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One-fifth of all crocodiles, snakes, and other reptiles are threatened with extinction

They aren’t fluffy, and some of them bite, but reptiles are an incredibly important feature of our planet. These cold-blooded creatures, such as crocodiles and snakes, help keep ecosystems healthy, they’ve inspired <a href="https://www.vox.com/22553793/gila-monster-lizard-venom-inspired-obesity-drug-semaglutide">medical</a> and <a href="https://geckskin.umass.edu/">engineering</a> advances, and they can even be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dsuMqClh38M">cute</a>. (I swear!)
But like other animals, charismatic or not, many reptiles are at risk of disappearing. More than a fifth of all reptilian species — over 1,800 — are threatened with extinction, and 31 species have permanently vanished already, according to a new study in the journal Nature.
Turtles and crocodiles face the greatest risks, the analysis shows. There are also hundreds of reptiles that scientists haven’t yet assessed — and many more they’ve yet to discover, said Timothy Colston, a reptile researcher at the University of Puerto Rico, who was not involved with the study. Researchers describe <a href="http://www.reptile-database.org/db-info/SpeciesStat.html">more than 100</a> new reptile species each year, which means some reptiles could go extinct before we even know they exist.
Then again, many people don’t know much about the reptiles that scientists have documented — the pancake-like softshell turtles, the fearsome thorny lizards, and so many more. Each species is unique and part of a delicate ecosystem that other life (including humans) depends on. So, perhaps let’s start there, with the wondrous realm of reptiles, and why it’s smart to keep them on Earth.
<h3>Reptiles, explained</h3>
Reptiles are not amphibians, i.e., a <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/5/26/22451394/poison-frogs-deforestation-toxins">frog</a> is not a reptile. There are a few key differences: Amphibians typically have smooth and moist skin that’s porous, whereas reptiles have dry scales. Amphibians also tend to have a closer association with water, although there are a number of water-loving reptiles (such as the <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/facts/marine-iguana">marine iguana</a> in the Galapagos Islands, aquatic turtles, and watersnakes).
Some of the world’s most interesting creatures are reptiles, such as the color-changing chameleons and the oldest living land animal on Earth, Jonathan the tortoise (he’s around <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/01/31/oldest-animal-tortoise-jonathan-/">190</a> years old). Reptiles are also a diverse bunch. Our planet has nearly 30 species of crocodilians alone, ranging from the massive “true crocodiles” to <a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/gharial">gharials</a>, which have very long and narrow snouts.
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<figcaption>Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, was likely born in the 1830s, and is considered the oldest living land animal on Earth.</figcaption>
<cite>Gianluigi Guercia/AFP via Getty Images</cite></figure>
Reptiles display a number of evolutionary marvels. Viper snakes, for example, can detect infrared radiation, allowing them to find warm-bodied prey. Crocodiles, meanwhile, have scales with built-in motion sensors, which help them find and capture fish in complete darkness, according to Phoebe Griffith, a doctoral researcher who studies crocodiles at the University of Oxford.
Gharials also make incredible parents, said Griffith, who was not involved in the new study. They nest in communities, and one male or female gharial becomes the “primary guardian” for the babies. If there’s a threat nearby, hundreds of baby crocs will jump on a guardian’s back as it floats in the water like a safety raft, Griffith said. Tell me <a href="https://www.livescience.com/gharial-crocodile-papa-photo.html">this isn’t cute</a>.
Reptiles are a massively understudied group, but scientists know that they play an important role in the environment. For example, gopher tortoises found in the southeastern US dig deep burrows, Colston said, that more than <a href="https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/">350 species</a> rely on. Some reptiles, like snakes and crocodiles, are predators and keep populations of fish, small mammals, and even human pests in check (which is one perk of having insect-loving geckos visit your home).
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<figcaption>A golden eyelash pit viper on a branch near Corcovado National Park, on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica.</figcaption>
<cite>Dave Kempe Photography/Getty Images</cite></figure>
