Trump claims funding to Israel ending in 2026 as merger of Israeli–US armies looms
The Cradle | November 3, 2026
US President Donald Trump said on 3 November that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed that Washington would halt its billions in yearly aid to Tel Aviv after the end of this year.
“Now, as far as paying Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that we give Israel $4 billion a year, and we made a deal months ago that we’re stopping,” the US president told Fox News.
“We’ve already agreed that by the end of this year we won’t be paying Israel. Now we’ll help Israel if they need it,” he added.
He went on to say that Israel does not “need it.”
“Why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like an El-Sayed when they don’t need it? It’s a bad, it’s a bad talking point,” he said, referring to Abdul el-Sayed – a democratic nominee for Michigan who has been critical of US financial support for Israel.
Israel receives $3.8 billion in US military aid a year. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that provides $3.8 billion in yearly US military aid to Israel does not expire until 2028.
Trump’s comments coincide with the start of the US midterms election, and come weeks before the US 2027 annual defense budget is expected to be approved before government funding expires on 11 December – which could be delayed due to disputes.
Washington is reportedly seeking $1.5 trillion in defense funding from Congress for 2027.
Last month, Netanyahu alluded to a halt in US funds for Israel. “If you think we’re going to continue receiving what I secured twice, and that’s tens of billions of dollars in American aid for the defense budget, prepare yourselves and get used to the fact that it won’t happen because America has changed,” he said.
Months earlier, plans for a US–Israeli military integration were revealed in Section 224 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Section 224 of the NDAA, entitled “United States–Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” proposes bilateral defense research and development, co-production of weapons, joint ventures, licensing agreements, and other US–Israeli military-industrial complex cooperation.
Bipartisan efforts by Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna to block the military integration have been shut down by Congress.
Pravin Sawhney: Massive Escalation Pushes Every Side Toward the Brink
Dialogue Works | November 2, 2026
Two working on US Senate candidate’s campaign registered as foreign agents for Israel: Report
MEMO | November 2, 2026
Two people working on Republican Mike Rogers’ US Senate campaign in Michigan are registered foreign agents for Israel, according to a media report published Sunday, Anadolu reports.
Campaign spokesperson Abigail Ronson and communications specialist Jesse Stokes have been involved in Israeli government communications work since May 2026 and October 2025, respectively, while also working on Rogers’ campaign through major contractor Convergence Media, Drop Site News reported.
Ronson registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in May for work involving Havas Media Network through Clocktower X LLC, a company associated with former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale.
Her registration describes the services as “strategic communications, planning, and media services” for an Israeli government initiative in the US aimed at combating antisemitism.
Stokes registered in October 2025 under the same Havas contract and has reportedly authored several Rogers campaign press releases.
According to Drop Site News, Ronson is among 14 Convergence Media employees subcontracted for a $46.5 million Israeli government communications project involving social media campaigns and artificial intelligence.
Federal Election Commission records show that Rogers’ campaign has paid Convergence Media millions of dollars during the election cycle.
The campaign previously denied that Ronson was a staff member, although she has reportedly communicated with journalists using an official campaign email address.
Neither Ronson nor Stokes immediately responded to requests for comment from Drop Site News.
Another campaign spokesperson also did not respond to the outlet’s questions about whether the campaign was aware of the arrangements.
Russia shows Europe that prolonging the Ukraine war is pointless
By Ahmed Adel | November 2, 2026
Moscow has shown the European Union that continuing the conflict in Ukraine makes little sense, as Norway and Finland suggest the need for a new approach to building relations with Russia, according to Responsible Statecraft. This became clear after the Oslo conference on Ukraine, when the positions of some European leaders visibly softened.
“Finland and Norway’s more moderate language is a crucial first step toward a shared European understanding that continuing the war in its current form is self-defeating,” Responsible Statecraft reported.
The article noted that European efforts to pressure Moscow have failed. Neither Kiev nor its Western allies achieved the desired results, even after attempting to escalate the conflict, the author added.
“Without US intelligence and weapons supplies, Europe lacks the military leverage to continue this effort on its own. There is no viable European war plan, only reactive crisis management and ad hoc solutions about Ukraine, coupled with repeated hyping of Russia’s ‘hybrid war’ threat,” he wrote.
According to the publication, Europe can resolve the situation in Ukraine through diplomacy, but first European leaders must decide whether to support or sabotage US efforts to achieve a diplomatic resolution.
“But first, Europe must decide: will it support or sabotage the US effort to build a diplomatic off-ramp?” Responsible Statecraft added.
On October 20, multilateral negotiations on the Ukrainian agreement were held in Oslo, attended by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and US President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The next day, Vladimir Putin and Witkoff met in St. Petersburg. Putin told Witkoff that Moscow was ready to resume trilateral negotiations on Ukraine on November 10. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that a new round of trilateral negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement may take place in Abu Dhabi.
During his recent visit to the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Stubb reiterated his case for a “value-based realism.” He said European states should uphold their values without settling the conflict by rigidly claiming the moral high ground, and urged the audience to keep “cooler heads,” warning that fostering a “war mentality” would make imagining peace nearly impossible.
