Gates of Vienna News Feed 6/3/2020

The race riot news is too voluminous to catalog here tonight. “Protesters” have continued rioting, looting, and burning, with the support of progressive politicians, journalists, academics, and celebrities.

In coronanews, a pawnshop owner in Charlottesville is suing Governor Ralph “Coonman” Northam over his executive order requiring the wearing of masks. It seems that mask-wearing is a class six felony in Virginia, which means retailers such as pawn shop owners who enforced the order would be liable.

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

Thanks to Fjordman, HW, 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
» European Jobless Rate Up Modestly, Germany Mulls Stimulus
 
USA
» “NYPD is Losing the City of New York”: Police Union Boss Says City Leaders Are Telling Cops to “Stand Down, “ Asks Trump for Help
» 11 Charged After Riots, Looting in Sacramento, DA Says
» Almost $150,000 Raised Overnight for Black Police Captain Shot Dead by Looters
» Amash to Introduce Bill Allowing Victims to Sue Police Officers
» ‘Antifa Has Been Given Free Rein on College Campuses, ‘ Cabot Phillips Says
» Antifa Historian Defends Latest Round of Antifa Violence: ‘Self-Defense, ‘ ‘Targeted Destruction’
» Arizona Cops Recover Over $46K in Products Looted From Mall in George Floyd Riots
» Armed Chicago Store Owner Confronts Group of Hammer-Wielding Looters, Fires Shots, Detains 1
» As Rioters Destroy Cities, Harvard Profs Condemn Trump’s ‘Rhetoric of Domestic Terrorism’
» Berwyn Police Request Help From National Guard Amid Threats of Looting, Riots
» Biden to Attend George Floyd’s Funeral
» Business Owner Whose Shop Was Destroyed Slams Rioters: “You Said Black Lives Matter — Look What You Did to My Store”
» California Car Dealership Has 74 Vehicles Stolen Off Lot by Looters
» Catch and Release: Rioters Jailed in St. Louis and New York Set Free by Local Prosecutors
» Chicago Police Scanner Jammed by Hackers Amid Riots
» Controversial Rep. Steve King Loses Iowa GOP Primary Battle
» Corrupt Government, Corrupt Media and Corrupt Academia Are Your Enemies
» Defense Secretary Esper Breaks With Trump, Does Not Support Deploying Active Troops to Riot Areas
» Dem Prosecutor Releases Every Rioter, Looter Arrested by St. Louis Police Without Charges
» Derek Chauvin’s Charges Elevated to 2nd-Degree Murder; 3 Other Cops Now Face Charges as Well
» Former Obama Intelligence Official Helps Secure Bail for Molotov Cocktail-Throwing NYC Lawyer
» Former Virginia Governor Backs Trump Crackdown on Riots
» Former Navy Seal Sues Navy Secretary, Reporter for Leaks, Defamation
» George Floyd Death: Spike Lee Says Protesters Were ‘Not Just Born Angry’
» George Floyd Unrest: Police Out in Force in Major Cities to Tamp Down on Riots as Curfews Take Effect
» Google is Sued for Tracking Users, Even in Incognito Mode
» Gov. Cuomo Swings at Trump: “Here in New York We Actually Read the Bible”
» Hopefully, No One Will Get Hurt’: Dozens of Guns Stolen From Firearm Shop During Atlanta Riots
» How Many Politicians Have Been Arrested Over the Last 6 Weeks for Violating the US Constitution?
» Jim Mattis Says Trump “Tries to Divide US, “ “Makes Mockery of Constitution” In Scathing Statement
» John Legend, Natalie Portman, Other Celebrities Sign Letter to Defund Police
» Liberty, Accused of Being Reckless Hotspot for COVID, Ends Semester With Zero Campus Cases
» Looters in NYC Were ‘Dropped Off in Luxury Cars With Power Tools and Suitcases’ And ‘Used Stolen U-Hauls’ For Coordinated Attacks — as Officials Across the U.S. Blame ‘Organized Crime’ For the Chaos
» Looters Break Into Philly Gun Store. It Doesn’t Go Well for Them.
» Man Arrested for Allegedly Impersonating National Guard Soldier; Found With Cache of Weapons
» May Marks 3rd Month of Record Gun Sales, 6 Million Sold Since March
» Media Falsely Claimed Violent Riots Were Peaceful and That Tear Gas Was Used Against Rioters
» Minneapolis Officer’s Murder Charge Upgraded in George Floyd Death, 3 Others Charged
» Nurses Who Accused Stay at Home Protesters of ‘Killing Granny’ Applaud Thousands of Left-Wing Demonstrators in New York
» Obama to Discuss George Floyd Death, Justice System in Virtual Town Hall
» Park Police Push Back on Media: “No Tear Gas Was Used”
» Police Chief: Arrested Looters in NYC Are Immediately Released Because of Bail-Reform Law
» President Trump: Religious Freedom is a ‘National Security Imperative’
» Pulitzer Prize-Winning New York Times Writer: ‘Destroying Property Isn’t Violence’
» Radio Host, Pawn Store Owner Filing Lawsuit Over Gov. Northam’s Mask Policy
» Rosenstein Testifies He Would Not Have Renewed FISA Warrant for Trump Aide if He Had Been Aware of Misconduct
» Sean Hannity and Wife Divorce After 20 Years of Marriage
» Shutdowns Blamed for Outbreak of Protests and Riots
» So Long, Charlotte. Trump Taking GOP Convention Elsewhere
» Suspect Arrested for Shooting Las Vegas Officer in Back of Head During Riot; Cop Still on Life Support
» Teen Vogue Tells Readers “Antifa Aspires Toward Creating a Better World”
» The Coronavirus Research That Shouldn’t Have Happened
» Trump Administration Bans Chinese Airlines From Flying to U.S.
» Trump Campaign Says Snapchat is Trying to “Rig” The Election After it Decides to Hide Trump From Discover But Not Biden
» Twitter Claims ‘White Supremacists’ Are Posing as Antifa and Calling for Violence
» Twitter Suspended Hundreds of Accounts That Used ‘#dcblackout’ to Spread False Reports of a Communications Blackout
» Video: Journalist Scolds NYT for Spreading Antifa Propaganda
» Video: Looters, NYPD Clash Outside Zara Tuesday
» Warning: Reports of Groups Canvassing Residential Neighborhoods, Taking Photos of Homes With Police Cars in Driveways
» Watch: Hundreds of White Marylanders Hold Hands Up, Repeat Oath Decrying “Racism, Anti-Blackness, And Violence” At BLM Demonstration
» Yes, George Soros Sent Money to Fund the Riots — and So Did Taxpayers
 
