Manchin says he'll vote against Democratic elections bill, defends stance on filibuster

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Caitlyn Jenner says tents in Beverly Hills are the latest sign of the homelessness crisis because they used to only be downtown

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By Sarah Al-Arshani

California GOP gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner said the presence of tents in Beverly Hills is the latest sign of the state's homelessness crisis.

"When you drive in Beverly Hills and you look at the park, and there's tents in the park, we have to look at that issue very seriously," Jenner said in an interview on the Fox LA show "The Issue Is" that aired Friday.

Jenner said homelessness is a top concern for Californians.

"But to be honest with you on a big picture, living in a tent in a park in Beverly Hills, it's just different today. Before, the homeless were all downtown. I'm sure you've been downtown. I mean, you walk down there, and it's just like so tough, so difficult on these people," Jenner said.

Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $12 billion proposal to fund affordable housing and increase social services that would help move people off the streets. If approved, the plan would provide housing for 65,000 people and stabilize housing for thousands more.

Jenner is running to unseat Newsom in a special recall election after a GOP-led effort to challenge the governor collected enough signatures. She said it's difficult to build affordable housing in the state because of too many regulations, specifically citing the California Environmental Quality Act as an issue.

Jenner said she would relax environmental restrictions in order to streamline building permits and work with charitable groups to increase affordable housing.

Jenner, a former Olympian and reality TV star, has no prior political experience, but said her experience in business makes her qualified to be governor.

"I have been in the entrepreneurial world," she said. "People think - you've been in show business, think of you as a reality star. Certainly, I've done that, but entertainment is a business, and you have to run that business."

Last month, Jenner was accused of being out of touch after she suggested support for public transportation was unnecessary while making repeated references to her private jet during an interview with Fox News personality Sean Hannity.

"Here's my crazy thinking. We are now spending billions of dollars on this high-speed rail, OK, and they talk about it all the time, between LA and San Francisco. And I'm going, 'Why are we doing that?' I can get on a plane at LAX, and I'll be in San Francisco in 50 minutes. Why do we need high-speed rail?" Jenner said, referring to an ongoing project intended to transport travelers from Anaheim and Los Angeles to San Francisco in under three hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Twitter suspended by Nigerian government after removing President Buhari's genocidal Civil War post

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Crypto will ‘come to life’ in Nigeria, central bank governor says

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By Helen Partz

Emefiele said the Nigerian government will do its best to prevent crypto from being used to finance illicit activities.

At a 279th meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee in Abuja, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele expressed confidence that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) will be legal in the country, Business Insider reported late last week..

Emefiele did not directly mention a decision to reverse the CBN’s February ban of institutions from buying and selling crypto but noted that the bank has been investigating the industry:

“We are committed in the CBN, and I can assure everybody that digital currency will come to life even in Nigeria [...] Under cryptocurrency and Bitcoin, Nigeria comes 2nd, while on the global side of the economy, Nigeria comes 27th. We are still conducting our investigation, and we will make our data available.”

Emefiele also said the Nigerian government will do its best to prevent crypto from being used to finance illicit activities. “We found out that a substantial percentage of our people are getting involved in cryptocurrency, which is not the best. Don’t get me wrong, some may be legitimate, but most are illegitimate,” he said.

The banker also expressed concerns over the crypto market crash in mid-May, which has been largely attributed to Tesla’s decision to suspend Bitcoin payments for its cars and Elon Musk’s further criticism of BTC:

“We saw the market collapse. Initially, when Elon Musk tweeted around the time when we said our banking and payment facilities are no longer available for cryptocurrency transactions, and he tweeted that he will invest $1.5 billion, and the price went up. He now tweeted and raised a few concerns, and the thing plunged.”

The CBN did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph’s request for comment.

As previously reported, Nigeria has emerged as the biggest source of Bitcoin trading volume in Africa as of August 2020, also becoming one of the fastest-growing crypto markets in the world. According to data from Bitcoin P2P marketplace Paxful, Nigeria ranked second only to the United States in trading volume as of December 2020.

Amid the growing adoption of Bitcoin, Nigeria’s national currency, the naira, has been falling. “Bitcoin has made our currency almost useless or valueless,” Senator Sani Musa of the Niger East Senatorial District said in February. Following Emefiele’s latest remarks, the naira dropped 1.2% to near a three-and-half year low on the black market at the close of the week.

COINTELEGRAPH

Nigerian Army boasts about extra judicial killing of IPOB members while terrorist Fulani Herdsmen and Islamists run rampant across the land

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The Nigerian Army on Friday said a joint team of soldiers and police shot 11 members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) dead as they attempted to attack Area Command and Police Station in Orlu LGA of Imo State.

Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, in a statement on Friday said a gang of IPOB/ESN terrorists mounted in vehicles on Thursday, 6 May 2021, stormed Orlu town with intention to attack the compound housing the Area Command and Police Station in Orlu LGA of Imo State.

He said the attackers were resisted by vigilant police personnel at the Area Command and were completely obliterated when a reinforcement team of the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force arrived the scene.

“The assailants who have been on the radar of the Joint Technical Intelligence Team were said to have come from a Forest Camp in Ideato North LGA of Imo State from where they mobilized and planned the failed attack.

“Following the encounter, 11 IPOB/ESN terrorists were neutralized while four AK-47, one G3 and one Pump Action Rifles as well as a Berretta Pistol, charms and assorted ammunition were recovered.

“All the seven Operational Vehicles used for the attack were demobilized and as such the remaining terrorists escaped on foot with fatal injuries,” he said.

Yerima said there were no casualties on the side of the security forces.

He advised law abiding citizens in the area to look out for strange persons with gunshot injuries and report same to the nearest security agency for the safety of their communities.

Yerima said the Nigerian Army remained committed to a united Nigeria that is safe for all law abiding citizens and would continue to support the Police in maintaining internal security.

“The general public is once again enjoined to support the security forces with useful and timely information that will help eliminate the security threats in their communities,” he said.

AGENCY NEWS

Nepotism, Insecurity: We’re justified in our decision not to support Buhari - Afenifere

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The Pan Yoruba Socio-political group, Afenifere, said weekend that it has been justified for not supporting President Muhammad Buhari during the 2015 and 2019 elections.

Its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, said this while speaking with newsmen after the group’s 70th-anniversary thanksgiving service held at Saint David Cathedral, Akure, the Ondo state capital.

According to him, the recent crisis of confidence among ethnic groups in the country, insecurity amongst others justified our stance in not supporting the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in his first and second term.

“The insecurity, corruption, and nepotism ravaging the government of President Buhari justified that the decisions taken in 2015 and 2019 elections by Afenifere were in the best interest of not only the Yoruba but Nigerians”.

Fasoranti lamented that “corruption and nepotism are the hallmarks of Buhari’s administration since he assumed office six years ago.

“We were justified in not supporting President Muhammadu Buhari. He has not been doing well, that is why we did not support him. There is insecurity in the land. There is corruption everywhere.

“All those who committed one crime or the other, he left them in office to continue their nefarious activities. Those who he supposed to sack, he left them in office. Thank God we did not support him in his elections.

“My daughter was killed in Ore on her way to Lagos for no reason, up till now, they have not concluded the trial. I know justice will be done.”

Speaking on the 70th anniversary of the group, Fasoranti said it has not been easy for the group especially during the military regimes when members were sent to prison or exile for championing democracy.

He said the struggle for democracy during the NADECO days tested the faith of members, who either renounced their membership or fled to exile.

Delivering his sermon, the Bishop of Akure Diocese, Anglican Communion, Simeon Borokini said 70 is significant in the life of individual or an organization.

Bishop Borokini said for Afenifere to have survived 70 years despite several challenges showed God’s hand in the affairs of the mainstream Yoruba organization.

The clergyman, however, lauded the activities of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in setting up the State Security outfit codenamed Amotekun.

He said the security outfit “has been doing a good job in securing the state from Fulani herders and bandits.

He said the Yoruba should be united on Amotekun project in order to prevent attacks by suspected killer herdsmen and bandits.

“Famine is imminent, a situation where you took loan to set up a farm and cows come to destroy it, this would lead to famine in the country.

He noted that “The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah are not as high as what is obtainable in Nigeria. If God does not destroy Nigeria, he should apologize to the Sodom and Gomorrah.”

AGENCY NEWS

The US Dollar, Gold Price, Gold Stocks, Philanthropy, Inequality, Taxation And Growth

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A Conversation Between Ross Beaty And Frank Giustra

My comments on low vaccine efficacy 'misinterpreted" - Chinese official

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China's top infectious disease control official said his comments on the effectiveness of his country's vaccines over the weekend were misinterpreted.

The director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Gao Fu, said it was a "complete misunderstanding'' that he had said Chinese vaccines offer a low level of protection, in comments to state newspaper the Global Times on Monday.

He had been presenting a "scientific vision'' that adapting vaccine sequences or administering different jabs on after the other could also be options for increasing protection, he said.

"The protection rates of all vaccines in the world are sometimes high, and sometimes low. How to improve their efficacy is a question that needs to be considered by scientists around the world,'' Gao said.

