Demonstrators gathered in North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California to protest the Wuhan Coronavirus lockdown. Some of the protesters failed to observe social distancing regulations.
Meanwhile, more than a thousand companies are considering relocating their production facilities from China to India, due to concerns about the pandemic. Also, negative oil prices were recorded in the USA for the first time in history as producers experiencing a glut of supply were willing to pay customers to take the oil off their hands.
In other news, a man who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State has pled guilty to charges that he planned to carry out bombings at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to C. Cantoni, Fjordman, GH, Insubria, Reader from Chicago, SS, 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.
Italy: Coronavirus: Conte Renews Drive for Euro Bonds
Chides Germany for trade surplus, Netherlands for fiscal dumping
(ANSA) — Rome, April 22 — Premier Giuseppe Conte on Monday renewed his drive for euro bonds to cope with the coronavirus economic emergency telling a German daily that the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) has a “bad reputation” after the Greek crisis.
Conte told Suddeutsche Zeitung that Germany “is slamming on the brakes with its trade surplus” and that the Netherlands “is keeping revenue from the EU with its fiscal dumping”.
He said he had spoken to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about the EU summit on April 23 where the Eurobond-ESM tussle will again loom large as northern states fight the ‘coronabonds’ Italy and other southern countries are proposing.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Ivy League Bailout: Colleges With Billions Get More Millions
Colleges and universities around the country are receiving billions in federal bailout money, and Ivy League institutions with billions of dollars in endowments are no exception.
Based on data obtained from the Department of Education, Campus Reform identified just how much each of the eight Ivy League institutions are receiving as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The act includes the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, which totals more than $14 billion in funding for colleges, half of which must go directly to individual students in need.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Oil Prices Turn Negative as Demand Dries Up
The price of US oil has turned negative for the first time in history.
That means oil producers are paying buyers to take the commodity off their hands over fears that storage capacity could run out in May.
Demand for oil has all but dried up as lockdowns across the world have kept people inside.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anchorage Man Who Claimed Loyalty to ISIS Enters Guilty Plea
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (KINY) — Gavin Lee Casdorph, 21, pled guilty to charges he made threats to detonate several bombs across the campus at Lafayette College.
Casdorph posed as a radicalized Lafayette College student and used the handle “BdanJafarSaleem” on Twitter and posted that he planned to bomb multiple locations on campus.
The posts also pledged allegiance to ISIS and included an image of the ISIS flag as well as a photograph of several firearms.
The post included the captain, “Allah has graced us with these weapons of destruction to carry out his needs.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-lockdown protests continued to gather momentum across the United States Monday as armed demonstrators waving Trump 2020 flags and ignoring social distancing rules called for America to reopen immediately.
Crowds gathered close to one another in North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California, calling for their ‘liberty’. Armed militia groups protested alongside young families and Americans out of work, all calling for businesses to be reopened.
Meanwhile, Facebook has been accused of working with various state governments to limit free speech as it shuts down pages that oppose stay-at-home orders.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Antifa Activist Encourages People to Steal From His University Employer
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, notorious antifa doxing activist, Christian Exoo aka “Antifash Gordon,” encouraged others on social media to steal supplies from his employer. Exoo works as a library supervisor at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.
On March 11, Joshua Bates, a left-wing blogger, tweeted: “Fellow Americans, if you find yourself short on toilet paper, don’t feel guilty about taking as many rolls as you need from your workplace.”
A person responded saying their employer was out of lavatory supplies. Exoo then wrote: “You can come steal from my work anytime!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anything That Goes Against the WHO is a Violation of YouTube Policies
In her first interview since the coronavirus lockdown started in the US, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki discussed how the platform has responded to the pandemic by removing thousands of videos and sending over 10 billion views to legacy media outlets.