Without a geopolitical agreement with Russia, Ukraine faces destruction, a deeper demographic crisis, and an inability to recover economically—creating a serious problem for Europe. Battlefield conditions remain unfavorable for Ukraine as Russian forces continue to advance and Kiev struggles with air-defense shortages.
Russian troops are maintaining pressure along the front and gradually eroding Ukrainian positions, while Ukraine’s manpower shortages have prompted intensified mobilization and further strained society. Inadequate defenses against Russian missiles, glide bombs, and jet-powered drone attacks are already creating a crisis. As winter approaches, cities, infrastructure, and energy facilities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to attack.
Ukraine is expected to face an extremely difficult winter, with shortages of electricity, energy, heat, and water that could trigger a humanitarian emergency. Repeated Russian strikes on the power grid have left large parts of the country exposed to prolonged blackouts, while electricity-dependent heating and water systems risk failing in freezing temperatures. These difficult winter conditions threaten to deepen civilian hardship, accelerate population displacement, and further weaken Ukraine’s capacity to sustain its war effort, but this reality has meant very little to Europe’s insistence on supporting Ukraine “to the very end” and “for as long as it takes.”
Despite mounting domestic problems, much of Europe still backs the futile war effort. Many capitals favor maximalist rhetoric rather than the more pragmatic diplomatic openings Norway and Finland have begun to explore. This stubbornness persists even as European states face economic decline and deindustrialization, lack independent military leverage without US support, and fail to turn sanctions, arms deliveries, and escalation into battlefield gains.
European leaders still frame the conflict in absolute moral terms, while their economies face rising energy costs and mounting debt pressures. Without moving toward the diplomacy opened in Oslo, Europe remains trapped in a cycle that does not shift the battlefield situation in Ukraine’s favor nor enhance European security. The alternative—backing a negotiated settlement that preserves a viable Ukraine while addressing core security concerns—remains open, as Responsible Statecraft stresses, but it requires political will that much of the continent has so far been unwilling to show.
Ukraine still has a chance to avoid the worst outcome by pursuing a peaceful settlement with Russia. Accepting terms would mean ceding part of its territory, but Ukraine would remain a viable state with a real opportunity for economic and political development. The longer the rest of the continent ignores the opening that Norway and Finland have made, the more territory and state capacity Ukraine will lose.
Ahmed Adel is a Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher.
US Approves Sale of 500 Patriot Missiles to Ukraine, Deliveries May Take Years
By Kyle Anzalone | The Libertarian Institute | November 1, 2026
The State Department announced it had approved a potential $2.1 billion sale of Patriot missiles to Ukraine. Patriots are the most advanced interceptors available to Ukraine; however, Kiev is dealing with a shortage of Patriots, leading to more Russian missiles hitting Ukrainian cities.
“The US Department of State has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Ukraine for purchase of PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles, and related equipment,” the statement released on Friday explained. “The estimated total cost is $2.1 billion funded entirely by partners and allies.”
The State Department said Ukraine requested 500 Patriot missiles, and European countries will pay for the interceptors.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading for a winter package of Patriot missiles. The Ukrainian leader praised the decision to approve the sale of interceptors; however, he called for the timeline to be accelerated.
“A strong decision by the U.S. State Department – authorizing Ukraine’s purchase of Patriot interceptors to counter Russian ballistic missiles. Five hundred PAC-3 interceptors is a substantial number, and very soon – this winter – they COULD make for a highly effective defense package,” he wrote on X. “However, it has been stipulated that deliveries may begin ONLY IN A FEW YEARS.”
Zelensky called on the US to deliver 100 Patriot missiles to Ukraine each month during winter. Washington may not be able to deliver interceptors at that pace, as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have depleted US stockpiles.
Zelensky suggested that Washington and its allies could provide Ukraine with interceptors from their existing stockpiles and replace them with newly produced missiles in the coming years.
Last month, Reuters reported that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had not approved new sales of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine amid concerns about dwindling US stockpiles.
President Donald Trump appears to be positioning the US military in the Middle East for another escalation against Iran. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that an additional Patriot missile defense system was deployed to Israel.
Iran has pledged to respond to any US attack with strikes on Israel and US assets across the Middle East.
Backed by AAP, West Virginia Proposal Would Allow Dental Hygienists to Give HPV Vaccine to 9-Year-Olds
By Jill Erzen | The Defender | October 26, 2026
West Virginia health groups are pushing legislation to let dentists and dental hygienists administer the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, West Virginia Watch reported earlier this month.
The effort is part of a national push by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Cancer Society to increase HPV vaccination rates and encourage vaccination starting at age 9.
Both the AAP and the American Cancer Society receive funding from Merck.
The campaign comes amid questions about the vaccine’s safety and claims that it prevents cancer. Merck, the maker of Gardasil, recently agreed to pay $50 million to settle more than 200 lawsuits alleging vaccine-related injuries, including autoimmune disorders and reproductive problems.
Although Merck markets Gardasil as a vaccine that protects against certain cancers, clinical trials did not test whether the vaccine prevented cancer — only whether it blocked certain strains of HPV.