Europe and the EU
» 20,000 Attend Paris Anti-Police Brutality Protest That Transformed Into Riots
» China Trying to Drive Wedge Between UK and U.S. With Huawei, Says Senator
» Diary of Nazi Officer Details Location of Secret WWII Treasure Worth Billions
» EU Disease Office Says Coronavirus ‘Herd Immunity’ Earliest by Autumn 2021
» France: 20,000 BLM Protesters Defy Social Distancing to Protest in Paris (Video)
» French Intellectual: So-Called ‘Anti-Racist Activists’ Want to Bring Racial War to France
» Germany Warns Far-Left Antifa Infiltrating Climate Movement
» Gordon Brown Urges G20 Countries to Back $2.5tn Coronavirus Plan
» New Pterosaur Species Identified From Fossil Found in England
» Spain Porn Star Held After Man Dies in Toad Venom Ritual
» UK Fishermen Prepare for French Blockades, Slam EU for ‘Nuclear Option’ Trade Tactics
» UK Tory MP Backs Trump’s Riot Response: ‘Arsonists and Looters Have it Coming’
» UK: A Mysterious Company’s Coronavirus Papers in Top Medical Journals May be Unraveling
» UK: Boris Johnson Will End China’s 5G Involvement
» UK: Doubt Looms Over Hydroxychloroquine Study That Halted Global Trials
» UK: Pictures: London Black Lives Matter Protest Turns Violent, Police Attacked Outside Prime Minister’s Office
 
North Africa
» Erdogan’s Libya Campaign: Another Neo-Ottoman Design
 
Far East
» China Withheld Data on Coronavirus From WHO, Recordings Reveal
» Hands Off Hong Kong! Boris Johnson Warns China That UK Will Offer Path to Citizenship for 3 Million HK Citizens
 
Latin America
» Three New Bird Species Discovered in Peru
 
Immigration
» Another French Navy Ship Escorts Dinghy Into British Waters as a Record 167 More Migrants Land in UK Today Including Up to 60 in One Vessel
» Germany Granted Nearly 130,000 Foreigners Citizenship in 2019
» Greece: Thousands of Migrants to be Evicted From State Accommodations
» Migration is Normal, Accept it
» UK Must Turn Illegal Migrants Boats Back or Risk a Major Crisis, Says Former Australian PM
 
Culture Wars
» After Media Pressure, Facebook Considers Adding “Violence” Warnings to Posts From World Leaders
» Romania Drops Compulsory Sex Ed From Schools After Church Outcry
» The Bible Won’t Save Us, Only Brute Force Will
» Unrestrained Power Leads to Murder
» We Should’ve Killed the Deconstructionist Monster Decades Ago
» Wokevirus
 

European Jobless Rate Up Modestly, Germany Mulls Stimulus

BERLIN (AP) — Europe’s unemployment rate ticked up modestly last month, contained by use of labor programs that have kept millions of workers on payrolls and as some people stopped looking for work, official data showed Wednesday.

The jobless rate in the 19 countries that use the euro rose to 7.3% in April, the first full month when pandemic lockdowns hit the continent, from 7.1% in March, statistics agency Eurostat said Wednesday.

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

“NYPD is Losing the City of New York”: Police Union Boss Says City Leaders Are Telling Cops to “Stand Down, “ Asks Trump for Help

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the commissioner and chiefs of the New York Police Department are holding officers back from controlling the looting and rioting taking place throughout the city, according to the boss of one of the city’s top police unions.

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

11 Charged After Riots, Looting in Sacramento, DA Says

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento District Attorney’s Office says at least 11 people have been charged in connection with the riots and looting from over the weekend.

At least nine people have been charged with looting. Arrests happened in connection to items stolen from BevMo, Walgreens and a CVS in the midtown area, according to prosecutors.

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

Almost $150,000 Raised Overnight for Black Police Captain Shot Dead by Looters

Almost $150,000 has been raised overnight for Captain David Dorn, an African-American man who was shot dead by looters as he tried to defend his community, with none of the money coming from celebrities who are instead fundraising to bail out criminals.

77-year-old Dorn was shot in the head after he tried to repel looters from a pawnshop he was providing security for in St. Louis.

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

Amash to Introduce Bill Allowing Victims to Sue Police Officers

Responding to the outrage over the death of George Floyd, Michigan representative Justin Amash has announced his plans to introduce a bill to end “qualified immunity” for police officers. In practice, that would mean that officers who violate the rights of citizens may be sued in court.

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

‘Antifa Has Been Given Free Rein on College Campuses, ‘ Cabot Phillips Says

Campus Reform Editor-in-Chief Cabot Phillips said on Fox & Friends Wednesday morning that colleges are the “perfect place for Antifa to recruit” because of the type of atmosphere that’s been festering in academia for years.

Phillips responded to former Antifa member Gabriel Nadales, who is now an employee of Campus Reform‘s parent organization, the Leadership Institute, who said that colleges “allow Antifa to work under their noses.” Phillips said Antifa has been able to grow on campuses because “they know that classrooms are places that are inundating students with these anti-capitalist, anti-cop, anti-conservative messages.”

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Antifa Historian Defends Latest Round of Antifa Violence: ‘Self-Defense, ‘ ‘Targeted Destruction’

Historian Mark Bray has called violence “vital” to the antifascist cause, the subject of a “handbook” he authored. If he’s not a full-throated fan of such violence, Bray is definitely an apologist for it.

Back in the spotlight after Antifa usurped the protests over George Lloyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, the former Dartmouth lecturer — now back at Rutgers, where he got his doctorate — seeks to redeem the property destruction (and more) caused by his compatriots.

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

Arizona Cops Recover Over $46K in Products Looted From Mall in George Floyd Riots

Police have arrested almost two dozen people and recovered $46,000 in property days after a wild night of “unprecedented” looting and rioting in Scottsdale, Ariz., according to local reports.

The Scottsdale Police Department announced eight more arrests Wednesday evening in connection with a frenzy at the Fashion Square Mall on Saturday.

News chopper video taken by Fox 10 Phoenix showed dozens of masked people at the scene, with some individuals smashing through glass storefronts as others tore down fences. Looters could be seen entering the shops and later running out with their arms full of goods.

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

Armed Chicago Store Owner Confronts Group of Hammer-Wielding Looters, Fires Shots, Detains 1

An armed Chicago store owner confronted hammer-wielding looters early Monday, firing shots and detaining one of the intruders, according to Assistant State Attorney James Murphy.

The owner of St. Lucia’s Smoke Shop decided to stay at an apartment above the store over the weekend to watch out for rioters and looters.

Around 4:20 a.m., the shop owner grabbed his handgun and ran downstairs after hearing sounds of broken glass. He saw a group of male looters wielding hammers stood in the middle of his shop.

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

As Rioters Destroy Cities, Harvard Profs Condemn Trump’s ‘Rhetoric of Domestic Terrorism’

A group of Harvard Law School faculty members released a letter denouncing President Donald Trump’s actions, which they say “endorse violence.” The letter claims that Trump retains too much federal power and is too irresponsible to be president.

Trump recently tweeted “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” By using the word “shooting,” Harvard states that Trump “incites private violence” and promotes others “to take similarly destructive action.” Making comparisons between modern times and the Civil Rights Era, they say Trump’s “statement pledged violent state action against those who protest race-based injustices.”

