Gates of Vienna News Feed 7/31/2020

The Somali taxi driver who allegedly deliberately ran down four people in the Swedish town of Borlänge has a criminal record, including for the sexual assault of a child. Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen, the leader of National Rally in France, said that she will deport criminal migrants if she is elected president in 2022.

In other news, vandals desecrated a church in southern Poland with Satanic symbols.

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

Thanks to AA, Caroline Glick, Insubria, 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
» Canada: Economic Activity Down 15% Since February Despite Recent Rebound: Statscan
» Markets Struggle as Coronavirus Hammers Economies Worldwide
» US GDP Seen Rebounding 11.9% in Q3 by Atlanta Fed
 
USA
» 17 Year Old Tampa Teen Among 3 People Charged With 30 Counts for Recent Twitter Hack
» America’s “Days of Rage”: The Extensive Left-Wing Bombings & Domestic Terrorism of the 1970s
» Black Conservative Journalist Stabbed in Portland Says Americans ‘Need to Wake Up, ‘ ‘Start Exposing Antifa’
» Breitbart Still Suspended From Twitter After Viral HCQ Video; Doctor Gets Axe Over Involvement
» Caroline Glick: Riots and Demonstrations From Portland to Jerusalem
» Chinese Immigrant Sues University for Sanctioning Tiananmen Post
» Court’s Final Ruling Against Patreon Opens Legal Avenue to Defend Against Deplatforming
» Extra: Newspapers Are Dead, Just 3% Get Political News From Them
» Florida Couple Arrested After Breaking Ordered Quarantine
» Florida Man Friday: $300,000 Lamborghini Bought With Stolen Stimulus Money
» Florida Man Arrested for Enforcing Social Distancing by Firing Shots in Hotel Lobby
» Here Are the Top Highlights From Ghislaine Maxwell’s Unsealed Court Records
» Max Minute: CBS News Poll Shows 70 Percent of Americans Would Wait to Get COVID-19 Vaccine, Or Wouldn’t Get One at All
» New Prosecutor Agrees With Grand Jury and Federal Investigation: No Charges in Michael Brown’s Killing
» Portland Man Charged With Arson After Allegedly Setting Fire to Downtown Courthouse
» Portland Rioters Set Pig Head Wearing Police Hat on Fire
» Seattle Civil Rights Office Develops Curriculum to Assist Employees With “Processing White Feelings”
» Trader Joe’s Refuses to Change Packaging Critics Say is “Racist”
» Trump to Force TikTok to Sell Its U.S. Operations
» Whitmer Vetoes Bill That Would Have Prevented COVID-19 Patients Housed in Nursing Homes
 
Canada
» Exclusive: Lauren Southern Taking First Steps to Sue Patreon
 
Europe and the EU
» British Grime Rapper Jailed for Imprisoning, Torturing, Raping Women
» Czechia is 10th Best Country for Starting a Family
» Leader of French Far-Right Says Government Lied, Concealed COVID Failures
» Netherlands Refuses to Mandate Face Masks; Sweden Says They Are ‘Pointless’
» PM Morawiecki: Istanbul Convention May Not be Compatible With the Polish Constitution
» Poland: Vandals Desecrate Christian Church With Satanic Symbols
» Scottish Christians Warn Hate Crime Bill Could Criminalize the Bible
» Sweden: Somali Taxi Driver Arrested for Running Several People Over Has History of Criminality
» UK Violent Protests Up 1,700 Per Cent in 20 Years
» UK: Anti-Brexit Bercow to be First Former Speaker Denied Peerage in 230 Years: Report
» UK: Coventry Kidnapping: Three Jailed After Tasering Young Man’s Genitals, Holding Knife to Young Woman’s Throat
» UK’s Boris Johnson: Coronavirus ‘Second Wave’ Starting in Europe
 
Far East
» China Caught Hacking Vatican Computer Network Prior to Negotiations
» ESPN Investigation Reveals Human Rights Abuses at NBA-Run Sports Camps in China
» Hong Kong Cancels Fall Election as Coronavirus “Third Wave” Intensifies
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Zimbabwe to Pay $3.5bn Reparations to Dispossessed White Farmers
 
Latin America
» Left-Wing Brazilian Judges Are Using Facebook and Twitter to Deplatform Bolsonsaro Supporters
 
