Protesters clashed with police and burned a vehicle in the English city of Sunderland during a demonstration linked to the Southport knife attack. Meanwhile, Home Secretary David Hanson warned that violent far-right rioters will face the full force of the law.
In other news, the Pentagon said the United States will deploy additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Dora, JW, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
US stocks tumbled across the board on Friday after the July jobs report showed a further cooling in the labor market, fueling concerns the Federal Reserve’s “higher for longer” interest-rate stance might end in recession and that the central bank may have waited too long to start lowering rates.
The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) dropped 2.6% after the jobs report’s release. That plunged the tech-heavy index into correction territory, defined as a more than 10% drop from its recent high on July 10.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) slumped 1.5%, or more than 600 points. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) sank 1.8%.
All three major indexes recorded weekly losses. The S&P and the Dow fell 2%, while the Nasdaq shed 3%. The Russell 2000 (RUT) fared even worse, posting a weekly loss of about 6.8%.
On Friday, new data showed the US economy added fewer jobs than expected in July, while the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 4.3%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ nonfarm payrolls report showed. Those additional signs of a slowdown in the labor market are likely to feed recession fears and rate-cut expectations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden-Harris Task Force Urges Online Age Verification Digital ID Tool Development
The online digital ID age verification creep in the US continues from a number of directions, through “recommendations” and “studies” — essentially, the government is nudging the industry to move in the direction of implementing digital ID age verification tools.
At this point, it is happening via various initiatives and legislation, still, without being formally mandated.
One instance is a recommendation coming from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force, which is telling online service providers they should “develop and inform parents about age verification tools built into the app or available at the device level.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Angry Over Being Kept in the Dark on Israel’s Operation to Kill Hamas Chief
Fresh reporting by Barak Ravid of Axios has revealed that President Biden held a “tough” phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursdsay wherein the Israeli leader was urged to stop stoking tensions in the region which puts any potential hostage deal in extreme jeopardy.
Israel’s Wednesday assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh has put the whole region on a war footing. But Netanyahu and his government without doubt sees this as justified and necessary revenge for the Oct.7 terror attacks on southern Israel. Biden officials are said to be deeply frustrated at the ripple effects from both the Haniyeh killing and the assassination of Hezbollah’s top military commander in Beirut this week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Looks Completely Cooked as He Listens to Harris’ Word Salad
Lame duck President Joe Biden appeared to be struggling to remain sentient as he stood and listened to Democrat VP Kamala Harris give a word salad statement to the media.
Harris, Biden’s replacement as the presumptive Democrat nominee for president, was widely mocked over the Thursday night statement.
She spoke to reporters on an airport tarmac where three Americans were returned after being wrongfully imprisoned in Russia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Philadelphia’s Democrat Mayor Cherelle Parker posted on X that she supports Josh Shapiro as Kamala Harris’ pick for the VP spot on the presidential ticket. “Proud to be back with so many leaders from across our region supporting Kamala Harris for President and Josh Shapiro for VP!” Parker wrote on X in a post she pinned to the top of her profile. The post caused some confusion as many read it as a premature announcement of the Harris campaign’s selection of Shapiro.
“We are One CITY, One REGION, and ONE Commonwealth United!” She said. Harris is expected to hold a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday along with her pick for veep, which has not been announced by the campaign. Shapiro is at the top of the list in rumor speculation and cancelled his weekend fundraising events in New York’s tony Hamptons as others who has been reportedly under consideration, such as Gretchen Whitmer and Roy Cooper, announced that they were not going to be on the ticket alongside Harris.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Virginia AG Demands Dem Donor Group ActBlue Answer for Fraud Allegations
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is demanding answers about allegations of fraudulent donations from ActBlue, a donation platform for Democratic politicians.
In a letter sent to ActBlue, Miyares said, “My office has become aware of multiple serious allegations that ActBlue, ActBlue Civics, Inc., and ActBlue Charities, Inc. (together “ActBlue”) have engaged in fraudulent, deceptive, and/or otherwise illegal activities in the Commonwealth of Virginia and/or have aided and abetted others in doing so.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The January 6 case against 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has officially been sent back down to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for further proceedings, coming after the Supreme Court ruled in early July that presidents have immunity for official acts.
“On consideration whereof, it is ordered and adjudged by this Court that the judgment of the above court is vacated with costs, and the cases is remanded to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for further proceedings consistent with the opinion of this Court,” a document from the Supreme Court, obtained by journalist Julie Kelly, stated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chevron Abandons California for New Headquarters in Houston
Bye-bye, Governor Gavin Newsom.
After more than a century of operations in California, energy giant Chevron announced that it will move its San Ramon headquarters to Houston, Texas. Bloomberg states the move was primarily due to the state’s “adversarial” regulations toward the fossil fuel industry. Chevron’s move is more evidence the multi-year mass exodus of companies and residents fleeing the high tax and high crime state is still underway.
“There will be minimal immediate relocation impacts to other employees currently based in San Ramon. The company expects all corporate functions to migrate to Houston over the next five years,” Chevron wrote in a press release.
The San Ramon headquarters currently has 2,000 employees. These employees will likely be transferred to Houston in the coming years, where the company currently has about 7,000 employees.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Clinton Strategist James Carville Warns Kamala Harris’ Far-Left Ties Could Hand Election to Trump
Veteran Democrat strategist James Carville is warning Kamala Harris that her links to the far-left and progressive policies could cost her the election.
Carville, the lead strategist in Bill Clinton’s winning 1992 presidential campaign, is urging Harris to abandon the radical left or face handing the election to President Donald Trump.
Carville provided the advice during the latest episode of his “Politics War Room” podcast on Thursday.
He argues that the progressives in the Democratic Party are “dead a*s wrong” and that Harris will regret it if she listens to them on policy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Revokes Plea Deal for Accused 9/11 Terrorists in Shocking Reversal
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin revoked plea deals on Friday that would have spared the death penalty for the accused mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and two alleged accomplices.