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

Berwyn Police Request Help From National Guard Amid Threats of Looting, Riots

According to police in suburban Berwyn, authorities have requested assistance from the Illinois National Guard after a series of social media posts called for rioting and looting in the Cermak Plaza district.

In a release posted to the police department’s Facebook page, Berwyn officials say that the department received intelligence from the FBI and the Illinois State Police about potential rioting and looting in the area.

As a result, the department said the Illinois National Guard will allocate personnel and equipment to the area for “quicker mobilization in case they need to be utilized.”

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

Biden to Attend George Floyd’s Funeral

Ben Crump, lawyer for the family of George Floyd, said Tuesday that Joe Biden will attend Floyd’s funeral on June 9 in Houston, Texas.

Floyd’s unjust death at the hands of Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin has caused widespread protests and riots throughout the U.S.

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

Business Owner Whose Shop Was Destroyed Slams Rioters: “You Said Black Lives Matter — Look What You Did to My Store”

An elderly, black businesswoman in the Bronx gave an impassioned speech for the people who destroyed her store in recent looting.

“Look what you did to my store,” she fumed in a video posted on Twitter and YouTube recently. As she spoke, the woman pointed inside the destroyed building behind her.

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

California Car Dealership Has 74 Vehicles Stolen Off Lot by Looters

San Leandro Chrysler Dodge near Oakland, California, has reported that looters and rioters stole 74 vehicles from its lot Sunday night, with losses totaling roughly $5 million.

Cell phone videos taken near the dealership located on Marina Boulevard show that thieves broke into the showroom, accessed the lockbox, cleaned out the car keys, and began using keychain alarm buttons to find the respective vehicle. Though workers at the dealership had parked cars in front of all the exits in an attempt to stop potential thefts, the looters pushed through them.

Dealership owner Carlos Hidalgo described it as a “war zone.”

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

Catch and Release: Rioters Jailed in St. Louis and New York Set Free by Local Prosecutors

Even as US police crack down on riots and looting, authorities from St. Louis to New York City are simply releasing everyone arrested in connection with the unrest, due to the reform championed by social justice activists.

Retired police captain David Dorn was gunned down by looters and four active duty police were shot in St. Louis, Missouri, as protests over last week’s death of George Floyd in Minnesota turned into violent riots on Monday. The 25 people arrested in connection with the unrest were released by circuit attorney Kim Gardner, however.

“It’s unfathomable that every single person arrested that night has been released,” state Attorney General Eric Schmitt told reporters on Wednesday. “It’s stunning.” Schmitt vowed to do everything he can to prosecute the rioters.

Gardner is the first African-American circuit attorney in St. Louis, elected in 2016 with substantial assistance of Democrat mega-donor George Soros, following the unrest in nearby Ferguson. In 2018, she led a probe against the Republican Governor Eric Greitens, eventually dropping the charges after he resigned from office.

[Comment: Attorney Gardner is backed by Soros.]

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

Chicago Police Scanner Jammed by Hackers Amid Riots

An investigation has been launched after hackers gained access to the emergency radio system used by the Chicago Police Department over the weekend.

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

Controversial Rep. Steve King Loses Iowa GOP Primary Battle

Rep. Steve King, the controversial nine-term Republican congressman from Iowa, lost a heavily contested primary race on Tuesday night to a well-funded state Sen. Randy Feenstra.

King’s loss in Iowa’s Republican primary contest marks the beginning of the end for the provocative lawmaker who for years had been a conservative lightning rod in Washington for his hardline views on issues ranging from immigration to abortion.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted early Wednesday that King’s “white supremacist rhetoric is totally inconsistent with the Republican Party, and I’m glad Iowa Republicans rejected him at the ballot.”

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

Corrupt Government, Corrupt Media and Corrupt Academia Are Your Enemies

What we have in America today is what we have, whose ever fault it is. If individual, God-given rights are ever to be re-established, as was the vision of its Founders, the American people have three choices, either re-claim freedom by peaceful means, or by force, or be content to be government slaves.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Defense Secretary Esper Breaks With Trump, Does Not Support Deploying Active Troops to Riot Areas

Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Wednesday that he does not support President Trump’s call to deploy active-duty troops into the U.S. to quell riots incited by the death of George Floyd.

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

Dem Prosecutor Releases Every Rioter, Looter Arrested by St. Louis Police Without Charges

All 36 people arrested by St. Louis police during riots have been released without charges, according to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

Schmitt said that St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner declined to charge any of the people arrested during riots between Sunday and Tuesday.

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

Derek Chauvin’s Charges Elevated to 2nd-Degree Murder; 3 Other Cops Now Face Charges as Well

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is elevating charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to from third-degree murder to second-degree murder in the killing of George Floyd. The other three officers involved in Floyd’s death will now face charges as well.

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

Former Obama Intelligence Official Helps Secure Bail for Molotov Cocktail-Throwing NYC Lawyer

A former Obama administration intelligence official who worked in both the Departments of State and Defense has guaranteed bail for a human rights lawyer accused of firebombing a police vehicle in New York City.

The former official, Salmah Rizvi, told a judge the alleged firebomber is her “best friend.” Rizvi, now an attorney at the D.C.-based law firm Ropes & Gray, helped secure the release of fellow lawyer Urooj Rahman by agreeing to be a suretor for her bail. That means Rizvi is liable for the full cost of the $250,000 bail if Rahman fails to obey the court’s orders.

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

Former Virginia Governor Backs Trump Crackdown on Riots

A former governor of Virginia and current top Trump diplomat supports the president’s bid to end the violent protests in cities, including Richmond.

James Gilmore, who was governor from 1998-2002, said, “Those who break the law through acts of arson and looting, however, must be arrested and held accountable for their transgressions.”

Gilmore has been the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna since May. He shared his statement with us.

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

Former Navy Seal Sues Navy Secretary, Reporter for Leaks, Defamation

Former Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder charges last year, is suing the Navy secretary and a New York Times reporter, alleging that both parties corroborated to defame his name ahead of his trial.

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

George Floyd Death: Spike Lee Says Protesters Were ‘Not Just Born Angry’

Film-maker Spike Lee has said people in the US are angry because they “live every day in this world where the system is not set up for you to win”.

Lee also said President Trump’s response showed that “he’s a gangster, he’s trying to be a dictator”.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

George Floyd Unrest: Police Out in Force in Major Cities to Tamp Down on Riots as Curfews Take Effect

Police have been out in force Wednesday night in cities across the country to enforce curfews that were seen as helping reduce late-night rioting Tuesday, and officials are hoping for a calmer night amid the ongoing George Floyd protests.

In cities such as New York City and Orlando, video captured police taking curfew violators into custody just after 8 p.m.

In Brooklyn, tensions grew between protesters defying the curfew and NYPD officers trying to make arrests. The officers have temporarily blocked off an entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, preventing cars from driving into Manhattan.