Immigration
» Berlin’s Request to Take in More Migrants is Blocked by German Interior Minister
» Bordering on Madness: Record 202 Migrants Make it Across the Channel to Kent in a Single Day — as Ministers Call on Home Office to Get a Grip of Border Farce
» Court Jails ‘Samoan Chief’ For Keeping Child and 12 Others as Modern Slaves
» Farage Investigates: Brexit Leader Uncovers Hotel Refusing Brits While Housing 147 Migrants
» Germany: Over One Quarter of the Population From ‘Migrant Backgrounds’
» Germany Has 68,000 Female Genital Mutiliation Victims and Migration is to Blame: German Family Minister
» Greece: Locals in Lesvos Protest Against NGO’s and Illegal Immigrants
» Italy: Migrant Landings Intensify, EC Says Ready to Help
» Marine Le Pen Vows to Deport Criminal Migrants if Elected President in 2022
» Outrage in Germany After Afghan Migrant Who Was Arrested for ‘Raping an 11-Year-Old’ Was Released After 12 Days Then ‘Raped Another Girl, 13’
» Supreme Court Allows Border Wall Construction to Continue
» Thumbs Up if You’ve Reached the UK! More Migrants Land in Kent as Border Force Scrambles to ‘Multiple Incidents’ Amid ‘Perfect Weather’ For Channel Crossings — After a Record-Breaking 202 Made the Journey Yesterday — Taking Total This Year to 3,421
 
Culture Wars
» CNN Refers to Women as “Individuals With a Cervix” For “Inclusivity”
» Google Accused of Racism for Rolling Out Labels for “Black-Owned” Businesses
» Kanye West Responds to Critics of Him Crying Over Possible Abortion: “I’m Concerned for the World That Feels You Shouldn’t Cry About This Subject”
» Six ‘LGBTI-Free’ Polish Cities Left Out of EU Funding
 

Canada: Economic Activity Down 15% Since February Despite Recent Rebound: Statscan

The Canadian economy continues to struggle because of the coronavirus lockdown, despite growth in May and June according to Statistics Canada.

On Friday, the agency wrote that while the economy is slowly recovering from the lockdown, Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell by 15% since February.

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

Markets Struggle as Coronavirus Hammers Economies Worldwide

London (AFP) — Asian and European stocks struggled Friday on news of rapidly-shrinking economic activity, highlighting the “devastating impact” of coronavirus on the global economy, analysts said.

A tweet from US President Donald Trump suggesting delaying November’s elections also jolted investors, helping send the euro soaring to a new two-year peak at $1.1909 in early Asian deals.

Equities in Europe aimed higher despite more grim corporate earnings, and as nations in the region unveiled the extent of historic economic devastation wrought by COVID-19.

France’s economy contracted by a record 13.8 percent in the second quarter, Spain went into recession after its gross domestic product slumped 18.5 percent, Portugal’s economy contracted 14.1 percent, and Italy’s GDP plunged 12.4 percent.

Europe as a whole was hammered by its sharpest recorded contraction in the second quarter, with GDP down 12.1 percent in the eurozone and 11.9 percent across the Union bloc.

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

US GDP Seen Rebounding 11.9% in Q3 by Atlanta Fed

One day after the BEA reported that US GDP crashed an annualized 32.9% in the second quarter, the biggest drop since the great depression…

[…]moments ago, the Atlanta Fed published its first GDPNow “nowcast” estimate for the third quarter, which is a relatively healthy 11.9%, and follows the regional Fed’s Q2 GDP estimate which was 0.8% above the official BEA print, at —32.1%.

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

17 Year Old Tampa Teen Among 3 People Charged With 30 Counts for Recent Twitter Hack

Update 7/31/2020 1520ET: The Department of Justice has also noted that 2 additional individuals have been charged, including a 19 year old from the UK and a 22 year old from Orlando, Florida, according to Bloomberg:

  • DOJ: THREE CHARGED FOR ALLEGED ROLES IN TWITTER HACK
  • DOJ: 19-YEAR-OLD FROM UK, 22-YEAR-OLD FROM ORLANDO CHARGED
  • DOJ: 3RD INDIVIDUAL IS JUVENILE WHO WON’T BE FURTHER IDENTIFIED

Before Democrats even had time to blame the Twitter hack on Russians and meddling in the upcoming election, a 17 year old from Tampa has stolen their thunder.

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

America’s “Days of Rage”: The Extensive Left-Wing Bombings & Domestic Terrorism of the 1970s

As the summer of 2020 dawned, left-wing radical groups began rioting and taking over parts of America’s cities. While this specific form of left-wing violence is new, left-wing violence itself is far from new in the United States. Indeed, one of the most hidden and concealed parts of recent American history is the extensive left-wing violence that began in the late 1960s and continued into the 1980s. At first, one might think that these were isolated incidents of small-scale “protest” or even minor violence. However, upon even brief examination, we find out that the outpouring of leftist violence over this time period was anything but minor. The most likely explanation for why you have never heard of this until now is that the events of these years have been consciously buried by those who would prefer you not know about them. As the left once again ratchets up both its rhetoric and its physical violence, it’s time to re-explore this period of American history. What started as a non-violent student movement quickly escalated into a campaign of terrorism against the American people. And while the similarities may not be terribly striking yet, astute readers of this article will quickly see the world in which we live more and more closely resembling the Days of Rage.

