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Epoch Times
an hour ago
- Epoch Times
Air Force Investigating Whether Sig Sauer Pistol Was a Factor in Airman's Death
The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command is sidelining the M18 Modular Handgun System after the death of an Air Force Security Airman at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, on July 20. A press release from the 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs office on F.E. Warren provided no details of the incident. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations has the case, and no details will be released at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation, according to the press release. The compact M18 and its full-size counterpart, the M17, are the military and law enforcement variants of the Sig Sauer P320. The Army selected Sig designs for the Modular Handgun System in 2017. All branches of the U.S. military subsequently adopted the pistols as their standard sidearms. A statement from the Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, said the M18 was pulled from service after the Wyoming incident. Air Force Security Forces for the Global Strike Command will carry the M4 rifle while all M18s in service will be inspected 'to identify any immediate safety concerns.' A Sig Sauer spokesman told The Epoch Times the company has reached out to the Air Force and is ready to assist the investigation. 'Our hearts are with the service members and families impacted by the recent reported event at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base. We have offered assistance to the U.S. Military as they investigate the incident and remain willing to help in furtherance of their ongoing investigation,' Phil Strader, vice president for consumer affairs, wrote to The Epoch Times. Global Strike Command spokesman Charles 'Moose' Hoffman said it was too early to release details on the Wyoming incident. 'Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety and security of our personnel, the pause will remain in place pending the completion of comprehensive investigations by the Air Force,' Hoffman wrote in an email to The Epoch Times. The pistol has been dogged for years by claims that it is prone to unintentional discharge if handled or bumped, without the trigger being pulled. At least 80 people have been injured since 2014, and several lawsuits have been filed. In 2021, the U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania dismissed a claim by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent that his P320 discharged while in its holster, wounding him. The court ruled that the plaintiff failed to prove the pistol was flawed after the court rejected his expert witnesses. The plaintiff has appealed that decision.
Epoch Times
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Rep. Mike Lawler Rules Out Run for NY Governor, Will Seek Reelection
The second-term congressman, who represents a swing district in the Hudson Valley, said, 'Keeping the House majority is critical.' Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 15, 2025. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 15, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) has announced he will seek reelection and will not challenge New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, in 2026. The Republican represents a suburban area of New York City in District 17, and has been viewed as a strong potential challenger to Hochul. However, another House Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), has also reportedly been considering a gubernatorial run. Lawler made the announcement in a July 23 post on X , saying that it was the 'greatest honor' of his life to serve the Hudson Valley, and while he thinks Hochul 'must be defeated,' he would not be the one taking her on. Story continues below advertisement 'Under Kathy Hochul, New York has the highest taxes, the worst business climate, and leads the nation in outmigration,' Lawler said, adding that she 'must be defeated in 2026.' The Epoch Times has reached out to Hochul's office for a comment. Lawler is serving his second term in Congress in an area that has been seen as a swing district for recent elections. During a July 23 interview on 'Fox and Friends,' the lawmaker said that running for reelection to the House was 'the right thing to do for me and my family and my district.' 'Keeping the House majority is critical if we are going to continue to move this economy in the right direction,' he said, noting that he is one of just a few Republicans who won a House seat in an area that former Vice President Kamala Harris won in the presidential election last year. Story continues below advertisement The New York Republican was endorsed for reelection to the House by President Donald Trump in May. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called him 'a Strong Champion and Highly Effective Representative.' Hochul took the governor's position in 2021, after former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned. She previously served as the lieutenant governor and was elected for a full gubernatorial term in 2022. She already faces a 2026 primary challenge from her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado. The two have been in a simmering feud since earlier this year. Story continues below advertisement The lieutenant governor was appointed by Hochul in 2022 after her previous lieutenant governor, Brian Benjamin, was indicted for bribery and other offenses early in 2022. When Delgado announced in February of this year that he would not run alongside Hochul for the upcoming term, he said that New Yorkers deserve 'more leaders in government willing to hold themselves accountable to the people—and only to the people.' Hochul's office responded, saying, 'Today, Antonio Delgado finally said out loud what has been obvious for quite some time: he is simply not interested in doing the job,' but that they wished 'him the best in his future endeavors.'