Wojcicki made the comments during an appearance on CNN reporter Brian Stelter’s Reliable Sources podcast where she mostly focused on the platform’s efforts to give people the “right information” and stamp out “misinformation.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ditching Facebook Improves Wellbeing, Study Shows
On one hand, publishing a study about the ills of “socializing” with other people mostly online at a time when there is little choice for most of the humanity might seem like some unfortunate timing; but on the other, this experiment published by the American Economic Review delving into why such a mindset might be harmful, could prove to be useful well after the current crisis is over.
The experiment specifically asked Facebook users to deactivate their accounts for four weeks in exchange for $102.
(Many would happily do it for a dollar, no doubt.)
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hundreds of Protesters Defy Coronavirus Lockdown Orders in Pennsylvania
Hundreds of people openly defied a ban on mass gatherings and federal safety guidelines during a demonstration Monday against Pennsylvania’s coronavirus lockdown order.
Protesters rallied in front of the state Capitol in Harrisburg, where they crowded together on the steps and sidewalk in defiance of social distancing guidelines, recklessly dismissing their own health risk and the risk to others — many without even face masks, according to video posted on social media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Inmates Committing Crimes After Coronavirus Release ‘Unconscionable’: De Blasio
It is “unconscionable” that Rikers Island inmates who were released due to coronavirus concerns are committing new crimes, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday.
“I think it’s unconscionable just on a human level that folks were shown mercy and this is what some of them have done,” the mayor said during his morning briefing Monday, which came on the heels of a Post report outlining the issue.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York Times Quietly Edits Misleading Article About Fox News, Coronavirus
The New York Times over the weekend quietly edited a misleading article regarding Fox News’ coverage of the coronavirus, making a stealth update to correct a deceptively reported timeline of events involving Sean Hannity.
The article reported on a Brooklyn bar owner, Joe Joyce, who died from COVID-19 after going on an ocean cruise. The Times originally structured the article to imply that the bar owner, who is described as “skeptical about the [coronavirus],” was influenced by comments from Sean Hannity, a Fox News host, who said in early March that Americans were becoming “unnecessarily” scared over the coronavirus outbreak.
However, Hannity did not make those remarks until a week after Joyce departed on the cruise.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Protesters Gather at Minnesota Governor’s Mansion Over Lockdown, Chant ‘Open Up’
Protesters gathered outside of the Minnesota governor’s mansion Friday rebelling against coronavirus stay-at-home orders and demanding an end the lockdown, chanting “open up.”
Despite the social distancing guidelines in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of people gathered in St. Paul for a “Liberate Minnesota” demonstration outside Gov. Tim Walz’s official residence, according to local news reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
South Floridians Stage Caravan Protest to End Coronavirus Lockdown, Demand Beaches Reopen
More than 100 South Floridians participated in a caravan protest Sunday to demand Gov. Ron DeSantis reopen the beaches and state parks closed under coronavirus lockdown measures.
Drivers first met up in separate groups in Hollywood, Coral Springs, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Boynton Beach. The caravans then drove to downtown Delray Beach, honking their horns and blaring sirens up and down Atlantic Avenue. Waving American flags and Trump 2020 banners, onlookers lined the sidewalks to watch.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
TN Governor Announces Safer-at-Home Order to Expire April 30
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Monday, Governor Bill Lee announced the order for Tennesseans to remain at home will expire April 30, with the majority of businesses in 89 counties allowed to re-open May 1.
The commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health says there are now more recovered COVID-19 cases than active cases, plus additional (new) testing sites are coming soon.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump to Press: ‘You and the Obama Administration Were Duped for Years by China’
President Trump reacted to a CNN reporter’s jibing against praise for his administration’s handling of the coronavirus crisis by telling the press as a whole that they are the ones who were duped ‘for years’ by China, along with his predecessor, Barack Obama.
Trump played another montage of positive video clips praising the government’s handling of the outbreak, which triggered CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond into charging that Trump is focusing on ‘self-congratulation’, rather than focusing on the death toll.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. Supreme Court Abolishes Split Jury Verdicts; Dozens of Convictions Voided
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that juries across the nation must be unanimous to convict or acquit a criminal defendant, outlawing the split verdicts that had persisted in Louisiana since openly racist lawmakers enshrined them in the state Constitution during the Jim Crow era.