           — Hat tip: AA [Return to headlines]
 

Black Conservative Journalist Stabbed in Portland Says Americans ‘Need to Wake Up, ‘ ‘Start Exposing Antifa’

Andrew Duncomb, a Black conservative journalist who was stabbed during violence in Portland last weekend, told “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Thursday that he believes he was targeted by Antifa.

“I was stabbed by a known Antifa member by the name of Blake Hampe,” Duncomb told host Tucker Carlson of the Saturday attack. “I felt like I was stabbed, or targeted, specifically due to my location being doxxed … 17 hours before I arrived.”

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

Breitbart Still Suspended From Twitter After Viral HCQ Video; Doctor Gets Axe Over Involvement

Update (1015ET): Breitbart News is still unable to post to their 1.4 million followers on Twitter, after their account was locked and suspended for posting the viral video of pro-HCQ doctors at the heart of the latest debate over Silicon Valley censorship.

According to Breitbart, Twitter has yet to respond to their appeal after nearly three days.

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

Caroline Glick: Riots and Demonstrations From Portland to Jerusalem

Over the past several years, public discourse in the United States has seen a lot of new lows. It saw another one this month when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to federal officers in Portland, Oregon as “stormtroopers,” that is, Nazi Brownshirts.

In a tweet on July 18 and in subsequent remarks, Pelosi accused the federal forces deployed to Portland of “kidnapping protesters and causing severe injuries in response to graffiti.”

Pelosi’s allegations would cause a political earthquake — if they were true. But they aren’t true. And the fact that she slandered federal officers as Nazis is a deeply disturbing testament to where the Democratic Party — of which she is the senior elected official — stands today and what its intentions are.

For the past two months, the progressive city of Portland in the progressive State of Oregon, has been the scene of chaos and rioting. The liberal media have misleadingly characterized the riots as “peaceful demonstrations.”

Night after night, hundreds of “peaceful demonstrators” have vandalized and destroyed stores and other businesses, transforming downtown Portland into a war zone. Over the past five weeks, the focal point of the violence has been the federal courthouse.

“Peaceful protesters” from Antifa and other radical groups have been attacking the federal courthouse in Portland with incendiary devices including pipe bombs and commercial grade fireworks. Federal officers charged with guarding the courthouse have been blinded with lasers and attacked with stones, metal balls shot from slingshots, bricks and two-by-fours, among other things.

The rioters are backed in their efforts by city and state officials as well as national Democrats who have castigated federal forces protecting the courthouse as “occupiers,” the “Gestapo” and of course “stormtroopers.”…

           — Hat tip: Caroline Glick [Return to headlines]
 

Chinese Immigrant Sues University for Sanctioning Tiananmen Post

A Fordham University student kicked off campus for posing with his legally owned firearm filed a lawsuit on July 23 alleging the school violated its commitment to free expression.

Rising senior Austin Tong, a Chinese immigrant who posted the picture in honor of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, filed a lawsuit against Fordham, the school’s president, and the dean of students. The suit alleges the university violated its free expression covenant with students by disciplining Tong for “lawful, constitutionally protected, and non-threatening social media posts on Instagram.”

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

Court’s Final Ruling Against Patreon Opens Legal Avenue to Defend Against Deplatforming

A court has issued a final ruling denying fan-funding platform Patreon’s request for an injunction against 72 former backers of comedian Owen Benjamin who are seeking arbitration against the company for disrupting the economic relationship between themselves and Benjamin.

The final ruling follows a tentative ruling against Patreon from earlier this month and means that the company now has to pay upfront filing fees on each of the 72 individual arbitration claims within 30 days of the due date on the invoice. These fees can be upwards of $10,000 per arbitration.

When the arbitration commences, Patreon will also have to pay further legal fees and have a rolling obligation to pay them within 30 days. Lawyer, commentator, and producer Mike Cernovich has predicted that these fees could be as high as $20 million.

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

Extra: Newspapers Are Dead, Just 3% Get Political News From Them

Stick a thumb drive in them: Newspapers are dead.

Taken down by the same digital and social media papers heralded for years, a new survey found that just 3% of adults get their political news from print sources.

Instead, they turn to social media and digital media. Even radio does substantially better at drawing an audience, at 8%, according to the Pew Research Center.

The pathetic print number was in a Pew report that said those who turn to social media for their political news are dumb.

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

Florida Couple Arrested After Breaking Ordered Quarantine

A Key West couple has been arrested after breaking a mandatory quarantine order by Florida’s state health department.