Merck’s Gardasil is the only HPV vaccine available in the U.S.
HPV is a common, sexually transmitted virus that most people will encounter during their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some types can cause cancers, such as cervical or oropharyngeal, which affects the back of the throat.
The CDC recommends the shot for children beginning at ages 11-12.
In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the HPV vaccine to protect against oropharyngeal cancer — despite no clinical evidence to support the claim.
National campaign promotes vaccine-related birthday cards for 9-year-olds
The West Virginia Oral Health Coalition is preparing legislation that would allow qualified dental professionals to administer the HPV vaccine. The legislative session begins in January.
Similar laws have passed in Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey and Oregon.
St. Jude’s HPV Cancer Prevention Program is working with West Virginia organizations to promote HPV vaccination through dental offices.
St. Jude’s April and June reports cited the “unique challenges” to vaccination in West Virginia’s rural areas, including the spread of “vaccine misinformation” and the “increased value of personal choice” in medical decisions.
To encourage earlier vaccination, the American Cancer Society’s National HPV Vaccination Roundtable developed a toolkit to help rural dental providers promote the shot.
One proposed strategy is sending children birthday cards on their 9th birthdays to encourage parents to discuss HPV vaccination.
Merck is also studying whether to extend vaccination to even younger children. The company is funding and conducting clinical trials of Gardasil on children ages 4-8.
Lucija Tomljenović, Ph.D., a scientist who has published more than a dozen peer-reviewed papers on HPV vaccination, called the trial “reckless.” She said it “assumes safety in an age group in which the vaccine has never been tested.”
Hygienist said she avoided discussing HPV’s sexual transmission
The push to expand vaccination through dental offices raises questions not only about safety but also about informed consent — particularly what parents are told about HPV and the vaccine.
West Virginia Watch reported that the state conducted a pilot project earlier this year, enlisting dental hygienist Lauren French to discuss HPV vaccination with patients at a rural dental clinic. French said the conversations fit naturally into routine dental visits, which already include oral cancer examinations.
However, earlier studies found that dental health providers remain generally reluctant to recommend or administer the vaccine.
French acknowledged that her conversations with parents often did not address HPV’s sexual transmission.
“The way that I go about it is I don’t have to bring up sex at all,” French told West Virginia Watch. “It’s just, ‘This is a virus that most people come into contact with.’ We want them to get vaccinated before they come into contact with this virus. That’s why we suggest age 9 to 16.”
For parents deciding whether to vaccinate their children, understanding how HPV spreads is part of understanding the purpose and timing of the intervention. Parents also need information about the vaccine’s potential risks and the evidence supporting its claimed benefits.
Tomljenović has questioned whether Gardasil offers any meaningful protection against cancer, arguing that its risks “clearly outweigh” its benefits. She has also cited research suggesting HPV vaccination may increase cervical cancer risk among women who use oral contraceptives long-term.
Other research has raised questions about how vaccination affects HPV types not targeted by the vaccine.
A 2023 study in Cell Host & Microbe found the HPV vaccine may actually increase the prevalence and distribution of some HPV virus strains not targeted by the vaccine — including some strains that are linked to cancer.
Meanwhile, the CDC convened a workgroup in January 2026 to reexamine HPV vaccination, including its effectiveness, dosing, safety and long-term impact.
The FDA’s prescribing information for Gardasil lists injection-site pain, swelling and redness, headache, fever, nausea and dizziness among reported adverse reactions. It also warns about fainting and severe allergic reactions.
Tomljenović has raised concerns about reports of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), chronic fatigue syndrome and autoimmune disorders, multiple sclerosis and gynecological problems, including menstrual disorders and infertility.
Screenings — which dentists already do — protect against HPV-related cancers
A central question in the HPV vaccine debate is how strongly the available evidence supports claims that vaccination prevents cancer.
Earlier this year, scientists concluded that two Cochrane reviews — widely cited by health authorities and the media to support the claim that the vaccine reduces cervical cancer incidence by up to 80% — are flawed.
The majority of epidemiological studies cited to show the vaccine’s effects — including its ability to stop invasive cervical cancer — had serious or critical risk of bias, Tomljenović told The Defender in March, calling the review “garbage.”
Tomljenović also argued that while Gardasil doesn’t prevent HPV-related cancer, routine screenings are essential to reducing deaths from the disease. She pointed to the U.S. cervical cancer death rate of approximately two per 100,000 women as evidence of the importance of screening.
The AAP notes on its HealthyChildren.org site that “unlike cervical cancer, there is no test to screen for oral cancer or any other HPV-associated cancer.”
Even so, dentists already examine patients for signs of oral cancer during routine visits.
The Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic describe oral cancer examinations as part of routine dental care. Dentists look for suspicious lumps, sores, red or white patches and other abnormalities. They may refer patients for further evaluation or biopsy when they find something concerning.
“During every routine cleaning, there’s an exam. … And we’re telling the patient, ‘We’re doing an oral cancer screening just to make sure there’s no lumps, bumps, or anything that’s suspicious in your mouth,’” French told West Virginia Watch.
This article was originally published by The Defender — Children’s Health Defense’s News & Views Website under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Please consider subscribing to The Defender or donating to Children’s Health Defense.