In a 6-3 decision that crossed ideological lines, the high court ruled that the Sixth Amendment’s right to a jury trial implicitly requires a unanimous verdict, and that the previously acknowledged need for jury consensus in federal courtrooms applies equally to state courts through the 14th Amendment.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Zuckerberg: Lockdown Protests Organized on Facebook Will be Taken Down as “Harmful Misinformation”
During a conversation with “Good Morning America” anchor George Stephanopoulos Monday morning, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that any protests against state stay-at-home orders organized on his social media platform will be considered “harmful misinformation” and their pages will be taken down immediately.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Far-Left Extremists Call for Assault of Police Officers, Prison Guards During Pandemic
Canadian far-left extremist websites are seeking to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to further their radical views through violent means.
Montreal Counter-Information and North Shore Counter-Info are calling on their followers to issue death threats, engage in vandalism and assault unsuspecting police officers and prison guards.
One post on Montreal Counter-Information from April 13 titled “In May, Let’s Play: A Call to Conflict” claims that the coronavirus pandemic has created conditions “favourable for attack” and suggests a number of criminal and violent acts be perpetrated to take advantage of the situation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Epstein Bottom Girl Ghislane Maxwell is Hiding Out in France to Avoid FBI Charges
Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘bottom girl’ Ghislane Maxwell is hiding out in her family’s former home in France to avoid extradition to the United States, Politicalite can exclusively reveal.
French citizen Maxwell chose to hide out in France as the country does not extradite their own citizens to any country. Ghislane was born by her aunt Yvonne in Maisons-Lafitte.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Renaud Camus in Hospital With Coronavirus
Renaud Camus, the French writer who coined the term “Great Replacement” to describe the displacement of native Europeans by immigrants, is ill with the coronavirus and is currently undergoing hospital care.
Camus had referenced his illness several times over his Twitter feed in recent days. He stopped posting on his usually very active Twitter feed on Friday, after which he was apparently transferred to a hospital. His friend Philippe Martel tweeted on Sunday that Camus is currently being cared for in a hospital in Auch.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Attacks on First Responders on the Rise Amidst Lockdown (Video)
Attacks on police officers and other first responders in France are on the rise, as indicated by several incidents that occurred over the last few days.
On Wednesday in Les Mureaux, a police van which was responding to a group of “youths” who had been spotted launching fireworks on surveillance cameras was attacked, forcing the officers to use stun grenades to escape the scene, according to a report by Le Parisien.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germans Have Right to Protest During Coronavirus Pandemic: Court
BERLIN (Reuters) — Germans have the right to hold political protests if they adhere to social distancing rules in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Reopens Some Shops as Parts of Europe Ease Virus Curbs
Parts of Europe hit hard by the deadly coronavirus pandemic took tentative steps towards resuming normal lives on Monday, with Germany allowing some shops to reopen and Norway restarting nurseries.
Governments across the world are debating how and when to ease the lockdowns that have kept more than half of humanity — 4.5 billion people — confined to their homes and crippled the global economy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Largest Newspaper Bills China for Coronavirus Damage
Bild, which is Germany’s largest newspaper, posted an editorial last week assessing the damage that China’s many failures in relation to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had caused, demanding that the Chinese government foot the bill.
Bild estimates that China owes Germany 149 billion euros for the damage the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown has inflicted on the German economy. It provided an itemized bill, which includes 24 billion euros in lost tourist revenue, 7.2 billion lost by the German film industry, 50 billion to small businesses, and 1 million per hour to Lufthansa.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Wuhan Virus Threatens Existence of Centuries-Old Breweries
WERNECK, Germany (AP) — The Werneck Brewery has survived a lot: world wars, economic crises and decades of declining beer consumption. But after 400 years in existence it has finally met a challenge it can’t overcome: the coronavirus outbreak.
