Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/15/2020

Virginia Governor Ralph “Coonman” Northam has declared a state of emergency in Richmond in advance of next Monday’s pro-2nd Amendment rally in front of the state capitol. The state of emergency will take effect on Friday and be lifted on Tuesday. During that period, access to the capitol building will be blocked by emergency fences except for a single narrow entrance. No weapons of any kind will be permitted on the grounds of the capitol.

In other news, the impeachment managers in the House of Representatives have finally forwarded articles of impeachment to the Senate.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to JD, 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.

Financial Crisis
» Dow, S&P 500 Close at Record Highs After Trump Signs First Phase of U.S.-China Trade Pact
 
USA
» #CNNisTrash trends on Twitter Following Democratic Debate
» Breaking: U.S. Virgin Islands Sues Estate of Jeffrey Epstein
» Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Flashes Trump, McConnell Profanity-Laced Sign
» Climate Protesters Attack Vermont’s Dairy Farms: ‘Going to Die!’
» CNN Calls the Police on InfoWars
» DNC Chair Flees When Asked About Bernie Campaign Staffer Planning Riots
» Florida Calls for Greater Protections Against Chinese Espionage at Universities
» General Flynn Moves to Withdraw Guilty Plea.
» House Impeachment Managers Deliver Articles to the Senate
» James Comey Tried to Hide Fact That ‘Pee’ Dossier Wasn’t Corroborated
» Michael Avenatti’s Bail Revoked by Judge Over New Crime Evidence
» San Diego Paleontologist Helps Discover New Species of Dinosaur
» Sanders Campaign Staffer Who Called for Gulags, Violence Was Arrested for DUI and Drug Charges
» Sanders’ Field Organizer: Cities Will Burn if Sanders Loses Nod or Trump Wins. Cops Will be Attacked. Gulags Coming for MAGA Supporters.
» The Real Reason Warren Refused to Shake Bernie’s Hand
» The Vicious Domestic Enemy of Rural America
» Virginia Governor Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Gun Rights Rally
 
Canada
» Vast Majority of Canadians Don’t Want to Pay for Harry and Meghan’s Security: Poll
 
Europe and the EU
» Boost for Right in Post-Brexit EU Parliament
» Boris: Britons Could ‘Bung a Bob for a Big Ben Bong’ On Brexit Day
» Germany Investigates 3 People Suspected of Spying for China
» Hungary: Fidesz Committed to Law on ‘Soros NGOs’ Despite EU Court Criticism
» Hungary: Fidesz’s Novak Rejects Weber ‘Lecturing on Democracy’
» Hungary’s Prime Minister Praises Brexit, Boris: Brits Have Opened ‘Vast Door of Opportunities’
» Muslim Rape Gang Allowed to Operate by UK Police
» New Studies: Antarctica Stable, Temps Falling, ICE Mass Growing!
» Norway Government Crisis Brews Over ISIS Prisoner Return
» Poland’s Industrial Production Up in November — Eurostat
» Salvini Strikes Back Against Headline, Calls Italian Newspaper ‘Scum’
» Sweden: Islamic State Returnees Investigated for War Crimes
» Swedish Politician Says Govt Has Lost Control After Huge Stockholm Bombing
» UK: A Paedophile Grooming Gang Was Left to Roam the Streets of Manchester — And Police Knew Who They Were and Exactly What They Were Doing
» UK: Party ON: Nigel Farage’s Brexit Day Street Party Approved
» UK: Royals Feared Meghan Markle Would Brand Family ‘Racist and Sexist’
» UK: Snitches Get Riches: University Rewards Student Callouts With Cash
 
Middle East
» Obama’s National Security Advisor Says Trump ‘Absolutely Correct’ To Kill Soleimani
» Trump Breaks Twitter Record for ‘Most Liked Persian Tweet’
 
Russia
» Russia’s Prime Minister and Government Resign
 
Far East
» China: Cloning Researcher Sentenced
» New Plant Species Discovered in SW China
» Why Are Volcanoes All Over the Globe Suddenly Shooting Giant Clouds of Ash Miles Into the Air?
 
