Gates of Vienna News Feed 5/14/2020

A man in Colorado with a blood alcohol level of 0.55 died, and the medical examiner identified the cause of death as ethanol poisoning. However, since the deceased also tested positive for COVID-19, the state health department listed him as a coronavirus victim.

Meanwhile, at a New York City subway station a woman was knocked down and handcuffed by police for not having her mask on right. Also, a restaurant in South Carolina has started seating fully-clothed inflatable dolls at every other table to enforce social distancing rules without having to put up barriers.

In other news, two Afghan migrants were sentenced to six years in jail by a Greek court for committing violence and property damage during riots last weekend at an asylum center.

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

Thanks to Insubria, JD, 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.

Financial Crisis
» Nearly 40% of Low-Income Households Hit by Job Loss
» Nearly 3 Million Unemployment Claims Filed Last Week, Higher Than Expected
 
USA
» Anonymous Note at Ahmaud Arbery Memorial Suggests Possible Unknown Witness
» Biden Struggles Badly During “Virtual Roundtable” As Gaffes Continue to Pile Up
» Bright Predicts it Will Take Longer Than 18 Months to Develop Coronavirus Vaccine
» Churches Across America Sue Democrat Governors Over Lockdown Orders
» Church Sues Zoom After Bible Study Hacked With Child Pornography
» CNN Poll Shows Trump Beating Biden by 7 Points in Key States
» Colorado Man Dies From Astounding 0.55 Blood Alcohol Level, Coronavirus Listed as Cause of Death
» Conservative Talk Radio Station Featuring Limbaugh, Shapiro, Levin Takes Top Spot in Liberal D.C. Market for 1st Time in 34 Years
» Deep State Judge Denies Relief to Lt. General Flynn
» Georgia’s Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Continue to Decline 3 Weeks After Reopening Began
» Georgia Officials Warn of 4-Foot-Long Invasive Lizards That Eat ‘Anything They Want’
» Health Secretary Removal of Mom From Care Home Amid Epidemic Draws Scrutiny
» Low Solar Activity to Cause Temperatures to Plummet, Say Scientists
» New York: Woman Handcuffed by Police for “Not Fully Wearing Mask”
» NY Times Worries Half of Americans Will Refuse to Take Coronavirus Vaccine
» Paralegal With U.S. Attorney’s Office Arrested, Accused of Being Mole for Mexican Drug Cartel
» Poll: More Than Two Thirds of Americans Blame China for COVID-19
» Rand Paul: Biden Has Been “Caught Red-Handed” Abusing Spy Powers
» Richard Burr Steps Down as Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Amid Insider Trading Investigation
» South Carolina Restaurant Using Blow Up Dolls to Enforce Social Distancing
» Trump is Not Weakening
» Trump Says Obama “Probably Directed” U.S. Intelligence to Spy on Him
» Trump Urges GOP to Call Obama to Testify Under Oath About “Obamagate” Russia Investigation
» Trump Blasts Critics of Reopening the Economy: “I Think it’s a Political Thing”
» United Against China: College Dems Join College Republicans in Demand to Close All Chinese ‘Propaganda’ Centers on Campus
» When Do We Get Our Freedoms Back?
» ‘Wild, Wild West’: Wisconsin Reopens for Business
» WSJ Slams Adam Schiff Over Released Transcripts: “No One Should Ever Believe Another Word He Says”
 
Canada
» Chinese Government’s Confucius Institute Holds Sway on Canadian Campuses, Contracts Indicate
 
Europe and the EU
» Assange Extradition Case Set for Sept 7
» China’s Coronavirus: How the EU is Betraying Europe
» Coronavirus: Italy is Doing 70,000 Tests a Day- ISS Chief
» EU-Funded Comic Predicted Deadly Pandemic Escaping China — and Guess Who Saves the Day?
» France: MP Spearheading Hate Speech Legislation Accused of Racism and Homophobia
» German Intelligence Exposes Muslim Brotherhood’s Plan to Undermine Germany
» Greta Thunberg Writes Letter to Norway PM on Arctic Drilling
» Orban Rejects EU Demand That He Fly to Brussels Amid Coronavirus Crisis to Attend ‘Rule of Law’ Debate
» Report: How George Soros Packed the European Court of Human Rights
» Sweden Sees Rise in Shootings Despite Police Crackdown on Gang Crime
» UK: Conservative MPs Urge Govt to Reduce ‘Dangerous’ Dependence on Communist China
» UK: Gogglebox Star Reported to Ofcom for Mocking North Korean Tyrant
» UK: Grooming Gang Victim Speaks Out After Encountering Rapist Who Was Supposed to be Deported
» Vandals Cut Down Monumental Iron Cross in France
 