In a memo, Austin, 70, announced that he relieved the official responsible for signing off on the plea agreements from authority and that he assumed control of the Convening Authority for Military Commissions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The gangbanger who allegedly shot and wounded two NYPD sergeants after robbing women at a Lower East Side mahjong parlor was out on probation in a crack cocaine case, according to law-enforcement sources and court records.
Video exclusively obtained by The Post shows a masked, hooded robber — Joshua Dorsett, 22, police said — pointing a gun as he swiped purses from shocked patrons in the 91 Canal St. parlor Thursday afternoon before running off.
Minutes later, two veteran cops spotted Dorsett, who matched the robber’s description, and tried to restrain him on Eldridge Street near Delancey Street, police said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee demanded that Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter hand over documents related to her firm’s communications with the Harris and Biden campaigns as well as materials related to the prosecution of Donald Trump in the falsified business records case in New York. In 2019, Loren Merchan,then-vice president of Authentic Campaigns, simultaneously served as the director of digital persuasion for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
The committee wrote, in a letter addressed to Loren Merchan, now president of the firm Authentic Campaigns, that the firm is connected politically to high-profile Democrats, including their presumptive nominee for president, Vice President Kamala Harris.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hunter Biden’s Sentencing in Gun Case Scheduled for After Election Day
WASHINGTON — First son Hunter Biden’s sentencing hearing on three federal gun felonies will be held Nov. 13 — eight days after the presidential election — according to a new scheduling order from judge Maryellen Noreika.
A Delaware jury on June 11 found Hunter, 54, guilty of illegally buying and possessing a Colt Cobra .38-caliber revolver in 2018. The case centered on his lying about his drug abuse on federal paperwork.
The first son faces up to 25 years in prison, but could receive as little as probation as his penalty.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
By Mark Glennon of Wirepoints
Illinois progressives are all over the media congratulating themselves on passage of The Illinois Worker Freedom of Speech Act, signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday. It passed both houses in the General Assembly along strict party lines, with Republicans opposed.
It has nothing to do with worker freedom of speech, creates a nightmare for employers and is yet another measure by the state that flagrantly ignores the First Amendment’s right to free speech.
Under the Act, most every employer in the state faces mandatory fines of $1,000 per employee plus civil lawsuits if they discuss “religious or political matters” at meetings where worker attendance is mandatory.
Think about that — no discussions allowed on political matters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Harris Came Within 20 Feet of Planted Pipe Bomb on Jan. 6: Report
Vice President Kamala Harris was within feet of a “viable” pipe bomb that had been planted outside the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters on Jan. 6, 2021, a new report claims.
The pipe bomb was planted in a bush right outside the office, according to a new report from the Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog, that was obtained by ABC News.
“The pipe bomb had been placed near the building the night before, but … [a]dvance security sweeps by the Secret Service at the DNC building did not include the outside area where a pipe bomb had been placed,” the report claims.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Harris Gets Enough Delegates to Secure Dem Nomination — Despite Never Winning a Primary
Vice President Kamala Harris got enough delegate votes Friday in the virtual roll call process to become the official Democratic nominee.
The deadline for DNC delegates to turn in their electronic ballot is on Monday, but by Friday afternoon, Harris already had the majority of delegate support secured.
“I am so proud to confirm that Vice President Harris has earned more than a majority of votes from all convention delegates and will be the nominee of the Democratic Party following the close of voting on Monday,” DNC chair Jaime Harrison said in a call.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House GOP Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) sent a letter to Vice President Harris, demanding more information about her national security advisor, Philip Gordon, and his connection to a US Department of Defense official who was reportedly an Iranian spy in the US government.
Stefanik and Cotton wrote, “We write to express concern about your national security advisor Mr. Philip Gordon’s connections to Ms. Ariane Tabatabai, a senior Department of Defense official who was reportedly involved in an Iranian government operation to expand Tehran’s soft power in the United States.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Harris Hidden From Media as She Prepares for Coronation
Kamala Harris is being hidden from the media as the Democrats prepare to undemocratically select the vice president as their nominee for the 2024 election.
Harris has been in a protective bubble since launching her presidential campaign more than a week ago.
So far, Harris hasn’t done any press conferences or sit-down interviews, opting instead to stick to pep rallies with celebrities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kyle Rittenhouse Flip-Flops on Trump Support After ‘Productive Conversations’ With Campaign
Kyle Rittenhouse, the conservative campaigner who shot two men during a Black Lives Matter protest nearly four years ago, flip-flopped this week on whether he would be voting for Former President Donald Trump in the November election.
Rittenhouse, 21, took to X on Thursday, to declare his intentions to instead write in former Libertarian presidential nominee Ron Paul, who is not running for president.
“Unfortunately, Donald Trump had bad advisors making him bad on the Second Amendment and that is my issue,” said Rittenhouse. “If you cannot be completely uncompromisable on the Second Amendment I will not vote for you.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kyle Rittenhouse: My Comments ‘Were Ill-Informed,’ ‘I’m 100% Behind Trump’
Hours after posting a video in which he denounced Donald Trump’s Second Amendment record and indicated he would not vote for Trump, Kyle Rittenhouse corrected himself and expressed confidence that Trump will be a strong 2A ally.
Breitbart News reported Rittenhouse’s criticism of Trump and his pledge to write-in Ron Paul for president.
Rittenhouse, the Outreach Director for Texas Gun Rights, said, “Unfortunately, Donald Trump had bad advisers, making him bad on the Second Amendment, and that is my issue.”
He added, “If you cannot be completely uncompromisable on the Second Amendment, I will not vote for you, and I will write somebody else in. We need champions for the Second Amendment or our rights would be eaten away and eroded each day. I support my decision and I have no takebacks.”
Texas Gun Rights reacted by “proudly” endorsing Donald Trump for president and warning gun owners not to sit on the sidelines in this election: “We need President Trump to protect our rights. We can’t allow Kamala Harris to win in November. Texas Gun Rights stands behind Donald Trump.”