Australia — Pacific
» Hero Dog Herds Hundreds of Sheep to Safety During Bushfires in Australia
» IPCC Expert Behind Eight Discredited Ocean Acidification Papers
» ISIS Calls for ‘Fire Jihad’ During Deadly Australian Wild Fires
» Raid on New Zealand Activist’s Home to ‘Ensure Compliance’ With Gun Buyback is Absolutely Chilling
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Nigerian Rights Advocates Ask Pope, Trump, To Intervene to Stop Christian Genocide
 
Latin America
» Scientists Discover New Species of Bone-Eating Worms in Gulf of Mexico
 
Immigration
» 18 Republican Governors Ask for More Muslim Refugees as “Christian Charity”
» Honduran Migrants Gather to Try Forming New Caravan
» Hungary: Highest-Ever Number of Illegal Border Crossing Attempts Recorded for January, Says PM’s Advisor
» Salvadoran Man With Alleged Terrorist Ties Arrested in Carson City
» UK: Moment a Group of Eight ‘Migrants’ Leap Out of Back of Lorry and Run Away in Front of Stunned Driver
 
Culture Wars
» 18 Signs That the Social Decay in America is Worse Than it Has Ever Been Before
» Breaking: RCMP Investigating Jessica Yaniv for Alleged Assault of Journalist
» Disney Introduces Kids to World of Demons, Witchcraft in New ‘The Owl House’ Show
» UK University Says Complaining About Everything Becoming a Race Issue is a Racist Microaggression
 
General
» Windows 7 is No Longer Supported Beginning Today
 

Dow, S&P 500 Close at Record Highs After Trump Signs First Phase of U.S.-China Trade Pact

U.S. stock indexes closed higher Wednesday afternoon, though the major benchmarks ended the day well off session highs, after President Donald Trump signed the first phase of a trade pact with China, marking a truce in the dispute over import tariffs which has unsettled markets world-wide and slowed economic growth.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

#CNNisTrash trends on Twitter Following Democratic Debate

The Democratic debates took that place in Iowa saw a heavy moderator bias against Bernie Sanders, prompting many Democrat voters to trend #CNNisTrash and #NeverWarren.

A few days ago, “sources” told CNN that Bernie expressed doubt to Elizabeth Warren on whether a woman can win the Presidency.

Bernie Sanders called the allegations “ludicrous,” saying “it’s sad that, three weeks before the Iowa caucus and a year after that private conversation, staff who weren’t in the room are lying about what happened.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Breaking: U.S. Virgin Islands Sues Estate of Jeffrey Epstein

The U.S. Virgin Islands is suing the estate of Jeffrey Epstein for the sex trafficking hundreds of women and girls to his private island, Little St. James.

Reuters reports that “the complaint filed by Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George significantly broadens the scope of Epstein’s alleged sexual misconduct, saying it occurred as recently as 2018 and targeted girls as young as 11 or 12.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Flashes Trump, McConnell Profanity-Laced Sign

A head inclusion officer at one Michigan school is in hot water after appearing outside a Trump rally holding a profane protest sign.

On Dec. 18, President Donald Trump held a rally in Battle Creek, Michigan. During that time, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Jorge Zeballos of Kellogg Community College (KCC) protested, holding a sign that read, “F**K TRUMP, F**K McConnell, F**K GRAHAM,” outside the Kellogg Arena where Trump was speaking.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Climate Protesters Attack Vermont’s Dairy Farms: ‘Going to Die!’

The Vermont Governor’s annual “State of the State” address was interrupted this year by a loud group of protesters, who refused to stop screaming bizarre slogans until the Vermont State House session was closed so they could be physically escorted from the building.

Amidst their shouts of “I’m afraid I’m going to die!” and “Climate justice is migrant justice!,” were repeated condemnations of Vermont’s “dairy industry.”

This vague “industry” boogeyman is actually nonexistent in Vermont. The state’s dairy farms have steadily declined, and even its largest operations are puny in contrast to the mega-dairies elsewhere.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

CNN Calls the Police on InfoWars

Fake News Network triggered by reporter.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

DNC Chair Flees When Asked About Bernie Campaign Staffer Planning Riots

Infowars reporter asks Dem leader to disavow political violence.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Florida Calls for Greater Protections Against Chinese Espionage at Universities

Florida officials are stepping up efforts to safeguard local universities’ research and intellectual property from foreign adversaries, particularly China.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), in a press release on Jan. 14, urged more Florida university presidents to respond to a letter he recently sent, requesting them to provide information on steps that schools have taken to protect their academic work from foreign theft.

The letter, dated Dec. 3, asked presidents of state universities to disclose whether any researchers are known to have participated in a Chinese-funded talent recruitment program, or if any faculty members have shared unauthorized information with a foreign entity.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

General Flynn Moves to Withdraw Guilty Plea.

DOJ and FBI Corruption is off the charts… (Doc. under clip)

General Flynn has moved to withdraw his guilty plea due to the “government’s bad faith, vindictiveness, and breach of the plea agreement.”

