Thursday, April 25

IMPACT

The Coming New World Order — Just A Conspiracy Theory, Right?
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IMPACT, TOP FOUR

The Coming New World Order — Just A Conspiracy Theory, Right?

It's just a conspiracy theory, right? The yearning for a single world government can be traced all the way back to the Tower of Babel. If you believe in the Bible as I do, you know God wasn't to happy about that little gathering. The secret societies that have been used to foster this ongoing goal can be traced back to Babylon, Egypt, Greek and Gnostic cults, the Knights Templar, Rosicrucians, Freemasons, and the Illuminati. The Order of Illuminati was a group formed from within the Freemasons in 1776 by a Jesuit taught man by the name of Adam Weishaupt. It's goal was also the creation of a new world order but the group was suppressed by the Bavarian government for allegedly plotting to overthrow all of the kings in Europe including the Pope! The Order was carried on by Geoseppe Messin...
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Even As Her Books Are Being Banned From Schools — The Judy Blume Renaissance Is Upon Us
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IMPACT

Even As Her Books Are Being Banned From Schools — The Judy Blume Renaissance Is Upon Us

Judy Blume is having a moment. A staple of backpacks of elementary, middle grade and young adult readers since the 1970s, Blume, 85, is about to see her stories on the big screen. The new documentary “Judy Blume Forever” debuts on Amazon Prime on Friday after premiering to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in January. And on April 28, the first-ever film adaptation of Blume’s 1970 classic “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” releases in theaters, bringing “We must! We must! We must increase our bust!” to a whole new generation. Blume’s work is beloved by children and teens — and the adults they one day become — for its frank depictions of the day-to-day realities of growing up. They grapple with puberty, masturbation and sex on top of the emotional journey, subjects glossed o...
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New Research Suggests — Integrity, Innovation And Risk-Taking Is A Rare Combination In CEOs
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IMPACT, TOP FOUR

New Research Suggests — Integrity, Innovation And Risk-Taking Is A Rare Combination In CEOs

Integrity, innovation and risk-taking is a rare combination in CEOs, new research suggests. Corporate chief executive officers who have a high degree of integrity – that is, a commitment to act by a morally justified set of principles and values – tend to be less creative, more risk-averse and less likely to take initiative than other CEOs, according to new research I co-authored. Past research suggests that as a result, their companies are likely to be less competitive and less profitable. Having a lot of integrity has traditionally been considered one of the most important qualities of a business leader. Research has shown that a high level of CEO integrity is a key trait in determining employee loyalty as well as preventing problems like fraud. My colleague Saim Kashmiri and I wonder...
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The SNAP Work Requirements Drastically Limits The Availability Of Food Aid — But Don’t Actually Get More People Working
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IMPACT

The SNAP Work Requirements Drastically Limits The Availability Of Food Aid — But Don’t Actually Get More People Working

SNAP work requirements don’t actually get more people working – but they do drastically limit the availability of food aid. The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would cut spending, in part by expanding work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, through which nearly 43 million low-income Americans get help buying groceries. The House bill calls for this policy to apply to adults as old as 55, while today this policy only applies to adults under 50. Some Democrats, in contrast, are seeking to eliminate work requirements altogether. The bill passed by a 217-215 vote, with all but four Republicans in favor and every Democrat opposed, on April 26, 2023. Tied to a standoff over raising the debt ceiling, the bill would also make Medicaid – the U.S. program...
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A Houston ISD Takeover Would Oust A Diverse, Nearly All-Women School Board From Office
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EDUCATION, IMPACT

A Houston ISD Takeover Would Oust A Diverse, Nearly All-Women School Board From Office

A Houston high school with a history of underperforming has given the Texas Education Agency (TEA) the opening needed to take over the city’s entire public school district. In March, TEA announced that it would begin running the Houston Independent School District (HISD) — where leadership is predominantly women and people of color. The takeover means that the HISD superintendent and nine trustees will be removed and that TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, who is White, will name new HISD leaders by June. The current superintendent is Black, seven trustees are Black or Latinx, and eight are women. Although Phillis Wheatley High School now has a C rating, it had low state accountability ratings for five straight years last decade. State law allows Texas officials to take control of any distr...
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Madeleine McCann Vanished — The Case That Still Grips The World
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IMPACT, Journalism, TOP FOUR, VIDEO REELS