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

Google is Sued for Tracking Users, Even in Incognito Mode

Google is facing a class-action lawsuit for $5 billion for allegedly monitoring user activity while using its services, even when apps claim to be working on incognito mode.

A complaint made in the State of California seeks that Google pays $5 billion in damages to users for collecting data even when it supposedly should not be monitored. According to the complaint, services such as Google Ad Manager, Analytics, and the like, continue to collect users browsing data, which goes against the fundamental principle of the “incognito” function available in the Google Chrome browser on computers and smartphones.

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

Gov. Cuomo Swings at Trump: “Here in New York We Actually Read the Bible”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slammed President Trump standing with the Bible in front of the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church on Wednesday, saying that New Yorkers “actually read the Bible.”

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

Hopefully, No One Will Get Hurt’: Dozens of Guns Stolen From Firearm Shop During Atlanta Riots

A gun store was burglarized and dozens of weapons were stolen while Atlanta police tended to riots up the street.

The Georgia city was one of several in the United States to experience riots that broke out during what started as peaceful protests aimed at ending racial injustice and policing brutality. Several Atlanta businesses were broken into on Saturday, including a burglary at Chuck’s Firearms.

“They were here to take advantage of the opportunity of police not being able to be dispatched and address the normal crime,” store owner Jim Hinsdale told Fox 5.

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

How Many Politicians Have Been Arrested Over the Last 6 Weeks for Violating the US Constitution?

People in this country need come to terms with the fact that these people, many of them have forgotten where they came from, do not understand you and me. Many of these said representatives believe that they are above the law and they act accordingly and must be brought into check with the laws that they are to uphold.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Jim Mattis Says Trump “Tries to Divide US, “ “Makes Mockery of Constitution” In Scathing Statement

Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis unloaded on President Trump Wednesday in a statement to the left-wing Atlantic.

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

John Legend, Natalie Portman, Other Celebrities Sign Letter to Defund Police

Singer-songwriter John Legend and actress Natalie Portman are among a group of high-profile celebrities who have penned and signed an open letter, saying the “time has come to defund the police.”

The letter claims that “local and federal decision-makers” have increased their investment in the police department “despite continued profiling, harassment, terror and killing of Black communities.”

The open letter — which was also signed by Common, Jane Fonda, Brie Larson, and ACLU executive director Anthony Romero — insists the money allotted to the police should be used for “building healthy communities” that will “support a vibrant Black future.”

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

Liberty, Accused of Being Reckless Hotspot for COVID, Ends Semester With Zero Campus Cases

When the coronavirus began picking up speed in early March, most governors made the hard decision to lockdown their states. This led almost every college in the country to move the rest of their spring semesters online, and they sent most students packing.

But Liberty University quickly became an epicenter of media controversy when President Jerry Falwell Jr. announced he would reopen his campus to students who needed to stay, especially international ones who had nowhere else to go.

Falwell was accused of putting the campus community in a dangerous and reckless situation and publicly shamed as the mainstream media insisted Liberty would be a coronavirus hot spot.

Instead, it ended the school year with zero campus cases.

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

Looters in NYC Were ‘Dropped Off in Luxury Cars With Power Tools and Suitcases’ And ‘Used Stolen U-Hauls’ For Coordinated Attacks — as Officials Across the U.S. Blame ‘Organized Crime’ For the Chaos

Looters in New York City were dropped off in luxury cars with power tools and suitcases before being picked up and driven to next location, according to eyewitnesses.

Police are said to be looking into numerous reports the rioters were organized and are now checking license plate numbers of vehicles that dropped groups off. Some are even said to have used a stolen U-Haul to carry out their crimes.

One witness to the ‘organized looting was Carla Murphy, who lives in Manhattan. She told ABC: ‘Cars would drive up, let off the looters, unload power tools and suitcases and then the cars would drive away.’

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Looters Break Into Philly Gun Store. It Doesn’t Go Well for Them.

Riot-torn Philadelphia contributed two nominees to 2020’s Darwin Award list on Tuesday.

Early Tuesday morning, looters decided to raid a South Philly gun store. Amazingly, it turns out if you and your buddies plan to ‘jack a gun store, a person with a gun might be there to stop you.

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

Man Arrested for Allegedly Impersonating National Guard Soldier; Found With Cache of Weapons

LOS ANGELES — An armed man was arrested overnight for allegedly impersonating a National Guard member.

As FOX 11 first reported, authorities told us 31-year-old Gregory Wong was taken into custody on assault weapon charges after being found with a cache of weapons.

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

May Marks 3rd Month of Record Gun Sales, 6 Million Sold Since March

May marked the third consecutive month with record-high gun sales, with more than 1.7 million sold. Roughly six million guns have been sold since the coronavirus outbreak began in March.

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

Media Falsely Claimed Violent Riots Were Peaceful and That Tear Gas Was Used Against Rioters

Following days of violent riots and looting in cities across the country, Washington, D.C., announced a 7 p.m. curfew on Monday night. About the same time, President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the Rose Garden. Afterward, he walked through Lafayette Park to St. John’s Episcopal Church, which rioters had set on fire the night before. Standing before the church sign, which reads “All are welcome,” President Trump, who previously said he’d be paying his respects to a very special place, held up a Bible.

The speech announcing the country would return to rule of law and protection of civil liberties, the walk through a park that the night before had been given over to rioters, and the visit to the vandalized historic church where every president has worshiped since James Madison, were reassuring to many in the country.

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

Minneapolis Officer’s Murder Charge Upgraded in George Floyd Death, 3 Others Charged

Minnesota’s Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday said charges against Derek Chauvin, the white Minneapolis officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck, have been upgraded to second-degree murder and arrest warrants have been issued for the three other officers at the scene.

Chauvin previously had been charged with third-degree murder. The other three officers involved — Thomas Lane, J.A. Kueng, and Tou Thao — were being charged with two counts of aiding and abetting and second-degree murder.

If convicted on both counts, the officers face a maximum of sentence of 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Nurses Who Accused Stay at Home Protesters of ‘Killing Granny’ Applaud Thousands of Left-Wing Demonstrators in New York

Some of the same hospital workers who would have accused stay-at-home protesters of “killing granny” just weeks ago are now on video applauding thousands of left-wing demonstrators in New York.

“Hospital staff come out to applaud #GeorgeFloyd protestors in New York — demonstrators shout back ‘Thank You’,” tweeted journalist Sarah Walton.

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

Obama to Discuss George Floyd Death, Justice System in Virtual Town Hall

Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday will publicly address the death of George Floyd for the first time on camera during a virtual town hall meeting.

According to an Obama aide, the former president will focus on racial bias in the U.S. criminal justice system and how the protests around the country can lead to new policies.

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

Park Police Push Back on Media: “No Tear Gas Was Used”

The U.S. Park Police pushed back against media reports that it utilized tear gas to remove protesters from Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C., Monday evening as a way to clear the path for President Trump’s impromptu visit to St. John’s Church.

The Park Police denied the use of tear gas while also correcting media efforts to describe the Lafayette Park protests as peaceful demonstrations.