After testing positive for COVID-19, Jose Antonio Freire Interian, 24, and Yohana Anahi Gonzalez, 26, were told to quarantine for 14 days. Neighbors complained, however, that the couple was not voluntarily isolating. Interian had been seen washing his car, walking his dog, and shopping for groceries, and both had been seen leaving without masks.

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

Florida Man Friday: $300,000 Lamborghini Bought With Stolen Stimulus Money

Florida Man kept me too busy this week to write a silly little Florida Man Friday intro, so without further ado won’t you join me on another…

Florida Man Friday!

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

Florida Man Arrested for Enforcing Social Distancing by Firing Shots in Hotel Lobby

Authored by Jonathan Turley

According to police, Douglas Marks, 29, has a curious method for reinforcing social distancing.

After he spotted people without masks, he allegedly fired “four warning shots” at the Crystal Beach Suites Hotel. The criminal charges contained one interesting element. While Marks did not reportedly aim at anyone, he was still charged with assault.

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

Here Are the Top Highlights From Ghislaine Maxwell’s Unsealed Court Records

Dozens of exhibits related to Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were unsealed Thursday evening, providing insight into allegations against the financier and his purported ‘madam,’ as well as other high-profile individuals, including Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz and several other people whose names one can only guess (and the internet has).

The documents, related to a 2015 civil defamation lawsuit against Maxwell by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, were ordered to be released on July 23 by US District Judge Loretta Preska — which also included flight logs from Epstein’s private jets, as well as police reports from the multiple locations where Epstein maintained residences.

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

Max Minute: CBS News Poll Shows 70 Percent of Americans Would Wait to Get COVID-19 Vaccine, Or Wouldn’t Get One at All

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Some encouraging news and some sobering news about a COVID-19 vaccine, when might one be available — and will people actually take it?

In his latest Max Minute report, CBS2’s Dr. Max Gomez has the details about a coronavirus vaccine.

Virtually since the beginning of the pandemic five months ago, much of America has hung its hopes on a coronavirus vaccine to beat the pandemic and get back to some version of normal life. And while some vaccine candidates may be getting closer, a new poll questions whether people will even take a COVID-19 vaccine.

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

New Prosecutor Agrees With Grand Jury and Federal Investigation: No Charges in Michael Brown’s Killing

Despite a renewed energy for the Black Lives Matter cause, Wesley Bell, the new prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County, has come to the same conclusion that a grand jury and federal investigation had previously: Officer Darren Wilson should not be charged in the killing of Michael Brown six years ago.

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

Portland Man Charged With Arson After Allegedly Setting Fire to Downtown Courthouse

A Portland, Ore., man was charged in a criminal complaint Friday with allegedly throwing an explosive device at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse.

Authorities say security cameras caught 18-year-old Gabriel Agard-Berryhill throwing an “incendiary object” into the entrance of the building near midnight on July 28, causing an explosion inside the downtown courthouse.

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

Portland Rioters Set Pig Head Wearing Police Hat on Fire

Portland rioters set a pig wearing a police hat on fire Thursday night outside the federal courthouse as the city continues to see more than 60 consecutive days of protests.

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

Seattle Civil Rights Office Develops Curriculum to Assist Employees With “Processing White Feelings”

The Seattle Office of Civil Rights has developed a curriculum on ‘‘race and social justice’’ that is reportedly designed for white employees only, according to training documents obtained by independent journalist Christopher Rufo.

The material contains a PowerPoint presentation called Institutionalized Racial Superiority for white people. The course instructs employees on how to ‘‘process white feelings’’ such as ‘‘sadness, shame, paralysis, confusion, and denial.’’

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

Trader Joe’s Refuses to Change Packaging Critics Say is “Racist”

Bucking the trend of companies capitulating to social media protests and online petitions, grocery store chain Trader Joe’s has rejected demands that it change the name on some of its products that critics have called “racist.”

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

Trump to Force TikTok to Sell Its U.S. Operations

President Donald Trump has decided to force popular social media platform TikTok to sell its U.S. arm as part of a bid to reduce Chinese espionage in the United States.

Bloomberg News reports that President Trump is planning to announce a decision to require TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest ownership of the popular social networking tool.

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

Whitmer Vetoes Bill That Would Have Prevented COVID-19 Patients Housed in Nursing Homes

LANSING, Mich — Governor Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed a Republican-led bill that she says would have jeopardized the health of Michigan’s nursing home residents and other COVID-19-positive patients.