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

House Impeachment Managers Deliver Articles to the Senate

Updated at 6:30 p.m. ET

The House of Representatives has delivered articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate, which is expected to begin a trial next week.

Earlier in the day, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named seven Democratic members of Congress as the managers who will argue the case for impeachment.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

James Comey Tried to Hide Fact That ‘Pee’ Dossier Wasn’t Corroborated

An email reveals disgraced former FBI director James Comey tried unsuccessfully to change a draft public statement from then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper questioning the reliability of the infamous anti-Trump dossier.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Michael Avenatti’s Bail Revoked by Judge Over New Crime Evidence

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A California judge revoked attorney Michael Avenatti’s bail Wednesday, forcing a delay of his New York extortion trial set for next week after prosecutors said he was hiding assets from creditors to live lavishly.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

San Diego Paleontologist Helps Discover New Species of Dinosaur

At the San Diego Natural History Museum, a visitor might find paleontologist Ashley Poust firing up a tiny jackhammer. He uses to chip away rock surrounding a fossil.

“Even though it looks scary vibrating at that speed, it wouldn’t hurt you unless you really stuck yourself with it,” Poust said.

Poust is familiar with digging up, cleaning and analyzing fossils. So, when he looked at a fossil found by a farmer in China over a decade ago, he could tell it had the remains of a new species of dinosaur.

Poust is among a team of scientists who has discovered this 120-million-year-old creature in a fossil found by the farmer. The discovery is described in a study published in the journal The Anatomical Record.

“Many of the details matched up with other small, feathered dinosaurs that have been known from these rich fossil deposits in China. But there were other little details that were new and had never been seen in any other dinosaur,” Poust said.

This new species is called Wulong Bohaiensis, which is a reference to the Chinese word for “dancing dragon.” Poust and his colleagues chose this name to describe how graceful the specimen looked in the fossil when it was found. The dinosaur was solidified into the rock at what Poust calls a “teenage” state. The dinosaur, which is one of the earliest relatives of the Velociraptor, has a bony tail and another important characteristic.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Sanders Campaign Staffer Who Called for Gulags, Violence Was Arrested for DUI and Drug Charges

Kyle Jurek has a lengthy criminal history of alleged drug abuse and DUIs.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Sanders’ Field Organizer: Cities Will Burn if Sanders Loses Nod or Trump Wins. Cops Will be Attacked. Gulags Coming for MAGA Supporters.

Anyone who doubts that the election of socialist Bernie Sanders, also known as “the bum who wants your money,” will usher in a progressive utopia can rest easy.

The candidate will end free speech as we know it, “re-educate” Trump-supporting Nazis with his plans for a “free” college education, and set up gulags for resisters.

That plan comes directly from one of his top campaign field directors, who spilled the Bolshevik beans in yet another amazing undercover video from Project Veritas.

[Comment: Comrades of commies like this are trying to get guns out of the hands of Americans. Once they do this, their purge of non-commies will begin. Americans, never relinquish your guns.]

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

The Real Reason Warren Refused to Shake Bernie’s Hand

The media is missing the real reason Elizabeth Warren refused to shake Bernie Sanders’ hand after last night’s Democratic debate.

Following the conclusion of the event, Sanders went to shake Warren’s hand, but she clenched her fist and engaged in a terse conversation with the socialist Senator. Bernie then pointed at Warren and held his hands up.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

The Vicious Domestic Enemy of Rural America

The real stories are the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of rural landowner stories, all across America, who find themselves in the iron grip of an intransigent local, state or federal agency for some infraction of the “code” that the landowner knew nothing about, or had no application in rural areas. Every week we receive a couple of phone calls or e-mails from landowners who are having to pay thousands of dollars that they don’t have, to rectify some irrational, senseless code violation. These violations, fines and penalties are even occurring in the most remotest parts of the U. S.

A gentleman in rural Colorado couldn’t get a permit to build his cabin because the “code” says he MUST hook up to the power grid and he can’t have an outhouse. The power grid is miles and miles away from his rural property and would cost him tens of thousands of dollars to bring power to his property. Is it any wonder that some folks just ignore the law and hope they don’t get caught? Unfortunately, many do get caught and pay a terrible price.

[Comment: Recommended reading, but keep your blood pressure medication close.]

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Virginia Governor Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Gun Rights Rally

Fearing potential violence, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is declaring a state of emergency and is banning firearms and other weapons on the Capitol grounds in Richmond ahead of a gun rights demonstration planned for next week.