They Compared the Spice to the Drug. The Spice Won — Again. (Part 2)
Nature continues to put drugs to shame, yet why has no one heard of this research?
By Sayer Ji | October 6, 2026
Part 2 of our series. Part 1 can be found here. Ten more head-to-head clinical trials — pulled from the GreenMedInfo archive — in which ginger, St. John’s wort, garlic, saffron, valerian and a handful of other simple remedies matched or outperformed an antibiotic, Prozac, Aricept, Ritalin, a beta-blocker and a benzodiazepine. Each one links to the full research write-up.
In Part 1, honey beat a steroid fourteen-fold for chronic cough, turmeric stopped prediabetes in 100% of trial participants, and saffron ran even with Prozac. The response told us something: people are hungry for the studies nobody puts in a press release.
So for Part 2, we went back into the archive — 455,000 studies, hand-mapped since 2008 — and pulled ten more. This time we went after the drugs people take every day: the antibiotic for recurrent UTIs, the beta-blocker for blood pressure, the Alzheimer’s blockbuster, the stimulant given to millions of children, the benzodiazepine for sleep, and the antidepressants tens of millions of people take every morning.
Same rules as Part 1. Every study is a human trial. Every one is indexed in our database. Every one links to the long-form article or abstract so you can check the work yourself.
And the same caveat: this is research information, not medical advice. Some of these trials are large and well designed — the St. John’s wort meta-analysis covers 27 trials and 3,808 patients; the mindfulness trial ran in The Lancet. Others are smaller or single studies. I’ve given you the design and the numbers for each so you can weigh them. Never stop a prescribed medication without your practitioner.
1. Ginger vs. Dramamine — Motion Sickness
The trial: Randomized, double-blind comparison of a ginger preparation (Zintona) against dimenhydrinate — the active drug in Dramamine. European Phytotherapy, 1999.
The result: Everyone taking ginger had good results. Only 31% of those taking Dramamine did. And while the ginger group reported no side effects, 69% of the Dramamine group suffered them — the drowsiness, dry mouth and fog the drug is famous for.
It isn’t a one-off. On a Norwegian whale-watching voyage — seas that typically leave 80% of passengers sick — a 1994 double-blind study in the Journal of Travel Medicine found passengers given ginger did as well as those given any of six common seasickness medications. Over 80% felt fine.
→ Read the full article: Natural Remedies Found Superior to Drugs for Motion Sickness · Eight Unexpected Health Benefits of Ginger
2. D-Mannose vs. Nitrofurantoin — Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
The trial: 308 women with recurrent UTIs, randomized after initial antibiotic treatment into three groups for six months: 2 grams of D-mannose powder (a simple sugar found in cranberries and other fruit) dissolved in water daily, 50 mg of the antibiotic nitrofurantoin daily, or no prevention at all. World Journal of Urology, 2014.
The result:
- No prevention: 60.8% had another infection.
- Nitrofurantoin (antibiotic): 20.4%.
- D-mannose (sugar powder): 14.6%.
A spoonful of a fruit sugar outperformed a daily antibiotic — without feeding antibiotic resistance, disrupting gut flora, or carrying the lung and liver warnings on nitrofurantoin’s label. Cranberry extract, separately, has been shown as effective as the antibiotic trimethoprim for preventing recurrent UTIs in older women.
→ Read the study: D-mannose powder significantly reduced the risk of recurrent UTI · The Amazing Healing Properties of 13 Common Fruits
3. St. John’s Wort vs. Prozac — Major Depression
The trial: Randomized, double-blind, 12 weeks: 900 mg/day of St. John’s wort extract versus 20 mg/day of fluoxetine (Prozac) in major depressive disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2005.
The result: St. John’s wort was significantly more effective than Prozac. End-point depression scores (HAMD-17) were 10.2 on the herb versus 13.3 on the drug.
The bigger picture: A 2017 meta-analysis in the Journal of Affective Disorders pooled 27 clinical trials and 3,808 patients comparing St. John’s wort against SSRIs. Response and remission rates were statistically equivalent. But patients on the herb were significantly less likely to drop out — the pooled odds of discontinuation were about 40% lower — which in antidepressant research is usually a proxy for side effects people can’t tolerate.
One honest note: St. John’s wort interacts with many medications, including birth control and blood thinners. It is gentle, not inert.
→ Read the study: St. John’s wort significantly more effective than fluoxetine · 27-trial meta-analysis · 23 Natural Alternatives for Depression
4. Garlic vs. Atenolol — High Blood Pressure
The trial: 210 patients with stage 1 hypertension split into seven groups of 30: five different daily doses of garlic tablets (300 mg up to 1,500 mg), the beta-blocker atenolol, or placebo. Blood pressure was measured at 0, 12 and 24 weeks. Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2013.
The result: Every single garlic group — down to the lowest 300 mg dose — produced a significantly greater drop in both systolic and diastolic pressure than atenolol (p < 0.005). The effect grew with dose and with time.
Atenolol is one of the most prescribed blood-pressure drugs in the world, and it comes with fatigue, cold hands and feet, and sexual side effects. Garlic comes with garlic breath.