“Protecting the health and safety of nursing home residents and their staff continues to be a top priority for my administration,” said Governor Whitmer. “Senate Bill 956 is nothing more than a political game that would relocate vulnerable seniors without any requirement for consent, doctor’s approval, or notification to patients and their families. It’s time for the Republican legislature to get serious about protecting our most vulnerable and addressing the public health and economic crisis faced by our state. We look forward to continuing our work with stakeholders and legislators on the task force to develop real solutions that make sense for Michigan seniors and their families.”

The House passed the bill last week, which “bans nursing homes from admitting or retaining an individual starting Sept. 1 who tests positive for COVID-19 unless the person had recovered or unless a nursing home could provide care in a separate building”.

The vote was 74-34.

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

Exclusive: Lauren Southern Taking First Steps to Sue Patreon

Speaking exclusively to National File, Lauren Southern revealed that she is taking the first steps into suing Patreon for deplatforming her.

Earlier this week, Patreon lost a lawsuit against fans of Owen Benjamin, who was kicked off the platform due to allegedly violating their policies on hate speech, inspiring Southern to take similar action against the platform.

Southern, the Canadian investigative journalist, was one of the first prominent conservatives to be removed from Patreon in 2017. Southern went on to crowd fund documentaries without the help of the platform.

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

British Grime Rapper Jailed for Imprisoning, Torturing, Raping Women

British grime artist Solo 45 has been jailed for 24 years after imprisoning, torturing, and raping four women.

A jury at Bristol Crown Court had found Solo 45 — real name Andy Anokye, aged 33 — guilty in March of 30 charges including 21 charges of rape, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of assault by penetration, and five counts of false imprisonment.

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

Czechia is 10th Best Country for Starting a Family

In a new ranking of 35 nations, the Czech Republic was listed as the tenth most suitable country for families with children, with the country also singled out as one of the safest countries in the world.

The study from Asher and Lyric produced the ranking based on six variables which include safety, happiness, cost, health, education, and time.

Besides scoring points in the safety category, Czechia also did well in the cost section, as it is the seventh best-priced country when it comes to raising a family. Compared to the Czech Republic, only parents in, for example, Sweden, Luxembourg, Norway or Iceland allocate a smaller percentage of their salary to raising their children.

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

Leader of French Far-Right Says Government Lied, Concealed COVID Failures

Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, has published a scathing summary of what she describes as the government’s mishandling of the Covid-19 health crisis. Le Pen says President Emmanuel Macron and his ministers deliberately held back information and lied to the public.

Marine Le Pen made the claims at the launch of her book, entitled Livre Noir du Coronavirus, du fiasco à l’abîme (The Coronavirus Black Book, from fiasco to abyss) at a press conference at party headquarters in Nanterre near Paris on Tuesday.

Begun in May, before the easing of lockdown measures, the 168-page text squarely accuses President Emmanuel Macron and his government of misleading the public during the Covid-19 crisis.

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

Netherlands Refuses to Mandate Face Masks; Sweden Says They Are ‘Pointless’

The Netherlands has decided not to mandate the wearing of face masks in public, citing the fact that there is no scientific evidence to suggest they are effective against the spread of the coronavirus.

“From a medical perspective there is no proven effectiveness of masks, the Cabinet has decided that there will be no national obligation for wearing non-medical masks” announced Netherlands Minister for Medical Care Tamara van Ark.

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

PM Morawiecki: Istanbul Convention May Not be Compatible With the Polish Constitution

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki emphasized that in public discussion, many people have made serious accusations about the Istanbul Convention, including that it conflicts with the Polish legal system and constitution, has an ideological basis that wrongly defines the true sources of violence against women, and does not include the right tools to combat domestic violence.

He stressed that these were all very serious accusations, which should be addressed in the right way.

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

Poland: Vandals Desecrate Christian Church With Satanic Symbols

Unidentified vandals desecrated a Christian church in Goleszów, southern Poland, last weekend, painting Satanic symbols on the main doors of the building.

Using white spray paint, the perpetrators wrote the words “Ora pro nobis, Lucifer,” Latin for “Pray for us, Lucifer,” around an inverted Christian cross, along with the Latin words for the Church of the devil.

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

Scottish Christians Warn Hate Crime Bill Could Criminalize the Bible

Christians in Scotland have warned new hate speech legislation could enshrine “cancel culture” in law while rendering expression of biblical morality illegal.

The Scottish Parliament is currently debating the “Hate Crime and Public Order” bill that would criminalize communicating “threatening, abusive or insulting material” that is “likely” to stir up hatred against a protected group, which Christians fear could easily include traditional Christian teaching on sexual morality, marriage, and human nature.

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

Sweden: Somali Taxi Driver Arrested for Running Several People Over Has History of Criminality

A Somalian migrant taxi driver, who was arrested for trying to run several people over with his vehicle, has a history of criminal behaviour including claims of sexual abuse of a child and assaulting female Swedish police.