Middle East
» New Herbaceous Plant Species Discovered in NE Turkey
 
Australia — Pacific
» China’s Cold Shoulder Treatment Continues: Australia’s Trade Minister Still Hasn’t Spoken to Beijing Three Days After Move to Ban Aussie Beef Exports as Devastating Trade War Looms
» Hundreds of International Students Queue Up for 600m to Pick Up a Free Lunch After Losing Their Income Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic
» Seven New Species of Australian Peacock Spiders Discovered
» ‘Standing Up for Our Values’: Peter Dutton Says Australia Won’t Stop Pushing for an Inquiry Into Coronavirus as China Threatens $135billion Trade War
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» More Than 20 Nigerian Christians Killed in Attack by Fulani Muslims
» Sweden Votes to Pay Somalia’s IMF Debt (Video)
 
Immigration
» Afghan Migrant Prosecuted for Raping Underage Swedish Girl
» Another 14 Migrants Reach Dover After Crossing the Channel Taking the Total During Lockdown to 850 as Home Office Confirms All Illegal Migrants Will Now Also be Quarantined for Two Weeks
» Croatia: Police Reject Accusations That They Are Abusing Illegal Migrants
» Greece: Migrants Jailed for Detention Center Riot
» Italy: Migrants Quarantined Aboard Ferry Cost Taxpayers 4,000 Euros a Month Each
» Italy: Illegal Migrant Labourers Threaten General Strike if Not Given Amnesty
» Swiss Populists: Leftists Harboring Illegal Migrants Causing COVID-19 to Spread
 
Culture Wars
» Facebook Announces $100,000 Project to Detect “Hateful Memes”
» Facebook Censors Awarded $1000 for Being Subjected to “Conspiracy Theories”
» ‘Please Don’t Misgender Me’: Reporter Calls Health Secretary ‘Sir’ Multiple Times During Interview
» The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine Starts Adding Warning Labels to Its Archives
» Will Twitch’s New “Safety Advisory Council” Mean a Decrease in Censorship? Not Likely.
» YouTube Demonetizes Sgtreport, Trureporting, Tin Foil Hat With Sam Tripoli, And Realist News
 

Nearly 40% of Low-Income Households Hit by Job Loss

Nearly 40% of low-income households have been impacted by job losses, according to a Federal Reserve survey. The survey follows recently released data from the Labor Department showing that nearly 3 million workers filed unemployment claims in the past week.

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

Nearly 3 Million Unemployment Claims Filed Last Week, Higher Than Expected

Nearly 3 million people filed unemployment claims last week, a continued drop from a high six weeks ago, but still coming in above latest projections. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones were expecting 2.7 million jobless claims, while last week’s number totaled 2.981 million claims.

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

Anonymous Note at Ahmaud Arbery Memorial Suggests Possible Unknown Witness

An anonymous note left at a Georgia memorial for Ahmaud Arbery has raised the possibility of a new, unknown witness to his shooting death.

The mysterious note reads:

Ahmaud —
I am so sorry.
I should have stopped them.
I am so sorry.

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

Biden Struggles Badly During “Virtual Roundtable” As Gaffes Continue to Pile Up

Presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden held a “virtual roundtable” Thursday afternoon where he again struggled badly to communicate as his verbal gaffes continue to pile up.

The roundtable featured Biden along with Michigan Gov. Whitmer, New Jersey Gov. Murphy, and Connecticut Gov. Lamont, discussing the coronavirus pandemic.

Like other recent Biden virtual events, Thursday’s was marked by technical hiccups like visual and audio glitches, along with the former vice president getting his tongue tied in knots.

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

Bright Predicts it Will Take Longer Than 18 Months to Develop Coronavirus Vaccine

Former top federal vaccine official Dr. Rick Bright testified before Congress on Thursday that projections of a 12-18 month time frame for a coronavirus vaccine is severely optimistic. He said he believes it will take much longer than 18 months to develop a vaccine.

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

Churches Across America Sue Democrat Governors Over Lockdown Orders

Churches across multiple states have filed lawsuits against their governors as a challenge to stay-at-home orders that restrict religious gatherings.

Faith leaders in Oregon, Michigan, California, Maine, Illinois, and Virginia are asserting that lockdown orders imposed by the governors are a violation of the First Amendment and that places of worship must be allowed to reopen as essential services.

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

Church Sues Zoom After Bible Study Hacked With Child Pornography

Saint Paulus Lutheran Church in San Francisco has filed a lawsuit in federal court against teleconferencing site Zoom Video Communications Inc. after a Bible study was hacked with pornography.

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

CNN Poll Shows Trump Beating Biden by 7 Points in Key States

A CNN poll indicates that President Trump is comfortably ahead of Sleepy Joe Biden in fifteen key battleground states, leading by seven points, 52 to 45 percent.

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

Colorado Man Dies From Astounding 0.55 Blood Alcohol Level, Coronavirus Listed as Cause of Death

The Colorado Department of Health and Environment is listing coronavirus as cause of death of a Colorado man despite the county coroner ruling that he died of ethanol toxicity with an astounding 0.55 blood-alcohol level.