“We have received credible intelligence from our law enforcement agencies that there are groups with malicious plans for the rally that is planned for Monday,” Northam said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

Gun rights supporters are preparing to converge on Richmond for a lobbying day and a rally Monday morning. They’re opposed to efforts by Virginia Democrats — who’ve just taken over control of the Virginia legislature following the November 2019 elections — to pass a slate of gun control bills backed by Northam.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Vast Majority of Canadians Don’t Want to Pay for Harry and Meghan’s Security: Poll

An over-whelming majority of Canadians do not want to foot the bill for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, according to a new poll released by the Angus Reid Institute.

In the poll, 73 percent of Canadians stated that they would disapprove of paying the way for the royals in self-imposed exile, particularly when it comes to covering security costs.

Earlier this month, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced that they would seek to become finically independent: stepping back from official royal duties and re-locating on a part-time basis to Canada.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Boost for Right in Post-Brexit EU Parliament

The composition of the European Parliament will tilt towards the right as the centre-right European People’s Party and the far-right Identity and Democracy will gain seats in the post-Brexit assembly.

Meanwhile, the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), the liberal Renew Europe, and the Greens will lose a total of 24 seats.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Boris: Britons Could ‘Bung a Bob for a Big Ben Bong’ On Brexit Day

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for Big Ben to chime at the Brexit Hour, saying Britons can fund it if they “bung a bob for a Big Ben bong”.

The Palace of Westminster’s Queen Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, has been under refurbishment since 2017 and the chimes have only rung out on a few occasions since then.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany Investigates 3 People Suspected of Spying for China

The suspects under investigation reportedly include a former EU diplomat and two lobbyists. It’s the first case in recent years to bring concrete allegations of spying by China against Germany and the European Union.

Federal prosecutors in Germany confirmed on Wednesday that they are investigating three people suspected of spying on behalf of China.

Police carried out raids on homes and offices in Berlin and the southern German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, as well as in Brussels.

A spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office confirmed the investigation “into suspected espionage” to news agency AFP.

Prosecutors did not provide further details on the case, except to say that none of the suspects had been arrested.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hungary: Fidesz Committed to Law on ‘Soros NGOs’ Despite EU Court Criticism

Hungary’s law on the financing of civil organisations from abroad infringes on the principle of free movement of capital and violates a number of fundamental rights of the European Union’s basic charter, a legal adviser to the EU’s top court said on Tuesday.

The ruling Fidesz party said in reaction that it remains committed to the law on the transparency of organisations backed by US financier George Soros.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hungary: Fidesz’s Novak Rejects Weber ‘Lecturing on Democracy’

Responding to Manfred Weber’s reaction to Viktor Orban’s recent remarks on the Fidesz party’s EPP membership, the ruling party’s deputy leader said on Wednesday that “censuring someone just for having an opinion” was “not done” in Hungary.

European People’s Party group leader Weber said on Tuesday that the members of the party family were expected to endorse its values.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hungary’s Prime Minister Praises Brexit, Boris: Brits Have Opened ‘Vast Door of Opportunities’

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has praised Boris Johnson and signalled that he believes Brexit could prove to be a British success story.

“The whole world was against him,” Prime Minister Orban said of his British counterpart at a marathon three-hour press conference in Budapest.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Muslim Rape Gang Allowed to Operate by UK Police

A disturbing report out of the UK claims police and social workers allowed a large Muslim “grooming” (rape) gang to operate in Manchester, England.

“At least 57 young girls are thought to have been exploited by a paedophile network based in south Manchester. They were hooked on drugs, groomed, raped and emotionally broken — one youngster, aged fifteen, died,” the Manchester Evening News reports.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham commissioned a report, which contained the following conclusions:

  • Social workers knew that one 15-year-old girl, Victoria Agoglia, was being forcibly injected with heroin, but failed to act. She died two months later.
  • Abusers were allowed to freely pick up and have sex with Victoria and other children from city care homes, ‘in plain sight’ of officials.
  • Greater Manchester Police dropped an operation that identified up to 97 potential suspects and at least 57 potential victims. Eight of the men went on to later assault or rape girls.
  • As recently as August 2018, the Chief Constable refused to reopen the dropped operation.

Agoglia allegedly told social workers multiple times that she was being drugged and raped, but they failed to take action.

Following her death, Operation Augusta was launched and nearly 100 Muslim men were said to be involved in abusing young girls, but hardly any charges were filed.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

New Studies: Antarctica Stable, Temps Falling, ICE Mass Growing!

By Kalte Sonne (German text translated/edited by P. Gosselin)

The ice in Antarctica, how is it doing? Is it melting, is it growing? In the following, we present the latest literature on the subject. There is a lot to report.

Let’s start with the temperature development because along with snowfall, this is the most important control factor for Antarctic inland ice.