The brewery, which traces its history to 1617 and has been owned by the same family since 1861, is closing for good, taking with it 15 full-time jobs and more part-time positions. Also gone is a chunk of local history and tradition in Werneck, a town of 10,000 people in the brewery-rich southern state of Bavaria.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Salafist Hate Preacher on Welfare Busted for Ripping Off €18,000 in Coronavirus Aid
A Salafist hate preacher and Islamic State supporter living in Berlin, Germany swindled 18,000 euros in immediate coronavirus aid from the state after he falsely claimed that he was in the honey trade.
46-year-old Ahmad Armih, an Islamist who the Office for Protection of the Constitution has watched for years now and who has been classified as a threat, made false applications to the investment bank of the State of Berlin, which subsequently dispersed the aid money to him, Bild reports
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Greece: Muslim Prison Inmates Attack Christians for Drinking Alcohol on Easter
Muslim prison inmates attacked Christian prisoners in the Komotini prison, in northeastern Greece, for drinking alcohol on Easter Sunday.
The prison staff had given beer to those prisoners who wanted it as an Easter gesture at noon on the holy day. Those inmates who didn’t want to drink alcohol received soft drinks. But inmates who are originally from Afghanistan and Pakistan were offended by the sight of alcohol being consumed. They first began insulting the Christian prisoners who were drinking, and then physically assaulted them, according to a report by Greek City Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary: Successful Coronavirus Pandemic Measures Boost Ruling Fidesz Party
The Hungarian government’s successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic has boosted the popularity of Hungary’s ruling conservative Fidesz party, a recent poll of the Nézopont Insitute showed. Since the beginning of the year, Fidesz managed to increase its popularity among decided voters to 55 percent from 50 percent.
The poll shows that while Fidesz managed to gain five-percentage points in popularity, support for six out of the seven opposition parties surveyed remained either unchanged or declined, with the exception of Hungary’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Coalition. But in their case, the one-percentage point gain they experienced from March to April, going from 12 to 13 percent, was well within the poll’s error of margin.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: €2,000 Fine for “Disrespecting” A Police Officer During Lockdown
Amidst an investigation into the question of whether Spain’s draconian lockdown laws are constitutional, people are being fined a whopping €2,000 euros for “disrespecting” a police officer.
Unlike other European countries, people in Spain aren’t even allowed to go out to exercise during the coronavirus quarantine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Regulator Sanctions London Live for Broadcasting Censored David Icke Coronavirus Interview
When author and public speaker David Icke’s coronavirus interview was censored by YouTube, it amplified concerns about big tech’s growing crackdowns around discussions of the virus.
Then when the UK government’s communications regulator The Office of Communications (Ofcom), announced that it would be investigating broadcaster London Live for airing an edited version of the interview, it triggered further fears about the government clamping down on civil liberties amid the coronavirus pandemic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: MP Accused of ‘Racism’ Over Inquiry Into White Working Class-Boys Falling Behind in Schools
Robert Halfon MP says he has been accused of “racism” after announcing a parliamentary inquiry into white working-class pupils, especially boys, falling behind in schools.
“The whole premise of the committee is to look at left behind cohorts, those who are falling way behind,” said Halfon, who chairs the influential Commons Select Committee for Education.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK’s Chief Scientific Adviser Says Coronavirus Vaccine a ‘Long Shot’
The government’s chief scientific advisor admitted that vaccines for new viruses are “long shots” and that “only some end up being successful”.
Speaking during the Downing Street coronavirus press briefing on Sunday, Sir Patrick Vallance said: “All new vaccines that come into development are long shots. Only some end up being successful.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Police Hunt Down, Fine, Man Lying Alone on an Italian Beach
ROME — Italian police used drones, quads, and a jeep to hunt down and fine a man thought to be spreading coronavirus by lying alone on an Italian beach.