A blood-alcohol level of 0.3 is generally considered fatal.

Although the unidentified man tested positive for coronavirus, County Coroner George Deavers said he disagreed with the state’s assessment after his investigation with a pathologist revealed that the man’s blood-alcohol content was nearly seven times the legal driving limit of 0.08.

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

Conservative Talk Radio Station Featuring Limbaugh, Shapiro, Levin Takes Top Spot in Liberal D.C. Market for 1st Time in 34 Years

Washington, D.C., recently saw a new top radio station: conservative talk radio station WMAL, which features Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro, Larry O’Connor, and others.

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

Deep State Judge Denies Relief to Lt. General Flynn

Judge Sullivan belongs to the Deep State globalist cabal. He is doing the bidding of those who wish to destroy truth, justice, and the American way. Yes, that’s it, I’m not making this up. This Clinton appointee hates a man who gave his life to his country and who loves America…

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Georgia’s Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Continue to Decline 3 Weeks After Reopening Began

Three weeks after Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to begin reopening Georgia, the state continues to report declining new cases and deaths from coronavirus.

The Georgia Department of Public Health found that both total and absolute numbers of daily coronavirus cases and deaths have significantly declined since reopening.

The weekly average number of new cases on April 24 was 747, while average number of deaths was 35. As of May 13, those tallies have dropped to 288 and 13, respectively.

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

Georgia Officials Warn of 4-Foot-Long Invasive Lizards That Eat ‘Anything They Want’

Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is warning residentsthat an invasive species of giant lizards has established in the state, posing a threat to wildlife and crops because they eat “anything they want.”

Officials said that they’re working to eradicate the spread of Argentine black and white tegus. The lizards can grow to four feet long and weigh upward of 10 pounds, making it easily mistaken for a baby alligator.

DNR biologist John Jensen said in a video earlier this month that the lizards “eat just about anything they want,” including both plants and small animals.

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

Health Secretary Removal of Mom From Care Home Amid Epidemic Draws Scrutiny

Health Secretary Rachel Levine said Tuesday that she had removed her 95-year-old mother from a personal care home amid a statewide coronavirus outbreak that has been particularly devastating to facilities that house elderly populations.

“My mother requested and my sister and I as her children comply to move her to another location,” Levine said at a press conference, responding to a question from ABC27. “During the COVID-19 outbreak. My mother is 95 years old. She is very intelligent and more than competent to make her own decisions.”

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

Low Solar Activity to Cause Temperatures to Plummet, Say Scientists

The Sun is entering a period of “solar minimum” that could cause temperatures to plummet by up to 2C over 20 years and trigger a global famine, according to experts.

Solar activity has entered a deep decline with scientists saying there have already been 100 days this year where the sun has displayed zero sunspots.

NASA boffins say this means that the earth could be about to experience a new “Dalton Minimum,” the period between 1790 and 1830 which led to a severe prolonged cold snap and massive volcanic eruptions.

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

New York: Woman Handcuffed by Police for “Not Fully Wearing Mask”

A woman was dragged to the floor and handcuffed by police at a subway station in Brooklyn during an altercation over her “not fully wearing” her face mask.

“Mom placed in handcuffs after altercation with #NYPD & #MTA over not fully wearing her mask in #Brooklyn #NYCSubway station. Police say woman wouldn’t listen, but wasn’t arrested and charged, rather taken out of station,” tweeted reporter Dean Meminger.

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

NY Times Worries Half of Americans Will Refuse to Take Coronavirus Vaccine

The New York Times has published an article by popular author Kevin Roose in which he expresses his concern that half of Americans would refuse to take a coronavirus vaccine.

The vaccine, if it ever gets produced since there has never been one for any coronavirus including SARS, is likely to take 12-24 months according to experts.

In his article entitled What if we get a Covid-19 vaccine and half the country refuses to take it?, Roose laments the popularity of an anti-vaxxer video called Plandemic, which despite being censored numerous times by every major social media network has still been seen by millions of people.

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

Paralegal With U.S. Attorney’s Office Arrested, Accused of Being Mole for Mexican Drug Cartel

Jennifer Loya, a paralegal working in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Antonio, has been arrested for conspiring to aid a Mexican drug cartel. Loya’s brother-in-law, Roland Gustamante, is an associate of Israel Fernandez-Vasquez who leads the cocaine, heroin, and meth smuggling Cartel Del Noreste.

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

Poll: More Than Two Thirds of Americans Blame China for COVID-19

A poll conducted by YouGov has found that more than two-thirds of Americans blame China for the global coronavirus pandemic.

The survey, commissioned by the Victims Of Communism Memorial Foundation, found a strong consensus view China as culpable.