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

Police Chief: Arrested Looters in NYC Are Immediately Released Because of Bail-Reform Law

Most of the looters and rioters arrested by the NYPD over the past several days are immediately released as a direct result of New York’s new bail-reform law, New York City police chief Terrence Monahan told the New York Post on Tuesday.

While the city police made over 650 arrests on Monday night alone, Monahan said that “just about all of them” will be released without bail.

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

President Trump: Religious Freedom is a ‘National Security Imperative’

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on advancing international religious freedom Tuesday, shortly after visiting a Washington D.C. shrine to Pope John Paul II.

“Religious freedom, America’s first freedom, is a moral and national security imperative,” the order states. “Religious freedom for all people worldwide is a foreign policy priority of the United States, and the United States will respect and vigorously promote this freedom.”

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

Pulitzer Prize-Winning New York Times Writer: ‘Destroying Property Isn’t Violence’

New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Nikole Hannah-Jones attempted to justify the ruthless rioting terrorizing American cities Tuesday by claiming simply, “property can be replaced.”

“Violence is when an agent of the state kneels on a man’s neck until all of the life is leached out of his body,” Hannah-Jones said on CBS News. “Destroying property, which can be replaced, is not violence.”

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

Radio Host, Pawn Store Owner Filing Lawsuit Over Gov. Northam’s Mask Policy

CHARLOTTESVILLE Va. (WVIR) — Charlottesville radio host Rob Schilling and a pawn shop owner are suing Governor Ralph Northam and other officials over the mask mandate.

Schilling and his lawyer, Matthew Hardin, spoke to the media and supporters Monday, June 1, explaining why this lawsuit was important.

“The legislature made it pretty clear, as I said, decades ago, that masks are illegal in the commonwealth of Virginia. It’s a class six felony,” Hardin said.

Northam announced Tuesday, May 26, that folks would be required to wear masks inside retail shops, restaurants, personal care and grooming establishments, places people congregate, government buildings, and on public transportation. Exceptions will be allowed, including while eating or drinking, exercising, those with trouble breathing, and children under age 10.

The governor has stated enforcement would be done through the Virginia Department of Health — similar to health inspections of restaurants — rather than using law enforcement. Governor’s Chief of Staff Clark Mercer said during Tuesday’s press briefing they are aware of equity and practical issues of enforcement for this policy, and a special session of the General Assembly is expected later this summer.

Tobey Bouch, the owner of Tobey’s Pawn Shop, says he is concerned businesses will be punished for not enforcing the mandate that folks be required to wear a face mask inside retailers.

The Virginia State Health Commissioner, along with Virginia Attorney Mark Herring, and Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley are also named in the lawsuit…

           — Hat tip: HW [Return to headlines]
 

Rosenstein Testifies He Would Not Have Renewed FISA Warrant for Trump Aide if He Had Been Aware of Misconduct

Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that he would not have signed a fourth application to continue the FBI’s surveillance of former Trump aide Carter Page if he had known about the since-revealed misconduct surrounding the warrant.

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

Sean Hannity and Wife Divorce After 20 Years of Marriage

Fox News host Sean Hannity and his wife, Jill Rhodes, have divorced after more than 20 years of marriage, Page Six reported.

Hannity, 58, and Rhodes, 57, married in 1993. They have two children, son Patrick and daughter Merri Kelly.

Friends of the pair said they had been legally divorced for more than a year and had been separated many years before that.

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

Shutdowns Blamed for Outbreak of Protests and Riots

Pent-up frustrations from job losses and months of isolation during the coronavirus lockdowns played a role in the riots across the country, according to psychologists and pandemic researchers.

“I do think the pandemic aggravated things,” said historian John Berry, who has written books focused on past pandemics.

Tension built up during the lockdowns due to the massive joblessness — especially for those making less than $40,000 a year, African Americans disproportionately getting sick from the virus, and people being shut in the house for months, Berry said.

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

So Long, Charlotte. Trump Taking GOP Convention Elsewhere

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has rejected the GOP plan to hold a full-scale party convention in Charlotte, saying that it would be too dangerous without proper safety measures.

“The people of North Carolina do not know what the status of COVID-19 will be in August, so planning for a scaled-down convention with fewer people, social distancing and face coverings is a necessity,” Cooper wrote in a letter to the RNC.

Cooper is refusing to allow 50,000 people to fill Charlotte hotels and restaurants with no social distancing or required masks. So Donald Trump, who had been threatening to move the convention for weeks if Cooper didn’t give him what he wanted, now has to decide where to take his party.

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

Suspect Arrested for Shooting Las Vegas Officer in Back of Head During Riot; Cop Still on Life Support

A Las Vegas police officer who was shot in the head Monday night remains on life support, and the man who shot him has been arrested.

A SWAT team arrested 20-year-old Edgar Samaniego for shooting 29-year-old Shay Mikalonis. Samaniego remains in custody without bail and has been charged with attempted murder.

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

Teen Vogue Tells Readers “Antifa Aspires Toward Creating a Better World”

As violence, looting and rioting continue to plague almost every American city, virtue signalling leftist publication Teen Vogue told its readers that the ring leaders of the carnage, Antifa, really just wants to create a better world.

“Antifa grows out of a larger revolutionary politics that aspires toward creating a better world, but the primary motivation is to stop racists from organizing,” a tweet from the publication reads.

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

The Coronavirus Research That Shouldn’t Have Happened

Is the COVID-19 pandemic the result of a manmade virus? And, if so, what does that say about mankind’s ability to safely conduct gain-of-function experiments? “Gain-of-function” refers to experiments in which a pathogen is altered to give it new or added functionality, such as the ability to infect humans, when before it could not, or increased infectiousness or lethality, for example.

A decade ago, Dr. Anthony Fauci defended and promoted gain-of-function research on bird flu viruses, saying such research was worth the risk because it allows scientists to prepare for pandemics.

In reality, this kind of research does not appear to have improved governments’ pandemic responses at all. If anything, it’s a curious coincidence that the very viruses undergoing gain-of-function research are the ones causing pandemics.

As noted in the 2016 paper, “Gain-of-Function Research: Ethical Analysis,” even if gain-of-function research does lead to improved and effective control measures, laboratory accidents or “malevolent action” in which souped-up pathogens are released can still result in casualties numbering in the millions.

Gain-of-function research, in which a pathogen is altered to make it more infectious or lethal, has been controversial for years. Our government put a moratorium on funding this type of research after biosafety lapses, but several projects, including this one, were allowed to continue. Why?

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Administration Bans Chinese Airlines From Flying to U.S.

The Trump administration on Wednesday issued an order banning Chinese passenger airlines from flying to the United States.

The Department of Transportation explained that the decision to prohibit all incoming flights from China is in response to the country’s refusal to allow U.S. carriers to resume international flights into Chinese territory as travel restrictions begin to subside amid the coronavirus crisis.