Just over two hours after Texas Gun Rights endorsed Trump, Rittenhouse recanted his anti-Trump message, noting, in part, “My comments last night were ill-informed unproductive. I’m 100% behind Donald Trump and encourage every gun owner to join me in helping send him back to the White House.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google is being accused of doing its part to “memory-hole” one of the most serious incidents in American politics in decades — the attempted assassination of former president, now presidential candidate, Donald Trump.
Google’s search engine is leaving out relevant results in the autosuggest feature, thus decreasing the likelihood of users learning more about the event, and importantly, the investigation into it.
Senator Roger Marshall, a Republican who is a member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, has announced a probe into this behavior, blasting Google at the same time for yet again engaging in censorship of conservatives, and, demonstrating “willful discrimination against President Trump and users of (the) search engine.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mark Zuckerberg Told Trump He Won’t Support Democrats in 2024
Donald Trump revealed that Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerbergreached out to him after the attempted assassination on his life and told the former president and GOP frontrunner that he felt the action of standing up after being shot was “brave.” Zuckerberg also revealed to Trump that he has no intention of supporting Democrats in the upcoming presidential election.
“He actually announced that he can’t support a Democrat,” Trump said, “because he can’t because he respected me for what I did that say.” For Trump, the reaction of standing up after being shot, of encouraging the crowd, letting them know that he was alright, was “a normal response,” he said in the interview with Maria Bartiromo from Bedminster, NJ.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mitch McConnell: ‘America First’ is Foreign Policy ‘Nonsense’
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Friday that the foreign policy vision that former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), Trump’s running mate, espouse is “nonsense.”
McConnell has long tried to eliminate the “isolationist” wing’s increasing influence over the Republican Party.
Although he did not directly reference Trump or Vance, McConnell called the “America First” foreign policy doctrine “nonsense.”
“I mean, even the slogans are what they were in the 30s — ‘America First,’“ McConnell added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nolte: 41% Believe Federal Officials Involved in Trump Assassination Attempt
Rasmussen polled 1,089 likely voters and found that 41 percent believe it is likely that officials in the federal government were part of a conspiracy to assassinate former President Trump.
While more people, 48 percent, say it is unlikely, 41 percent believing it is likely is still a pretty high number.
When asked if the 20-year-old man who tried to assassinate Trump on July 13 in Pennsylvania acted alone, only 53 percent said yes, while 34 percent said he had help from someone else.
Trust in the left-wing FBI’s investigation is also pretty close to divided. Only 53 percent trust the FBI to investigate the assassination attempt, while 44 percent have “not much” or “no trust at all.” Count me among the 44 percent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Progressive Staffers Rebel at Soros-Funded Media Company Launched by Ex-Obama Aides
A media company founded by former aides to President Barack Obama — and partly funded by George Soros — that produces the influential “Pod Save America” podcast has been beset by internal turmoil between its progressive staffers and their moderate bosses, according to a report.
Tension at Los Angeles-based Crooked Media has been fueled by staff disagreements about the war in Gaza, anger over a co-founder dating an employee who was promoted, grueling 12-hour work days, and resentment over pay disparity and celebrity status of the hosts, according to a report in Bloomberg News.
More than a dozen current and former employees of the company told the outlet that there is a divide between more progressive staffers whose views are to the left of the mainstream Democratic Party and the co-founders and podcast hosts who veer more toward the middle.
Crooked Media has received tens of millions of dollars from pro-Democrat donors — including the charity founded by George Soros, which was given a board seat.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Protest Erupts in Times Square After Assassination of Hamas, Hezbollah Leaders
On Wednesday, protests were held in New York City’s Times Square in reaction to the assassinations of two Hamas and Hezbollah terror leaders. Extremists torched an American flag and held up portraits of slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and the current Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the New York Post reports.
Some of the demonstrators were seen carrying Hamas and Al-Qassam flags, which was the Palestinian terror brigade that carried out the Oct. 7 massacre of Israelis, according to video footage of the event.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Talk about timing.
Former President Donald Trump’s fateful July 13 campaign rally in Pennsylvania was the first-ever time the Secret Service used counter-snipers to protect him, the agency’s acting director Ronald Rowe revealed in a Friday press briefing.
“It was the first time Secret Service counter-snipers were deployed to support the former president’s detail,” Rowe told reporters during the nearly hour-long briefing on the investigation into the assassination attempt against Trump.
“We evaluated a threat stream … and we put our Secret Service counter-sniper personnel out there,” he said. “And looking back, it was very fortunate that we did.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Secret Service Chief Cut Threat-Assessment Teams Before Trump Shooting: GOP Senator
WASHINGTON — The acting director of the Secret Service “personally directed significant cuts” to threat-assessment teams ahead of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump, a GOP senator claimed Friday, citing a whistleblower.
Acting Director Ronald Rowe publicly denied the allegation at a press conference Friday afternoon, saying “I did not.”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), who clashed with Rowe at an oversight hearing Tuesday about the near-assassination debacle, published the whistleblower claims in a public letter to the agency chief Friday morning.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Senators Introduce Bill to Blacklist Chinese Drones in the US
Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Two senators have introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent Chinese drone technologies from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who sits on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced the Countering CCP Drones and Supporting Drones for Law Enforcement Act (S.4792), according to a statement. The measure was introduced as an amendment to the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
TikTok Violated Children’s Privacy, Allowed Them to Create Accounts: DOJ Suit
The Biden administration fired another shot across the bow at TikTok and its Chinese-owned parent ByteDance.
The popular video sharing app was slapped with a lawsuit by the Justice Department for failing to protect children’s privacy, according to the complaint filed in California federal court Friday.
The civil lawsuit, which was joined by the Federal Trade Commission, comes as TikTok fights a new law that would force ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Takes 3-Point Lead Over Kamala Harris in National Poll
Former President Donald Trump has taken a three-point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris nationally, according to a recent Harvard-Harris poll.