Epoch Times
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Russia Imprisons Falun Gong Practitioner for 4 Years Amid Growing Ties to Beijing
Natalya Minenkova, who has been calling attention to the abuses in China, said she's pained to see her country becoming a tool for the CCP in the persecution. Natalya Minenkova does the Falun Gong meditation in Dendropark in Moscow, Russia, on July 5, 2022. Natalya Minenkova does the Falun Gong meditation in Dendropark in Moscow, Russia, on July 5, 2022. A Moscow court has sentenced a woman to four years in prison for practicing Falun Gong as human rights watchers sound alarm over the 'chilling alignment' between Russia and China. The woman, 47-year-old Natalya Minenkova, was sentenced on July 23 after spending a year in detention under the accusation of 'carrying out the activities of an undesirable organization.' The prison term was handed down just a day after authorities in Siberia raided the home of a Falun Gong practitioner, seizing her phone and laptop. Repression against Falun Gong practitioners in Russia has escalated in the past year, with seven other practitioners prosecuted or detained since March 2024. In late June, Russian citizen Zhu Yun was also sentenced to three years in prison under the same law, and in November 2024, Oksana Shchetkin from southern Russian city Pyatigorsk, received a two-year prison term for her association with Friends of Falun Gong, an organization that the Russian court labeled 'undesirable.' The controversial law, under which 'carrying out the activities of an undesirable organization,' is deemed a crime, was passed in 2015 and has been used by Russian authorities to target more than 100 organizations, as well as journalists and human rights activists. Levi Browde, executive director of Falun Dafa Information Center, said the trend of punishing Falun Gong practitioners for meditating is 'dangerous and deeply concerning.' The fact that Minenkova was sentenced three days after a key Falun Gong anniversary, the 26th year since the persecution began in China, raises serious questions, he said. 'Whether intentional or not, the timing echoes Beijing's playbook and signals a chilling alignment with its authoritarian repression,' Browde told The Epoch Times. 'It is beneath Russia's sovereignty and national dignity to bow to pressure from Beijing to ban Falun Gong and imprison its own citizens. History will not look kindly on those who choose to collaborate with the Chinese Communist Party—the most brutal communist regime in the world today.' Levi Browde, executive director of the Falun Dafa Information Center, in Chicago on March 15, 2024. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times A 'Broader Trend of Transnational Repression' A 'troubling pattern' is emerging with the growing Chinese influence and the expanding repression of Falun Gong globally, according to Browde. Minenkova's arrest in May 2024 occurred two weeks before a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which culminated in the two pledging a 'new era' of partnership. Similar roundups also took place in Serbia and Malaysia over the past year ahead of Xi's trips to the respective countries, which Browde said reflect a 'broader trend of transnational repression tied to Beijing's reach.' 'These incidents raise serious concerns that Moscow and other governments may be suppressing peaceful religious groups to align themselves more closely with Beijing—using repression as a form of diplomatic currency,' he said. Beyond the temporary detentions seen in Serbia and Malaysia, the situation in Russia seems particularly pressing—Moscow has listed seven Falun Gong related organizations as illegal and has banned several Falun Gong related publications, including the practice's main teaching, 'Zhuan Falun,' as well as a report on the regime-sanctioned forced organ harvesting in China. In 2017, some Russian citiies banned an art exhibition showcasing paintings that depict real-life stories of torture and persecution of Falun Gong in China. A local prosecutor's office cited 'expediency of preserving good international relations' to justify the action. As Russia now issues 'criminal sentences for meditation,' it appears Moscow is 'taking extreme measures to curry favor with Beijing,' Browde said. Following Conscience Minenkova, a dental equipment supplier's assistant manager, has practiced Falun Gong for more than a decade. 'We tell the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong, and the CCP is afraid of this,' she told the court on July 23. 'And here, in Russia, it is doing its dirty deeds with your hands, with the hands of investigators, prosecutors, FSB officers.' 'No matter how long and carefully the law enforcement agencies search for evidence of the 'crime' for which I am being tried, they will not find it,' Minenkova said. 'Because there is no crime and no guilt. And the law enforcement officers know this.' She recounted Falun Gong's popularity in China during the 1990s, when around 70 million to 100 million people began practicing for the physical and mental benefits; and how in 1999, the atheist regime declared the practice its enemy upon deeming it a threat to the Party's power, mobilizing a nation's resources to eradicate them. Minenkova credited the practice for healing her stomach issues, sore throat, and chronic tonsillitis. Her character has also improved because of the practice, she said, and her sister, whom she used to quarrel with constantly, once told her she has 'changed a lot.' Natalya Minenkova holds a photo of a Falun Gong practitioner persecuted to death in China, at her sentencing at the Tushinsky District Court of Moscow on July 23, 2025. Courtesy of SOTAvision She has written letters and attended medical forums and other events calling attention to the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong, including the forced organ harvesting in China targeting prisoners of her faith, she said, because she can't remain silent in the face of killing. 'It is very painful to see that my country, instead of protecting me from the persecution of the CCP and assisting in exposing torture, murder and forced organ harvesting in China, is an instrument in the hands of the CCP and persecutes its own citizens,' Minenkova said. 'Prison is not the worst thing that can happen to a person. It is much worse to lose yourself by refusing to act according to your conscience.'
