Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died today at the age of 87. It is not yet clear whether COVID-19 will be listed as the cause of death on Justice Ginsburg’s death certificate.
In other news, police in Maine are searching for a middle-aged woman who has been putting dog excrement in the mailboxes of Trump supporters.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to C. Cantoni, Caroline Glick, Dean, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
17-Year-Old GOP Campaign Member Murdered in Minneapolis, Another Wounded
On Monday, two members of the campaign team for Lacy Johnson, the challenger of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), were shot in Minneapolis outside a convenience store.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-Gang Operation in Oklahoma City Results in 262 Arrests and 5 Missing Children Found
More than 260 suspects have been arrested — including six people wanted for alleged homicide — and five missing children located as a result of a 60-day U.S. Marshals anti-gang operation in Oklahoma City.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper were criticized Thursday for breaking social distancing protocol during Biden’s town hall in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bjorn Lomborg: CA Fires Caused by Century of Suppressing Controlled Burns
Ongoing forest fires in California are mostly a function of poor forest management, particularly insufficient controlled burns to clear away accumulated fuelwood, explained Bjorn Lomborg, president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center and author of False Alarm, offering his remarks on Thursday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow.
“It has fairly little to do with climate change, and it has almost everything to do with the fact that we haven’t managed our forest well,” said Lomborg of California wildfires. “We haven’t done prescribed burning. We haven’t ensured that these fires won’t burn out of control.”
Lomborg added, “We’ve just simply allowed fuelwood to build up to cause almost uncontrollable fires in California.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A video clip out of DC shows Black Lives Matter activist Charity Sadé accusing a CVS employee of putting black people at risk of being killed because he called the police on two shoplifters.
“May I ask why you called the police on those two men?” Sadé asks the employee.
The employee, who is a store manager, explains that CVS policy dictates if the shoplifters leave the store with merchandise, they can get the police involved.
“I did not actually elect to press charges, I just said I want them to know they can’t come in here anymore because they shoplifted,” he explains.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BLM Rioter Charged by Feds for Setting Portland Police Building on Fire
A Portland man is accused by federal authorities of trying to set the Portland Police Bureau’s north precinct on fire at a violent Black Lives Matter-Antifa protest in June.
Gavaughn Gaquez Streeter-Hillerich, 22, has been charged with two felony counts of using fire to maliciously damage and attempt to damage a city-owned building and multiple private businesses, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced its decision to prosecute on Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cheer Star Jerry Harris Charged With Producing Child Sex Images
Jeremiah “Jerry” Harris, one of the stars of the Netflix documentary series Cheer, has been arrested and charged with producing child sex images.
Mr Harris, 21, allegedly enticed an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself, the US attorney’s office said.
According to court records, Mr Harris admitted to soliciting and receiving explicit images from the minor.
But a spokesperson for the star has denied the allegations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Man Friday: I’m Begging You to Never Pose as a Cop and Pull Over a Cop (Again)
Before we get started I’d like to take a brief moment to apologize for not posting Florida Man Friday last week.
It’s just that after having sworn off years ago from writing 9/11/2001 memorial features, I felt compelled to write one last Friday, on 9/11/2020.
And after having written one for the first time in years, couldn’t exactly muster the necessary levity to bring you a proper Florida Man Friday.
With that out of the way, won’t you join me on another thrill-a-minute…
Florida Man Friday!
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Four Months Later: Pelosi Condemns Rioting
Almost four months after the worst rioting and looting in history took hold in practically every major city in the US, the majority of which are run by Democrats, Nancy Pelosi finally said something about it.
“We support peaceful demonstrations. We participate in them. They are part of the essence of our democracy. That does not include looting, starting fires, or rioting,” Pelosi said Thursday, adding “They should be prosecuted. That is lawlessness.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lady Gaga Says Americans Drink “The Poison of White Supremacy, “ She is “Unlearning Things”
In an interview with Billboard, pop star Lady Gaga said that she believes that every American is poisoned by white supremacy the moment they are born on U.S. soil.
The singer, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, says she is working hard to expunge her own white supremacist ways by “learning and unlearning things” she was taught throughout her life.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maine Cops Hunt Woman Leaving Dog Poop in Trump Supporters’ Mailboxes
That’s a really crappy political campaign.
Police in Maine are hunting a middle-aged woman who has been dumping dog poop in Trump supporters’ mailboxes, according to a report Thursday.
“She has been picking up dog feces and putting it in mailboxes, specifically of people who have Trump signs outside,” Alyshia Canwell, a patrol officer with Hampden Public Safety, told WGME.
