Donald Trump threatens sacked FBI chief against leaking conversations to media

United States President Donald Trump on Friday threatened sacked FBI chief James Comey not to "leak" details of their conversations to the media."James Comey better hope that there are no tapes of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!" Trump tweeted.

President Trump, who is facing a barrage of questions over why it took him so long to fire Michael Flynn as compared to FBI Director James Comey, has asserted that he didn`t feel a sense of urgency in firing his national security adviser.

Trump fired Comey without giving any prior indication, but took 18 days to fire Flynn.

"Firing Flynn did not sound like an emergency," CNN quoted Trump as saying.President Trump said he didn't feel a sense of urgency in firing his national security adviser on conversation with top administrative lawyers.

"My White House counsel, Don McGahn, came back to me and did not sound like an emergency," Trump said.

Defending Flynn, Trump said that former acting Attorney general Sally Yates was also of the opinion that it wasn't necessary to fire Flynn immediately, after he reportedly misled Vice President Mike Pence on his interactions with Russian representatives.

Trump has also called Comey a "showboat" and a "grandstander."

"He`s a showboat, he's a grandstander, the FBI has been in turmoil. You know that, I know that. Everybody knows that. You take a look at the FBI a year ago, it was in virtual turmoil, less than a year ago. It hasn`t recovered from that," Trump had said of Comey in an NBC interview.

Trump flatly said that he had decided to fire Comey even before receiving a recommendation from the deputy attorney general.He also said he called on Comey to ask for an update on a possible criminal investigation into his ties with Russia."

He wanted to stay on at the FBI," Trump said, "and I said I`ll, you know, consider and see what happens But we had a very nice dinner, and at that time he told me, 'You are not under investigation.'

'The US President also said that two phone calls were made - one made by himself and another by Comey. The President admitted, "I actually asked him, yes. I said, 'If it's possible would you let me know, Am I under investigation?

He said, "You are not under investigation.

"Deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, when asked at Thursday's White House press briefing, said it was inappropriate for Trump to have asked Comey if he was under investigation.

"No, I don't believe it is," she said.

US sees three times rise in Hepatitis C cases in last five years

 A new study says that the number of hepatitis C infections have nearly tripled in the United States in the last five years, and this is prevalent among young people in their 20s.

The bloodborne virus is transmitted by injection drug use, dirty needles, blood transfusions and sex. Chronic infection can lead to cirrhosis or cancer of the liver.

Hepatitis C is the top infectious disease killer in the nation, taking nearly 20,000 lives in 2015, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Experts say the rise of the opioid epidemic, with increasing numbers of people sharing needles to inject heroin and prescription painkillers, is driving the increase in cases.

"New hepatitis C virus infections are increasing most rapidly among young people, with the highest overall number of new infections among 20- to 29-year-olds," said a statement from the CDC.

"This is primarily a result of increasing injection drug use associated with America`s growing opioid epidemic."

People with hepatitis C often have no symptoms, so they are unaware of their infection.

The CDC said the number of new cases reported to the federal agency was 850 in 2010, and rose to 2,436 cases in 2015.

However, this "does not reflect the true scale of the epidemic. CDC estimates about 34,000 new hepatitis C infections actually occurred in the US in 2015," said the statement.

Three-quarters of the 3.5 million Americans living with hepatitis C were born from 1945 to 1965.

Russia is a made up story: Donald Trump

President Donald Trump has said the allegation made against him that the Russian interference in elections helped him win, is a "made up story" by the Democrats who lost badly last year.

In his first sit-down interview after firing FBI Director James Comey, Trump said he had already made up his mind even before he was recommended the same by the US Attorney Jeff Sessions and his Deputy.

"Oh, I was going to fire (Comey) regardless of recommendation," Trump told NBC News in an interview.

"He (the Deputy Attorney General) had made a recommendation.

But regardless of recommendation, I was going to fire Comey knowing there was no good time to do it," he said.

"In fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.

"It's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should've won," he said.

"The reason they should've won it is the electoral college is almost impossible for a Republican to win. It's very hard because you start off at such a disadvantage.

"So, everybody was thinking they should've won the election. This was an excuse for having lost an election," Trump said as he strongly defended himself during the interview.

Trump said he fired Comey because he wanted somebody who was competent to run the FBI.

"I just want somebody that's competent. I am a big fan of the FBI. I love the FBI," he said, adding that he wants the investigations to be done properly.