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

Trump Campaign Says Snapchat is Trying to “Rig” The Election After it Decides to Hide Trump From Discover But Not Biden

What will be the impact if all social media platforms decide to censor The President of the United States in some way?

The social media app Snapchat declared that it will no longer allow Trump’s account to be promoted on the platform. The company took this decision after concluding that his tweets incited violence.

While Trump’s account under the name of “RealDonaldTrump” will still be live on the platform and appear on search results, it will no longer be featured in the “Discover” tab where fellow prominent personalities’ profiles generally appear.

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

Twitter Claims ‘White Supremacists’ Are Posing as Antifa and Calling for Violence

Twitter says it has shut down an ‘Antifa’ account that was calling for violence, claiming that those behind it were really ‘white supremacists’.

“This account violated our platform manipulation and spam policy, specifically the creation of fake accounts,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement. “We took action after the account sent a Tweet inciting violence and broke the Twitter Rules.”

The account came to the attention of the company after Donald Trump Jr. noted that it was an example of Antifa engaging in calls for violence.

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

Twitter Suspended Hundreds of Accounts That Used ‘#dcblackout’ to Spread False Reports of a Communications Blackout

Twitter removed hundreds of accounts on June 1 in an ongoing investigation of accounts tied to the “#dcblackout” hashtag.

The hashtag served as shorthand for a false claim that the US federal government was jamming wireless telecommunications used by protesters in Washington, DC. That claim has been repeatedly refuted, and CBS affiliate WUSA9 in Washington, DC, verified that no such blackout occurred.

The hashtag, which appears to be tied to the intentional spread of misinformation, had gained traction quickly, and was tweeted about 500,000 times in about 9 hours, according to the Washington Post. The first account to use it had only three followers.

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

Video: Journalist Scolds NYT for Spreading Antifa Propaganda

Fox News Journalist Lara Logan exposed the New York Times Tuesday for spreading ‘blatant propaganda’ in support of Antifa, noting that the newspaper argued the organisation is non-centralised, and therefore cannot be designated a domestic terror group.

“The propaganda is in overdrive right now.” Logan urged, adding “On Antifa’s website and through their network of people and different social media forms and even in the New York Times today, quite astonishing.”

Logan was referring to an article published by the Times which argues that it is “misinformation” to suggest that Antifa desires insurrection in America.

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

Video: Looters, NYPD Clash Outside Zara Tuesday

A captain of the New York Police Department was assaulted by looters outside a Zara store in Manhattan Tuesday night.

Video of the incident shows the captain approach two men, one of whom shoved him down in the middle of a street. The captain’s helmet fell off, prompting the rioters to rush toward him while he was on the ground. Other police officers also ran to the scene and began to tussle with the rioters.

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

Warning: Reports of Groups Canvassing Residential Neighborhoods, Taking Photos of Homes With Police Cars in Driveways

WASHINGTON D.C. — Law enforcement officials from across the country have reached out to Law Enforcement Today asking us to warn police across America about a potential threat.

Transparently — our team debated internally whether or not to cover this story. We are America’s largest law enforcement owned and operated media outlet, and we are unapologetically pro-police.

Although we don’t hesitate to call out and provide media coverage of bad apples, our priority is in giving the voice to law enforcement that they’re often denied in the mainstream media.

The last thing we want to do is put officers at risk by giving bad people ideas.

But soon after this threat started spreading like wildfire online, we had law enforcement from across the country reach out. They pointed out that the threat is already circulating.

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

Watch: Hundreds of White Marylanders Hold Hands Up, Repeat Oath Decrying “Racism, Anti-Blackness, And Violence” At BLM Demonstration

A large crowd of hundreds of white Marylanders raised their hands and repeated a public oath against “racism, anti-blackness, and violence” Tuesday at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Bethesda, video of which has since gone viral.

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

Yes, George Soros Sent Money to Fund the Riots — and So Did Taxpayers

Ever since the protests turned to riots over the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, rumors have flown that George Soros and his Open Society Foundation had to be involved. After all, OSF funded Black Lives Matter in 2015. It didn’t take long to reveal the financial ties to current riots and to show that OSF and George Soros directly support the movement today. Particularly infuriating are the taxpayer-funded grants received in conjunction with the Soros funding.

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

20,000 Attend Paris Anti-Police Brutality Protest That Transformed Into Riots

An estimated 20,000 people took to the streets of Paris on Tuesday evening to protest the death of a 24-year-old black man who was killed in 2016, with the protests devolving into riots.

Police arrested 18 people during the demonstration, which was banned under France’s Wuhan coronavirus rules, for vandalism, carrying prohibited weapons, and throwing projectiles at officers.

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

China Trying to Drive Wedge Between UK and U.S. With Huawei, Says Senator

U.S. Republican Senator Tom Cotton has told British lawmakers that communist China is trying to force a “high-tech wedge” between his country and the UK with Huawei, warning that use of the effectively state-owned Chinese company could hurt bilateral military cooperation.

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

Diary of Nazi Officer Details Location of Secret WWII Treasure Worth Billions

A World War II diary written by a Nazi officer has come into the spotlight after it was revealed that it may lay out the location of a Nazi-confiscated treasure worth billions of dollars, according to a Polish news site.

An S.S. officer pen-named “Michaelis” wrote the diary that reportedly contains the plans of Hitler henchman Heinrich Himmler. Himmler allegedly sought to hide various items of great worth, including art and artifacts plundered by the Nazis as they swept across Europe. Reports indicate the diary contains a map pointing to 11 different locations where the treasure, which includes more than over 30 tons of gold, is hidden.

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

EU Disease Office Says Coronavirus ‘Herd Immunity’ Earliest by Autumn 2021

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has claimed that “herd immunity” from the Wuhan coronavirus will be achieved by Autumn of 2021 at the earliest.

Josep Jansa, an epidemiologist at the ECDC, said that the Chinese virus continues to change rapidly and that the agency has been reluctant to give solid advice for issues like international travel. But he said that the ECDC has offered indicators to EU member states on what stage of the infection they may be in.

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

France: 20,000 BLM Protesters Defy Social Distancing to Protest in Paris (Video)

Some 20,000 mostly black protesters defied social distancing measures and took to the streets of Paris on Tuesday evening, responding to a call from the family support committee of Adama Traoré, a 24-year-old black man who died in 2016 after being arrested.

Police were forced to deploy tear gas on several occasions to disperse violent crowds which hurled projectiles, smashed shop windows, and started fires. The demonstrations saw two police officers injured and 18 protesters arrested, Le Figaro reports.

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

French Intellectual: So-Called ‘Anti-Racist Activists’ Want to Bring Racial War to France

One of France’s most prominent right-wing intellectuals recently shared his thoughts on the US race riots which recently have consumed press headlines around the world.

Eric Zemmour, a widely read political journalist, essayist, and writer, on Monday appeared on the French TV network CNews to address the race riots which have engulfed major cities across the United States for the past several days, Valeurs Actuelles reports.

During the interview, Zemmour first takes note of Floyd’s personal history.