The doggy-doo deliverer was spotted both Sunday and Monday, and was snapped riding a purple bike around Hampden while wearing a matching-colored T-shirt, glasses and Crocs, according to a police photo.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mitch McConnell Pledges Senate Will Vote on Ginsburg’s Supreme Court Replacement
The announcement that supreme court justice and progressive icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg died this evening has left many Americans shocked and grieving…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
MLB Star Mookie Betts Condemns Ambush of Deputies, Offers Prayers
Star right fielder Markus “Mookie” Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers has become one of the few professional athletes to condemn the violent ambush of two L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies last weekend.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYC Murders and Gang Violence Surged Over Past Year, Data Reveals
The Big Apple is blood red.
New York City saw a spike in murders over the last year — and a more than 50 percent surge in gang violence, according to data released by City Hall on Thursday evening.
More than 350 New Yorkers lost their lives to murder in 2020 — an increase of 27 percent from last year, NYPD data included in the Mayor’s Management Report shows.
Overall, the city recorded a slight 1 percent increase in major felonies compared to 2019 — but that uptick included the jump in murders and a 20 percent rise in burglaries, or 2,176 more than last year, the report states.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A series of new polls reveals that the majority of Americans believe there is a war being waged against police officers, and that support for the ‘black lives matter’ movement has dropped even further, with many more now seeing little distinction between the movement’s ‘protests’ and violent riots.
Polls from Pew Research and Fox News reveal that support for BLM has dropped more than ten percentage points in just a few months.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portland: Man With Knife Enters Home and Threatens 12-Year-Old, Police Take 96 Minutes to Respond
A man with a knife ran into a man’s home and locked himself inside with a 12-year-old boy for 96 minutes while the father and neighbors waited for police to arrive outside the home, wondering why police were not responding more quickly to the potentially violent situation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
President Trump and Carpe Donktum Sued Over Meme
The parents of the toddlers featured in a viral meme, which made fun of CNN’s biased coverage of Trump supporters, have sued President Trump and meme artist Carpe Donktum for their involvement in the creation and sharing of the meme.
The meme features footage from a viral video of a black toddler and a white toddler happily hugging each other and then running down a sidewalk after their first day of school. The video was recorded by their fathers Michael Cisneros and Daniel McKenna in September 2019.
Carpe Donktum created and shared the meme around a week after the original video went viral and transformed the footage into two segments that collectively take aim at CNN and make fun of biased media coverage.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Princeton Study: Black Lives Matter Responsible for 91% of Riots Over Last 3 Months
A new study by Princeton University’s US Crisis Monitor shows that the U.S. experienced 637 riots between May 26 and Sept. 12, and 91% of those riots were linked to the Black Lives Matter movement.
In other words, BLM was responsible for 9 out of 10 riots across the country.
Riots are defined by the project as “demonstrations in which any demonstrators engage in violently disruptive or destructive acts (e.g. violence, looting, vandalism, etc.), as well as mob violence in which violent mobs target other individuals, property, businesses, or other groups.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portland paper Willamette Week published an article Wednesday on Andy Ngo, conflating his coverage of violent rioters with inciting violence upon them. One of the quoted subjects still maintains the claim that a man appeared at her mother’s door with gun in-hand because of “Ngo’s robust social media presence,” but Portland police records found no evidence of a 911 call despite the news outlet’s reporting.
30-year-old Black Lives Matter activist Ragina Joe-Marie Gray was charged with disorderly conduct in the second degree, resisting arrest, and interfering with an officer at an Aug. 7 riot when Antifa militants attacked the Portland Police east precinct. She was quickly bailed out.
Ngo, The Post Millennial‘s editor-at-large, then posted Gray’s mugshot and linked her booking information, which are public records archived from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. Ngo noted that Gray is “frequently photographed with kids at protests and rants about white terrorism.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: Biden Campaign ‘Cybersecurity Expert’ Linked to ‘Gay N***** Association of America’ Hackers
A top “cybersecurity adviser” to the Joe Biden presidential campaign has reportedly been outed as an online user who frequently interacted with the infamous troll group Gay N***** Association of America, according to evidence uncovered by the Washington Examiner.
Jackie Singh, who appears to have locked down her Twitter account after the report surfaced Friday, reportedly engaged in activism and recruitment for GNAA under the handle “jax.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
South Carolina Teacher Loses Job Over Facebook Memes
The Florence School District 1 has fired a teacher over her Facebook posts.