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

Rand Paul: Biden Has Been “Caught Red-Handed” Abusing Spy Powers

Senator Rand Paul declared Wednesday that Joe Biden has been “caught red handed” abusing surveillance powers to go after a political opponent.

Paul was recating to the news that Joe Biden is on the list of Obama officials who potentially received intelligence by way of unmasking requests against Mike Flynn, President Trump’s former national security advisor.

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

Richard Burr Steps Down as Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Amid Insider Trading Investigation

North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr has stepped down as the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee amid an insider trading investigation.

“Senator Burr contacted me this morning to inform me of his decision to step aside as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee during the pendency of the investigation,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement Thursday. “We agreed that this decision would be in the best interests of the committee and will be effective at the end of the day tomorrow.”

The Justice Department is investigating whether Burr, 64, improperly used information he learned through daily briefings in his role leading the committee to inform his trading decisions earlier this year. The North Carolina senator offloaded up to $1.7 million in stocks right before the coronavirus pandemic led to a stock market plummet.

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

South Carolina Restaurant Using Blow Up Dolls to Enforce Social Distancing

A restaurant in South Carolina is using blow up dolls to occupy empty tables in order to enforce social distancing.

NBC 10 reports that the dolls, which are dressed in real clothing, are a good way of reminding customers to keep a safe distance from each other to protect against coronavirus.

The Open Hearth Restaurant says it’s a nicer way of maintaining a six feet gap between people without having to use caution tape.

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

Trump is Not Weakening

Folks, you need to understand once and for all that Democrats and fake news media are sick with hatred for all things wholesome and good and hatred for America. Without hesitation, they will destroy you and America for power to control every aspect of our lives. The treasonous wacko Democratic party must be defeated at the ballot box in November…

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Says Obama “Probably Directed” U.S. Intelligence to Spy on Him

In an exclusive interview that aired Thursday on Fox Business, President Trump said Barack Obama “probably” directed U.S intelligence to spy on him toward the end of the Obama administration.

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

Trump Urges GOP to Call Obama to Testify Under Oath About “Obamagate” Russia Investigation

President Trump on Thursday urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham to call former president Barack Obama to testify under oath about what the president has coined “Obamagate” — the alleged weaponization of federal intelligence and law enforcement by the former president to spy on Trump’s associates and try and overthrow his presidency in its early days.

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

Trump Blasts Critics of Reopening the Economy: “I Think it’s a Political Thing”

In a recent interview covering multiple topics related to the coronavirus, President Trump revealed he agrees with those who say the debate over reopening the country has become political.

When asked by Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo whether he believes that his political rivals are wanting to keep economic activity stifled in the lead-up to the November election, Trump said he thinks they are.

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

United Against China: College Dems Join College Republicans in Demand to Close All Chinese ‘Propaganda’ Centers on Campus

In a rare cross-party coalition, the National College Republicans and College Democrats came together Monday to demand that American universities take a stand against the Chinese Communist Party’s “long-term campaign” against academic freedom in the U.S. by closing all Confucius Institutes.

In a statement released Wednesday titled “CONCERNING THE THREAT OF AUTHORITARIAN INFLUENCE AND THE DEFENSE OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS,” the two national student political organizations united against the presence of the known propaganda centers on campus, calling for American universities to put an end to “the Chinese government’s flagrant attempts to coerce and control discourse at universities in the United States.”

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

When Do We Get Our Freedoms Back?

Well, at least now we’ve all had a little taste of socialism. How do you like it? And remember that months before anyone heard any mention of COVID-19, assorted Democrats were campaigning to let convicted felons out of prison. And abolish the police, while we’re at it. The virus gave them an excuse to spring thousands of jailbirds…

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

‘Wild, Wild West’: Wisconsin Reopens for Business

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. (Reuters) — As a handful of patrons sat at the bar nursing beers and watching a rerun of a Milwaukee Bucks basketball game on a cloudy Thursday afternoon, Junior Useling prepared for what he hoped would be another busy night at the Patio Bar & Grill.

It was just last evening that the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the governor does not have the power to impose a statewide coronavirus lockdown, sparking a mix of hope and confusion among struggling business owners across the Midwestern state.

Useling, 71, considers himself one of the lucky ones: Port Washington is part of Ozaukee County, which unlike a half-dozen other counties and cities across Wisconsin has interpreted the court’s decision as an unfettered green light.

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

WSJ Slams Adam Schiff Over Released Transcripts: “No One Should Ever Believe Another Word He Says”

Following the release of dozens of witness transcripts related to the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation of Russian election interference in 2016, the Wall Street Journal editorial board publicly slammed the committee’s chairman, Democrat Adam Schiff, urging the public to never, “believe another word he says.”

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

Chinese Government’s Confucius Institute Holds Sway on Canadian Campuses, Contracts Indicate

Sonia Zhao had to lie, in effect, when she left China to teach Mandarin at an Ontario university.