Madeleine McCann Vanished — The Case That Still Grips The World

The case of missing Madeleine McCann still grips the world – but why? Madeleine McCann, the British girl who vanished as a three-year-old from her family’s holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007, was back in the news recently as yet another person claimed to be her. It’s a phenomenon fuelled by social media - in 2020 a TikTok trend emerged in which women uploaded images to compare themselves to Madeleine. The latest claim was quickly debunked by police, but it raises an interesting question: why do some cases stick in the public consciousness? What generates the ongoing engagement and interest? Put this into the context that two people under the age of 18 go missing every hour in Australia. That’s 48 every single day. In the United Kingdom, of the 353,000 missing person incidents reporte...
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Donald Trump Is Not An Imperial King, Indictment Confirmed
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IMPACT, TOP FOUR

Donald Trump Is Not An Imperial King, Indictment Confirmed

Manhattan grand jury votes to indict Donald Trump, showing he, like all other presidents, is not an imperial king. A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on March 30, 2023, for his alleged role in paying porn star Stormy Daniels hush money. Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina confirmed the indictment. The New York Times reported that it is not yet clear what exact charges Trump will face, but a formal indictment will likely be issued in the next few days. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is the first prosecutor ever to issue an indictment against a former president. Trump is still the center of several ongoing investigations regarding other alleged criminal activity, including actions he took while in office. American history is rife with presidents who have u...
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Trippy Drugs To Therapeutic Aids – Psychedelics Got Their Groove Back
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CULTURE, IMPACT, TOP FOUR

Trippy Drugs To Therapeutic Aids – Psychedelics Got Their Groove Back

From trippy drugs to therapeutic aids – how psychedelics got their groove back. For many years, drugs such as LSD, psilocybin and Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) were viewed only as highly dangerous drugs. However, in recent years they have had a bit of rebrand. Now they’re believed by some to have the power to heal, to reconnect us with nature – even resolve political tensions. Use of these drugs is on the rise. At the start of the pandemic in 2020, the UK Home Office released data showing a 230% rise in confiscations of LSD compared to the previous year. The pandemic itself might be changing drug preferences. Almost half of those using magic mushrooms reported using more during the pandemic according to a recent survey. The changing view of psychedelics can in part be attributed to the renewe...
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The Eyes Don’t Lie
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IMPACT, TOP FOUR, VIDEO REELS

The Eyes Don’t Lie

Your eyes will position themselves according to the thoughts that are in your head. By watching your eyes other people can often tell what you are thinking and if you are lying. Professional poker players know that your eyes can be a dead giveaway. Most professional players are very good at reading body language and are keen at reading them. They also tend to wear sunglasses, ball-caps and other accessories on their faces to hide their eyes. The behavior of the eyes is fairly predictable, someone will make eye contact with you and during the conversation they take a moment to think. For this brief moment while they access information in their brain, and their eyes will move to a predictable position. Here are what the different positions mean: - Eyes in the Upper Right (1st person upp...
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Nonprofit Groups Led By White Executive Directors Get More Funding Than Similar Groups Serving Or Led By People Of Color
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IMPACT

Nonprofit Groups Led By White Executive Directors Get More Funding Than Similar Groups Serving Or Led By People Of Color

Nonprofits serving or led by people of color get less funding than similar groups led by white executive directors. Nonprofits that serve people of color or are led by nonwhite executive directors have a harder time getting the funding they need than other organizations, increasing their financial hardships. That’s what we found when we surveyed more than 200 social services and arts nonprofits across the U.S. that focus on the needs of particular racial and ethnic groups. We researched three kinds of organizations: those helping meet immigrants’ needs; those promoting different cultural heritages or preserving the traditions of particular ethnic groups; and folk arts nonprofits. About one-third of those surveyed serve mainly white communities such as Irish Americans or Polish Americans, ...
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