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

Germany Warns Far-Left Antifa Infiltrating Climate Movement

German security services have warned that far-left Antifa extremists have begun infiltrating climate change groups to gain legitimacy and spread their anti-state anarchist ideology.

Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and other agencies have claimed that there has been evidence of left-wing extremists attempting to radicalise more moderate climate change groups. One such movement is Fridays for Future, spearheaded by Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Gordon Brown Urges G20 Countries to Back $2.5tn Coronavirus Plan

Failure by the G20 group of leading developed and developing nations to organise a global Covid-19 recovery plan is a potential death sentence for the world’s poor, the former prime minister Gordon Brown has said.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

New Pterosaur Species Identified From Fossil Found in England

The newly-discovered flying reptile lived during the Cretaceous period some 127 million years ago.

Named Wightia declivirostris, it belongs to Tapejaridae, a bizarre group of small— to medium-sized pterosaurs with wingspans of up to 4 m.

ost tapejarids had large, highly elaborate soft tissue crests sweeping up from the front of the skull. The crests were probably used in sexual display and may have been brightly colored.

These pterosaurs are well known from the Araripe Basin of northeast Brazil and the Jiufotang Formation of China. Elsewhere, however, their remains are exceedingly rare, with only fragmentary specimens reported from North Africa and Europe.

Wightia declivirostris is the first record of Tapejaridae in the United Kingdom.

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

Spain Porn Star Held After Man Dies in Toad Venom Ritual

Madrid (AFP) — A porn star has been arrested on manslaughter charges following a man’s death during a mystic ritual in which he inhaled psychedelic toad venom, Spanish police said Wednesday.

Nacho Vidal was detained last week in the southeastern Valencia region in connection with the death of a man in July 2019.

Media identified the victim as fashion photographer Jose Luis Abad.

“The police operation began following the victim’s death during the celebration of a mystic ritual based on the inhalation of venom of the bufo alvarius toad,” a police statement said.

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

UK Fishermen Prepare for French Blockades, Slam EU for ‘Nuclear Option’ Trade Tactics

A British fishing organisation is preparing for a return to the infamous English Channel scallops wars, as they anticipate blockades by French fishermen with the UK government refusing to back down on claiming back territorial waters.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has said that fishing will be the “acid test” of whether the British government successfully delivers on the June 2016 referendum vote to leave the European Union.

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

UK Tory MP Backs Trump’s Riot Response: ‘Arsonists and Looters Have it Coming’

Conservative MP Desmond Swayne reportedly expressed his support for President Donald Trump, who called on American lawmakers to crack down on the violent and destructive riots that have erupted following the death of George Floyd.

Brexiteer and Army reservist Desmond Swayne, the MP for New Forest West, was asked by a constituent to “support BLM [Black Lives Matter]” and “condemn Trump’s actions”, as well as pressure the British government to “take action”.

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

UK: A Mysterious Company’s Coronavirus Papers in Top Medical Journals May be Unraveling

On its face, it was a major finding: Antimalarial drugs touted by the White House as possible COVID-19 treatments looked to be not just ineffective, but downright deadly. A study published on 22 May in The Lancet used hospital records procured by a little-known data analytics company called Surgisphere to conclude that coronavirus patients taking chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine were more likely to show an irregular heart rhythm—a known side effect thought to be rare—and were more likely to die in the hospital.

Within days, some large randomized trials of the drugs—the type that might prove or disprove the retrospective study’s analysis—screeched to a halt. Solidarity, the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) megatrial of potential COVID-19 treatments, paused recruitment into its hydroxychloroquine arm, for example. (Update: At a briefing on 3 June WHO announced it would resume that arm of the study.)

But just as quickly, the Lancet results have begun to unravel—and Surgisphere, which provided patient data for two other high-profile COVID-19 papers, has come under withering online scrutiny from researchers and amateur sleuths.

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

UK: Boris Johnson Will End China’s 5G Involvement

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been forced by his own party to forego his plan to have a Chinese company build his country’s 5G network. China will be phased out altogether by 2023. The PM came under pressure following criticisms of China’s role in spreading disinformation during the early phases of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

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

UK: Doubt Looms Over Hydroxychloroquine Study That Halted Global Trials

The Lancet medical journal on Tuesday issued an “expression of concern” over the validity of a recent study suggesting that the anti-malarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine raise the risk of death and heart complications in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

More than a hundred outside experts have raised questions and skepticism about the data and analysis, even as researchers halted clinical trials in light of the study’s findings.

The two drugs at the center of the controversy have had a high profile during the pandemic, with many prominent figures—most notably President Donald Trump—promoting them as effective against COVID-19. On May 18, Trump even told reporters that he was taking the drugs himself to prevent infection from the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

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

UK: Pictures: London Black Lives Matter Protest Turns Violent, Police Attacked Outside Prime Minister’s Office

Black Lives Matter protests taking place in the United Kingdom took a violent turn on Wednesday evening, with police officers guarding the Prime Minister’s Office attacked with punches and objects thrown.

Thousands of protesters marched through Westminster, London, on Wednesday afternoon to the city’s initially-peaceful Hyde Park demonstrations in sympathy with protests taking place in the United States over the death of George Floyd in police custody.

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

Erdogan’s Libya Campaign: Another Neo-Ottoman Design

Ironically, even during the Ottoman era (from early 16th century to 1912) Libya was divided into two parts: one linked to Tripoli in the west and the other linked to Benghazi in the east. Even then, the country largely resembled today’s division between an internationally-recognized government in Tripoli and its adversaries in the east.

More than a century after the last Ottoman soldiers left Libya following an Italian invasion in 1911, Turkey’s neo-Ottoman leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has apparently long harbored dreams of reviving the Ottoman Empire, at least revived the Libyan war theater with Turkish soldiers fighting a proxy war in the desert.

The Libyan war may still turn into direct clashes between Turkey and its nemesis in Libya, General Khalifa Haftar, a 76-year-old warlord who has the support of Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. Libya’s warring groups and their proxy sponsors looked like a slow-fuse time-bomb even at the turn of last year.

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

China Withheld Data on Coronavirus From WHO, Recordings Reveal

The World Health Organization struggled to get needed information from China during critical early days of the coronavirus pandemic, according to recordings of internal meetings that contradict the organisation’s public praise of Beijing’s response to the outbreak.

The recordings, obtained by the Associated Press (AP), show officials complaining in meetings during the week of 6 January that Beijing was not sharing data needed to evaluate the risk of the virus to the rest of the world. It was not until 20 January that China confirmed coronavirus was contagious and 30 January that the WHO declared a global emergency.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Hands Off Hong Kong! Boris Johnson Warns China That UK Will Offer Path to Citizenship for 3 Million HK Citizens

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has issued a stark rebuke to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), saying that Great Britain will not “walk away” from the people of Hong Kong. Mr Johnson promised to implement one of the “biggest changes” to the UK’s visa system in order to save the people of Hong Kong from the authoritarian measures that the communist regime is set to impose on the city.