Although they’ve got a rotten reputation, snakes are important, too. Beyond their role in bringing balance to an ecosystem, they often eat things that are — unlike themselves — a major risk to humans, such as rodents that carry ticks with Lyme disease. Scientists have also used snake venom to develop <a href="https://www.bbcearth.com/news/how-venoms-are-shaping-medical-advances">life-saving</a> drugs.
<h3>The great reptile decline</h3>
Researchers have largely overlooked reptiles, the authors of the new paper write, which is one reason why their study is so important. Risk assessments like theirs help scientists prioritize a limited amount of funding for conservation.
With input from nearly 1,000 herpetologists, the authors reviewed the threats facing roughly 10,200 species. They found that just over 21 percent of them are vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, according to standards set by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Animals in these categories are “threatened with global extinction,” the nonprofit <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/conservation-tools/iucn-red-list-threatened-species">says</a>.
That number is large even compared to other animal groups. There are more reptile species threatened by extinction than species of birds or mammals facing similar threats. (More amphibian species are threatened than reptiles, and both amphibians and mammals have a greater overall percentage of species at risk of disappearing.)
<figure class="e-image"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1651092570_8821_5195" data-cdata='{"asset_id":23418519,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3zso_AbjX_dqgYbk2gwNpNDU4O8=/0x0:5616x3744/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CiNfirgYyiCGW-aIu3Sa_jJt0ZQ=/0x0:5616x3744/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KV8QdceV1ah9HtzFqioYHGZA-gU=/0x0:5616x3744/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Rjoj9Ye8rBug1KPpv8OJLBUlIsQ=/0x0:5616x3744/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LA633ANGdwta5HRVQhPsCMlkydw=/0x0:5616x3744/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/F_IPondziyTltKNT4F9LJcSbm3g=/0x0:5616x3744/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/t-rOBfQJkbYo1f_8YG6xn2h7Wyc=/0x0:5616x3744/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rgfZPI_6HWFPbxb7ax-LEUw2eWQ=/0x0:5616x3744/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ATIeKNrJIQwBWmUxCB3ti0sXKRc=/0x0:5616x3744/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="5616" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kXWyu5hGUwyW3m_VjVAhxnt4Drk=/0x0:5616x3744/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gMO0IWseASB2hBb3eaO9EAu70Hk=/0x0:5616x3744/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZQPBYSPjIc4VsdgRHt1R8_4wVGs=/0x0:5616x3744/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qswrN_U585_93rk81ffbvNzEgYs=/0x0:5616x3744/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/W29p7Gf130bn2EqrIDL4ctn7E7Y=/0x0:5616x3744/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QRftxwAT-jCptRe75y1PrchqK6w=/0x0:5616x3744/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CyP5GNjsPIRBSFKLeMJuG2punc4=/0x0:5616x3744/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y4-rQO5P97PIn1VVFO2GKIhQgM4=/0x0:5616x3744/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/838eags5tcYzvrLT91Wvsfhztrc=/0x0:5616x3744/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/keC1UEOkt3g2dEUdr6OHeMSVXaU=/0x0:5616x3744/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5616x3744):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23418519/GettyImages_157692990.jpg 1920w" /></picture>
<figcaption>A Florida softshell turtle.</figcaption>
<cite>Nancy C. Ross/Getty Images</cite></figure>
Humans have caused these steep reptile declines by destroying or polluting many of their habitats, especially freshwater ecosystems, Griffith said.
The streams and wetlands of South and Southeast Asia are home to a large number of aquatic species, in addition to dense human populations, which pollute and exploit the environment. One issue in rivers, Griffith said, is the plundering of sand, the <a href="https://graphics.reuters.com/GLOBAL-ENVIRONMENT/SAND/ygdpzekyavw/">most mined</a> material on Earth. Humans use sand to make products like cement, glass, and tarmac, but many turtles and crocodiles need it to nest.
Half or more of all turtle and crocodile species face extinction, the study revealed. Not only are these animals losing habitat but, for decades, humans have also exploited them for their skin and meat, or caught them accidentally in fishing nets. People also kill crocodiles out of fear or for retaliation. “People don’t like to live near reptiles that can be dangerous,” Neil Cox, a study co-author who manages a project run by IUCN and the nonprofit Conservation International to document threatened species, said on a call with reporters.