The alleged attempted murder took place last Friday in the municipality of Borlänge. The Somalian allegedly drove his taxi into five people on purpose, with prosecutor Eva-Lena Jansson stating he was detained on four counts of aggravated assault and one of attempted murder.

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

UK Violent Protests Up 1,700 Per Cent in 20 Years

Violent protests in England and Wales have risen by an astonishing 1,700 per cent over just 20 years, according to research conducted by the Police Foundation.

In 2019, 126 protests devolved into violent altercations — compared to just seven in the year 2000 — resulting in hundreds of police officers being injured and millions of pounds in property damage.

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

UK: Anti-Brexit Bercow to be First Former Speaker Denied Peerage in 230 Years: Report

John Bercow is reportedly set to be the first former speaker of the House of Commons to be denied a peerage in 230 years.

Despite Bercow formerly being a Conservative MP, previous Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn had nominated the Remainer for the honour. The move came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson — his party colleague and the last premier under which he served — broke with tradition by refusing to recommend him.

[Comment: Hahahahaha.]

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

UK: Coventry Kidnapping: Three Jailed After Tasering Young Man’s Genitals, Holding Knife to Young Woman’s Throat

Two men, Shaan Khanyal and Achal Close, alongside a teenager, have been jailed for kidnapping and robbery after abducting and torturing a young couple, tasering the male victim’s genitals, and holding a knife to the female victim’s throat in Coventry, England.

The trio pleaded guilty to the offences at the Warwick Crown Court on Friday. Khanyal (24) was jailed for ten years and five months and Chauhan (24) was jailed for nine years. Matis Cohene (18), who was 15-years-old at the time of the attack, was given a two-year detention and training order.

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

UK’s Boris Johnson: Coronavirus ‘Second Wave’ Starting in Europe

Britain’s prime minister has justified a new raft of quarantines and travel restrictions to some European nations, remarking that in some areas a “second wave” of the pandemic is developing.

The comments come days after the United Kingdom imposed a two-week quarantine for travellers returning from Spain, and as the government added other European nations Belgium and Luxembourg to the restriction list, while also considering adding the Balkan state Croatia as well.

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

China Caught Hacking Vatican Computer Network Prior to Negotiations

ROME — Hackers tied to the Chinese government infiltrated the Vatican’s computer networks in recent months according to a report Tuesday from the U.S.-based cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

The firm said that hackers targeted the Vatican and the Holy See’s Study Mission to China, a group of Hong Kong-based Vatican diplomats who have been negotiating the Church’s status in China.

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

ESPN Investigation Reveals Human Rights Abuses at NBA-Run Sports Camps in China

An investigation by ESPN has revealed a myriad of potential human rights abuses happening in NBA-run sports camps in China, according to a report published Wednesday.

The report reveals that three NBA-run sports camps in China, launched in 2016 to recruit Chinese talent, were run out of facilities operated by the Chinese Communist Party. League employees and coaches detailed the abuses they saw at the camps.

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

Hong Kong Cancels Fall Election as Coronavirus “Third Wave” Intensifies

Update (1050ET): The White House has spoken out against Hong Kong’s decision to delay its election.

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

Zimbabwe to Pay $3.5bn Reparations to Dispossessed White Farmers

Zimbabwe has agreed to pay $3.5 billion in compensation for white farmers who had their land expropriated during a government sponsored land grab enacted to pursue reparations for colonial rule.

The Zimbabwe government has signaled its intention to compensate the dispossessed white farmers an eye-watering total of $3.5 billion (USD) in an effort to mend fractured relationships with the west as the country was plunged in decades-long economic turmoil as a result of their agrarian reform.

Around two decades ago, President Robert Mugabe’s controversial administration seized land from 4,500 white farmer’s families and redistributed it among 300,000 black families. Consequently, economic woes rocked the Southern African nation leading to mass starvation and unprecedented levels of hyperinflation.

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

Left-Wing Brazilian Judges Are Using Facebook and Twitter to Deplatform Bolsonsaro Supporters

Brazilian courts, which are often seen as the primary stronghold of political opposition to the Jair Bolsonaro regime, have taken to ordering social media platforms Facebook and Twitter to ban and censor right-wing accounts that support Bolsonaro.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the tech giants to remove 28 accounts of Bolsonaro supporters across both platforms, citing “fake news” and unspecified threats against Supreme Court officials.

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

Berlin’s Request to Take in More Migrants is Blocked by German Interior Minister

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, of the Christian Social Union (CSU), denied on Thursday a request from the German capital of Berlin to take in migrants, German daily Der Tagesspiegel reports.