The contract she signed with the Beijing-run Confucius Institute indicated that Falun Gong practitioners — people like her — were barred from the job. But she kept her beliefs secret and hoped she could find more freedom in Canada. It was not to be.

She says she was trained beforehand to spin Beijing’s line if students asked about Tibet and other taboo topics, while Chinese staff at McMaster University’s branch of the institute made clear Falun Gong was poison. After a year, she quit and sought asylum here, becoming perhaps the world’s first Confucius Institute whistle-blower.

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

Assange Extradition Case Set for Sept 7

A British court is still seeking a new venue for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s US extradition hearing, which is set to resume on September 7.

A court spokesperson confirmed the new date for the three-week second part of the Australian’s hearing with AAP on Wednesday.

The spokesperson added that a new venue is yet to be fixed.

It’s understood that the search is difficult due to the huge backlog of cases in the UK, exacerbated by the coronavirus lockdown.

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

China’s Coronavirus: How the EU is Betraying Europe

The latest capitulation by the European Union in the face of Chinese intimidation demonstrates that, when it comes to protecting the interests of member states, the Brussels bureaucracy is no match for Beijing’s new breed of warrior diplomats.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the more notable features of China’s response has been the willingness of senior Chinese diplomats to intervene forcibly in defence of China’s interests.

The interventions of these “Wolf Warrior” diplomats, so-called after a series of iconic Chinese action movies in which Chinese special forces vanquish their American foes, take several forms.

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

Coronavirus: Italy is Doing 70,000 Tests a Day- ISS Chief

Number to rise in weeks ahead says Brusaferro

(ANSA) — Rome, May 7 — Italy is conducting 70,000 COVID-19 tests per day, Higher Health Institute (ISS) chief Silvio Brusaferro said Thursday during a hearing before the parliamentary social affairs committee.

He added that this number “will rise in the coming weeks but initially it was very low” and that, for now, “the tests are the only way to identify viral RNA. However, someone who test negative today could be positive tomorrow and viceversa”.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

EU-Funded Comic Predicted Deadly Pandemic Escaping China — and Guess Who Saves the Day?

The European Commission-funded comic book “Infected” foresaw a worldwide lockdown enforced after B1049 disease leaked out of a Chinese testing facility that was carrying out experiments on deadly pathogens. Similar to the coronavirus pandemic, the fictional virus was transmitted from animals to humans before rapidly spreading across the globe through international travel and trade links. The publication, released in 2012, tells the story of how the EU played a leading role in the international effort to bring the outbreak under control.

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

France: MP Spearheading Hate Speech Legislation Accused of Racism and Homophobia

Laetitia Avia, an MP from French President Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche! (LREM) party, has been accused by several former staff members of racism and homophobia. Avia has been championing a bill intended to censor Internet “hate speech” and went before France’s National Assembly yesterday to defend it prior to a vote.

The accusations against Avia were first publicized on Tuesday evening, when the results of an investigation by the journal Mediapart were published. Five former staff members came forward, supported by screenshots of private conversations she had conducted over messaging services, according to a report by La Parisien.

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

German Intelligence Exposes Muslim Brotherhood’s Plan to Undermine Germany

An internal intelligence report from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in state of Bavaria has warned of the growing security threat posed by Muslim Brotherhood.

The report states that Muslim Brotherhood in Germany seeks to establish a comprehensive system of government which does not guarantee the sovereignty of the people, the principles of freedom, or equality.

Transforming German society

In its report, the BfV added that “the Brotherhood’s primary goal is to form a system of government and many of the Muslim Brotherhood’s principles are hostile to the German Constitution, especially the principles of democracy, the rule of law and a political system based on human dignity.”

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

Greta Thunberg Writes Letter to Norway PM on Arctic Drilling

The teen environment activist Greta Thunberg has sent a letter to Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg calling on her to delay a decision on shifting the ice edge in the Norwegian Arctic.

In the letter, which was co-signed by 13 other child activists, Thunberg argues that any new oil and gas drilling in Norway would contravene the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and demands that Norway’s government consult with children before moving forward.

“Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Norway has agreed to listen to the voices of children on matters affecting their right to life,” the letter reads.

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

Orban Rejects EU Demand That He Fly to Brussels Amid Coronavirus Crisis to Attend ‘Rule of Law’ Debate

Despite the coronavirus crisis ravaging Europe, the European Parliament is demanding Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attend Thursday’s session in Brussels in-person for a debate on “emergency legislation in Hungary and its impact on the rule of law”.

The demand comes after European Parliament President David Maria Sassoli said he was rejecting an offer to Justice Minister Judit Varga to speak in his place, according to Magyar Nemzet.

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

Report: How George Soros Packed the European Court of Human Rights

Sensational revelations from Europe document the deep involvement of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations in the European Court of Human Rights, which has been key in forcing an “Open Borders” policy on countries like Italy.