Gao Fu was talking at a conference in Chengdu on Saturday on the topic of how to solve the insufficient protection of current vaccines, Chinese news outlet Pengpai Xinwen (The Paper) reported.

"It is also necessary to consider ways to address the low protection rate of existing vaccines,'' he was cited as saying.

His comments prompted a reaction because there is far less data available on Chinese vaccines than those being produced in many other countries.

Critics have complained of a lack of transparency when it comes to Chinese jabs, which have not been authorized in many European nations.

Data from the third phase of clinical studies was particularly sought after.

Because China has the Coronavirus pandemic largely under control and was reporting hardly any local infections, studies so far have only been published from other countries where vaccines were being used.

WORLD PRESS

52 Nigerians hit with severe reactions after taking AstraZeneca vaccine

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The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, on Friday disclosed that 52 Nigerians have experienced moderate to severe reactions after taking the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja.

He also said 8,439 Nigerians experienced mild Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) after taking the vaccine.

Shuaib stated that the 52 Nigerians that experienced moderate to severe reactions to the vaccine were brought down with fever, vomiting, diarrhea headaches, dizziness and allergic reactions

“In Nigeria, since the vaccination program was officially rolled out on 15th of April 2021, a total of 8,439 mild Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) have been reported. These range from pain, swelling at the site of the inoculation, to body pains and nausea. 

“Similarly, 52 cases of moderate to severe incidents of AEFI have been reported. These presented as fever, vomiting, diarrhea headaches, dizziness and allergic reactions.

“Five states have the highest records of the AEFI namely: Kaduna (970) Cross River (859), Yobe (541), Kebbi (511), and Lagos (448),” he disclosed.

According to Shuaib, as of today, April 16th, 1,071,346, representing 53.2% of the eligible persons targeted with the AstraZeneca vaccine had been administered their first dose in this vaccination phase.

He said the data were based on reports received from states through the Electronic Management of Immunization Data (EMID) system only and did not take into account vaccinations that were not yet captured in the system.

“What this number means is that these are the people who have their information already uploaded on our data base, while others are awaiting upload, potentially due to network problems and the high traffic of those coming in to take their shots at the same time.

“While we continue to optimize our registration and immunization data system, we also encourage the state teams to deploy the most suitable internet service for their locations in order to speed up the data entry process, so that we can have the actual number of vaccinated people at any given time,” he said.

Shuaib added that in many states, the inoculation of frontline health workers had been completed and that they had begun offering vaccination to the elderly, particularly those that were 65 years and above.

“We are glad to be able to progress quickly offer immunization to more members of the community.

“Our rollout has been marked by safety, efficiency, best practice, and speed. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and its development partners, have a platform of Senior Supervisors that engage in daily evening review meetings to determine the status of the COVID-19 vaccine implementation in all States & the FCT.”

AGENCY NEWS

Tinubu calls for unity while speaking from both sides of his mouth

Nigeria News

By Confidence Okwuchi on March 13, 2021

The National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, has called for unity and decisiveness to tackle the unabated farmer-herders’ crisis in the country.

Tinubu said in a statement on Saturday that the herder-farmer dispute had taken an acute and violent dimensions and had cost too many innocent lives while destroying the property and livelihoods of many others.

According to him, “as vital as security is to the resolution of this matter, the nation must realise security measures alone will not suffice.”

He said that enhanced security might be the necessary first step, but it could not be the only step.

“This matter is not ethnic in factual origin or actual causation although in the minds and hearts of too many it has become ethnic in recrimination and impulsive action.

“There have been sporadic disputes in the past but this one is more severe. The reasons for the greater violence of this current dispute are myriad, “Tinubu said.

According to him, farmers have a right to farm their land unmolested and herders have a right to raise their livestock without undue interference.

He, however, explained that when conflict between these groups arises to such an extent, the nation must set forth clear principles and policies to remove the tension, in order to allow both to proceed toward their stated goals, to live in harmony and according to their respective rights.

“To destroy the crops or seize the property of the innocent farmer or herder is nothing if not an act of criminality,” he said.

Tinubu noted that unoccupied public land could be fenced into grazing areas or ranches and leased to herders on a very low-cost, nominal basis.

He said the leasing was not intended to penalise herders, rather the nominal fee should be intended to ensure the herders were invested in the project and incentivized to use the land provided.

Tinubu said this aspect would also mitigate any resentment over herders being given land for free.

He urged the government to also assist farmers increase productivity by providing subvention for their acquisition of fertilizer, equipment and machinery.

He said this could be done by establishing commodity boards to guarantee minimum prices for important crops.

NP/Confidence Okwuchi