Climate change also poses a problem, threatening around 10 percent of all reptiles directly, the authors said. Oddly, global warming may also alter the gender ratio of many reptiles. For certain species, such as sea turtles, the temperature in the environment <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/in-depth-how-will-climate-change-affect-animal-sex-ratios">determines</a> their babies’ sex — warmer temperatures could mean turtle clutches <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/sea-turtle-sex-ratio-crisis-from-climate-change-has-hope">will have more females</a> than males. If warming skews those ratios too much, it could make it hard for reptiles to reproduce.
<h3>Saving reptiles is easier than we thought</h3>
The study’s headline figures are alarming, but the paper revealed something hopeful: Efforts to protect mammals, birds, and amphibians, such as setting up protected areas, seem to benefit reptiles, too. So, even though conservationists may have been ignoring these creatures, reptiles are still somewhat protected.
“If you set out to protect the places where many threatened birds, mammals, and amphibians live together, then you will simultaneously protect many more threatened reptiles than you would expect by chance,” Bruce Young, a study co-author, said on a call with reporters Tuesday. “The situation is less dire than it could be,” said Young, the chief zoologist and senior conservation scientist at the nonprofit group NatureServe.
<figure class="e-image"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1651092571_9793_5196" data-cdata='{"asset_id":23419153,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dK6uO52brxgI70XyOS-rGTe0OYQ=/0x0:4928x3280/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/A3DGpPC3eT-w2GmSm4sNc1tfZX4=/0x0:4928x3280/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3S1elIi6ESnsRZm7qGZx98YJmZs=/0x0:4928x3280/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DZ91PDs8sKNkfgXfxQphVe7ZACU=/0x0:4928x3280/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9LdNriAXNYtBmdgc5MKdTatN4VA=/0x0:4928x3280/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pFrObaqbYbKDMM9lnGa3UGF0fiI=/0x0:4928x3280/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1Rf13Ur0DVMtUi8LFyFXi19Pmq4=/0x0:4928x3280/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tAF3Y5M7OMpHx6scca6H2uE2jmc=/0x0:4928x3280/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MUk7tdgR5I1cHTJa20aMNtCYJug=/0x0:4928x3280/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="4928" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fK15rPwEW2ZTiqNqp2QXPNxInG0=/0x0:4928x3280/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gy5U4sPaL6DyOWkUxUkK3TqLWhU=/0x0:4928x3280/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wFh_U5Q23b99NlyoAAXRyKLilI0=/0x0:4928x3280/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/90Ga5V5j1KEBCiz1VjXFH5mlbgQ=/0x0:4928x3280/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wKQW_Ne2hG9amgxJs7Hdtylv-R4=/0x0:4928x3280/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/X5M0D6_94Mzzh_mUOTzSLCg33m4=/0x0:4928x3280/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HYC_A_FvOoZMvQxSfFZFVoZctuM=/0x0:4928x3280/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/m_-FZrCEc-fdfGp68oHJSSfyO7s=/0x0:4928x3280/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1HVAVUxWjiUN28K7f3DA-U4tbg8=/0x0:4928x3280/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ibXA2hA_EjpdzOjBbSUu-lGsSxw=/0x0:4928x3280/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4928x3280):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23419153/GettyImages_544517430.jpg 1920w" /></picture>
<figcaption>American Alligators at the Everglades Alligator Farm in Homestead, Florida.</figcaption>
<cite>Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images</cite></figure>
Environmental advocates have also shown that humans can reverse the damage they’ve caused. Half a century ago, hunters <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/06/17/we-saved-the-alligators-from-extinction-then-moved-into-their-territory/">nearly wiped out</a> the American alligator from the southeastern states, but in 1967, the US government granted them protection and outlawed hunting. Now they’re so abundant that some states have <a href="https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/snap/">nuisance alligator</a> programs. Decades of conservation efforts have also <a href="https://phys.org/news/2015-03-green-sea-turtles-recover-florida.html">restored</a> many populations of sea turtles.
Public opinion may be shifting, too, Griffith said. She’s seen more and more people become excited about reptiles in Nepal, where she works, and elsewhere. And there’s a growing community of “herpers” — people who go out, typically at night, in search of reptiles and amphibians. There’s a certain thrill that comes from tracking down loud spring peeper frogs or looking under logs for salamanders. It’s hard not to fall in love with reptiles when you’re immersed in their world.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/4/27/23040966/snakes-turtles-lizards-reptiles-extinction">https://www.vox.com/2022/4/27/23040966/snakes-turtles-lizards-reptiles-extinction</a>