The City of Rimini posted a video of the police action against the sunbather on its website, boasting of the efficiency of local police in bringing the miscreant to justice.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netanyahu, Gantz Forge a Unity Government Deal
TEL AVIV — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz signed a coalition agreement to form a unity government, ending a year and a half political deadlock.
Under the agreement, Netanyahu would retain the premiership for another 18 months after which Gantz is slated to take over.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Threatens Turkish Regime With More Sanctions for Illegal Drilling in Cypriot Waters
If the Turkish regime continues its illegal energy drilling in Cryprus’ exclusive economic zone, the European Union will be forced to respond with additional sanctions, EU spokesman Peter Stano said last week.
“There has been a break, but there has been no change in the EU’s position on illegal Turkish actions in the eastern Mediterranean, so the EU’s position is clear, unchanging,” Stano told Cyprus News Agency.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A New Species of Wood Snake Emerges in the Western Ghats, Mottled in Grey-Brown
The sun beat down mercilessly. Being in the vicinity of south India’s highest peak, in one of the coldest months — December — made no difference. After a tiring morning session of surveying for snakes and other small fauna in the high-elevation grasslands of Kerala’s Eravikulam National Park in the Anamalai hills, researchers Sandeep Das and K.P. Rajkumar of the Kerala Forest Research Institute were taking a much-needed siesta at their camp. From the verandah where they lay, the duo could spot the browning grass tufts on the hill slopes, framed by the sides of a deep trench dug around their camp to prevent elephants from venturing near.
From the corner of his eye, Das espied a small movement in the trench. A closer look revealed a foot-long, dark-coloured snake sun-basking comfortably near its hole in the ground. It was an uncommon find: a ground-dwelling wood snake!
“But this one looked slightly different from the wood snakes I had seen in the Nilgiris and lowlands of the Western Ghats,” said Das.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Around a thousand foreign companies are contemplating shifting their manufacturing base to India as the geopolitical and economic repercussions of the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic become imminent. The said companies are in discussions with the Indian government and at least 300 of them are actively pursuing production plans in sectors such as mobiles, electronics, medical devices, textiles and synthetic fabric, according to top government sources, reports have claimed.
“About 1,000-odd companies are currently engaged in discussion at various levels such as investment promotion cell, central government departments and state governments. Out of these companies, we are targeting 300-odd companies,” an official was quoted as saying. “We are hopeful that once coronavirus is in control, a lot of things will fructify into actual relocation. And India will emerge as an alternate manufacturing destination. Many countries like Japan, US and South Korea are over-dependent on China and that is now very apparent,” he added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
83% of Britons Want China to Face International Inquiry Over Coronavirus
More than four in five Britons want the government to pursue an international inquiry into communist China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a poll commissioned by a British think tank.
The Survation poll, conducted on behalf of the neoconservative Henry Jackson Society, found that 83 per cent of Britons want China to face an international inquiry, while nearly three-quarters, 74 per cent, think the Chinese government is to blame for the spread of the deadly virus.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Daily Mail writers have documented the audacious cover-up in China that allowed the virus to spread, with deadly consequences for the world…
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
China-Africa Relations Put to the Test
by Thomas O. Falk
by In the People’s Republic of China, where COVID-19 first emerged, reports of racist and xenophobic incidents are adding insult to injury amid the current crisis. The primary victims are black Africans, many of whom have been forced out of their apartments or been placed directly under house arrest. While the Chinese government is unwilling to accept any guild, it has pledged to change the situation for the better.
Epicenter of Racist Incidents: Guangzhou
In Guangzhou, numerous openly xenophobic and racist incidents have outraged the international community while the local authorities continue to fight the effects of COVID-19. Since several Nigerians had previously been tested positive for COVID-19, foreigners complain about massive discrimination in one of China’s major cities.