"As far as I'm concerned, I want that thing to be absolutely done properly. When I did this now, I said I probably maybe will confuse people. Maybe I'll expand that.

"I'll lengthen the time because it should be over with. In my opinion, should've been over with a long time ago because all it is an excuse," he said.

"But I said to myself I might even lengthen out the investigation. But I have to do the right thing for the American people. He (Comey) is the wrong man for that position," Trump said in response to a question.

Trump said Comey asked for a dinner with him because he wanted to stay in this position.

"He wanted to have dinner because he wanted to stay on. We had a very nice dinner at the White House... Very early on. That dinner was arranged. I think he asked for the dinner. He wanted to stay on as the FBI head. And I said I'll, you know, consider. We'll see what happens," he said.

"But we had a very nice dinner. And at that time, he told you are not under investigation...Which I knew anyway," he said.

"He said it once at dinner and then he said it twice during phone calls," he added.

"I actually asked him, yes. I said if it's possible, would you let me know am I under investigation. He said you are not under investigation," Trump said, adding that he never asked the FBI to drop its investigations into the allegations of Russian interference into the last years presidential elections.

"I want to find out if there was a problem with an election having to do with Russia. Or by the way anybody else. Any other country.

"I want that to be so strong and so good. I want it to happen. I also want to have a really competent, capable director. He's not. He's a show boater," Trump said.

"He (Comey) is not my man or not my man. I didn't appoint him. He was appointed long before me. But I want somebody who's going to do a great job. I will tell you, we're looking at candidates right now who could be spectacular. That's what I want for the FBI," he said.

"If Russia hacked -- if Russia did anything having to do with our election, I want to know about it," he said.

"If Russia or anybody else is trying to interfere with our elections, I think it's a horrible thing and I want to get to the bottom of it. I want to make sure it will never, ever happen," he said.

Responding to a question, Trump said he met the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the request of President Vladimir Putin.

"When I spoke with Putin, he asked me whether or not I would see Lavrov. Now, should I say no, I'm not going to see him? I said, I will see him," he said.

"During that discussion with Lavrov, I think we had a great discussion having to do with Syria, having to do with the Ukraine.

"And maybe, that discussion will lead to a lot less people getting killed and will lead ultimately to peace," Trump said. 

Over 1,370 gang members arrested in massive US police operation

The US government has announced the arrests of almost 1,400 gang members between March 26 and May 6 in the largest ever operation undertaken by the Department of Homeland Security`s (DHS) investigation unit.

A total of 1,378 people were arrested around the country for assorted crimes, including drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, people trafficking, murder and people trafficking for sexual exploitation, DHS officials said at a Washington press conference on Thursday.

"Gangs threaten the safety of our communities, not just in major metropolitan areas but in our suburbs and rural areas, too," said Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Thomas Homan.

"Gang-related violence and criminal activity present an ongoing challenge for law enforcement everywhere. Our efforts to dismantle gangs are much more effective in areas where partnership with local law enforcement is strongest," he added.

Of the 1,378 arrests, 933 were US citizens, while 445 were foreigners from 21 countries in South America, Central America, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean.

Those arrested are citizens of Mexico (249), El Salvador(72), Honduras (63), Guatemala (19), the Dominican Republic (10), Cuba (four), three each from Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia and Nicaragua, while the others come from nations as diverse as Brazil, Mauritania, Laos and Jamaica, along with other countries.

The DHS said that of those arrested, 1,095 had declared their allegiance to certain gangs, including 137 members of the Bloods, 118 affiliated with the Surenos, 104 who said they belonged to Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and 104 who said they were part of the Crips.

Among those arrested were three people who benefited in the past from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme inaugurated in 2012 by former President Barack Obama for undocumented migrants who were brought to the US as children and known as "Dreamers".

The programme halted the deportations of young undocumented foreigners and granted them temporary work permits on the condition that they not commit any crimes.

According to the DHS, the three individuals were excluded from DACA protection for criminal activities.

Since DACA was implemented in 2012, DHS has denied coverage to 1,500 people because of their affiliation with criminal groups.

10 Powerful Cancer Fighting Herbs

When it comes to cancer, we can never have enough weapons at our disposal to fight it. And, while the internet is full of misinformation on herbs and cancer, I thought it was time to get down to the best, research-documented herbs to help those fighting the disease.

Here are my 10 research-proven anti-cancer herb picks.