vox One-fifth of all crocodiles, snakes, and other reptiles are threatened with extinction

They aren’t fluffy, and some of them bite, but reptiles are an incredibly important feature of our planet. These cold-blooded creatures, suc...

Report: Google Turns Off ‘Newspeak’ Correction Tool (For Now)

The Twitter lawyer who broke down crying during a meeting about the ramifications of Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media company was previously instrumental in banning President Trump as well as censoring information about the COVID lab leak theory.
Yesterday, it was revealed that Twitter’s top lawyer, Vijaya Gadde, was reduced to tears during a virtual meeting with the company’s policy and legal teams following Musk’s successful purchase of the platform.
According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/26/twitters-top-lawyer-reassures-staff-cries-during-meeting-about-musk-takeover-00027931">Politico</a>, “Gadde cried during the meeting as she expressed concerns about how the company could change,” and “acknowledged that there are significant uncertainties about what the company will look like under Musk’s leadership.”
Gadde was presumably upset by the fact that her power to censor individuals and content may now be restricted under Musk’s leadership.
As head of Trust and Safety, Gadde was hugely influential in defining the company’s view of “hate speech” and was also instrumental in crafting the “healthy conversations” narrative that Twitter has used an excuse to censor blatantly factual information, such as the assertion that ‘trans women’ are not biological men.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="4.390243902439">
she seemed so tough then:<a href="https://t.co/3HXyJkeGnY">https://t.co/3HXyJkeGnY</a>
— 01 (@seancpdx) <a href="https://twitter.com/seancpdx/status/1519054764687962115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
She also spearheaded the banning of President Trump after the January 6 riot, despite the fact that Trump had no role whatsoever in inciting the riot. Twitter claimed they banned Trump in order to stop “further incitement of violence,” despite Trump literally telling his supporters via Twitter, “Go home with love & in peace.”
According to Politico, Gadde’s role in banning Trump “earned her devoted fans within Twitter.” She also would have undoubtedly been a crucial figure in Twitter’s decision to censor the Hunter Biden laptop story and the New York Post, despite the story being completely verified.
The Indian immigrant was also reportedly involved in the decision to temporarily ban Zero Hedge from Twitter for its reporting on the lab leak origin theory of COVID-19, despite this subsequently becoming a widely plausible explanation for the origin of the virus.
“Gadde is crying because her new boss is a ‘free speech absolutist,’ while she wants to silence divergent opinions from her own,” <a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/twitters-top-lawyer-breaks-down-tears-during-musk-takeover-meeting">reported</a> the popular news outlet.
“Gadde is likely the exec who signed off on ZeroHedge’s February 2020 ban for speculating that Covid-19 may have emerged from a Wuhan Lab, and President Trump’s January 2021 ban in connection with the capitol riot.”
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source <a href="https://summit.news/2022/04/27/report-google-turns-off-newspeak-correction-tool-for-now/">https://summit.news/2022/04/27/report-google-turns-off-newspeak-correction-tool-for-now/</a>

revolution summit Report: Google Turns Off ‘Newspeak’ Correction Tool (For Now)

The Twitter lawyer who broke down crying during a meeting about the ramifications of Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media company was pr...

Chuck Schumer: ‘Only Way’ To Reduce Inflation Is To ‘Raise Taxes’ & Undo Trump Tax Cuts