→ Read the full article: Garlic Compares Favorably to a Best-Selling Blood Pressure Drug · Study abstract
5. Ginkgo vs. Aricept — Alzheimer’s Disease
The trial: Randomized, double-blind, 22 weeks, 96 outpatients with Alzheimer’s. Three arms: 240 mg/day of standardized ginkgo extract (EGb 761), the $4-billion-a-year blockbuster donepezil (Aricept) at up to 10 mg/day, or both combined. Aging & Mental Health, 2009.
The result: Improvements in cognition and response rates were similar across all three groups — ginkgo did what Aricept did. But adverse events were lower with ginkgo than with the drug.
A separate 24-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in the European Journal of Neurology (2006) reached the same conclusion: “no evidence of relevant differences in the efficacy” of ginkgo and donepezil. Donepezil, it’s worth knowing, is a cholinesterase inhibitor — the same mechanistic class as certain pesticides and nerve agents.
→ Read the full article: Declaring Chemical Warfare on the Brain — Alzheimer’s Drugs Are Neurotoxicants · Study summary
6. Saffron vs. Ritalin — ADHD in Children
The trial: Randomized, double-blind, six weeks: children with ADHD received 20–30 mg/day of saffron or 20–30 mg/day of methylphenidate (Ritalin), dosed by weight. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 2019.
The result: Both worked equally well. Saffron was as effective as Ritalin for ADHD symptoms.
A 2022 study in Nutrients followed children and adolescents aged 7–17 for three months on 30 mg of evening saffron versus extended-release methylphenidate. Efficacy on core symptoms and executive function was comparable, saffron tended to do better on hyperactivity — and parents in the saffron group reported their kids falling asleep faster, the opposite of the insomnia stimulants are known for.
Millions of children are on a Schedule II controlled substance. A spice deserves at least a seat at the table.
→ Read the full article: Ancient Spice Saffron Works as Well as Ritalin for ADHD
7. Melatonin vs. Amitriptyline — Migraine Prevention
The trial: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled; 196 adults with 2–8 migraines a month. 3 mg of melatonin versus 25 mg of amitriptyline (a tricyclic antidepressant widely used for migraine prevention) versus placebo, for three months. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 2016.
The result: Monthly migraine days fell by 2.7 on melatonin, 2.2 on amitriptyline and 1.1 on placebo. Melatonin was superior to the drug in the share of patients who cut their migraine frequency by more than half — and it was as well-tolerated as placebo.
The side-effect gap was visible on the scale: melatonin patients lost weight. Amitriptyline patients gained significantly. A molecule your own brain makes every night beat a drug that sedates, dries you out and adds pounds.
→ Read the full article: Melatonin Superior to Toxic Drug in Migraine Prevention Study
8. Hibiscus vs. Captopril — Hypertension
The trial: Phase II, randomized, double-blind, 134 patients with grade 1 hypertension, eight weeks. A standardized hibiscus and olive-leaf preparation at two doses versus 25 mg of the ACE-inhibitor captopril, twice daily. Phytotherapy Research, 2020.
The result: No significant difference in systolic or diastolic blood-pressure reduction between either herbal dose and captopril. The flowers did the drug’s job.
A meta-analysis of five studies and 390 participants found hibiscus lowered systolic pressure by nearly 8 mmHg and diastolic by 4 — in the range of a first-line medication. It’s the tart red tea sold in every Mexican market as agua de jamaica.
→ Read the full article: 6 Medicinal Properties of Hibiscus · Captopril trial abstract
9. Valerian vs. Oxazepam (a Benzodiazepine) — Insomnia
The trial: Randomized, double-blind, multicenter, 202 adults with insomnia, six weeks. 600 mg/day of valerian root extract versus 10 mg/day of oxazepam, a benzodiazepine in the same family as Valium and Xanax. European Journal of Medical Research, 2002.
The result: Valerian was at least as effective as the benzodiazepine for sleep quality. 82.8% of valerian patients rated their treatment “very good,” versus 73.4% on oxazepam. Adverse events: 28.4% on valerian, 36.0% on the drug.
Benzodiazepines carry an FDA boxed warning for dependence, withdrawal and abuse, and raise the risk of falls in older adults. Valerian root has been used for sleep since Hippocrates described it.
→ Read the full article: Top 6 Uses for Valerian · Study abstract
10. Mindfulness vs. Antidepressants — Preventing Depression Relapse
The trial: 424 patients with three or more past episodes of major depression, randomized and followed for two years. One group stayed on maintenance antidepressants. The other tapered off their medication while learning mindfulness-based cognitive therapy — eight group sessions plus home practice. The Lancet, 2015.
The result: At two years, relapse was 44% in the mindfulness group and 47% in the drug group. The researchers did not claim mindfulness was better — the difference wasn’t statistically significant — but that is exactly the point: people who came off their antidepressants and learned a practice did just as well as people who stayed on them, at no extra cost.
No pill, no weight gain, no sexual side effects, no withdrawal. Just training the mind you already have.