In 2012, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) handed down the landmark case of “Hirsi Jamaa and others vs. Italy”, which ruled that European countries could not “push back” illegal migrants and would be fined hundreds of thousands of Euros if they did. The case involved a network of Soros-sponsored lawyers and NGOs who managed to track down 22 Somalian and Eritrean migrants in Libya who had been turned back in 2009 to bring their cases to Strasbourg.

Now, a report by conservative American activist Jay Sekulow’s European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ) has revealed that NGOs related to the Open Society Network are deeply involved with the ECHR, and many of its judges are tied to these organizations.

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

Sweden Sees Rise in Shootings Despite Police Crackdown on Gang Crime

The number of shootings increased in Sweden in the first four months of the year according to new police figures, despite a massive police operation to crack down on gang violence

Fifteen people were killed in 98 shootings between January and April, the police commissioner in charge of a task force fighting criminal bomb attacks and shootings said on Wednesday.

That’s an increased compared to the same period last year, when there were 81 shootings with 15 people killed, but relatively unchanged compared to previous years. Nine people were killed in 76 shootings during the same four months in 2018, and the year before that a total of 16 people were killed in 99 shootings.

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

UK: Conservative MPs Urge Govt to Reduce ‘Dangerous’ Dependence on Communist China

More than twenty Conservative parliamentarians have written to Boris Johnson’s trade secretary urging action to reduce Britain’s “dangerous” dependence on China, after a report revealed the country relies on the Communist-led dictatorship for many vital supplies.

A report by the Henry Jackson Society found that Britain relies on China for the supply of some 71 “critical goods” — including pharmaceutical products necessary to manufacture antibiotics and anti-viral drugs, as well as well as important chemical and electronics, according to The Times.

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

UK: Gogglebox Star Reported to Ofcom for Mocking North Korean Tyrant

Former model Mary Killen has sparked at least forty-six complaints to the UK’s broadcasting regulator for imitating Kim Jong Un’s sister with a pretend accent on the popular Channel 4 program, The Metro UK reports.

Gogglebox, an experimental but successful reality show which shows various couples and families’ comic reactions to TV programs, has found itself the latest target of Twitter outrage mobs. The eccentric Wiltshire couple, Giles and Mary Killen were among Gogglebox stars watching a BBC News report about North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un’s latest public appearance after speculations of ill health. Conversation quickly turned to the dictator’s sister, Kim Yo-Jong.

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

UK: Grooming Gang Victim Speaks Out After Encountering Rapist Who Was Supposed to be Deported

A grooming gang victim has spoken out after encountering her rapist out with a young child in a local supermarket, even though he was supposed to be deported.

The victim is said to have encountered 50-year-old Adil Khan in a branch of Asda — one of Britain’s largest supermarket chains — in Rochdale, England, which along with Rotherham and Telford is one of the country’s most infamous hubs of grooming gang activity.

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

Vandals Cut Down Monumental Iron Cross in France

Vandals have cut down the iconic iron cross surmounting the summit of Pic Saint-Loup in southern France, hewing through the vertical beam one meter above the base.

The 30-foot high iron cross, erected in 1911 to replace a previous wooden cross, is an important symbol of the Hérault department and the entire Languedoc region, and could be seen from miles around. It was discovered toppled on Monday and the vandals are still at large.

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

New Herbaceous Plant Species Discovered in NE Turkey

A new plant belonging to the perennial herbaceous family Bellevalia has been discovered in northeastern Turkey.

The article telling the world about the plant, published in the journal Phytotaxa, gave its scientific name as Bellevalia bayburtensis, after Bayburt, the province where it was discovered.

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

China’s Cold Shoulder Treatment Continues: Australia’s Trade Minister Still Hasn’t Spoken to Beijing Three Days After Move to Ban Aussie Beef Exports as Devastating Trade War Looms

The Chinese government has ignored Senator Birmingham’s request to speak with Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Hundreds of International Students Queue Up for 600m to Pick Up a Free Lunch After Losing Their Income Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic

Outside Yummy Thai restaurant in Sydney’s Chinatown this week was a line that stretched about 600 metres down the street.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Seven New Species of Australian Peacock Spiders Discovered

Maratus is a relatively large genus of jumping spiders in the family Salticidae.

Members of this genus are commonly referred to as peacock spiders due to the males’ colorful and usually iridescent patterns on the upper surface of the abdomen often enhanced with lateral flaps or bristles. By contrast, females are cryptic in appearance and lack bright colors.

Peacock spiders are tiny spiders with a total body length mostly around 4-6 mm, and are most noted for their spectacular courtship display.

The genus now contains 85 recognized species, all of which — except Maratus furvus from China — are endemic to Australia.

In a paper published March 2020 in the journal Zootaxa, Schubert described seven new species of peacock spiders.

