An abundance of scientific research suggests that vaccines can trigger a large number of diseases and autoimmunity shortly after being administered. The Godfather of Autoimmunology, Yehuda Shoenfeld,  is suggesting that vaccines – specifically, their ingredients such as the toxic metal aluminum – is a significant contributor to the growing global epidemic of autoimmune diseases.

A leaked memo has revealed that authorities in Saudi Arabia were well aware of the crisis that would ensue, following the mass execution of 47 people in the New Year.  The memo reveals that the intelligence community anticipated and may have orchestrated the angry response from Iran. Middleeasteye.net reports: The document was leaked to the human rights group Reprieve, which believes it shows the executions were “politically motivated”.

The chart below, showing the total number of monthly FBI firearm background checks - a direct proxy for gun purchases in the U.S., needs no commentary.

Here is the same data, on a monthly basis to avoid the seasonal noise. No matter how one looks at it though, the 3.3 million background checks in December was a record high.

Neither of these are the "troubling chart" referenced in the title. This one shown below is, and it comes courtesy of the NYT:

Fourteen years after 9/11, the United States is still marching, undeterred by the millions killed and trillions of dollars wasted, towards something beyond grim, according to Riley Waggaman of Russia Insider who writes: “Let us consider the way in which we spend our lives.” So begins Thoreau’s greatest treatise against trains and fools with too much money, Life Without Principle. (And not to spoil the gripping plot, but Thoreau argues that we do not spend our lives particularly well.

The Pentagon have revealed that hundreds of incidents involving sexual assaults with children of service members occur every year.  The revelation by the Defense Department shows that abuse is mostly committed by male enlisted troops and family members. Yahoo News reports: The figures offer greater insight into the sexual abuse of children committed by service members, a problem of uncertain scale due to a lack of transparency into the military’s legal proceedings. With more than 1 million military dependents, the number of cases appears statistically small.