Gulf Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Pepsi Exec Floats Switch To Sugar After Trump Coca-Cola Announcement
PepsiCo's top executive indicated on July 17 that the company may switch Pepsi's sweetener from high-fructose corn syrup to sugar, one day after President Donald Trump said Coca-Cola would soon be making the change. 'Same journey that we have in foods, we're following in beverages. This is a consumer-centric strategy. We're following the consumer,' Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo's CEO, told investors on a call after being asked about Trump's announcement. 'If the consumer is telling us that they prefer products that have sugar and they prefer products that have natural ingredients, we will give the consumer products that have sugar and have natural ingredients. So, this is a journey of following the consumer, trying to be a little bit maybe one step ahead of the consumer, but not too many steps. And it applies to both beverages and food.' As Jasper Fakkert reports for The Epoch Times, Trump said on Wednesday that he had been discussing with Coca-Cola the possibility of switching Coke's sweetener to cane sugar in the United States, 'and they have agreed to do so,' he said. A Coca-Cola spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the company appreciates Trump's enthusiasm for its brand and promised to soon share 'more details on new innovative offerings within our Coca‑Cola product range.' Some Coca-Cola products feature cane sugar, although most Coke sold in the United States is made with corn syrup. Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo updated their soda formulas in the 1980s to use corn syrup instead of sugar. Laguarta's announcement came during a call in which executives said that PepsiCo will relaunch its Lay's and Tostitos brands later this year to highlight that they contain no artificial colors or flavors. 'We're trying to elevate the real food perception of Lay's. If you think about the simplest and most natural snack, it is a potato chip; it's a potato, it's oil, and it's a little bit of salt—the most simple, no artificial ingredients,' Laguarta said. The company also said it was expanding the use of avocado and olive oil across its brands, rather than the canola or soybean oil it uses. Some health influencers, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have promoted removing seed oils from food. PepsiCo officials had announced in April that they were quickening the company's transition to natural colors, in the wake of the Food and Drug Administration's banning of two artificial dyes. Lays and Tostitos will not contain artificial colors by the end of 2025, he said at the time. PepsiCo already offers Lays and Doritos without artificial colors or flavors under its Simply segment. 'The Simply line extension for existing chip brands is still in early innings,' F/m Investments senior portfolio manager Christian Greiner said. 'Consumers have not engaged so far, and given that, it will be seen how consumers react to a rebranding of Lays and Tostitos over the next couple of quarters.'
Epoch Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Epoch Times
How a Cancer Survivor Has Stayed Healthy for Two Decades After a Life-Threatening Recurrence
In 2007, at age 36 and just six months into her marriage, Yang Ya-chuan underwent a medical check-up as she and her husband were trying to conceive a child. They received an unexpected diagnosis—cancer in her ovary. Despite immediate surgery to remove the affected ovary, a year later, the cancer had a second procedure, surgeons took turns removing all the affected organs. When she awoke, Yang learned that she had lost her remaining ovary, uterus, and part of her intestines. A bag was next to her belly button, with a piece of intestine sticking out. 'I felt like my whole world had collapsed.' Yang told The Epoch Times. 'I don't know what I did to deserve this. I don't know how much time I have left. Even the doctors can't tell me how long I'll live.' At the most devastating point in her life, she started a qigong practice, which altered the course of her life. A Chance Encounter During her week-long hospital stay following surgery, her suffering continued. Related Stories At the time, she was struggling with abdominal fluid buildup and severe pain from her surgical incision, which made it difficult to sleep. She also struggled mentally, feeling as though she looked like a Frankenstein's monster, with tubes and stitches. She cried to the point she couldn't speak, blaming fate was unfair. Yang hired a caregiver to help look after her. Seeing Yang in such pain, the caregiver suggested that she try practicing a qigong practice called Falun Gong in hopes of relieving the mental and, hopefully, physical discomfort. The caregiver told Yang it had significantly improved her own health. Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline that combines meditation with gentle, slow-moving exercises—similar to yoga or tai chi. It also comes with teachings that follow the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. It emphasizes the development of moral character and personal cultivation. Initially, Yang was skeptical. Still, she agreed to listen to recorded teachings. 