For example, black Africans, in particular, report that they were arbitrarily placed under house arrest by Chinese authorities and forced to participate in virus tests. Others had been evicted out of their apartment by their landlords. Notably, most of the people affected are individuals who have lived and worked in Guangzhou for many years.
[…]
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Drones used by American law enforcement officials to enforce “social distancing” mandates may be conduits through which the Chinese government can spy on Americans, experts are warning.
Authorities in the United States have grown increasingly strict in implementing and enforcing distancing rules over the past few weeks. Many of them have turned to drones to remotely police citizens’ behaviors.
Yet the drones, many of them made in China, may provide opportunities for Chinese officials to gather information on American citizens.
Should people be concerned? Yes. Everyone should always be concerned,” Brett Velicovich, a former Delta Force operator, told Fox News this week. “You can never trust China.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Diplomatic Clashes Over COVID-19 Intensify
by Yasmin Rasidi
by Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), which was discovered in Wuhan, China has now taken more than 117,400 lives globally and infected over 1.8 million. Researchers are busy in producing the best vaccines, and world leaders are cooperating to slow the spread of the virus that causes a disease with symptoms like flu but can become highly deadly.
Despite the global efforts to mitigate the outbreak, the situation is also triggering diplomatic tensions among countries for various reasons, from access restriction to pro-China allegations targeting the World Health Organization (WHO).
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Nigel Farage: Only Trump Has Stood Up to China, But Citizens of the West Must Stand Up Next
China’s dishonesty over coronavirus could lead to a global reassessment of how vital the authoritarian regime should be to the fate and prosperity of Western democracies, Brexit leader Nigel Farage has told Breitbart News.
Speaking to Breitbart News Network editor-in-chief Alex Marlow on the Breitbart News Daily Show on Sirius XM Patriot, “Mr Brexit” Nigel Farage — known for shepherding Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union from being a harshly opposed position to the proven view of the majority by the time of the 2016 Brexit referendum — turned his fire on China during a coronavirus discussion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. And U.K. Condemn Communist China for Arresting Hong Kong Democracy Advocates
HONG KONG (AP) — The United States condemned the arrests of at least 14 veteran pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong on charges of joining massive anti-government protests last year, saying the police action jeopardizes a high degree of autonomy guaranteed the southern Chinese city.
Among those arrested Saturday were 81-year-old activist and former lawmaker Martin Lee and democracy advocates Albert Ho, Lee Cheuk-yan and Au Nok-hin. Police also arrested media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who founded the local newspaper Apple Daily.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“International health data and experience is showing that New Zealand’s lockdown may now be unnecessary, and even more harmful than the problem we’re trying to solve.
Plan B represents the knowledge, perspectives and questions of a multi-disciplinary group of expert and passionate people on how and why New Zealand should modify its response to COVID-19.
We are a cross-disciplinary group of academics concerned about the welfare and futures of all Kiwis. As a group, we set up this website to share information for the public good and to set out our vision for a balanced response to COVID-19.
[…]
We believe that holding out for vaccine development or pursuing an aggressive eradication policy are not realistic.
We are a group of academics who are concerned that such a strategy is not proportional to the threat posed by COVID-19 to New Zealanders’ health and that it is likely to substantially harm the nation’s long-term health and well-being, social fabric, economy, and education.
[…]
We believe that it is in the best interests of the country to rapidly transition to a situation similar to the government’s alert level 2, while closely monitoring the spread of the virus and its impact on the health system. This would enable the majority of businesses to continue to operate and schools and universities to open. It would also allow essential domestic travel to resume.
[…]
A focus of our response to the virus must incorporate returning to normality as soon as possible. The likely course of the virus is that many individuals will be infected with the virus, and immunity in the population will develop.
| — Hat tip: GH | [Return to headlines] |
Peter Tatai, 27, allegedly became became ‘verbally abusive towards customers’ in Woolworths Merrylands, in Sydney’s west, on Sunday.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Joins Protest Against Coronavirus Lockdown
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro defied his own administration’s social distancing recommendations to join protesters against lockdowns meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The right-wing leader, who was not wearing a face mask, addressed a tightly packed crowd Sunday in front of the army’s headquarters in the capital city of Brasilia.