The “only way” to tackle rampant inflation in America is to raise taxes on the middle class and eliminate tax cuts enacted by former President Donald Trump, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D).
“If you wanna get rid of inflation, the only way to do it is to undo a lot of the <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2017/12/20/historic-congress-passes-tax-cuts-jobs-act-sends-president-trump-sign/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Tax Cuts</a> and raise rates,” Schumer said during a press conference at the Capitol building on Tuesday.
[embedded content]
“No Republican is ever going to do that, so the only way to get rid of inflation is through reconciliation,” he added, referring to a procedure whereby Democrats would force through legislation with their narrow simple majority in the Senate.
Schumer’s explanation is ignorant at best and dishonest at worst, as there are several ways to reduce inflation.
Schumer conveniently omitted that reducing the federal government’s excessive entitlement spending facilitated by the Federal Reserve’s money-printing policy known as “quantitative easing” would more efficiently reduce inflation.
In fact, just raising taxes on Americans would not actually tackle the inflation problem at all due to the sheer size of the national debt and its accompanying interest.
As economist Milton Friedman noted: “Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon in the sense that it is and can be produced only by a more rapid increase in the quantity of money than in output.”
The Federal Reserve could raise borrowing interest rates to the current official inflation rate – <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/apr/12/us-inflation-rate-march-2022" target="_blank">8.5% as of March</a> – to encourage savings and reduce economic demand, but that would likely push the economy into a recession.
<div class="hh7CjYwb"><a href="https://www.infowarsstore.com/survival-shield-x-2-nascent-iodine?ims=oadrd&utm_campaign=x2isbackhero&utm_source=Infowars+Hero&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=x2isbackhero" target="_blank"><img src="https://api.directus.libertycdn.com/uploads/_/originals/X-2-hero-385.jpg" /></a></div>
The Fed could also shrink its balance sheet – a process known as quantitative tightening – to reduce the money supply, which would ease inflationary pressure.
“There’s one source of inflation. The actual definition of inflation is an expansion of the money supply,” economist and EuroPacific Capital CEO Peter Schiff told Fox News host Tucker Carlson last month, adding that inflation is effectively a hidden tax imposed upon the American people because the dollar’s spending power is diminished over time.
“It’s the Federal Reserve that’s been expanding the money supply,” Schiff continued. “They’ve called it ‘quantitative easing’, but they keep creating dollars, and it’s the U.S. government that spends those dollars into circulation. And as it does that, the value of each dollar goes down. And so the price of everything you buy with dollars goes up.”
[embedded content]
“The middle class is going to feel the inflation tax the hardest. Their wages are not going to go up nearly as much as the cost of living,” he added.
So Schumer’s proposal is to add on even more economic pain upon the middle class by hiking their taxes even more in an inflationary environment while doing nothing to address the out-of-control government spending that caused the inflation to begin with.
Watch the full Democrat press conference:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" readability="4.4444444444444">
HAPPENING NOW: <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenStabenow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenStabenow</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorCantwell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorCantwell</a> are speaking live from the Capitol. <a href="https://t.co/yjnoITOzg9">https://t.co/yjnoITOzg9</a>
— Senate Democrats (@SenateDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateDems/status/1519017294189539332?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://battleplan.news/watch?id=62603065d905881a86263c39" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Households Cancel Streaming Subscriptions in Record Numbers as Inflation Forces Cutbacks</a>
 
 
source <a href="https://www.infowars.com/posts/chuck-schumer-only-way-to-reduce-inflation-is-to-raise-taxes-undo-trump-tax-cuts">https://www.infowars.com/posts/chuck-schumer-only-way-to-reduce-inflation-is-to-raise-taxes-undo-trump-tax-cuts</a>

news Chuck Schumer: ‘Only Way’ To Reduce Inflation Is To ‘Raise Taxes’ & Undo Trump Tax Cuts

The “only way” to tackle rampant inflation in America is to raise taxes on the middle class and eliminate tax cuts enacted by former Preside...

Musk Slams Anti-Free Speech Authoritarians: ‘I Am Against Censorship That Goes Far Beyond Law’

<div><img class="ff-og-image-inserted" src="https://api-assets.infowars.com/2021/11/011121musk.jpg" /></div>
Tesla CEO and new Twitter owner Elon Musk commented outrage over his vow to bring free speech back to the platform speaks volumes.
“The extreme antibody reaction from those who fear free speech says it all,” Musk tweeted Tuesday concerning the livid reactions seen from many following his acquisition of the company.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" readability="4.3805309734513">
The extreme antibody reaction from those who fear free speech says it all
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1519020176884305920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
Musk went on to clarify his definition of free speech is any speech that is permitted by law.
“By ‘free speech’, I simply mean that which matches the law,” Musk tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" readability="13.375796178344">
By “free speech”, I simply mean that which matches the law.
I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.
If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect.
Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1519036983137509376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
“I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law,” he pointed out.
“If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect.”
“Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.”
It remains to be seen whether Musk’s free speech vision involves reinstating, or unbanning accounts that were suspended under Twitter’s previous ownership, but some conservatives have <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.infowars.com/posts/liberal-twitter-users-baffled-as-they-lose-thousands-of-followers-after-musk-buyout" target="_blank">reported</a> seeing an uptick in follower counts suggesting algorithmic changes are already taking place.
On Tuesday, Musk responded to a tweet from Breaking Points co-host Saagar Enjeti, who highlighted an article reporting Twitter lawyer Vijaya Gadde cried during a company meeting following the acquisition, pointing out Gadde helped censor the New York Post over the Hunter Biden laptop story which was now been confirmed true.
“Suspending the Twitter account of a major news organization for publishing a truthful story was obviously incredibly inappropriate,” Musk commented, suggesting he’s well aware of the issue.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" readability="5.5058823529412">
Suspending the Twitter account of a major news organization for publishing a truthful story was obviously incredibly inappropriate
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1519073003933515776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://banned.video/watch?id=6267135ca7b0322fef726b36" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BREAKING: Elon Musk Takes Over Twitter, Learn What Will Come Next</a>
 