→ Read the full article: Mindfulness Therapy Better Than Antidepressants
Also in the Archive
- EPA omega-3 vs. Prozac: The omega-3 fatty acid EPA was as effective as fluoxetine for major depressive disorder (Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2008).
- L-tryptophan vs. imipramine: The amino acid was as effective as the tricyclic antidepressant.
- Cranberry vs. trimethoprim: Cranberry extract matched the antibiotic for preventing recurrent UTIs in older women — without raising the risk of resistance or fungal infection.
→ Browse: 23 Natural Alternatives for Depression
Two Parts, Twenty Studies. Still Nobody’s Holding a Press Conference.
Across Parts 1 and 2, we’ve now shown you twenty peer-reviewed, head-to-head trials in which a food, an herb, a nutrient or a practice matched or beat a pharmaceutical — for cough, diabetes, depression, arthritis, flu, ulcers, motion sickness, UTIs, blood pressure, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, migraine and insomnia.
None of it is secret. All of it is sitting in the National Library of Medicine. It’s just buried under tens of millions of papers — and since 2021, PubMed no longer even lets you filter for complementary and alternative medicine.
That’s why GreenMedInfo exists: 455,000 studies, hand-mapped to the substances, conditions and mechanisms people actually search for, free to use. In 2020 they tried to take it away. It’s still here. It’s still yours.
Share this with one person who’s on one of these drugs. Then search the archive for your own condition — and bring what you find to your next appointment.
Help us grow our project to encompass the totality of the world’s literature supporting natural and integrative health approaches by becoming a member of GreenMedInfo here.
Questioning Your Doctor Is Now Considered A Psychological Problem (Seriously)
By Dr. Roger McFillin | Radically Genuine | October 31, 2026
I want to give you a warning before we go any further.
If you have ever questioned your doctor, pushed back on a prescription, or asked to slow down on a vaccine, the medical establishment now has a framework for you. And it isn’t “careful,” or “informed,” or “engaged.”
Your resistance will be seen as a psychological problem to be managed.
I’m not exaggerating. Let me show you.
On October 19th, Medscape, one of the most widely read publications among physicians in this country, ran a piece called “Why Your Patient Trusts Unsupported Claims but Not You.” It’s part of a series titled Healing a Broken Trust.
Read it carefully, and notice who is never asked to change.
It opens with a survey. More than a thousand physicians with 99.9 percent of them admitting they encountered patients influenced by “misinformation” in the past year.
What’s the definition of “misinformation?” Anything that disagrees with their standard of care. Quite bold for the same group that brought you the every increasing vaccine schedule for children, Covid Vaccinations, Acetaminophen, Statins, SSRI’s, a low fat diet, Opioids for pain and others as “evidence based medicine”.
Sit with that number. Essentially every doctor surveyed believes the problem in the exam room is what the patient has been reading.
Then it borrows a research term: “selective skepticism.” The idea is that you dismiss evidence from experts while uncritically swallowing pseudoscience. Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?
That’s how your questions are being categorized.
And the solution? It isn’t “let’s re-examine our evidence.” It isn’t “let’s ask why trust collapsed.” The solution is a persuasion technique. They call it inoculation. The doctor warns you ahead of time that you may see posts online saying a medication is about pharmaceutical profits, so that when you run into that idea, you’ve already been primed to dismiss it.
Think about what that means. The answer to your question has been scripted before you ever ask it. Your doubt is treated like a pathogen, and the doctor administers a dose of messaging to build immunity against it.
Now, in fairness, the article talks about listening more and seeing the patient as a whole person. Good. But listening as a technique to move you toward a predetermined conclusion isn’t listening. As a psychologist, I’d call that compliance work.
I’ve spent my entire career inside this system. Psychiatric hospitals, juvenile justice, community mental health, private practice. And I’ve studied how high-control groups operate.
Here’s what they do.
Doubt is reframed as a defect in the person doubting.
Outside information is labeled dangerous before you’ve even seen it.
Members are pre-warned about what critics will say, so they reject it on contact.
And the authority is self-referencing. It’s true because the institution says it’s true.
Now hold that list up against what I just read you. I’m not saying your doctor is a cult leader. Most physicians are sincere people working inside a system they were trained never to question. That’s exactly what makes it so powerful. The people enforcing the belief system are the ones most captured by it.
Here’s the question that article never asks. Has this system earned the trust it’s demanding?
Look around. We are living through a chronic disease epidemic. Autoimmune disease, allergies, obesity, diabetes, anxiety, depression, kids on prescriptions before they can drive. Never in history has a population been more medicated, more screened, more vaccinated, and more chronically ill at the same time.
That’s not a healthcare system it is a sick care system. It is extraordinarily good at managing illness for life and remarkably uninterested in why people got sick in the first place.
And it didn’t happen by accident. In 1910, the Flexner Report, commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation and followed by enormous Rockefeller philanthropy, remade American medical education. Many schools closed and traditions of healing were pushed to the margins. What survived was a paradigm: the body as a machine, disease as a chemical problem, and a pharmaceutical answer for every symptom.
We are living inside that paradigm more than a century later. And when people start to notice it isn’t working, the response isn’t humility. It’s a communication strategy.