“I am here because I believe in you. You are here because you believe in Brazil,” said Bolsonaro, who referred to the dozens of protesters as “patriots.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
550 Illegal Boat Migrants Land in UK During Wuhan Virus Lockdown
At least 550 illegal boat migrants have reached the United Kingdom from the beaches of France since the two countries first imposed nationwide lockdowns to fight the spread of the Wuhan virus roughly one month ago.
The UK’s Home Office recently released figures which revealed that no less than 481 migrants have illegally made their way across the English channel since Boris Johnson announced lockdown measures on March 23rd. Another 69 migrants reached British shores the week before.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Ports Reopened: 180 Illegal Boat Migrants to be Redistributed Across EU Amid Pandemic
ROME (AFP) — Some 180 migrants rescued at sea will be held in isolation on an Italian ferry off the coast of Sicily, the coast guard said Sunday.
Italy has refused to take in saved migrants due to the coronavirus epidemic, saying the outbreak, which has killed over 23,000 people, meant it could no longer be considered a port of safety.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Says He Will Sign Executive Order Temporarily Suspending Immigration Into US
President Trump on Monday said he will sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic, a move that is likely to draw prompt legal challenges.
“In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” Trump tweeted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Iraqi Immigrant Jailed for Drug Dealing
A failed asylum seeker has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for the possession and sale of cannabis, Wales Online reports.
Pishko Zardawali was pulled over by police in Swansea’s High Street because the officers were concerned about his driving and a strong smell of cannabis in his car. Nearly a kilo of the illegal drug was found in the vehicle which the Iraqi national was driving without a licence or insurance. Zardawali later pleaded guilty to all these offences at Swansea Crown Court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Because Jesus and Freedom’: Maine Prof Attacks Quarantine Protesters in Expletive-Laden Rant
A professor of political engagement chastised coronavirus closure protesters, saying that they are engaging in “bioterrorism,” “because JESUS and FREEDOM.”
Robert Glover, associate professor of political science and honors at the University of Maine who specializes in “democratic theory, political engagement, and the politics of immigration,” according to his faculty bio on the university’s website, tweeted out a video Monday of protesters standing on a street corner near the Maine statehouse in Augusta.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
British Woman’s Attraction to Chandeliers Ruled Not to be a Protected Sexual Orientation
A British woman who claims to be in a long-term relationship with a 92-year-old chandelier was told that her attraction to the light fixture is not a protected sexual orientation.
Amanda Liberty, from Leeds, England, complained that an article written by The Sun columnist Jane Moore mocked her love affair with Lumiere, her name for an antique light fitting she bought on eBay in 2016 for $500.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Harvard Prof Wants Government to Ban ‘Authoritarian’ Practice of Homeschooling
As the coronavirus crisis has suddenly made millions of parents across America de-facto home school teachers, one Harvard Law professor wants to make sure this does not become the new normal, by actively advocating to revoke parents’ rights to home school their own children.
A recent piece in Harvard Magazine titled “The Risks of Homeschooling” highlighted the arguments of Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Bartholet, who argues that the practice of homeschooling is an inherent violation of children’s rights, and should, therefore, be banned.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Harvard Professor Wants a ‘Presumptive Ban’ on Homeschooling, Claims it Promotes White Supremacy
In a shocking essay for Harvard Magazine, a professor of law and director of Harvard Law School’s child advocacy legal clinic, claims homeschooling is a threat to children’s rights, a method of promoting white supremacy, and a drain on democratic society — and even goes so far as to suggest a national “presumptive ban” on the practice.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
UK: NHS Nurses’ Haka Dance Blasted as “Cultural Appropriation”
A now deleted viral video in which NHS workers in the UK performed a modified version of the haka, a ceremonial dance in Maori culture, has been condemned as “cultural appropriation.”