At NoTricksZone, Kirye shows ten coastal stations of Antarctica. None have been warming over the past 10 years.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Norway Government Crisis Brews Over ISIS Prisoner Return

(Bloomberg) — Norway’s government risks splitting after a coalition partner threatened to pull its support over the repatriation of a woman who joined Islamic State in Syria.

The anti-immigration Progress Party threatened to abandon the Conservative-led administration in the next few weeks if a series of demands aren’t met. The move could topple the center-right coalition led by Erna Solberg, who’s been prime minister since 2013.

“We’re not going to stay in government at any price,” Finance Minister and Progress leader Siv Jensen told Dagbladet on Wednesday. She’s giving Solberg a fortnight to respond to her demands.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Poland’s Industrial Production Up in November — Eurostat

Poland’s industrial production rose by 5.6 percent year on year in November 2019, after growing 3.6 percent year on year in October, the European Union’s statistics office, Eurostat, reported on Wednesday.

Industrial production in the euro zone increased by 0.5 percent month on month in November and decreased by 0.9 m/m to the previous month, Eurostat said.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Salvini Strikes Back Against Headline, Calls Italian Newspaper ‘Scum’

ROME — Italy’s pugnacious leader of the populist Lega Party, Matteo Salvini, called the Repubblica newspaper “scum” Wednesday, after the daily ran a massive headline “Erase Salvini.”

“Front page of the Repubblica: ‘Erase Salvini,’“ the former interior minister tweeted. “This is incitement to crime. Then they talk about hate and violence… The only ones who incite hatred and violence are them.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Sweden: Islamic State Returnees Investigated for War Crimes

The Swedish Prosecutor’s Office has announced ten new investigations into Islamic State members who have returned to Sweden in connection to allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Prosecutor Thomas Ahlstrand made the announcement to Swedish media this week saying that National Unity Against International and Organised Crime was conducting the investigations against the suspects who currently live in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, and Bergslagen, broadcaster SVT reports.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Swedish Politician Says Govt Has Lost Control After Huge Stockholm Bombing

Swedish Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson has slammed the ruling Social Democrats, saying the government has lost control of the country after a huge explosion rocked a Stockholm residential area.

Mr Kristersson noted the rise in the number of explosions and bombings across Sweden, citing figures from the Crime Prevention Council (Bra) that revealed the country suffered 230 bombings in 2019 alone.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: A Paedophile Grooming Gang Was Left to Roam the Streets of Manchester — And Police Knew Who They Were and Exactly What They Were Doing

Children were raped and abused by up to 100 members of a Manchester grooming gang sixteen years ago — but despite police and social workers knowing what was happening they weren’t stopped.

At least 57 young girls are thought to have been exploited by a paedophile network based in south Manchester. They were hooked on drugs, groomed, raped and emotionally broken — one youngster, aged fifteen, died.

The disturbing story of the gang’s crimes, the betrayal of the victims, and the scale of institutional neglect is disclosed in a damning two year inquiry into historic failures in the protection of children in Manchester.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Party ON: Nigel Farage’s Brexit Day Street Party Approved

London authorities have approved a street party in Parliament Square, Westminster, on Brexit Day, organised by Nigel Farage and Leave Means Leave.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage announced the approval on social media, writing: “Leave Means Leave have been given the approval to hold an event in Parliament Square on 31st January. Great news! It is a big moment in the history of this nation to celebrate.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Royals Feared Meghan Markle Would Brand Family ‘Racist and Sexist’

Members of the royal household feared Prince Harry and wife Meghan would accuse the family of racism and sexism if the crisis created by their decision to abandon their public duties to pursue money-making ventures was not resolved to their satisfaction, according to reports.

The Duke of Sussex and his American wife, who have earned negative press in recent months for their “woke” pronouncements on issues such as feminism and, in particular, climate change — while making liberal use of often publicly-funded private jets — announced they would cease performing most of their public duties and move to North America.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Snitches Get Riches: University Rewards Student Callouts With Cash

Students can now get paid to snitch on their peers at the University of Sheffield. The students will earn £9.34/hour to be “race equality champions,” and their training for the work will include teaching them how to “lead healthy conversations” on racism, microaggressions, and how to deal with those peers who commit infractions. Hours range from two to nine hours per week, like any part-time work-study job. But Sheffield University’s foray into “snitch culture” sounds alarm bells.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Obama’s National Security Advisor Says Trump ‘Absolutely Correct’ To Kill Soleimani

POTUS slams Dems for not supporting taking out the ‘evil son of a bitch’

As Democrats continue to repeat Iranian talking points and criticize President Trump for taking out the terrorist General Soleimani, former President Obama’s National Security advisor weighed in with a surprising remark.