'After about 20 minutes of listening, I would start to feel more at ease and could even take a short nap,' she said. In 2010, Yang underwent her first round of chemotherapy. The treatment left her physically weakened, and she lost around 22 pounds. She continued her therapy while keeping up her practice. Once discharged from the hospital, she took the time to attend a nine-day Falun Gong seminar. Following her sixth round of chemotherapy, both her dietitian and doctor noticed something unusual—although Yang had lost weight, her muscle mass had been fully preserved. Typically, chemotherapy causes a sharp decline in white blood cell count, increasing the risk of infection and potentially posing serious health risks. However, Yang's test results consistently showed that her white blood cell counts remained within a healthy range throughout treatment—a rare outcome for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Noting how quickly Yang's body recovered after each round of chemotherapy, her doctor recommended she undergo six additional sessions as a preventive measure. Yang told the doctor that she decided not to pursue the preventive sessions due to the potential physical toll. She also shared that she had experienced significant improvements since starting her practice of Falun Gong. To her surprise, the renowned Taiwanese gynecologic oncology specialist, Hua-Hsi Wu, agreed with her decision. 'Then keep practicing Falun Gong,' he said. Recovery Since then, Yang has devoted herself fully to the mind and body practice. Shortly after practicing Falun Gong outdoors, she experienced a unique swirling sensation in her back—in the area where she had previously undergone surgery to remove her lipoma. The strong energy flow lasted for longer than six months, she said. 'Every time I practiced, even in cold weather, I would break into a sweat. The smell of my sweat reminded me of the chemotherapy drugs, IV fluids, and disinfectants used during my hospital treatment. This continued for nearly a year.' A month after completing her chemotherapy, her body returned to the state it was in before she underwent surgery, Yang said. Practicing Falun Gong also helped Yang cultivate a more positive and peaceful outlook on life. 'Rather than resenting my illness, I have learned to face it with calm acceptance. After reading Zhuan Falun [the core text of Falun Gong], I came to understand that true health begins with being a kind and considerate person,' she said. Her family and friends were surprised to see her let go of her previously impatient and quick-tempered nature—even her driving habits had changed. For more than a decade, she has lived a healthy and energetic life. Last August, Taipei Veterans General Hospital issued a health certificate indicating that Yang was symptom-free at the time of examination. A health certificate issued by Taipei Veterans General Hospital on Aug. 20, 2024, indicated that Yang was symptom-free at the time of examination. Courtesy of Yang Ya-chuan The Power of Belief Commenting on Yang's remarkable recovery after practicing Falun Gong, Dr. Glynn Weldon Gilcrease, associate professor of oncology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, told The Epoch Times that oncology typically relies on statistical measures—such as median survival—to assess prognosis. However, he noted that some patients show unusually positive responses to treatment that are difficult to explain medically—and often, even the patients themselves cannot pinpoint a specific reason. 'I believe that having hope and a sense of meaning in life is crucial. When you have a purpose—when you understand why you're here—that makes a significant difference,' he said. Dr. Chih-Ying Liao, a radiation oncologist at China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan, emphasized the importance of belief in cancer recovery. 'The human brain is a remarkable organ—it can influence the immune system,' he told The Epoch Times. 'Practices such as qigong and meditation can help stabilize both the body and mind,' Liao said. 'From a spiritual or religious standpoint, there's indirect evidence that these practices may improve quality of life, enhance sleep, and reduce levels of inflammatory hormones. These effects could, in turn, help support cancer recovery by boosting the immune system.' Patients with greater emotional stability are also more likely to care for their physical health—maintaining healthier diets, exercising regularly, and ultimately achieving better treatment outcomes, he said. In some cases, this can even lead to cancer reversal. In recent years, the concept of integrative oncology has received growing attention within the medical community. A 2021 An As of the report date, 149 patients were still alive and in good health. Compared to the predicted 5.1 months, their survival period was prolonged to 56 months. Notably, patients' quality of life also improved significantly. A recent photo of Yang Ya-chuan. Courtesy of Yang Ya-chuan Surviving and Thriving Three years after completing chemotherapy, Yang returned to the workforce. She became a life insurance agent at Nan Shan Life, one of Taiwan's top three insurance providers. She has earned the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table recognition seven times—an honor that marks her as one of the top professionals in the industry. She's also been in good health. Once a frequent visitor to clinics, Yang used to catch a cold every three to four months, suffer sleepless nights from persistent coughing, and struggle with digestive issues. Now, she doesn't. 'I am even healthier than I was before the cancer.'