10 POWERFUL CANCER FIGHTING HERBS

CLOVER

Red clover contains a potent compound known as formononetin that has been found to help fight breast cancer. In a study published in the medical journal Hormone and Metabolic Research, scientists found that this compound found in red clover prevents the spread of cancer cells as well as the invasion of cancer into healthy cells so the disease is less likely to spread. While the research is early, it shows the promise of the herb against this prevalent disease.

DANDELION

Of all dandelion’s amazing health benefits, research is showing the greatest promise is in its ability to fight cancer. One of the most exciting studies about dandelion’s anti-cancer abilities was published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Canadian scientists found that after 48 hours of exposure to the dandelion extract, cancer cells begin to die off. The study also found that dandelion was even effective on cancer cells that were resistant to chemotherapy. Other research published in the International Journal of Oncology found that a tea made from dandelion leaves decreased the growth of breast cancer cells while a tea made from the root blocked the ability of cancer cells to invade healthy breast tissue and healthy prostate tissue. In another study published in the online medical journal PLoS One, researchers found that an extract of dandelion root was able to selectively and efficiently kill cancer cells without toxicity to healthy cells. They concluded that dandelion root has “great potential, as non-toxic and effective alternatives to conventional modes of chemotherapy available today.” 

GINGER

Not just delicious in gingerbread cookies, this potent spice has been found to have significant anti-cancer and tumor-destroying properties. Thanks to four different compounds—gingerol, paradol, shogaol and zerumbone, research in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine demonstrates that ginger may help in the treatment of breast, colorectal, gastric, liver, prostate and skin cancers.

HORSETAIL

This little-used herb may need a second look when it comes to cancer treatment. Research in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that horsetail halted the proliferation of cancer cells. Additional animal research found that a blend of herbs that included horsetail along with the mushroom chaga was effective at reducing lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic glands) and leukemia tumors, increasing survival rates by 33 percent.

LICORICE

The root of this delightful-tasting plant found that a compound known as glabridin was able to stop the genes for liver cancer from turning on—a process known as gene expression. But, glabridin is not the only compound found in licorice that shows effectiveness against cancer. Studies show that glabridin and other potent compounds found in licorice root may hold promise in breast cancer and cancers of the digestive tract.

MILK THISTLE

Milk thistle has long been known as a liver protector, but research shows that it may be among the best natural liver cancer medicines. Research shows that the compound silymarin works on cancer in 7 different ways. Additionally, the compound known as silybin works on yet another level to protect the genetic material in liver cells while reducing the incidence of liver cancer.

OREGANO

Oregano hasn’t been heavily studied against cancer, but early studies, including one in the Journal of Medicinal Food, found that 4-terpineol found in oregano is effective against the spread of cancer.

PARSLEY

Who knew that the herb used almost exclusively as a garnish on foods could be one of the next great natural cancer remedies? According to research in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, parsley acts as an antioxidant to destroy free radicals, protects DNA from damage that can lead to cancer and inhibits both the proliferation and migration of cancer cells in the body.

PLANTAIN

Plantain, the herb, not the banana-like food, has been found to strongly suppress the growth of human cancer cells, according to research in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Plantain is found in almost every lawn across North American and may give lawn care addicts cause to reconsider their use of toxic herbicides against this potent natural medicine.

ST. JOHN’S WORT

Most people think of St. John’s Wort for depression, and for good reason—it has been found in many studies to be effective against the disease—but few consider this herb in the treatment of cancer. Research in the online medical journal PLoS One, found that an active ingredient known as hypericin was highly effective against the invasive cancer melanoma.

The above herbs are available in dried form that can be used for tea (use one teaspoon of dried herb per cup of boiled water). They are also available as tincture (alcohol extract) or capsule forms; it is best to follow package directions for the product you select.

8 Health Benefits of Antioxidant-Rich Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a popular medicinal plant that has been used for thousands of years. It is best known for treating skin injuries, such as burns and sores, but may also have several other therapeutic properties. Here are 8 health benefits of aloe vera that are supported by science.

IMPROVES HEALTH

Aloe vera is a thick, short-stemmed plant that stores water in its leaves. It is widely used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries, and has an estimated annual market value of $13 billion globally (1).

Aloe vera is well recognized by its thick, pointed and fleshy green leaves, which can grow to about 12-19 inches in length. Each leaf is full of a slimy tissue that stores water, which makes the leaves thick. This slimy, water-filled tissue is the “gel” we associate with aloe vera products. The gel contains most of the bioactive compounds in the plant, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.

