USA - An Earthquake has rattled a volcano in Alaska with a series of tremors recorded across the state. A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck 28 miles south east of Tanaga Volcano, Alaska, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). There has been a total of 35 earthquakes in Alaska in the last two days, ranging from 2.5 in magnitude to 6.3 according to the USGS. Tanaga Volcano, is located on Tanaga Island within the Andreanof archipelago and is one of three volcanoes on the island. It is the enclave’s tallest volcano at 5,925ft and lies in the centre of the island’s three main volcanic edifices.

USA - According to the Washington Times, the Crime Prevention Research Center’s John Lott has produced a study that offers some “facts” that the far-left will probably despise. 97.8 percent of mass shootings happen in gun-free zones, Lott’s latest report finds. Lott uses the FBI definition of “mass public shootings” as an incident in which four or more people are killed (excluding the shooter) by gunfire in a non-gang or non-drug related capacity. Lott also defines a “gun-free zone” as areas where the average citizen can’t typically carry guns. 97.8 percent is a startling figure. Another way to look at it is that only 2.2 percent of mass shootings happen where people can carry firearms.

USA - Google has launched a brand new feature for its artificially intelligent Google Assistant that’s designed to cheer people up by filtering negative news. Simply ask your phone (or the Google Home speaker) to ‘tell me something good’ and you’ll be given a nice summary of positive stories about people solving real problems. ‘These days we’re consuming more news than ever, and sometimes, it can feel like there are only problems out there,’ explained Ryan Burke, a creative producer at Google’s Creative Lab. ‘But the fact is, there is a plethora of ‘good news’ happening, and we’re not talking about unlikely animal friendships or random acts of kindness.

MEXICO - The newly-minted cardinal was speaking to a group of journalists on August 16, just days after the bombshell revelations out of Pennsylvania that some 300 members of the Church abused upwards of 1,000 children over the course of 70 years. This abuse was only possible, according to othe grand jury report, because of a Church-wide cover up that reached all the way to the Vatican. “I’m here happy to talk about nice things, not about problematic things, it’s an accusation that is made, and in some cases it’s true,” Obeso River said. “But the evil of many is the consolation of fools, because sometimes those who accuse men of the Church should [be careful] because they have long tails that are easily stepped on.” The comments could be interpreted as a threat, a threat of exposure if you accuse a priest with skeletons in your own closet.

GERMANY - You can now read in English the article that spoiled many a European summer weekend last month, when eminent German political scientist Christian Hacke opined that Germany should acquire its own nuclear weapon: Since the US nuclear guarantee has become increasingly doubtful and a common European deterrent does not seem to be forthcoming, only one possible conclusion can be drawn: in a serious crisis the only one Germany can truly rely on is itself.

GERMANY - Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as Iran and a gas pipeline project that has drawn US ire during tough talks outside Berlin that ended with no clearcut progress. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters no agreements were reached, but the meeting had simply been intended to “check the watches” after Merkel’s meeting with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in May. Ties between the two countries have been strained since Russia’s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014. The two leaders both viewed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project as a purely commercial venture, despite persistent fire by the US and Ukrainian governments, Peskov said.

USA - Sometimes, a strongly-worded denial is the most damning evidence of all that something is seriously wrong.  And when things start to really get crazy, “the spin” is often the exact opposite of the truth.  In recent days we have seen a lot of troubling headlines and a lot of chaos in the global financial marketplace, but authorities continue to assure us that everything is going to be just fine. 

USA - There are 20 times as many American jobs that have been created in the last six months thanks to President Trump’s tariffs on imported foreign goods than jobs that have been lost. Research by a Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) finds that the number of US jobs gained because of Trump’s tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, solar panels, and washing machines exceeds the number of US job losses because of the tariffs by a staggering 20-to-1 ratio.

SWEDEN - Populist Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson has reinforced his stance on wanting to see Sweden leave the European Union, saying that no supranational body should have authority over the Swedish parliament. Only weeks away from the Swedish national election in September, the Sweden Democrats leader slammed the European Union, saying: “for me, the EU is not the way for cooperation in Europe,” Sveriges Radio reports. “The EU is a supranational political union where other countries’ politicians, for which we cannot vote… have greater influence over Swedish legislation than I have in Sweden’s parliament,” Akesson said, adding: “I find it very difficult to accept that situation.”

VATICAN - Pope calls on all Catholics to uproot 'this culture of death' in unprecedented letter on sexual abuse. There will be "no more cover ups" of sexual abuse in the Church, the Pope has vowed in a letter to all Catholics. In the groundbreaking document, addressed to the "people of God", Pope Francis admitted that the church had "delayed" the implementation of reforms and asked believers to "join forces in uprooting this culture of death". He said the church had "showed no care for the little ones" and "abandoned them". "The heart-wrenching pain of these victims, which cries out to heaven, was long ignored, kept quiet or silenced."  The Vatican said it was the first time a pope had written to all of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics about sexual abuse.

VATICAN - In a gesture destined to anger more than console, Pope Francis has issued a letter to “the people of God” acknowledging the recent sex abuse scandals but ignoring the root causes of the crisis as well as the concrete steps needed to overcome it. While insisting that “no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated,” the pope does not propose that those responsible for the present situation should be held to any accountability. Remarkably, in his 2,000-word letter, the pope fails to mention the word “bishop” even once, despite the fact that recent revelations suggest complicity on the part of an indeterminate number of prelates who allowed such abuse to continue in their dioceses.

USA - According to Reveal and the Center for Investigative Reporting reading Infowars will turn you into a white supremacist. It’s a racist recruiting tool, they insist. In other words, if you read Infowars and listen to Alex Jones, you eventually end up a Nazi or worse. This ridiculous supposition — believed by millions of liberals and anti-Jones activists — is based on the experience of one man who obviously has mental health issues. So much for investigative reporting. But this inanity should be expected, considering who funds and supports Reveal. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation (CIA), Google News Lab, and a pile of  foundations, including Open Society Foundations run by George Soros. I was an Infowars editor for eight years. I can say without a doubt Alex Jones is not a Nazi or white supremacist. 

USA - California lawmakers – many whose electoral campaigns have been financially backed by the abortion industry – are poised to turn state universities into abortion vendors. State Senate Bill 320 – a measure that would mandate all University of California and California State University campus health centers to distribute the drug that induces abortion in campus health centers – is being debated Monday in Sacramento. Introduced by state Senator Connie Leyva (Democrat) in February 2017, the bill is based on the notion that abortion is the equivalent of medical care and “is a constitutional right and an integral part of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care.”

USA - While concerns about a potential eruption of the supervolcano beneath this iconic park may garner the most alarming headlines, a more likely hazard in the coming decades is a large earthquake. “The biggest concern we have for Yellowstone is not with the volcano, it’s with earthquakes,” said Michael Poland, scientist-in-charge at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, a consortium of eight organizations led by the US Geological Survey.

USA - A massive 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of California as the Ring of Fire continues to show signs of increased activity. A mega earthquake has struck off the coast of California, according to official reports. The tremor was about 200 kilometres off the coast of the California-Oregon State border. Experts have not warned of damage to buildings, and there has been no tsunami warning issued for now. The earthquake hit along the Ring of Fire – where more than 60 tremors have hit in the last few days. Seismologists believe that the unsettling of the Ring of Fire could lead to a catastrophic earthquake somewhere around the globe, and California has been touted as a possible candidate.