In Case You Have Not Been Following
Now let me bring this close to home, here in Pennsylvania.
At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, there’s a program called “Close Your Eyes, We’ll Immunize.” Since 2023, children who are already going under sedation or anesthesia for another procedure are offered flu shots while they’re unconscious. Last season, over two thousand doses. And they’re exploring adding RSV and COVID shots, plus catch-up vaccines for kids who are “behind.”
I want to be clear here: parents consent. But think about when that consent is being requested. In pre-op. Your child is scared, about to be put under. You’re anxious, you trust the people in scrubs, and someone asks if you’d like to “take care of” the flu shot while they’re at it. That is the most vulnerable moment a parent has. That isn’t a calm, informed decision. In fact, they are having you put your digital name on a screen scrolling past words you would never have the time to read.
And it isn’t just Philadelphia. Children’s Hospital Colorado has vaccinated more than 18,000 kids under deep sedation or general anesthesia.
Here’s what should concern you clinically. A 2007 review in Pediatric Anaesthesia suggested spacing vaccines and anesthesia apart by days, specifically so a vaccine reaction isn’t mistaken for a surgical complication. So if your child spikes a fever after the procedure, what caused it? The anesthetic? The antibiotic? The surgery? The shot? Nobody will be able to tell you.
And look at the name of the program. It celebrates the fact that the child isn’t awake.
Dark.
So here’s what I want you to take from this.
Questioning is not a disorder. It’s the foundation of informed consent. A system confident in its evidence welcomes questions. A system that needs to “inoculate” you against questions is telling you something about itself.
Ask for the evidence. Ask what the risks are. Ask what happens if you wait. Ask who benefits. And if your questions are treated as a psychological problem, that tells you everything you need to know about whether that relationship deserves your trust.
You are not a compliance metric. Your children are not a vaccination rate.
Dockworkers launch global strike against Israeli and US military shipments
RT | October 30, 2026
Dockworkers across five continents have launched a coordinated anti-war strike, targeting Israeli arms shipments, US military cargo, and the growing militarization of civilian ports.
Organizers say more than 25 unions are mobilizing across 113 ports in 22 countries and regions on Friday in an unprecedented international action. The campaign includes 24-hour strikes, shorter walkouts, blockades, and solidarity rallies.
Major European ports joining the action include Genoa, Marseille, Le Havre, Hamburg, Valencia, Barcelona, and Piraeus. Beyond Europe, protests are planned at Tangier Med in Morocco, Nhava Sheva and Chennai in India, and Oakland and San Francisco in the US, with further actions across Türkiye, Cyprus, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, and Australia.
France’s CGT Ports et Docks has called 24-hour strikes across 24 ports, while Italy’s USB has declared a nationwide general strike, with protests in more than 40 cities. Unions in Germany, Greece, Spain, India, and the US are also taking part.
Dockworkers at Piraeus, Greece’s largest port, were among the first to join the action, with a three-hour stoppage scheduled from 08:00 to 11:00 GMT. Other Greek maritime unions announced 24-hour strikes affecting seven ports, threatening ferry services to the country’s islands.
Videos of demonstrations and gatherings at other ports have emerged online, although the full extent of the disruption to shipping operations remains unclear as actions are taking place at different times.
What do the dockworkers want?
The unions demand a halt to weapons, ammunition, military equipment, and troop shipments through commercial ports, targeting both Israeli and US military supply chains. They also oppose turning civilian ports into military hubs and diverting public funds into rearmament while workers face stagnant wages, job insecurity, and worsening conditions.
“From planes to tanks, guns to bullets, explosives to ammunition, uniforms to boots, our ports have become replenishing and forwarding bases for war and genocide,” the organizers said at a press conference on October 15 in Rome.
The unions accused governments and shipping companies of keeping military supply routes open despite the Gaza ceasefire announced over a year ago, which they say has been rendered largely meaningless by continued Israeli strikes.
‘No Harbour for Genocide’, the campaign coordinating the action, claims that it tracked 315 shipments of components for Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems through 56 ports in 29 countries over 14 months. It says it identified 3,400 shipments of US military cargo through 67 ports in 42 countries over ten months. The group also says US military cargo volumes at some European ports rose as much as tenfold following the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran. The figures have not been independently verified.
Organizers estimate the action could delay 40,000 containers carrying cargo worth over $2 billion, potentially costing shipping companies up to $43 million.
Is it the first strike of this kind?
Dockworkers have challenged military shipments for years, though resistance was largely scattered and localized. Since 2019, workers in Italy, Greece, Morocco, and France have staged sporadic blockades and stoppages, targeting arms shipments to Israel, US bases, and other conflict zones.
The movement gained momentum in late 2025 after Israel intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a 40-plus-vessel convoy attempting to deliver aid to blockaded Gaza. Hundreds of activists were detained, sparking strikes and port blockades across Europe. The flotilla campaign also pledged to join the action on Friday with “coordinated, strategic actions on the water.”
International coordination intensified in February, when dockworkers at more than 20 ports across seven countries staged their first joint day of action, reportedly stopping five suspect ships.