In a letter to Berlin’s Social-Democrat (SPD) Senator for the Interior, Andreas Geisel, Seehofer wrote that for legal reasons he is unable to provide the motivation of his decision. He added, however, that in line with the decision of the Conference of Interior Ministers Berlin could “make a major contribution to improving the situation on the Greek islands”. This involves the admission of 243 sick children and their relatives, a total of almost 1,000 people nationwide.

This is the first time that federal minister of interior has flatly refused the intent of a German state to take in migrants.

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

Bordering on Madness: Record 202 Migrants Make it Across the Channel to Kent in a Single Day — as Ministers Call on Home Office to Get a Grip of Border Farce

More than 200 illegal immigrants crossed the Channel to arrive on the British coast yesterday — a record for a single day.

The astonishing number brought renewed calls for ministers to get a grip on the Channel crossings crisis. The previous record for one day was 180, set on July 12.

In fact, yesterday’s figure of 202 could be even higher because the Border Force records only include intercepted boats and it was unclear last night if they account for at least two groups of migrants picked up by police inland.

[Comment: Artice dated July 30, 2020.]

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Court Jails ‘Samoan Chief’ For Keeping Child and 12 Others as Modern Slaves

A migrant man has been given an 11-year sentence for human trafficking and keeping 13 people, including a 12-year-old, as slaves in New Zealand.

Joseph Auga Matamata, described as “a Samoan chief” living in New Zealand, lured victims from his homeland from as long ago as 1994 to April 2020, with the promise of a better life — but on arrival they were put to work for up to 14 hours a day, seven days a week picking fruit, without pay, and then forced to act as servants at his house.

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Farage Investigates: Brexit Leader Uncovers Hotel Refusing Brits While Housing 147 Migrants

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage released an exposé film on Wednesday, visiting a hotel in England that has shut its doors to the British public while it houses migrants attempting to receive asylum status in the UK.

Mr Farage continued his journalistic endeavours to uncover the scale of the illegal migration epidemic in the United Kingdom, travelling to a hotel in Bromsgrove in the West Midlands, which he reported was housing 147 migrants, while refusing to take bookings from staycationing Britons.

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Germany: Over One Quarter of the Population From ‘Migrant Backgrounds’

The number migrants or people with at least one foreign parent has hit an all-time high in Germany, now representing over a quarter of the population, according to statistics released on Tuesday.

A report released by Germany’s Federal Statistical Office showed that 21.2 million residents in Germany have a ‘migrant background’, per census data collected in 2019.

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Germany Has 68,000 Female Genital Mutiliation Victims and Migration is to Blame: German Family Minister

The number of girls and women who are victims of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Germany has increased by 44 percent since 2017 to 68,000, announced German Minister for Family Affairs Franziska Giffey.

According to the minister, mainly migration is to blame for the massive increase as many migrants coming to Germany commonly practice FGM in their own home countries. The practice, which is a human rights violation, involves the ritual cutting off some or all of the external female genitalia.

Giffey confirmed that the increase in cases compared to 2017 is so significant because of the rising numbers of immigrants from Eritrea, Somalia, Indonesia, Egypt, and Nigeria arriving in Germany,

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Greece: Locals in Lesvos Protest Against NGO’s and Illegal Immigrants

Women in Lesvos protested against the NGO’s and illegal immigrants that have significantly changed life on the island since 2015.

“We are here for our children and for our homes,” said women who gathered on Monday afternoon at the Petra-Molyvos-Anaxos intersection to protest illegal immigration and its effects on the region.

The women of the area drafted a protest resolution in which they expressed their opposition to the existence of NGO’s who profit off the flow of illegal migration into Greece at the expense of locals on the island, who suffer from astronomically increased criminality on the island.

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Italy: Migrant Landings Intensify, EC Says Ready to Help

Situation on Lampedusa especially difficult

(ANSA) — ROME, 30 LUG — A European Commission spokesperson said Thursday that the EU executive was “aware” of the intensification of the arrival of migrant boats from North Africa in southern Italy, especially in Sicily and on the island of Lampedusa.

The spokesperson said the EC was “following closely” the situation, especially Lampedusa where “the difficulties are significant”, with the migrant hotspot badly overcrowded.

“Clearly it is the job of the member State to deal with these difficulties initially,” the spokesperson said.

“But the European Commission, which has already given support to Italy, remains willing (to help) if there are more requests”.

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Marine Le Pen Vows to Deport Criminal Migrants if Elected President in 2022

Populist leader Marine Le Pen has vowed to deport any and all criminal migrants if she wins the French presidency in 2022.

The National Rally (RN) leader released a video earlier this week on Twitter saying that she wanted to combat the “ensauvagement” of society, a French term describing the growing and ongoing lawless, and often violent, behaviour in certain parts of the country.