The poll, conducted between July 26 and 28, surveyed 2,196 voters registered voters nationally.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WA State Rep Says She Was Fired by Criminal Justice Nonprofit for Being Too ‘White Presenting’
A representative to the Washington State Legislature who has served time in prison has been ousted from a criminal justice nonprofit she founded after allegedly having been criticized for being too “white-presenting” to lead the organization.
According to KUOW, in 2015, Rep. Tarra Simmons (D-Bremerton) started Civil Survival to provide legal services and advocacy to help felons after being released from prison. The group is the beneficiary of private donations and state contracts. On July 15 when she was terminated, Simmons was the “founding director” of the organization.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Major Study Confirms COVID Shots Killed 17 Million People
The largest global excess mortality study in history has confirmed that Covid mRNA shots have now killed a staggering 17 million people.
The death toll was revealed after a major investigation by leading Canadian researchers.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Canadian non-profit Correlation Research in the Public Interest and the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières.
The research was led by Denis Rancourt, Ph.D., former physics professor and lead scientist for 23 years at the University of Ottawa, Correlation’s president Joseph Hickey, Ph.D., and Christian Linard, Ph.D., from the University of Quebec.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Commission Allows Ukraine to Keep Blocking Oil Transit to Slovakia and Hungary
The European Commission promised to assume a mediator role in the ongoing diplomatic dispute between Slovakia, Hungary, and Ukraine, following the latter’s decision to halt pipeline oil transit from the Russian private company Lukoil through its territory. Now, however, it has chosen to step aside and allow Kyiv to continue endangering the energy security of the two EU member states—despite it arguably violating the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and jeopardizing its entire accession process.
As we reported last month, Kyiv unilaterally placed sanctions on Lukoil, the largest non-state-owned energy firm in Russia, halting all its pipeline oil exports through the territory of Ukraine. The move was surprising, given the company’s relatively good standing around Europe, as well as its distance from the Kremlin and critical stance toward Russia’s war in general. (Its former chairman is suspected to have been murdered because of his Putin-skepticism).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU’s Artificial Intelligence Regulation Goes Into Effect
The European Union’s flagship artificial intelligence regulation package, commonly known as the “AI Act,” entered into force on Thursday, August 1st. Eurocrats have celebrated it as the globe’s first comprehensive legal framework around AI and hope it will serve as a regulatory model for the rest of the world, although others have heavily criticised it.
The primary aim of the Act is to classify how artificial intelligence is used into four categories based on its “risk level” to the economy, industry, and society. AI technology used in industries is then regulated according to these categories. The highest-risk ones—including China-inspired social scoring, biometric surveillance, targeted scanning, and other privacy-violating practices—are completely banned in the EU.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Slovakian athlete Tamara Potocka collapsed after completing a swim at the Olympic Games this morning, leaving spectators at the Paris Aquatics Centre shocked as she was hurriedly carried away on a stretcher.
The 21-year-old competed in a heat of the women’s 200-metre individual medley at 10:30am BST this morning and clambered out of the pool having come in seventh, missing out on qualification for the later rounds.
She was seen sitting poolside for a few seconds in clear distress, even as another eight swimmers lined up for the next heat, before slumping backwards.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Politicians Uneasy After Biden’s Russia-West Prisoner Swap
Politicians in Germany have been left uneasy by a prisoner exchange spearheaded by US President Joe Biden in which a convicted Russian killer was released.
Vadim Krasikov was convicted by a German court of killing exiled Chechen partisan Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in 2019. The broad-daylight shooting in Berlin, which occurred just minutes from the Bundestag, is speculated by German authorities to have had the support of the Kremlin.
Having been sentenced to life, Krasikov was instead released back into Russian hands on August 2 as part of one of the largest East-West prisoner swaps since the fall of the Soviet Union, with the decision to hand over the hitman in exchange for political prisoners rubbing some German representatives up the wrong way.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary: Will Airbnb be Banned? One District is Holding a Referendum and the Results Will be Binding
Amid a wave of local European protests against growing tourism, Budapest’s downtown 6th district is holding a binding referendum on whether to allow the continued operation of apartment-sharing platforms like Airbnb, district mayor Tamas Soproni wrote on his Facebook page.
The politician said that today there are 1,468 legal short-term accommodation units in the district, which is almost 8 percent of all dwellings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
It Turns Out Hillary Clinton is the Biggest Donor to Extremist Climate Protesters in the UK
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news
You know those posh blue and pink haired children that have got nothing better to do but glue themselves to the road and throw soup at Van Gogh paintings? Hillary Clinton is funding them.
That is according to the Telegraph, which reports that financial disclosures from Hillary’s ‘Onward Together’ leftist think tank show it donated over half a million dollars in the past three years to the Climate Emergency Fund (CEF), which is the largest backer of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion.
The report notes “The donations are the largest contribution by Mrs Clinton’s organisation to a non-profit in the last three years, and are funded by public contributions and the sale of merchandise from her online shop.”
Onward Together donated $300,000 to the CEF in 2021, and a further $200,000 in 2022. The money was then put into a fund and eventually used to pay for Just Stop Oil’s protests in the UK.
Just Stop Oil recently vandalised the prehistoric Stone Henge site in the UK, and has this week again been in the headlines for causing disruption at London’s Heathrow airport.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Olympics Sex Controversy: Meloni Backs Boxer After Loss to Khelif
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has come out in support of the Italian boxer who lost an Olympic bout to Imane Khelif, the Algerian fighter who is currently at the centre of a sex-test controversy.
Khelif, who was born and raised a biological woman, was described by the International Boxing Association (IBA) as having “failed to meet eligibility rules” for women’s boxing in 2023. One official from the body told Russian news agency TASS that the decision was made because the fighter has “XY chromosomes”.
Despite the ruling, Khelif was allowed to compete in 2024 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with the fight against Italian Angela Carini drawing public concern.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Journalist Who Called Lennon Song ‘Communist’ Reinstated
Przemyslaw Babiarz, a Polish State television (TVP) journalist, will return to commentating on the Olympics after his suspension.