The video received over 600,000 views on Twitter before it was removed, presumably in response to claims that it was racist.
In the clip, nurses from the Tavistock Day Case Theatre in England performed the iconic dance while wearing white headbands and black face paint.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9dIoONPPSu0
https://mobile.twitter.com/BasedPoland/status/1252571916499640322
https://mobile.twitter.com/BasedPoland/status/1252549052572598272
https://mobile.twitter.com/BasedPoland/status/1252346486358081542
https://mobile.twitter.com/BasedPoland/status/1252214456840589314
Well, I guess it’s safe to say French Muslims are integrated. Rabble-rousing revolutionaries have long been a part of the French tradition, so very compatible.
https://mobile.twitter.com/BasedPoland/status/1252365581266808841
They even cast spells on the French police!
https://mobile.twitter.com/BasedPoland/status/1252686564678926343
https://mobile.twitter.com/BasedPoland/status/1252707910720897024
https://mobile.twitter.com/AlexLeroy90/status/1252392906851155973
Indonesia’s Aceh holds public floggings despite virus fears
https://www.todayonline.com/world/indonesias-aceh-holds-public-floggings-despite-virus-fears
“To comply with current conditions, we’re trying to cut unnecessary procedures like the usual opening speech,” …
“We just carried out the flogging directly to make it simpler. Whipping will still go on, but we’re limiting the number of people involved,”
A great example of Orwellianism.
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Caring for migrants will help the safety of Russians
https://vz.ru/society/2020/4/21/1035348.html
The Agency for Strategic Initiatives proposed equalizing citizens of the Russian Federation and labor migrants in certain social rights until the end of the epidemic. First of all, we are talking about the right to receive unemployment benefits. Such a prospect was accepted by many Russians with hostility, but ultimately it was aimed at protecting their rights. How?
… Nevertheless, not fully supporting the ASI initiative, it is worth recognizing that it has its own logic. If this or a similar decision is ultimately adopted, it will not be based on the idea of “caring for others,” but on the interests of Russians in the broad sense.
The logic here is simple – it will be an attempt to restrain the growth of violent crime, especially robbery and robbery, as well as theft. Even those most law-abiding people who have lost their income due to the closure of construction projects and severely limited services, knowingly being in extremely constrained domestic and financial conditions, deprived of the opportunity to return to their homeland, will be forced to take the criminal path. Practice has shown that criminals do not always spare even old women dragging bags with a primitive grocery set.
… The problem, first of all, is that sending millions of migrants to other countries is simply impossible. Especially if they themselves do not want this (and many do not want to). They are aware that there was no work in the homeland, no, that their countries are experiencing the same quarantine problems, but there is practically no one to rob.
There is no one to catch and guard migrants, there is nowhere to keep them, there is nothing to transport so that such an “operation” does not drag out for six months or longer, whether it be at least about airplanes, at least trains, at least buses. The existing infrastructure and the number of law enforcement agencies are simply not ready for something like that.
Even if you are not embarrassed by the parallel with Hitler’s practices and, in connection with an emergency situation, do not give a damn about the country’s international image (after all, it will look like continuous ethnic cleansing with raids and analogs of concentration camps), it is worth remembering that the Germans had been preparing for this for several years. We do not have these few years – not even a few months.
… Ultimately, this may result in the emergence of Central Asian partisan detachments and militias, most likely with a strong Islamist component.
… Sliding into a dull annoyance from the ASI’s initiatives, this must be taken into account. And sincerely ask yourself what is more expensive now – individual ideas about justice in the distribution of budget funds or the safety of your own family.
This is a choice of two bad options – and you have to get used to it. Passes for a trip to the doctor and other self-isolation measures are also a choice of two bad options. Really good reality we are not able to offer.
Hey Pompeo, send Kim a big shipment of Land of Lakes butter to celebrate his survival.