Bottom Line: Aloe vera is a popular medicinal plant that is used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. Its leaves are full of a “gel” that contains numerous beneficial compounds.

POTENT ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES

Antioxidants are important for health. Aloe vera gel contains powerful antioxidants, which belong to a large family of substances known as polyphenols (2). These polyphenols, along with several other compounds in aloe vera, can help inhibit the growth of certain bacteria that can cause infections in humans (2).

Bottom Line: Aloe vera contains various powerful antioxidant compounds. Some of these compounds can help inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.

ACCELERATES THE HEALING OF BURNS

Aloe vera is most commonly used as a topical medication, rubbed onto the skin rather than eaten. It has long been known as a treatment for sores, particularly burns, including sunburns. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration first approved aloe vera ointment as an over-the-counter medication for skin burns back in 1959. Studies suggest that it is an effective topical treatment for first- and second-degree burns. A review of four experimental studies found that aloe vera could reduce the healing time of burns by around nine days compared to conventional medication (3). The evidence for aloe vera helping to heal other types of wounds is inconclusive (4). 

Bottom Line: Applying aloe vera to burn wounds appears to accelerate the healing process. The evidence is inconclusive for other wound types.

REDUCES DENTAL PLAQUE AS EFFECTIVELY AS MOUTHWASH

Tooth decay and diseases of the gum are very common health problems. One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is to reduce the buildup of plaque (bacterial biofilms) on the teeth. In a mouth rinse study of 300 healthy people, 100 percent pure aloe vera juice was compared to the standard mouthwash ingredient chlorhexidine. After four days of use, the aloe vera mouth rinse was found to be just as effective as chlorhexidine in reducing dental plaque (5).

Another study found similar benefits of aloe vera mouth rinse when used over a 15- to 30-day period (6). Aloe vera does this by killing the plaque-producing bacterium Streptococcus mutans in the mouth, as well as the yeast Candida albicans (7).

Bottom Line: When used as a mouth rinse, pure Aloe vera juice is just as effective at reducing dental plaque buildup as regular mouthwash.

USED TO TREAT MOUTH ULCERS (CANKER SORES)

Many people have experienced mouth ulcers, or canker sores, at some point in their lives. They usually form underneath the lip, inside the mouth, and last for about 7-10 days. Studies have convincingly shown that aloe vera treatment can accelerate the healing of mouth ulcers.

In a seven-day study of 180 people with recurrent mouth ulcers, an aloe vera patch applied to the area was effective in reducing the size of the ulcers (8). However, it did not outperform the conventional ulcer treatment, which is corticosteroids. In another study, aloe vera gel not only accelerated the healing of mouth ulcers, it also reduced the pain associated with them (9).

Bottom Line: Application of aloe vera, either as a patch or gel, has been shown to aid in the recovery of mouth ulcers (canker sores).

CAN HELP TREAT CONSTIPATION

Aloe vera has often be used to treat constipation. This time it is not the gel, but the latex, that provides the benefits. The latex is a sticky yellow residue found just under the skin of the leaf. The key compound responsible for this effect is called aloin, or barbaloin, which has well-established laxative effects (10, 11, 12).

However, some concerns have been raised about safety issues with frequent use. For this reason, aloe latex has not been available in the U.S. as an over-the-counter medication since 2002. Contrary to popular belief, aloe vera does not appear to be effective against other digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (13, 14, 15).

Bottom Line: Aloe vera latex has strong laxative effects, making it useful to treat constipation. It does not appear to be beneficial for other diseases of the digestive tract.

IMPROVE SKIN ELASTICITY AND HELP PREVENT WRINKLES

There is some preliminary evidence that topical aloe vera gel can slow aging of the skin. In one study of 30 women over the age of 45, topical application of the gel was shown to increase collagen production and improve skin elasticity over a 90-day period (16).

Another study found that aloe vera reduced erythema (redness of the skin), but was also found to dehydrate skin cells (17). There is very little evidence that aloe vera can treat skin conditions like psoriasis and radiation dermatitis (18).

Bottom Line: Early evidence suggests that aloe vera may have anti-aging effects on the skin, but more research is needed.