In May, dockworkers’ unions from France, Greece, Italy, Türkiye, Morocco, and Spain’s Basque Country adopted the Istanbul Declaration, in which they pledged to block military cargo and troop shipments to war zones, including those supporting Israel and US military operations. The agreement laid the groundwork for Friday’s global strike.
Three tankers hit mines on unauthorized Hormuz route: IRGC Navy
Al Mayadeen | October 29, 2026
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced on Thursday that three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to cross an unauthorized southern route through the Strait of Hormuz.
The vessels disregarded warnings from Iranian naval forces and switched off their radar and navigation systems before entering the mined passage, according to the statement.
“Over the past 24 hours, three violating oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking mines while attempting to pass through the unauthorised southern route of the Strait of Hormuz,” the IRGC said.
The navy reported that the tankers were left along the southern shores of the strait following the explosions. Their identities and flags were not immediately available, and no information was provided about casualties.
IRGC warns crews against relying on CENTCOM assurances
The IRGC Navy reiterated that the southern route remains mined, warning shipowners and crews against attempting passage in disregard of its instructions or relying on statements issued by US Central Command (CENTCOM).
“The IRGC Navy states that the unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz is mined, and that vessel owners and crews are responsible for transiting these routes and should not pay attention to CENTCOM’s delusions on social media,” the statement said.
It further warned that any provocative action backed by the US military that disregards Iran’s rules governing passage through the strait would be met firmly.
Iranian forces have repeatedly accused CENTCOM of encouraging commercial vessels to use the southern corridor near the Omani coast despite Iranian warnings.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, CENTCOM rejected earlier Iranian reports of commercial vessels striking mines and maintained that US forces had cleared all internationally recognized primary transit routes. It also said thousands of commercial vessels had used those lanes safely. The statement preceded Thursday’s IRGC announcement.
UKMTO receives report of vessel burning near Oman
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Thursday that a shipmaster had reported seeing another vessel on fire nine nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman.
The agency did not identify the vessel or establish the cause of the blaze. Its connection to the three tankers reported by the IRGC remained unclear.
The developments come amid restrictions on shipping through the strait since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28. Tehran maintains that vessels must coordinate their passage with Iranian authorities, while Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
IRGC announces capture of US reconnaissance drone
In a separate statement, the IRGC Navy announced that its electronic warfare unit had captured a US drone in the western Strait of Hormuz and brought it down intact.
The navy identified the aircraft as an MQM-170 reconnaissance and decoy drone, saying it had been tasked with detecting Iranian air-defense systems along the Gulf coastline and the strait.
“The IRGC Navy announced that its electronic warfare unit had successfully captured a US MQM-170 drone during an offensive operation in the western Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.
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Book Review
Book review: Boiling Point, How America Brought War to Ukraine
By Tim Kirby | Strategic Culture Foundation | November 14, 2026
Did Vladimir Putin just wake up one day on the wrong side of the bed and decide to invade Ukraine in February of 2022 or is there a lot more to this single decision that has been reshaping the 21st century geopolitical landscape?
Obviously, from the way that I just posed the question you can see that I am on the side that views the causes for the war in Ukraine to be very deep, long-term, historical and consciously nefarious, and most importantly, not from within the halls of the Kremlin. So it was a pleasure to take a look at the book “Boiling Point, How America Brought War to Ukraine” by author Stephen Kinzer, who like myself, also believes that the real reasons behind military conflicts around the world are not what CNN and the BBC have been telling you. The main thesis of this book was stated clearly by its creator; the war “may have been illegal, but it was definitely not unprovoked.” … continue
Blog Roll
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- Ukraine Settlement and New European Security Architecture Must Go Hand in Hand – Kremlin
- Book review: Boiling Point, How America Brought War to Ukraine
- Israel Revives The ‘Iranian Assassination Threat Against Trump’ Deception In A Desperate Bid To Restart The War
- US rewrites history to dodge blame for illegal war on Iran: Foreign Ministry spokesperson
- TURBO CANCER DATA from Ontario, Canada (OHIP Insurance Billing Data)
- Iran warns France not to fall for Israeli false-flags operations
- Poland and Bulgaria put brakes on Ukraine weapons funding
- If Americans Knew
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- No Tricks Zone
- New Study: Barents Sea Temperatures Were Warmer And Sea Ice Less Extensive In The 1700s Than Today
- German Authorities Start Initiative To Evaluate Public Register For Climate “Disinformation” Spreaders!
- Zonal Asymmetry of Temperature Change in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
- New Study: The Net Fossil Fuel Contribution To Rising Atmospheric CO2 Has Been Zero For 500 Years
- Germany’s Green Energy Transition Becoming Increasingly Expensive…Another 6 Trillion Euros!
- Sudden Stratospheric Warming, Powerful El Niño Combination May Lead To Extreme Europe Cold, Energy Crisis!
- Two New Studies Find Thwaites Glacier Melt Cannot Be Driven By Human Activity Or A Warming Ocean
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- Predictions Made By Renowned Climate Professor Over Past Decades Have Been Proven To Be Poor
- New Study Suggests Large Regions Of The Pacific Ocean Have Been Cooling For The Last 80 Years