 
source <a href="https://www.infowars.com/posts/musk-slams-anti-free-speech-authoritarians-i-am-against-censorship-that-goes-far-beyond-law">https://www.infowars.com/posts/musk-slams-anti-free-speech-authoritarians-i-am-against-censorship-that-goes-far-beyond-law</a>

news Musk Slams Anti-Free Speech Authoritarians: ‘I Am Against Censorship That Goes Far Beyond Law’

Tesla CEO and new Twitter owner Elon Musk commented outrage over his vow to bring free speech back to the platform speaks volumes. “The ex...

Twitter’s Top Lawyer Breaks Down In Tears During Musk Takeover Meeting

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Twitter’s top lawyer, Vijaya Gadde, reportedly broke down in tears during a virtual meeting with the company’s policy and legal teams to discuss the ramifications of Elon Musk’s purchase of the social media platform.
According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/26/twitters-top-lawyer-reassures-staff-cries-during-meeting-about-musk-takeover-00027931">Politico</a>, “Gadde cried during the meeting as she expressed concerns about how the company could change,” and “acknowledged that there are significant uncertainties about what the company will look like under Musk’s leadership.”
Having been with Twitter since 2011, Gadde was the key executive in charge of ‘trust and safety, legal and public policy functions‘ – described by Politico as the company’s “moral authority.” 
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote" readability="9.2471131639723">
Gadde holds one of the most controversial positions at Twitter: Her teams decide <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/twitters-gadde-is-final-word-on-blocking-tweets-even-trumps?context=article-related" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how to moderate content</a>. That’s made her a target of right-wing criticism, particularly when Twitter <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/technology/facebook-twitter-republicans-backlash.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blocked the distribution</a> of a New York Post article about President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, in 2020. She faced a renewed wave of criticism after multiple reports confirmed she was behind the decision to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/16/technology/twitter-donald-trump-jack-dorsey.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ban Trump from Twitter</a>. -Politico
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In other words, Gadde is likely the exec who signed off on ZeroHedge’s February 2020 ban for speculating that Covid-19 may have emerged from a Wuhan Lab, and President Trump’s January 2021 ban in connection with the capitol riot.
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote" readability="14.659606656581">
She has <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/10/28/twitter-vijaya-gadde-free-speech-policies-technology-social-media-429221" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shepherded Twitter through some of its most contentious political battles</a>, including the decisions to remove all political advertising and to boot former President Donald Trump from the platform in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill — a position that has earned her devoted fans within Twitter, as well as a large contingent of <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/01/18/twitter-exec-says-company-taking-crackdown-on-conspiracy-theorists-global/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">right-wing critics</a>.
But as news of Musk’s official takeover broke, policy and legal employees fretted at the meeting about what his leadership could mean for Twitter’s carefully crafted online speech rules, including its policies against hate speech, misinformation and even political advertising. -Politico
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She played a ‘leading role’ in the negotiation between Twitter and Musk, according to the report.
“I think everyone at Twitter, regardless of how they feel about the news, is feeling reflective and emotional,” said a Twitter employee. “We’ve gone through a lot in the past two years and I think it’s generally instigated a lot of reflection. I think this was more of an acknowledgment of the uncertainty everyone is feeling right now.”
As a reminder, Gadde is crying because her new boss is a ‘free speech absolutist,’ while she wants to silence divergent opinions from her own.
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“I’m often inspired by the vigorous debates on controversial issues that occur on Twitter, but I’ve also been seriously troubled by the plight of some of our users who are completely overwhelmed by those who are trying to silence healthy discourse in the name of free expression,” Gadde <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/16/twitter-executive-heres-how-were-trying-to-stop-abuse-while-preserving-free-speech/">wrote</a> in 2015. “At times, this takes the form of hateful speech in tweets directed at women or minority groups; at others, it takes the form of threats aimed to intimidate those who take a stand on issues.” 
What a crying shame.
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source <a href="https://www.infowars.com/posts/twitters-top-lawyer-breaks-down-in-tears-during-musk-takeover-meeting">https://www.infowars.com/posts/twitters-top-lawyer-breaks-down-in-tears-during-musk-takeover-meeting</a>