He had been barred for describing the John Lennon song Imagine as ‘Communist’. The decision to suspend him spurred numerous sports journalists and some sport personalities to sign a petition publically demanding his reinstatement.
The solidarity of the journalist fraternity in Poland was part of a media and social media storm over the barring of the senior Polish journalist for his comment during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics Games on July 26.
Regarding the lyrics of Imagine, Babiarz said: “A world without heaven, nations and religion. This is a vision of peace for all. It is also, unfortunately, a vision called Communism.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish and German Presidents Commemorate 80th Anniversary of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising
On the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, Polish President Andrzej Duda and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid wreaths at the site of the largest mass execution in the Wola district, commemorating the victims of one of the most tragic episodes of the uprising initiated by Poles against German troops in August 1944.
Across Poland, sirens wailed at 5 p.m., the exact time the uprising began in 1944, while Warsaw paused for a moment of silence. Crowds gathered at significant sites such as Castle Square and Dmowski Roundabout to honor the memory of the resistance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rent Index: Which Cities and Districts Are Most Expensive for Renters in Czechia?
New data shows that rents in the Czech Republic saw a notable increase in the second quarter, rising by 3.4 percent quarter-on-quarter to an average of CZK 305 per square meter (m²).
The cities of Hradec Kralové, Liberec, and Brno experienced the most significant hikes, with increases of 5.7 percent, 5.4 percent, and nearly 5 percent, respectively. In contrast, Olomouc was the only regional city where rents declined by 1.5 percent. This data comes from Deloitte’s Rent Index.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘The Deindustrialization of Our Country’ — Germany’s Energy Policy is Crushing Business
The German energy policy is increasingly becoming a location risk for local manufacturers, with more and more considering cutting production and moving overseas. A recent surveyconducted by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) among around 3,300 member companies confirms this trend line.
This year’s “Energy Turnaround Barometer” also shows just how dramatic the loss of confidence is in the ruling left-liberal government.
“The German economy’s trust in energy policy has been severely damaged,” said Achim Dercks, deputy managing director of the DIHK, summarizing the results of the survey. “While many companies also saw opportunities in the energy transition for their own business in the years before 2023, the risks now clearly outweigh the opportunities from their perspective.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Declaring “far-right hatred” the immediate challenge for the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a rollout of facial recognition technology on Thursday night, sparking warnings by civil liberty advocates Big Brother Watch about the encroaching surveillance state.
The UK has seen a series of protests and riots in several towns across England this week, with authorities bracing for what they suspect could be more on Friday night. These indicents of violence follow the mass stabbing of children at a summer holiday activity club on Monday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Heathrow Airport: At Least 17 Just Stop Oil Protesters Arrested Over Disruption Plans
At least 17 Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested for trying to disrupt Heathrow Airport, the environmental group has said.
Six people have been arrested after blocking the departure gates at Heathrow Terminal 5, alongside a person filming.
The Metropolitan Police said seven Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested on suspicion of public order offences after they blocked a passenger search area at the Heathrow terminal.
The force said that officers swiftly attended and removed the protesters with “minimal disruption caused”.
Just Stop Oil said that at least 10 others were also arrested on public transport.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Keir Starmer Has Negative Approval Ratings Less Than One Month After Election
KEIR Starmer already has negative approval ratings, less than one month after the General Election.
According to the latest YouGov poll, Starmer’s popularity has gone down — with just 40% of people saying they have a favourable view of the new Prime Minister.
This is down four points from the previous survey on July 17 and 18.
Meanwhile, Starmer’s unpopularity has increased by five points, with 49% saying they have an unfavourable view.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Nation Braces for Weekend of Far-Right Violence With 35 Protests in Wake of Southport Stabbing
Far-right rioters have been told they will face the full force of the law as police brace for a weekend of violence, with 35 protests planned in the wake of the killing of three children in Southport.
In a warning to organisers, Home Office minister Lord Hanson vowed “we will be watching you” to prevent the “summer madness” from spreading following a string of violent clashes, as police chiefs said they will not tolerate far-right thugs exploiting the nation’s grief.
Dozens of demonstrations planned across the country have stoked fears of widespread unrest amid rising far-right anger over Monday’s atrocity, which saw three girls aged nine, seven and six fatally stabbed and eight more wounded at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
One protest on Friday night in Sunderland saw beer barrels thrown at police and a fire started as hundreds of protesters, some in balaclavas or England flags, took to the streets.
Sir Keir Starmer returned to Southport for a second visit on Friday, meeting community and police leaders to unveil a support package for the seaside resort town in the wake of the murders of three young girls and subsequent far-right riots.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Police Office Attacked and Car on Fire in Sunderland Unrest
A police office has been attacked and the property next to it set alight as protesters clashed with police in Sunderland during a demonstration linked to the Southport knife attack.
Clashes between the force and rioters led to three injured officers being taken to hospital, though one had since been discharged, Northumbria Police said.
It follows beer cans and stones being thrown at police in riot gear outside a mosque, and other clashes between officers and demonstrators around the city.
Eight people have been arrested for a range of offences, including violent disorder and burglary.
Northumbria Police Ch Supt Helena Barron said officers had been met with “serious and sustained” levels of violence, which was “utterly deplorable”.
She said a full investigation was under way to identify those responsible for any criminal behaviour linked to the protests.
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Scrapping of Universities Cancel Culture Law Faces Legal Challenge
A free speech group is planning to sue the Government over its decision to scrap a law aimed at tackling cancel culture at universities.
The Free Speech Union has threatened to launch a judicial review against Bridget Phillipson after she halted new protections for academics just days before they were due to come into force.
The Education Secretary announced last week she had pulled the plug on the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 and would now consider repealing it.
The flagship Tory policy was set to require universities, colleges and student unions to actively promote free speech on campus.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Starmer Crackdown is Treating the Symptoms, Not the Cause, Says Nigel Farage
Sir Keir Starmer’s total focus on cracking down on the “far right” rather than taking time to deal with the “fear, discomfort, unease” in the community after the mass knife attack on young children shows the Prime Minister “hasn’t got an earthly clue how to deal with it”, Nigel Farage warns.
