their democratic choice comes to fruition.

Still, the Irish people remain thoroughly rooted in European culture with a friendly view towards migration, an appreciation of free trade, and a clamoring to remain enmeshed with Europe’s other cultures.

A recent poll confirmed that 69% of respondents thinking that it would be foolhardy for the Irish to lose their European identity – a result certainly impacted to a large degree by the chaos that has engulfed the UK in the wake of the Brexit vote.

Nonetheless, things may change quickly if the European Commission has its way forcing many hardworking Irishmen to the unemployment line. The whole country may just decide to head for the exit instead.

***

SPEISA

Head of French police: France is on the brink of civil war

The internal terrorist threat in France is so urgent that the commander of the French security services has twice warned the French Parliament about the possibility of new terrorist attacks could trigger a civil war.

The chief of security, Patrick Calvar, is considered one of those in France with the best insight into the inner threat situation in the country, writes Le Figaro.

In connection with the violent terrorist attack on Friday 13 November last year, which led to the French government appointed a commission of inquiry, he stated behind closed doors in parliament this year that France "stands on the brink of civil war." He has also warned the Parliament's defense committee that if there are more terrorist attacks from Islamic ranks, the far right could exploit the situation to trigger a civil war.

After the terrorist attack on November 13 last year, France introduced a state of emergency. The state of emergency persists to this day, and could earliest cease after the European Football Championships and Tour de France. However, it will probably persist longer than this summer, as long as there are no signs of the terrorist threat increasing. On the contrary.

Calvar also points out that mass assaults against women like the one we saw in Cologne on New Year's Eve, could likely trigger civil war like conditions.

Just the female perspective may be crucial in the development of Western Europe. There are limits to how long the native population silently and without action allows mothers, wives and daughters to be victims of sexual abuse in public, in what was once the world's best continent for women.

Calvar also points to a growing Islamic extremism in the suburbs of large cities, so-called banlieus.

***

Zero Hedge

Civil Unrest Explodes In Berlin - Over 3500 People Riot Against Police

by Tyler Durden

Jul 11, 2016 8:45 PM

"Civil Unrest is exploding," warns Armstrong Economics' Martin Armstrong,

The biggest and most violent protest in Germany erupted in Berlin over the weekend exactly with our models calling for an explosion in civil unrest.

The protest is against police operations and involved mostly young people who have risen up against the police operations in the Riga street area. Protesters wore black hoods carrying banners with slogans like “Riga defend 94” and “Housing solidarity against state terror.”

The demonstration went on with the crowd chanting repeatedly: “Bullenschweine get out of Riga!” Demonstrators were throwing firecrackers and police fired back with tear gas. The police also called in air support using helicopters and they had to call in for reinforcements from Bavaria, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and the Federal Police.

Interior Senator Frank Henkel (CDU) announced that the police will also be present at night after the demonstration, so riots and arson attacks should be stopped...calling the riot a "leftist orgy of violence."

With September's elections looming we suspect the tensions will only get worse.

***

PRESSTV

Bush, Blair should stand trial for war crimes: Egypt MPs

Sat Jul 9, 2016 9:27AM

The file photo shows a view of the Egyptian parliament.

Egyptian lawmakers have called for former British prime minister Tony Blair and ex-US president George W. Bush to be put on trial for war crimes as a newly released report challenged the legality of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.

The Egyptian parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs made the request in a statement released on Friday, two days after Sir John Chilcot’s long-awaited report of his inquiry into the UK’s participation in the Iraq war found that the military intervention was based on flawed intelligence.

The Chilcot report “has exposed the false reasons which … Bush and … Blair had exploited to wage their illegitimate war against Iraq,” the statement read, adding that the war on Iraq left over one million people dead and millions more injured and displaced.

Bush and Blair “should be put on trial as war criminals not only because they are the ones who trumpeted the reasons for this war, but also because they should be held responsible for the deaths of millions of Iraqis since 2003,” the statement added.

The 6,000-page Chilcot report concluded on Wednesday that London joined the US-led invasion of Iraq before diplomatic options were exhausted.

There was “no imminent threat from [former Iraqi dictator] Saddam Hussein” in March 2003 and military action was “not a last resort,” it added.

Elsewhere in their statement, the Egyptian MPs said “Bush committed his crimes in Iraq amid silence” in the US, a self-proclaimed flag bearer of democracy and human rights.

They also noted that the Chicot report exposed the ceaseless Western plots against the Arab, the Persian Gulf and the Middle Eastern countries.

“These conspiracies aim at plundering the riches of this region, enslaving its peoples and plunging them into constant troubles,” the statement read.

The Egyptian lawmakers further recommended that the Arab League and the upcoming 27th Arab summit issue strong statements against Western military interventions in the Arab World and to press the United Nations to adopt this principle.

In early 2003, the US, strongly backed by the UK, invaded Iraq under the pretext that the regime of Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons, however, were ever found in Iraq.

More than one million Iraqis were killed as a result of the invasion, and subsequent occupation of the country, according to the California-based investigative organization Project Censored.

***

She Sings an Ancient Viking Song, Now Watch How the Cows Respond (Video)

Friday, July 8, 2016 15:24

Kulning is an ancient herding call used in the Scandinavian region. The call is a high pitch tone that can reach long distances. The herding call sounds more like a haunting and sad melody meant to echo through mountains and alleys.

It was getting late and foggy on a magical night last month when Swedish artist Jonna Jinton wanted to try kulning. She wanted to find out if the animals would answer to the call their own ancestors heard when the women called them. Kulning might just be one of the most beautiful and enchanting sounds ever made.