America

Washington's past decade of Syria policy has been driven by fears of the so-called "Shia crescent" or Iranian land bridge which would conceivably connect Tehran with the Mediterranean in a continuous arch of influence. With events rapidly unfolding in Iraq and Syria, foremost among them the defeat of ISIS and the connection of Syrian and Iraqi national forces at the shared border, that land bridge has now been established for the first time in recent history. 

Anti-slavery protests continued across various world capitals this week, especially in countries across Africa, after earlier protests in France got violent when police used tear gas and other riot control tactics on a crowed of more than one thousand outside of the Libyan embassy in Paris. The protests are in response to last week's widespread reports of slave markets operating in various cities across Libya, and look to continue as according to Reuters a major rally is set to take place in London later this week. 

On the day of peak gorging, we are reminded that America is facing a sustained obesity crisis. As Statista's Dyfed Loesche notes, many doctors are warning that the fat scourge is reaching epidemic proportions.

Some experts believe that obesity is responsible for more ill health than smoking. Diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are just three prominent illnesses that are caused by obesity.

Authored by Roger Beckett via InsideSources.com,

Today, Americans will celebrate their oldest tradition: the observance of Thanksgiving, which dates back to 1621. The quiz below, from the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University in Ohio, provides an opportunity to test your knowledge of the history and customs of the nearly 400-year-old holiday.

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1. The first credited Thanksgiving was celebrated at the Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. How long was the first Thanksgiving feast?

Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,

With Thanksgiving upon us, many are planning festivities which include feasts and gatherings with friends and family. 

But some others, like gun control activists, seek to make your holiday as miserable as possible.

Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, used the trending hashtag #ThanksgivingWeek to call on parents to inquire about guns in homes where their child may be visiting this year.