Gen. James Jones told those gathered at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi that “What the administration did in the Soleimani case is absolutely correct.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Breaks Twitter Record for ‘Most Liked Persian Tweet’

Expression of support for Iranian protesters and warning to regime went over massively

In a development that was mostly completely ignored by the media, President Trump broke a Twitter record for ‘most liked Persian tweet’ with his expression of support for Iranian protesters.

Saeed Ghasseminejad, a senior adviser and financial economist at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, noted that Trump’s tweet smashed a record and displayed “a strong show of support by Iranians for Trump’s Iran policy”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Russia’s Prime Minister and Government Resign

Russia’s prime minister Dmitry Medvedev announced on Wednesday that he and his government are resigning, in order to give president Vladimir Putin the opportunity to implement constitutional reforms. Earlier the same day, Putin made his intentions for the constitution public during a televised speech. He wants to limit the presidency of Russia to a maximum two terms of four years, a move that would make the PM more powerful.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

China: Cloning Researcher Sentenced

Li Ning, a former researcher at China Agricultural University, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Chinese court for embezzling research funds, Nature News reports.

It adds that Li was well known in China for his work on cloning and genetically modifying animals, especially for engineering goats to express an earthworm protein and for cows to express a human milk protein. But Li was arrested along with a number of other researchers in 2014 on research grant misuse allegations, according to Nature News.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

New Plant Species Discovered in SW China

Chinese researchers have discovered a new plant species of Aristolochia in Wenshan city, southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

The new species, Aristolochia wenshanensis, was jointly found by a research team from the Kunming Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the local nature reserve. It was named after the city where it was discovered.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Why Are Volcanoes All Over the Globe Suddenly Shooting Giant Clouds of Ash Miles Into the Air?

There certainly hasn’t been a lack of seismic activity so far in 2020. Just a few days ago, I wrote about the horrific earthquake swarm that Puerto Rico is currently experiencing. More than 1,000 earthquakes have rattled Puerto Rico so far, and as you will see below, it was just hit by another very large earthquake. But right now volcanic eruptions have taken center stage. In particular, a massive eruption in the Philippines is making headlines all over the world, but what most people don’t realize is that several other volcanoes have also blown their tops in spectacular fashion within the past week. Suddenly, volcanoes all over the globe are shooting giant clouds of ash miles into the air, and this is greatly puzzling many of the experts.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Hero Dog Herds Hundreds of Sheep to Safety During Bushfires in Australia

Many of those involved in fighting the Australian bushfires are considered heroic. Patsy the dog is one of them.

When the wildfires were combing over land in Upper Murray, Victoria on New Year’s Eve, many animals were searching for somewhere safe.

According to Global News, the 6-year-old dog herded about 900 sheep for hours until they found safety.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

IPCC Expert Behind Eight Discredited Ocean Acidification Papers

Last week, Nature published a damning refutation of a significant body of climate change research. The title of that article is self-explanatory: Ocean acidification does not impair the behavior of coral reef fishes.

The authors studied more than 900 fish from six different species over a period of three years, attempting to verify earlier findings by a team of researchers at Australia’s James Cook University.

Their attempts failed.

Scholarly convention being what it is, the now-discredited work isn’t identified in a clear manner. Readers are compelled to sift through footnotes to locate the “several high-profile papers” that are being refuted.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

ISIS Calls for ‘Fire Jihad’ During Deadly Australian Wild Fires

Devastating wildfires are part of a global trend and as police arrest hundreds for fire-related offenses in Australia, many wonder if terrorist threats of arson are finally being carried out.

In an article published in the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization magazine ‘Inspire’, Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemeni-American imam who U.S. government officials alleged was a senior recruiter and motivator for Al Qaeda, preached that it was a religious imperative to wage jihad by any means at hand.

“Muslims are allowed to target the populations of countries that are at war with Muslims by bombings or fire-arms attacks or other forms of attacks that inevitably lead to the deaths of non-combatants,” al-Awlaki wrote in Inspire, the organization’s magazine

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Raid on New Zealand Activist’s Home to ‘Ensure Compliance’ With Gun Buyback is Absolutely Chilling

As Virginia citizens battle for their gun rights, an event on the other side of the world is giving them a hint of what they can expect if the state tries to take their guns.

In New Zealand, where they just implemented a gun “buyback” program, aka confiscation, which resulted in 56,000 of more than one million guns turned in, an activist is wondering what caused police to raid his suburban home filled with his wife and three young children.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Nigerian Rights Advocates Ask Pope, Trump, To Intervene to Stop Christian Genocide

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) is appealing to President Trump and Pope Francis to intercede with their government to stop the “genocidal killings of Christians.”