Bors Johnson said that if China decides to go forward with imposing an authoritarian national security law on Hong Kong, it will be in “direct conflict” with the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The internationally binding treaty guaranteed a certain amount of freedom and autonomy to the city for 50 years, under the banner of “One Country, Two Systems”, after the former British colony was handed over to the Chinese in 1997.

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

Three New Bird Species Discovered in Peru

Scytalopus is a genus of small passerine birds in the family Rhinocryptidae (tapaculos).

Members of this genus inhabit mountains and foothills in Central America and the Atlantic Forest, but their diversity is greatest in the Andes.

All species prefer forest understory and shrubby alpine habitats. They skulk in dense vegetation, are poor fliers, and are reluctant to cross habitat gaps, making them unusually poor dispersers prone to population isolation.

Along much of the humid Amazonian slopes of the Andes and parts of the humid Pacific slope of Colombia and Ecuador, multiple species replace each other elevationally with little or no local overlap.

Elsewhere, such as in Bolivia, Venezuela, and parts of western Ecuador and Peru, there are fewer species and their elevational ranges are broader.

In a new study, Dr. Niels Krabbe, an ornithologist in the Natural History Museum of Denmark at the University of Copenhagen, and colleagues revised the taxonomy of Scytalopus tapaculos from the Peruvian Andes.

“We employ an integrated framework using a combination of vocal information, mitochondrial DNA sequences, and appearance, gathered from our own fieldwork over the past 40 years and supplemented with community-shared birdsong archives and museum specimens,” they explained.

As a result, the researchers identified three previously unknown species, named the Jalca tapaculo (Scytalopus frankeae), the Ampay tapaculo (Scytalopus whitneyi), and the white-winged tapaculo (Scytalopus krabbei), all endemic to Peru.

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

Another French Navy Ship Escorts Dinghy Into British Waters as a Record 167 More Migrants Land in UK Today Including Up to 60 in One Vessel

A French naval vessel escorted more than 100 migrants into British waters unchallenged this morning as the total to have reached the UK this year edges closer to the total seen throughout the whole of 2019.

In total, 167 migrants are believed to have landed in Kent today which is a record. The first group of men, women and children landed at Samphire Hoe beach near Dover, Kent this morning.

The dawn operation saw several small boats nearly 12 miles off the coast of Dover on the French-British sea border shortly before 7.30am.

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

Germany Granted Nearly 130,000 Foreigners Citizenship in 2019

Statistics from the German government have revealed a considerable uptick in the number of foreigners who became naturalized German citizens last year.

On Wednesday, the Federal Statistical Office announced that 129,000 foreigners were granted German citizenship in 2019, 16,600 (15 percent) more than the previous year, marking the highest level of naturalization since 2003, Frankfurter Rundschau reports.

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

Greece: Thousands of Migrants to be Evicted From State Accommodations

Thousands of migrants are facing eviction from flats that were provided to them by the Greek social services. This is happening as the result of a new law which shortened the period migrants can stay in state-sponsored accommodations from six months to one.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 8,500 migrants could be impacted, according to a report by Euronews.

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

Migration is Normal, Accept it

Pull down the walls and assist those displaced by climate change, argues a book on the movement of people, animals and plants.

The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move
Sonia Shah

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

UK Must Turn Illegal Migrants Boats Back or Risk a Major Crisis, Says Former Australian PM

Unless the United Kingdom starts to detain migrant boats in the English Channel and turn them back to France, it will face a migrant crisis that only grows increasingly severe, Tony Abbott, former Australian prime minister, is now warning the British government.

The number of illegal migrant boats heading to the UK has been growing since 2016, recording an unusual spike this year, which has been especially concerning for Brits during the coronavirus lockdown.

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

After Media Pressure, Facebook Considers Adding “Violence” Warnings to Posts From World Leaders

When Twitter fact-checked President Trump last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg weighed in and criticized the decision.

Since then, the mainstream media has piled on the pressure and urged Zuckerberg to start censoring Trump.

Now, less than a week later, Zuckerberg appears to be capitulating to this pressure and is reportedly considering adding warning labels to posts from world leaders on Facebook.

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

Romania Drops Compulsory Sex Ed From Schools After Church Outcry

The Romanian Parliament voted to drop mandatory “sexual education” from school programmes today after it was condemned by the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Romania’s Parliament, with support from President Klaus Iohannis, initially passed legislation two months ago which made it compulsory for schools to teach sexual education to their students a minimum of once every six months, or once per semester. The law was supported by MPs from Iohannis’ ruling National Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party. Supporters claimed that the aim of the programme was to combat sexually transmitted diseases and reduce instances of pregnancy among minor girls.

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

The Bible Won’t Save Us, Only Brute Force Will

President Trump emerged from his White House bunker on Monday night to give a short speech and then travel to a burned-out church just a block away. He made sure that the police and the military cleared a path for him. Then he held up a Bible. He should have held up a copy of the Constitution, with the Second Amendment highlighted in red.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Unrestrained Power Leads to Murder

During the unconstitutional lockdowns of COVID-19, many in the white communities of America finally started waking up to the drastic and gross measures by which hateful power structures are willing to suppress, oppress, and deny the God-given rights of themselves and their families….

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

We Should’ve Killed the Deconstructionist Monster Decades Ago

Now that it’s grown into a million-headed creature whose tentacles reach into every corner of the United States, it’s too big to kill.

By Bruce Bawer

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Wokevirus

Anti-lockdown protesters were publicly shamed & called “granny killers”.

BLM protesters are celebrated & applauded by health workers & the media.

Apparently, coronavirus is ‘woke’ and takes a break if the cause you’re championing is left-wing.

“It’s OK when we do it!”

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

6 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 6/3/2020

  1. “A World War II diary written by a Nazi officer has come into the spotlight after it was revealed that it may lay out the location of a Nazi-confiscated treasure worth billions of dollars, according to a Polish news site.”
    If this information has been made public, you can be sure someone has already taken care of all the treasure…

  2. I hope American readers will excuse some levity amid all the horror going on in their country, but I was intrigued by the heading (under “Europe and the EU”): “Spanish Porn Star held after Man dies in Toad Venom Ritual”.

    Reminds me of the late British satirist and tv star David Frost; on one of his shows* from the ’70s- “The Frost Report”, if I recall correctly- he closed with the “perfect tabloid headline”: “Teenage Priest in Sex Change Mercy Dash to Palace”.

    *He was also on “That was the Week that Was”, among other shows from the satire boom of the time (Tom Lehrer popped up there, and Millicent Martin, whom older tv viewers may recall playing Daphne’s mother in “Frasier”).

    • Did Tom perform the “Vatican Rag” or “Goodbye Mom, I’m off to drop the Bomb”?

      • Well, they’re both on his live album, “That was the Year that Was”, recorded in San Francisco in July 1965. Whether he also did them on the US or UK version of the tv show, “That was the Week…” I don’t know, but it seems likely.

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