Three children were stabbed to death and eight injured, some of them critically, at an attack at a dance party in Southport, Merseyside, England on Monday. The attack has been followed by a number of protests and riots across the United Kingdom, with more confrontations expected by police on Friday night.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Palestinians in Gaza Still Struggle to Access Food and Clean Water Almost 11 Months Into War
Nearly eleven months into the war, Palestinians in Gaza continue to struggle to access adequate food and clean water amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas.
As the war restricts entry of much needed aid into the region, families have been forced to rely on makeshift charity kitchens for survival.
They must line up for hours in excruciating heat to get their main meal for the day and water. The meal is mainly rice, with chicken provided only once a week.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Evacuates Nationals From Lebanon Amid Increased Tensions in Middle East
In the wake of the escalation in the Middle East, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has contacted a total of 165 Hungarian citizens living in Lebanon in recent days, offering them all assistance to leave the country.
In a joint operation with the Ministry of Defence, 18 Hungarian citizens and their family members have finally returned home to Hungary, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó said on Thursday on social media.
“As worrying as this is for Europe and the world, the events of the past few days show that the chances of an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East are increasing, Szijjartó wrote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey Blocks Public Access to Instagram
Turkey has blocked access to social media platform Instagram.
The move apparently came in reaction to the social media site removing posts by Turkish users expressing condolence for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the chief political leader of Palestinian organisation Hamas.
Without providing any further information, Turkey’s communications regulator BTK stated on its website: “Instagram.com has been blocked by a decision on the date of 02/08/2024.”
Users in Turkey can no longer refresh their Instagram feed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Deploys Jets and Warships as Iran Threatens Israel
The United States will deploy additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran and its proxies, the Pentagon said.
Tensions remain high in the region over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and a key commander of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Missile defence forces were placed on a state of increased readiness to deploy, the Pentagon said, adding that its commitment to defend Israel was “ironclad”.
Iran’s leader Ayatollah Khamenei has vowed “harsh punishment” against Israel for the assassination of Haniyeh, and declared three days of national mourning.
The Hamas leader was killed in Tehran on Wednesday. Iran and its proxy in Gaza blamed the attack on Israel, which has not commented.
Haniyeh, 62, was widely considered Hamas’s overall leader and played a key role in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Conducts First Combat Missions With Newly Arrived US F-16 Fighter Jets
According to several sources on July 31, 2024, the first batch of F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies arrived in Ukraine, with six aircraft confirmed from the Netherlands and a photograph released by “Dumskaya” providing proof. The reaction has been mixed, with officials maintaining strategic ambiguity, while initial combat missions have already been conducted. Despite the small number of planes, this marks a significant step in enhancing Ukraine’s defense capabilities to counter Russian aerial threats.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Explosion and Gunfire Rock Hotel at Popular Beach in Somalia’s Capital, Witnesses Say
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Authorities and witnesses in Somalia say an explosion and gunfire has rocked a hotel by the beach in the capital city of Mogadishu, and security forces are at the scene. The state-owned Somali National News Agency reported Friday night that security forces had “neutralized the attackers.” There was no immediate word on deaths and injuries. Al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab, has said through its radio that its fighters carried out the attack. Two witnesses who spoke to The Associated Press say there were casualties from the attack.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
15,000 Ukrainians Flee to Hungary as War Turmoil Continues
According to reports out of the National Police Headquarters (ORFK) to MTI via Magyar Nemzet, 7,406 people entered Hungary at the Ukrainian-Hungarian border section on Thursday, while 8,014 people crossing the Romanian-Hungarian border declared to authorities that they were coming from Ukraine.
Among those admitted, the police issued temporary residence certificates, valid for 30 days, to 88 people. During this time, they must visit the office of the National Directorate General of Immigration, to obtain official documentation for their stay.
At the same time, Magyar Nemzet has also reported that Zelensky plans to tax Ukrainian citizens and businesses to continue funding the war. This is not going over so well with those Ukrainians remaining in the country.
With a population of some 38 million in 2022, 6.5 million reportedly had fled the country due to Russia’s aggression as of February 2024. IOM Hungary reports that 4.2 million Ukrainians have passed through Hungary, with just 65,000 refugees remaining in the country as of late January 2024, according to ACAPS.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
AfD Demands Inquiry: Did Germany Issue Illegal Visas to Migrants?
The right-wing AfD party has called for an official inquiry into allegations the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued illegal visas to Afghans, Syrians and Turks—supported by forged documentation.
“Under Annalena Baerbock, the Federal Foreign Office has been downgraded to an immigration and smuggling agency. Thousands of migrants were smuggled into Germany in deliberate circumvention of the law,” declared AfD’s parliamentary leader, Alice Weidel.
She said the “systematic abuse” was causing “serious damage to Germany and jeopardising internal security” and called for Baerbock to be “removed from office immediately,” Junge Freihet reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Afghan Murder Suspect Detained at Berlin Airport Accused of Stabbing Wife to Death in Vienna
An Afghan national has been detained at Berlin airport attempting to flee Europe after being sought in connection to the murder of his wife at their apartment in the Austrian capital of Vienna.
The 31-year-old suspect had been on the run since Thursday morning when family members found his wife on the floor of their apartment in Vienna-Meidling. She had multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.
“We came to the apartment last night and wanted the police to open the door,” friends of the victim told the Heute news outlet. “Now she’s dead and it’s too late.”
It is understood the friends had reported an argument between the victim and her husband the previous night.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade has named one of its Abrams tanks “Sitek-21” to honor Sgt. Mateusz Sitek, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a brutal stabbing attack by migrants in May, passing away days later in a Warsaw hospital.
“Sgt. Mateusz Sitek was the first since 1939 to give his life in defense of the Polish border,” the brigade emphasized during the ceremony.