Spokesmen for the rights group said they had made this decision after the recent spate of well-coordinated attacks on Christians by armed Islamists in Kaduna state.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Scientists Discover New Species of Bone-Eating Worms in Gulf of Mexico

Scientists have discovered a new species of bone-eating worm on the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico.

Researchers were actually studying something entirely different when they made the discovery.

They dropped three alligator corpses about a mile deep into the gulf to investigate ocean carbon supply.

The new species of worm was seen crawling on an alligator corpse, devouring its soft tissue in under two months.

The worm, which has yet to be named, is the first of its kind found in the Gulf of Mexico.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

18 Republican Governors Ask for More Muslim Refugees as “Christian Charity”

It was reported by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson that 18 Republican governors have explicitly requested that more refugees be sent to their states. They said that it was “compassion” and “Christian charity” to do so. The questions were asked, “have their constituents demanded this?” The reply was “No.” So, what’s going on here?

Guest Ned Ryan responded: Refugee resettlement has nothing to do with Christianity and has everything to do with the immoral behavior of these governors and quite frankly a perverse incentive for these government funded charities that are acting as refugee contractors grifting (swindling) off the American taxpayers.

However, the US State Department is paying these refugee contractors over $2,100 per refugee, of which they get to keep 45%, and then they’re doing this campaign on these governors saying you have to put your Christian charity into action through an act of cowardice…

What is even more disturbing is that the number of Mosques in the United States has jumped up to 74% since September 11, 2001.

The US survey 2011 counted a total of 2,106 as compared to 1,209 in the year 2000.

As of 2016, there are as many as 3,000 mosques in America, with a total number of 3.3 million Muslims residing in this country.

Denmark: 450% more crimes committed by Muslims then non-Muslims. • Germany: Muslim migrants committed 142, 500 crimes in 6 months. This is 780 every day. • Sweden: 480,000 sexual assaults in one year. 77% of all rapes by less than 2% Muslim. • England and Wales: Over 56% of Syrian refugee’s committed severe crimes in less than 1 year etc. • Belgium: 35% of Prison population is Muslim who make up only 6% of the population. • UK: Muslims fill 44%of high security prisons, out of a 5% population. • USA: 91.4 % Muslim refugees are on food stamps, 68.3 % on cash welfare. Muslim migration has doubled in the decade since 9/11 and 60% migrants to America favor sharia law (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Honduran Migrants Gather to Try Forming New Caravan

Hundreds of people, mostly Hondurans, began walking and hitching rides from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Wednesday in hopes of starting another migrant caravan similar to one that traversed through Mexico and inundated American border agents in 2018.

Their attempt to form another caravan comes as Mexico has begun stepping up efforts to block migrants from arriving at the southern border amid pressure from the Trump administration. Many migrants are seeking asylum in the United States, citing endemic poverty and increases in crime and gang activity in their Central American countries.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hungary: Highest-Ever Number of Illegal Border Crossing Attempts Recorded for January, Says PM’s Advisor

The Hungarian government expects the debates within the European Union on the issues of migration and the rule of law to continue, the prime minister’s chief domestic security advisor said on Tuesday.

Hungary will do everything it can to make sure the EU breaks with the flawed policy it has pursued on migration and trusts that the new European Commission will set a new course on the issue, György Bakondi told public news channel M1.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Salvadoran Man With Alleged Terrorist Ties Arrested in Carson City

CARSON CITY, Nev. (KOLO) — The federal government said Wednesday it arrested a man in Carson City who is allegedly wanted in El Salvador for being a terrorist.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force arrested Rene Antonio Hernandez-Mejia, 35, a Salvador national, in Carson City on January 8, 2020. Hernandez-Mejia is listed on Interpol as being a terrorist, the Marshals Service said.

He is alleged to be part of the 18 Revolutionary Pandilla, which is a faction of an El Salvadorian gang called Shadow Park Locos, also known as “SPL”. This gang is alleged to be involved in terrorism, extortion and homicide, the Marshals Service said.

[Comment: Article dated January 8, 2020.]

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Moment a Group of Eight ‘Migrants’ Leap Out of Back of Lorry and Run Away in Front of Stunned Driver

This is the moment a group of eight suspected migrants were let out of the back of lorry so they could run away.

Saddle marker Gavin Cotterill, 26, was on his lunch break in Walsall, West Midlands, yesterday afternoon when he saw two men approach a lorry and open the back doors.