news Twitter’s Top Lawyer Breaks Down In Tears During Musk Takeover Meeting

Twitter’s top lawyer, Vijaya Gadde, reportedly broke down in tears during a virtual meeting with the company’s policy and legal teams to di...

White Helmets Instructors Deployed to Ukraine, Moscow Claims

Ukrainian authorities and their foreign handlers are planning false-flag attacks involving weapons of mass destruction, Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky said on Monday.
For that purpose, instructors of the notorious Syria-based White Helmets group have already been deployed to Ukraine, the official told reporters.
The diplomat effectively reiterated the allegations raised over the weekend by the head of the Russian Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Force, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who said the supposed plans harbored by the Kiev regime include “three scenarios,” ranging from a false-flag attack on civilians, to “tactical” small-scale use of WMDs and open deployment of such weaponry on the battlefield.
To facilitate the allegedly looming false-flag attack, overseas “handlers” of the Kiev authorities have sent “instructors” of the notorious White Helmets group to Ukraine, Polyansky stated.
“There is a well-known model in which such provocations [involving chemical weapons] are used in other parts of the world. First, a so-called chemical incident is organized. Then pro-Western non-governmental organizations, especially the infamous White Helmets, stationed nearby, quickly arrive on the scene and collect, in violation of all the norms of the non-proliferation regime, questionable ‘evidence’, and then feed this story to the Western media. We all know this technology,” Polyansky said.
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I can say that the curators of the Kiev regime are not very creative, so they are readying more or less the same scenario for Ukraine. The White Helmets instructors are already in Ukraine.
</blockquote>
The White Helmets group, co-founded by late British mercenary and presumed ex-intelligence officer James Le Mesurier, rose to international notoriety amid the years-long conflict in Syria.
The group, advertising itself as ‘Syrian Civil Defense’, has operated exclusively in areas controlled by assorted jihadist groups opposing President Bashar Assad’s government. The White Helmets have been involved in multiple purported ‘chemical incidents’ blamed on government troops and used by Western nations to carry out strikes against the Syrian military and its allies.
<div class="6ECoBGD1"><a href="https://www.infowarsstore.com/survival-shield-x-2-nascent-iodine?ims=oadrd&utm_campaign=x2isbackhero&utm_source=Infowars+Hero&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=x2isbackhero" target="_blank"><img src="https://api.directus.libertycdn.com/uploads/_/originals/X-2-hero-385.jpg" /></a></div>
Polyansky stressed that Moscow harbors no plans to use any kind of WMDs in Ukraine. While Russia does not even possess any chemical or biological weapons, using them would not make any military sense, the diplomat went on.
“What is the point of using them in Ukraine in an immediate vicinity of our border? We will get nothing that could not be achieved through conventional means,” he said.
Russia attacked its neighbor following Ukraine’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, signed in 2014, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The German and French brokered Minsk Protocols were designed to give the breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.
The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.
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source <a href="https://www.infowars.com/posts/white-helmets-instructors-deployed-to-ukraine-moscow-claims">https://www.infowars.com/posts/white-helmets-instructors-deployed-to-ukraine-moscow-claims</a>

news White Helmets Instructors Deployed to Ukraine, Moscow Claims

Ukrainian authorities and their foreign handlers are planning false-flag attacks involving weapons of mass destruction, Russia’s deputy perm...