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

‘Standing Up for Our Values’: Peter Dutton Says Australia Won’t Stop Pushing for an Inquiry Into Coronavirus as China Threatens $135billion Trade War

Beijing has suspended beef imports from four abattoirs and plans to slap huge tariffs on Australian barley after warning an inquiry could destroy two-way trade ties.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

More Than 20 Nigerian Christians Killed in Attack by Fulani Muslims

At least 23 Nigerian Christians have been massacred and more injured in ongoing violence by the predominantly Muslim Fulani militia. The unprovoked violence began about 11:30 p.m. on Monday and lasted into the early hours of Tuesday morning.

One family was particularly devastated by the assault, with an entire household slaughtered in their home.

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

Sweden Votes to Pay Somalia’s IMF Debt (Video)

Sweden’s Parliament voted yesterday to pay 21 million Swedish kronor (approximately 2 million euros) of the African nation of Somalia’s debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The vote was unanimously in favour of the proposition apart from the ten MPs from the Right-wing Sweden Democrats’ delegation, who all voted against it, according to a report by Samhällsnytt.

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

Afghan Migrant Prosecuted for Raping Underage Swedish Girl

A 20-year-old Afghan migrant is facing prosecution for allegedly raping a Swedish girl under the age of 15 whose family he had lodgings with.

The incident is said to have taken place during the night of April 13th earlier this year and involved the Afghan adult sexually abusing the young girl by performing various sexual acts on her over a period of around two hours.

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

Another 14 Migrants Reach Dover After Crossing the Channel Taking the Total During Lockdown to 850 as Home Office Confirms All Illegal Migrants Will Now Also be Quarantined for Two Weeks

Another 14 migrants have been intercepted in the English Channel, bringing the total number who have made it to the UK since the coronavirus lockdown began to more than 850.

The migrants, who presented themselves as Syrian, Pakistani, Afghan and Kuwaiti, were brought into Dover yesterday after they were stopped by a Border Force vessel in the Channel.

The latest arrivals mean more than 1,200 migrants are believed to have been intercepted while making the perilous crossing and brought to Dover since the start of the year.

[Comment: Article dated May 14, 2020]

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

Croatia: Police Reject Accusations That They Are Abusing Illegal Migrants

Croatia’s police have rejected accusations made by pro-migrant NGOs that they are abusing illegal migrants at their border with Bosnia by shaving and then spray-painting crosses on their heads. They claim that the stories are part of a deliberate attempt to undermine the country’s ongoing efforts to secure the European Union’s external borders.

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

Greece: Migrants Jailed for Detention Center Riot

THESSALONIKI, Greece — Greek authorities say two Afghan men have been jailed for six years and nine months each after being convicted of participating in riots this week at a migrant detention center near the border with Turkey where some 150 unaccompanied minors are being held.

The two men, aged 22 and 23, were found guilty by a court Thursday of causing serious property damage, assault, and participation in a violent revolt and were each fined 1,375 euros. Both men told the court they had not been involved in the violence.

Twenty-six minors, all from Afghanistan, were also arrested following the rioting at the detention center where protesters threw kitchen appliances at police, caused extensive property damage and set fires, according to officials from the detention center.

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

Italy: Migrants Quarantined Aboard Ferry Cost Taxpayers 4,000 Euros a Month Each

Italian taxpayers are paying more than 4,000 euros per month to quarantine each one of the 250 illegal migrants set to board the Moby Zaza ferry.

The ferry, which in the coming days is expected to park itself a couple of miles off the coast of Porto Empedocle, will be used to quarantine boat migrants who arrived illegally Lampedusa and Agrigento, Italian newspaper Il Giornale reports.

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

Italy: Illegal Migrant Labourers Threaten General Strike if Not Given Amnesty

Aboubakar Soumahoro, an Italian-Ivorian trade unionist of the USB Agricultural Workers Coordination has threatened a general strike of migrant farm labourers if the Italian government does not grant amnesty to all illegals.

A spokesman for illegal migrants in Italy, Mr Soumehoro clashed with populist Senator Matteo Salvini on television programme In Mezz’ora in Piu over the issue saying, “The government should regularise, otherwise it is a strike!”

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

Swiss Populists: Leftists Harboring Illegal Migrants Causing COVID-19 to Spread

The populist Swiss People’s Party, the largest party in country’s lawmaking body, has slammed Left-wing strongholds for exacerbating the Wuhan coronavirus crisis by harboring illegal migrants and rejected asylum seekers against federal law.

In a press release published earlier in week, the party not only called for the expulsion of failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, but blasted Geneva for contributing to the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus by harboring the migrants.

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

Facebook Announces $100,000 Project to Detect “Hateful Memes”

Facebook has announced the launch of a “Hateful Memes Challenge” during which researchers will compete for a $100,000 prize pool by developing artificial intelligence that can successfully detect “hateful memes.”

The company has created 10,000 “hateful” customized memes as a data set for the challenge.