MAY LOWER BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS IN DIABETICS

Aloe vera has sometimes been used as a traditional diabetes remedy (19, 20). It is said to enhance insulin sensitivity and help improve blood sugar management. Several animal and human studies in type 2 diabetics have actually found promising results from consuming aloe vera extract (21, 22, 23). However, the quality of these studies was fairly poor, so it is definitely premature to recommend aloe vera for this purpose. Additionally, there have been some cases of liver damage reported with long-term ingestion of aloe vera supplements (24).

10 Tasty Carbs That Won’t Make You Fat

We all know the story. Eating carbohydrates causes a spike in blood sugar, which results in a surge of insulin. Insulin shuttles all that extra sugar into your fat cells and you become obese. Over time, your poor helpless organs become resistant to insulin and you develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, thereby shortening your life by 7 years.

All of that is true.

The story is more complicated, however, because all carbs are not created equal.

I’m not here to tell you sugar and flour won’t make you fat, they will. But unrefined foods that just happen to be slightly higher in starch or sugar don’t, in reasonable quantities, elicit giant blood sugar spikes or abnormally high insulin levels.

Instead, unprocessed carbohydrates generate gentle, moderate rises in your blood glucose and insulin, giving you a small but long-lasting supply of energy your muscles can use for several hours. This is what is supposed to happen when you eat nourishing food, and normal healthy people have no reason to fear it.

So what are these magical carbs that don’t make you fat? Pretty much anything you can find in nature. If it comes in a box and has a prominent “whole grain” sticker on it, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a license to gorge yourself on grains or any food. Eat enough of something, or eat it quickly, and you’ll still end up with more sugar in your blood than your body knows what to do with. But in moderate quantities you can eat from the following list without risking your life or growing out of your favorite jeans.

10 Tasty Carbs That Won’t Make You Fat

1. Fruit

Some popular diets recommend limiting fruit because of its relatively high concentrations of sugar compared to other foods. However you can continue to lose weight even while eating fruit, so long as you don’t pig out on it. Fructose, the sugar in fruit, is bad for you not because it raises your blood sugar, but because it is converted to fat in the liver. However the relatively small amounts of fructose present in whole fruit is nothing to worry about.

2. Beans

Though beans are relatively rich in carbs, a substantial portion of it is fiber and the overall glycemic load is pretty low. Beans are also an excellent source of iron, protein and folate, as well as essential minerals.

3. Oats

Oatmeal is tricky because Quaker and other companies have somehow convinced us that cooking real oats is too hard and time consuming for any civilized human being. This conveniently allows them to mark up the prices on their instant, pre-sweetened varieties that are closer to dessert than they are to a healthy breakfast. But in reality real rolled oats are low calorie, high fiber, and not fattening in the least. They also cook up in minutes.

4. Dairy

Have you ever checked the label of plain yogurt and wondered how all that sugar got in there? No you’re not crazy, it’s just that the FDA nutrition labels don’t distinguish between added sugar (sucrose or fructose) and naturally occurring sugars like lactose, the sugar in milk. In reasonable quantities and without added sugars (read labels carefully), unsweetened dairy products will not usually contribute to fat accumulation.

5. Lentils

Like beans, lentils are full of fiber and digest slowly. If anything, adding lentils to your diet will likely help you lose weight, not make you gain it.

6. Farro

One of my favorite foods, farro is a dense and chewy grain with a thick husk and rich flavor. Although it is a grain, farro is very filling and a little goes a long way. No need to spike your blood sugar with this stuff.

7. Wine

Though people often cite wine and alcohol as having a lot of calories, your body digests alcohol calories different than sugar calories and they have virtually no impact on glycemic response. Though there are many reasons to keep your wine portions under control, sharing the occasional bottle won’t stop you from losing weight.

8. Quinoa

Technically a seed and not a grain, quinoa (keen-wah) is a good source of protein and fiber, and has a very low glycemic index. It’s also high in iron, has a complete amino acid profile (great for vegetarians) and cooks in almost no time.

9. Brown rice

A lot of people claim to dislike brown rice, but cooked properly it can be a beautiful addition to almost any meal. A small serving of brown rice can make your salads, stir fries and other vegetable dishes more satisfying, while not forcing that big blood sugar spike you’d get from eating bread.

10. Potatoes

This may surprise you, but moderate amounts of potatoes cooked in healthy oils (not processed vegetable oils) won’t make you fat. Potatoes are actually fairly high in iron, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and minerals, making them a healthy alternative to other starches so long as you don’t go nuts.