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Outrage in Germany After Afghan Migrant Who Was Arrested for ‘Raping an 11-Year-Old’ Was Released After 12 Days Then ‘Raped Another Girl, 13’

A man who raped an 11-year-old girl in Germany was released from custody after 12 days and then went on to rape a 13-year-old just five weeks later, it is alleged.

The Afghan migrant’s alleged sex crimes have caused outrage in Germany where politicians are calling for his deportation if he is found guilty.

The 23-year-old, named as Zubyr S., was first arrested in June but released less than two weeks later after authorities claimed there was no evidence he was likely to re-offend.

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Supreme Court Allows Border Wall Construction to Continue

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday declined a request to halt the Trump administration’s construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border weeks after a lower court ruled that officials had inappropriately diverted funds to the project.

In a 5-4 ruling, the court rejected a request from the Sierra Club and Southern Border Communities Coalition that would have seen construction paused, according to The Associated Press. The vote fell along ideological lines, with the court’s four liberal justices — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer — dissenting.

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Thumbs Up if You’ve Reached the UK! More Migrants Land in Kent as Border Force Scrambles to ‘Multiple Incidents’ Amid ‘Perfect Weather’ For Channel Crossings — After a Record-Breaking 202 Made the Journey Yesterday — Taking Total This Year to 3,421

Border Force was again scrambled to Kent this morning after a group of migrants landed on the coast — just hours after a record-breaking 202 crossed the Channel yesterday.

Officers wearing face coverings were seen talking to the group of around ten people in Dungeness earlier today.

Fifty illegal migrants made it to the UK today, while a further 58 were picked up by French authorities and taken back to France.

[Comment: Article dated July 31, 2020.]

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CNN Refers to Women as “Individuals With a Cervix” For “Inclusivity”

Author JK Rowling recently found herself at the receiving end of backlash from online trans activists who were demanding that people avoid using the term “women” and instead use the term “people who menstruate” in order to not offend transgender people.

Rowling found this in itself was being disrespectful to women, and argued against the activists that were trying to eradicate the experience of women.

“I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so,” she wrote at the time.

But news outlet CNN appears to also want to start joining in with the new push to avoid using the term women, and have now instead used the term “individuals with a cervix.”

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Google Accused of Racism for Rolling Out Labels for “Black-Owned” Businesses

Many had falsely believed that having a marker that tells patrons the skin color or ethnicity of a business owner next to a business listing had been relegated to history books documenting the Jim Crow south in the US or of Nazi-occupied Europe.

It’s for this reason that tech giant Google is facing backlash after its decision to allow businesses to choose to reveal themselves as “black owned” and add a distinctive marker to their business listing that tells shoppers that the business is owned by black proprietors.

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Kanye West Responds to Critics of Him Crying Over Possible Abortion: “I’m Concerned for the World That Feels You Shouldn’t Cry About This Subject”

Kanye West tweeted a response on Friday to those who criticized his emotional revelation at his first presidential campaign rally on July 19 that he nearly aborted his own daughter.

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Six ‘LGBTI-Free’ Polish Cities Left Out of EU Funding

Six Polish cities that declared themselves as “LGBTI-free zones” have been denied funding under the EU’s Town Twinning programme for failing to meet the standards of “equal access and non-discrimination”.

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

12 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 7/31/2020

  1. “Somalian migrant taxi driver, who was arrested for trying to run several people over with his vehicle, has a history of criminal behaviour including claims of sexual abuse of a child and assaulting female Swedish police.”

    “What a fantastic contribution muslims make to this country!”
    David Cameron

  2. Poland has an active black metal scene but don’t tell the Satanists that if they believe in Captain Howdy then they believe in Christianity.
    Satan’s Panties, hail satin.
    Bwahaha! CCP mole Pancy Lenosi says to smoke pot to help with Covid-1984.
    There ya go. Sounds like a plan. She can think holes in a boiler plate with that intellect.
    Clowns Not News says woman with a cervix? Will that filter down to comic books?
    Wonder Woman will become person of super hero abilities with breasts who menstruates?
    There is always a silver lining and Clown World will destroy pro sportsball and comics for good if they aren’t already.
    When using the evil browser to look at “conservative” leaning pages suddenly all the pop-up ads and scripts work even though nothing was changed in the settings.
    It says ads by evil browser and usually has nothing to do with the page.

    • I am not opposed to just renaming the Earth. Rename it Clown World. I am ok with that.

    • Well, the US elected a Black (for varying amounts of Black) president. And Oprah made a lot of money. So we should be good. /s

      The claims of institutional racism are likely true, but in a way BLM does not want to analyze.

      We are ONE human race, divided by single-nucleotide polymorphisms and culture. Mostly culture.

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