During the ceremony, the symbolic inscription was unveiled by Emilia Sitek, the mother of the deceased soldier, and Lt. Col. Marcin Wdowiak, his commander. Additionally, a plaque commemorating Sgt. Mateusz Sitek was also revealed on the premises.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
COCHISE COUNTY, AZ — Arizona rancher John Ladd is fed up with the feds — and fears Kamala Harris will “be worse than Biden” on the border crisis if she’s elected.
As the federal government once again opens the floodgates in the Cochise County border wall for the three-month monsoon season, Ladd says his 16,000-acre cattle ranch is ground zero for the Mexican cartels and their smuggling operations.
He expressed his frustrations to Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance — who toured the border area Thursday — just down the road from the open floodgates.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Admin Halts Migrant Flights to US From Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela Due to Fraud
The Biden administration is halting a program that has already flown nearly half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela into the US due to allegations of rampant fraud, The Post has learned.
The Department of Homeland Security stopped advance travel authorizations in mid-July for the humanitarian parole program that has allowed in 30,000 migrants per month from those nations for more than a year and a half, which was first reported by Fox News.
“Out of an abundance of caution, DHS has temporarily paused the issuance of advanced travel authorizations for new beneficiaries while it undertakes a review of supporter applications,” a spokesperson told The Post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Chinese national has been arrested after allegedly drugging a 71-year-old American woman who rented out his Airbnb apartment in Paris in order to attend the Olympic Games.
The suspect is already known to the French court system, and police say he drugged the victim after pouring a substance into her glass of water.
The man was indicted on Aug. 1 for the alleged rape, which occurred on July 25, a day before the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympic Games., according to a police source and a source from the Paris prosecutor’s office who spoke with French news outlet Le Figaro.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Jordanians who attempted to breach the Quantico Marine Corps. Base in Virginia have been identified after they were released on bail. Hasan Y. Hamdan, 32, and Mohammad K. Dabous, 28, are the two illegal immigrants who tried to get onto the base.
The two were released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in June despite their immigration status, the New York Post reported. Hamdan posted his $15,000 bond, while Dabous posted his $10,000 bond, law enforcement sources told the outlet. They were arrested on May 3 for trespassing on the military base and were taken into custody by ICE at the time, per the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illegal Migration to Italy Plummets in First Seven Months of 2024
Illegal migration from the Mediterranean to Italy has dropped in the first seven months of this year.
Italy’s interior ministry provides daily updates on migrant arrivals on its website. As of July 31, 2024, a total of 33,556 irregular migrants had reached the country via the Mediterranean Sea.
In 2023, over the same period, 89.165 people came to Italy illegally. In 2022, the numbers stood at 42,040.
That means total illegal crossings have dropped by more than 62 per cent on last year.
On the island of Lampedusa, the change in migrant arrivals is more pronounced. There, illegal arrivals fell by 77 per cent. In July last year, the small island saw 18,723 arrivals, compared to 4,231 this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Misses Own Deadline to Open Migrant Camps in Albania
Italy’s plans to set up detention camps in Albania for migrants picked up at sea has been delayed.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had set August 1 as the start date for her project, aiming to place 1,000 people in two shelters and to increase those numbers over time.
Italian ambassador to Tirana, Fabrizzio Buçi, stated on August 1 that the opening of the camps had been postponed for several weeks.
A few days before, cabinet undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano — a close Meloni aide — was also cited by Italian media as saying the facilities’ inauguration was delayed by a few weeks, according to Reuters.
At the time of writing, a new date for the official opening has not been given.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One in Six Dutch Believe Right-Wing Extremist Population Replacement Theory
About one in six Dutch people believe in the population replacement theory. This theory, which the AIVD labels as a right-wing extremist conspiracy theory, states that the elite is deliberately trying to replace the white Western population with non-Western immigrants. This is evident from a survey by Kieskompas and ANP that was completed by almost 15,000 people.
Voters for Forum voor Democratie most often believe this theory. About three-quarters of the people who voted for the far-right party in the parliamentary elections agree with the statement. PVV and BBB voters follow at a distance, with 42 and 25 percent, respectively. Among the supporters of the other coalition parties, NSC and VVD, the share is lower, with both around 9 percent. Hardly any D66, GroenLinks-PvdA, and PvdD voters believe in the theory.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Half of Americans See Mass Migration as ‘Critical Threat’
Half of all Americans say “large numbers of immigrants and refugees [are] … a critical threat” to the nation, according to a survey conducted for the pro-migration Chicago Council of Global Affairs.
Eighty-three percent of GOP voters and 45 percent of swing voters described migration as a critical threat, said the August 2 report, which skewed the result by hiding the additional share of Americans who said immigration is an “important but not critical threat.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Rancher Sues Biden, DHS Over Damage to Property Allegedly Caused by Illegal Immigrants
Authored by Katabella Roberts via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A Texas rancher has filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accusing them of adopting policies that have resulted in “the biggest influx of illegal aliens into America in our history.”
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on July 31 by the Immigration Reform Law Institute on behalf of the rancher, identified in the filing as Michael Vickers, along with Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe and Atascosa County, Texas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Migrants Smile and Wave for the Cameras as They Arrive in Dover…
— as number to cross the Channel in small boats this year hits nearly 17,000
Migrants were shown smiling, waving and sticking two fingers up after arriving in Dover today, as the total number of who crossings this year approaches 17,000.
No arrivals were recorded at the start of the month yesterday, but small boat crossings from France to England resumed today.
Pictures showed groups of people wearing life jackets being brought ashore from Border Force boats in Dover, Kent, in the wake of the latest crossings, amid warm weather and calm but hazy conditions at sea.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Vicar Who Blew Whistle on Asylum Seeker Scams Vows to Battle Wokery as Oxford Chancellor
The priest who blew the whistle on fake church baptisms for asylum seekers is to stand as an “anti-woke, anti-establishment” candidate for Oxford university chancellor.
Reverend Matthew Firth lifted the lid on what he claimed was a “conveyor belt” of asylum seeker baptisms used by migrants with the complicity of the Church of England to remain in the UK.