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

Facebook Censors Awarded $1000 for Being Subjected to “Conspiracy Theories”

It’s not easy to convince me that a class action by Facebook moderators (censors) isn’t just a case of some pure BS meant to extract money from a company that just happens to have lots of cash to spare.

But according to Facebook moderators (human censors, to be clear) they’re basically on a par with war veterans/survivors.

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

‘Please Don’t Misgender Me’: Reporter Calls Health Secretary ‘Sir’ Multiple Times During Interview

A Pittsburgh radio station is again under scrutiny after one of its reporters called Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, a transgender woman, “sir” at least three times during a Tuesday press call.

The incident happened while KDKA-AM personality Marty Griffin was asking a question about what the state’s “end game” is for reopening after the coronavirus, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

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

The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine Starts Adding Warning Labels to Its Archives

Last month, MIT Technology Review went after the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine — a service that preserves historical versions of webpages and allows users to access archives of these pages when they’re deleted.

MIT Technology Review complained that these archives were allowing coronavirus “misinformation” to evade moderators and fact-checkers and that these archived coronavirus articles had “better performance than most mainstream media news stories.”

Now, just a few weeks later, the Wayback Machine has started to add warning labels to some of its archives, while also forcing users to log in to view some of the archived content on the site.

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

Will Twitch’s New “Safety Advisory Council” Mean a Decrease in Censorship? Not Likely.

Twitch has organized a new advisory council that may decide to modify the platform’s rules if they are not clear enough for users, in order to resolve doubts and create what they say are more consistent ban parameters.

But if you think it may result in more free speech on the platform, think again.

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

YouTube Demonetizes Sgtreport, Trureporting, Tin Foil Hat With Sam Tripoli, And Realist News

YouTube’s crackdown on alternative media is continuing with several popular channels being suddenly demonetized in a new purge.

One of the channels that was recently stripped of its ability to earn ad revenue is SGTreport — an alternative media outlet that describes itself as “the corporate propaganda antidote” and has over 594,000 YouTube subscribers.

YouTube’s message to SGTreport claimed that the channel was demonetized for producing “content that focuses on controversial issues and that is harmful to viewers.”

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

9 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 5/14/2020

  1. Afghani orcs get six years in jail for causing mayhem and destruction at an invader center? That is shocking! Better they should have raped some frauleins and they might have received some nicer accomodations instead.

  2. The Croatian police reject that they have been shaving the heads of orcs and then spray painting them with a cross before giving them the boot.

    Pity.

    If this policy was widely adopted it would make it easier to identify repeat offenders, but a more permanent identifier such as a christian cross on the forehead would be a more effective deterrent.

  3. Deep State Judge….
    Why has Sullivan not been stripped of his robes and hauled out in bracelets? Because there are only about an dozen patriots fighting against the globalists, the rest, no matter what title they adorn themselves with are either the instigators, the cheerleaders or the anti-cheerleaders – ya know – Republicans like Graham, waiving their arms in the air calling foul. Obama could be arrested right now. If it were you or me we would be posting bail. It’s not going to happen. Half of America is chasing their favorite high whether it be grass, football or the perfectly seared steak and the other half is milling around in shocked, distracted by the sleeper agents that they have chosen to listen to. These social sites are like carnival barkers who having bought themselves a server are benefitting financially on the 6ft distancing – can’t have anyone making plans that are not electronically transmitted.
    And while we are busy sniping at each other, they are stripping the internet of encryption and taking our weapons – not outright just house by house. Sure, there will be pockets of resistance but while we struggle with the ‘what ifs’ in the back of our minds about six foot distancing rule and 1950’s technology, the ground has been micro-mapped and drones fill the air. You believe that that bunker of yours will protect you? You’ve conveniently dug your own grave. Grandfather’s party is over. Payment is due. Welcome to your life.

  4. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/05/15/germany-declares-burning-eu-flag-a-hate-crime-punishable-by-three-years-in-prison/

    The “banning of the burning of the EU flag” was in fact a sweeping law applying to all national flag plus the EU flag. Infact, what triggered the law was in fact the burning of an Israeli by Palestinians. Great reporting Breitbart, nothing biased at all here, lest you have to treat Israel in a not-so-special light for once.

    https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/burning-of-israeli-flag-leads-to-german-law-to-ban-torching-of-all-flags-628142

    I don’t hate Israel, but this kind of goyish servitude makes me cringe.

  5. From youtube’s demonitizing notice to SGTReport“content that focuses on controversial issues and that is harmful to viewers.”
    So they are actually regulating the issues about which you’re allowed to speak. Naturally youtube determines what is good for it’s children, erm, viewers.
    Wouldn’t want you to be getting any dissident ideas. Of any kind. Put simply: You’re next.

    I firmly advocate making small contributions to your favorite content providers. It’s very easy. Don’t rely on your enemies to pay for the work of your friends.

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