Eight men, who he claims were in their twenties and speaking a foreign language, emerged and ran off at high speed.

Shocked, he quickly pulled out his phone to film the incident, which took place at 3.14pm, before alerting the lorry driver and reporting it to the police.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

18 Signs That the Social Decay in America is Worse Than it Has Ever Been Before

If we choose what is right, that will lead to great blessings, but if we choose what is wrong that will only lead to great curses.

It has been that way all throughout human history, and great empires have fallen because they consistently made the wrong choices.

When America falls, it will be because of what we have done to ourselves.

The following are 18 signs that the social decay in America is worse than it has ever been before…

#1   America has a very serious drinking problem. According to new numbers that were just released, the average American consumes 500 alcoholic drinks a year. That is the highest level in modern American history.
#2   The number of alcohol-related deaths in the United States has reached an all-time record high. In fact, the number of alcohol-related deaths has actually doubled during the past 20 years.
#3   The number of Americans dying due to a drug overdose has reached an all-time record high.
#4   The number of Americans that are killing themselves has reached an all-time record high.
#5   The suicide rate for young people in the U.S. rose 56 percent in just one recent 10 year period.
#6   The suicide rate for the overall population increased by 41 percent between 1999 and 2016.
 

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Breaking: RCMP Investigating Jessica Yaniv for Alleged Assault of Journalist

Rebel Media commentator Keean Bexte announced Wednesday night he is working with RCMP in an ongoing investigation into trans activist Jessica Yaniv’s physical altercation with Bexte outside a B.C. courthouse Monday.

“Jonathan Yaniv assaulted me outside of a courthouse on Monday. And I’m very, very pleased to announce now that the RCMP are officially investigating him on criminal assault,” Bexte said in a video released on Twitter.

Yaniv could spend as much as five years in prison if found guilty.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Disney Introduces Kids to World of Demons, Witchcraft in New ‘The Owl House’ Show

The Disney Channel will premiere a new cartoon — The Owl House — on Friday, January 10, that promises to introduce young viewers to a world of demons and witchcraft.

“Folks, if you think this latest ‘Owl House’ show is just ‘fantasy and fun’ think again,” wrote Deborah Bunting in a commentary penned for CBN (The Christian Broadcasting Network).

“The show tries to portray witchcraft as a positive tool to fight evil,” explained Bunting.

“That’s similar to what real-life witches have been promoting over the past few years as they’ve been putting hexes on President Trump and others in order to fight for their beliefs.”

“Over the years, Disney has gone farther and farther into the darkness of the spiritual world that opposes the living God, coming up with programming and characters that lead the vulnerable into that dark world of deception.”

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

UK University Says Complaining About Everything Becoming a Race Issue is a Racist Microaggression

The University of Sheffield in the UK is to pay its own students to patrol thought crimes, one of which is the common complaint that everything is becoming a race issue, which the university considers to be a racist microaggression.

Checkmate, bigots.

“A university is to hire 20 of its own students to challenge language on campus that could be seen as racist,” reports the BBC. “The University of Sheffield is to pay students to tackle so-called “microaggressions” — which it describes as “subtle but offensive comments.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Windows 7 is No Longer Supported Beginning Today

It’s the end of an era. Today’s date, January 14, has been on the books for years now, and it’s the day that support ends for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. More specifically, extended support is ending for Windows 7 Service Pack 1, and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 and 2.

What you need to know is that if you’re running any of these operating systems, your PC is now considered to be unsecure. Of course, the last Patch Tuesday security updates are also rolling out today, so you do have some time (we’re talking no more than weeks) before you really have to worry. Obviously, it’s recommended that you move to Windows 10 or a modern version of Windows Server.

[Comment: If you are going to upgrade win7 machines to win 10, be aware that many older laptops have no drivers for windows 10. Noteably built in video drivers for win10 don’t support some landscape monitors, so screen comes up looking stretched when upgrading to win 10. Recommend checking www.drivrescape.com for video drivers for your laptop in such cases. ]

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

7 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/15/2020

    • He is young…. he is far away from being wise…
      In my country there is a saying…
      “If you don’t have old people around you, buy them.”
      or
      “You are young and intelligent…you can solve all those problems you can have… yet… an old wise man will never have problems to solve.”

  1. Great optics, there, Governor Northam, fencing-off the capitol building from the citizens of Virginia.

  2. No weapons of any kind? Does this include the police security detail for these very important “speshul” government persons?
    Some are a little more equal than others and deserve to be protected.
    Deplorable Kulak Untermenschen are the scum of the earth and have no right to self defense…unless a comrade kommissar gives an exemption.

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