Rev Firth, who first made the allegations in The Telegraph, claimed senior figures in the Church knew about the practice but did nothing about it.
It followed the disclosure that Clapham chemical attack suspect and sex offender Abdul Ezedi, was granted asylum by a judge after claiming he was a Christian convert despite concerns about his honesty.
The declaration of intent to stand for the vacant Oxford chancellorship could put Rev Firth up against former Tory Leader Lord Hague and Lord Mandelson, an architect of New Labour, who are both considering standing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Head of Major LGBTQ+ Group GLAAD Accused of Using Donations to Fund Lavish Lifestyle
A report from the New York Times has revealed the lavish spending undertaken by the chief executive of GLAAD, one of the leading LGBTQ non-profits in the US. Spending includes trips to the Swiss Alps, first-class flights, a Cape Cod summer rental, and a home office remodel costing around $20,000.
The outlet reviewed expense reports, receipts, tax filings, audit reports, and other documents from GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, dated between January 2022 and June 2023, which showcased the luxurious spending by chief executive Sarah Kate Ellis, 52, with the spending sparking concerns that the organization may have violated IRS rules.
When Ellis renewed her contract in 2022, in addition to salary increases were a variety of other items. Ellis was given up to $20,000 to renovate her home office, with the executive spending at least $18,000 of this to renovate the top floor of her Long Island house. Things like pillows, paint, a chandelier, and a sectional sofa were expensed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
J.K. Rowling Blasts Olympic Boxer With Male Chromosomes Who Demolished Female Opponent in 46 Seconds
Harry Potter novelist J.K. Rowling has joined the rising outcry against the Olympics after a boxer with XY chromosomes was allowed to fight a female boxer, resulting in a predictably disastrous match for the latter.
In turn, J.K. Rowling is now facing fresh accusations of bigotry, with The Hollywood Reporter accusing her of misgendering the boxer with male chromosomes — Algeria’s Imane Khelif — by referring to Khelif as a “male.”
Rowling called out the sporting establishment for allowing Khelif to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympic games. She also blasted Khelif for the “smirk” the boxer flashed after mercilessly pummeling Italy’s Angela Carini, forcing her to forfeit the match after less than a minute.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After a year of inaction following a complaint, Biden’s Department of Education has found that Cedar Grove School District in New Jersey violated the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) by failing to provide parents with prior notice of and the opportunity to opt their children out of “equity” and “diversity” surveys from the district.
Six parents had filed PPRA complaints with the Department of Education in 2021 saying that the district had not provided prior notice and did not obtain parental consent before giving students surveys with questions about same-sex marriages, gender identity, race and ethnicity, and religious affiliation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Olympics Bans Christian Symbols Despite Its Own ‘Last Supper’ Parody
Olympic athletes are facing a ban on Christian symbols at the Olympics despite the opening ceremony featuring an obvious parody of a Christian symbol, Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper.
On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) forced the Brazilian surfer João Chianca to remove an image of Christ the Redeemer from his surfboard.
“The painting is not authorized in the Olympic Games because Christ is a religious figure,” the athlete posted on social media, though the post was removed shortly afterward. “The Games have strict rules and focus on total neutrality.”
Article 50 of the Olympic Charter states that “no type of political, religious or racial demonstration or propaganda is permitted in any Olympic venue.”
Although the surfer did not keep the post up for long, it elicited indignant responses from his many followers in a short time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Victory in Italy’s Constitutional Court Over Gender Ideology
Italy’s constitutional court has refused to legally recognize a ‘non-binary’ sexual identity—on the grounds that it would disrupt Italy’s entire social and legal system.
The ruling came down last week.
It stated that Italian law establishes the principle of correspondence between name and sex and that, therefore, only a legislative intervention could overcome or change this rule. Its clarification is based on the fact that the binary nature of human sexuality of man and woman characterizes the varied and most disparate realms of social life, governed by the legal system, such as family law, labor law, sport, and the civil state and that, therefore, the legal recognition of an alleged third non-binary gender would disrupt the entire Italian legal and social system in such a way as to be incompatible with the faculties and attributions of the Constitutional Court or of any judge.
At the same time, the court ruled that judicial authorization was not needed before having so-called sex reassignment surgeries—and that legal gender recognition can be based on hormonal treatment and psychological support, without the need for surgery.
Nevertheless, the core aspect of the ruling—the incompatibility of legally recognizing a third gender with Italy’s social and legal structure—should be welcomed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WA State Children’s Hospital Pulls Back on Child Sex Changes, Opts for ‘Holistic Approach’: Memo
A Washington state hospital will no longer be fast-tracking sex changes for minors. Instead, MultiCare’s Mary Bridges Children’s Hospital in Tacoma has opted for a more “holistic approach” to child sex changes, moving away from life-altering treatments as a first resort for gender confusion.
The hospital, located in one of the most progressive places in America, will be implementing its new minor sex change policies at the beginning of September, according to an internal memo sent to board members obtained by unDivided.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
XY Marks the Spot: Second Olympic Boxer Who Failed Gender Test Beats Woman to Tears
On Thursday we reported that one of two boxers banned from competing by the International Boxing Association (IBA), Algerian Imaine Khelif, brutalized a female opponent at the 2024 Olympics in Paris — hitting her so hard that she quit the match just 46 seconds in after taking two massive shots to the head.
Now, the second boxer banned by the IBA, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting, easily dispatched with another female boxer — Uzbek Sitora Turdibekova, similarly reducing her to tears.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Not unexpectedly, the BBC article on the possible Iran reaction to the Haniyeh killing is keeping the public blind to what they are really saying. This source has more:
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/tonight-iran-state-tv-suggests-attack-israel-just-hours-away
I guess we’ll know shortly whether their actions meet their rhethoric this time. Only one thing is certain, neither side is going to take any prisoners.
https://gellerreport.com/2024/08/three-people-have-been-beheaded-in-the-past-72-hours-in-valencia-spain.html/