“This morning, district administrators were notified of an inexcusable Facebook post made by a teacher on their personal Facebook page,” the Superintendent of Florence One Schools, Richard O’Malley wrote to parents. He added that the school district administration “took immediate action” to resolve the issue.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spotify Employees Reportedly Call for Joe Rogan Censorship
A Vice report says that Spotify employees are fighting against some of their executives for the company’s deal with the world’s most popular podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience” because they say that some episodes are “transphobic.”
Since May, Joe Rogan, who has approximately 9.5 million subscribers on YouTube, signed a contract with Spotify to podcast on the platform. However, it seems that this commercial agreement has not been to the liking of many of the employees of the streaming service, who have complained that Rogan’s podcasts are critical of transgender people.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dead at 87
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the enigmatic, longtime Supreme Court justice who attained near cult-like status among progressive circles, died Friday at the age of 87 from complications surrounding metastatic pancreatic cancer.
The late Supreme Court justice, who spent more than two decades on the bench in the highest court of the land, is survived by her two children, Jane Carol and James Steven Ginsburg.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Susan Rice Compares President Trump to Chinese Dictator Mao Zedong
Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice recently compared President Trump to infamous Chinese dictator Mao Zedong.
Rice said Trump reminded her of Mao, who was the founder of the People’s Republic of China and former chairman of the ruling Communist Party, after hearing Trump’s reference to a “patriotic education” in a speech given on Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The NRA Raised More in August Than Any Month of the 2016 Election
The political action committee associated with The National Rifle Association raised more than $1.7 million in August, nearly $240,000 more than any month in 2016.
“The NRA is grateful to our members and gun owners for a record-breaking August,” said NRA spokeswoman Amy Hunter. “Americans step up when their rights are in danger, and they’re stepping up now because they know the stakes of this election couldn’t be higher.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Creates “1776 Commission” To Promote Patriotic Education
President Trump announced on Thursday that he was creating the “1776 Commission” to promote patriotic education in schools to combat what he said was a Leftist agenda to “rewrite American history.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Speaking at the National Archives on Thursday for Constitution Day, President Trump railed against the pervasive rise of Critical Race Theory in culture and public institutions, taking aim at the Smithsonian in particular.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
University of Wisconsin-Madison Grad Student Admits to Faking Racial Identity
A graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has confessed to intentionally misleading friends and colleagues about her racial identity after spending years pretending to be a person of color.
CV Vitolo-Haddad, who identifies as nonbinary and uses “they/them” pronouns, in a pair of blog posts written on Medium announced they would be leaving their position as the co-president of the university’s Teaching Assistants’ Association while apologizing for their actions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Police Drag Man Out of School Board Meeting for Not Wearing a Mask
A video out of South Dakota shows a man being dragged by police out of a school board meeting because he is not wearing a mask.
During a discussion about the school district’s mask mandate, local resident Reed Bender refused to wear a mask after being ordered to do so by Superintendent Joe Graves, who subsequently called the police.
Officers attempted to convince Bender to put on a mask but he refused, telling them, “You’re gonna have to drag me out, guys.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: CNN (Seriously) Claims That COVID Will Spread at Trump Rallies But Not BLM Protests
In response to criticism that CNN is continuously praising mass gatherings when they are BLM organised, but condemning Trump campaign rallies for breaking COVID restrictions, the network seriously attempted to argue that the Trump rallies are scientifically more likely to spread the virus than BLM gatherings.
On Wednesday, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh called out CNN’s hypocrisy on this matter, noting that “if people can protest in the streets by the tens of thousands, if people can riot, if people can gamble in casinos, then certainly they can gather peaceably under the First Amendment to hear from the president of the United States.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dr. Scott Atlas, one of the coronavirus task force members of the White House, has condemned the Big Tech social media’s doings to suppress narratives surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Atlas recently took part in a discussion in a video where he went into great depths about the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing. He had put forth several scientifically backed arguments and argued for a full reopening of the country and the end of lockdowns.
YouTube, however, ended up censoring the video as it apparently violated the platform’s community guidelines. Dr. Atlas was naturally frustrated with YouTube censoring his video and said that he was taken aback by the move. He said that he commonly thought how such censorship of scientific observations was only limited to “third world countries.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Commission President Claims Populist Opponents ‘Preach Hate’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen rebuffed populist critics in the European Parliament on mass migration, claiming they “preach hatred”.
President Von der Leyen was challenged on mass migration policies by members of the populist Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament which consists of members of the French National Rally (RN), Matteo Salvini’s League, and other anti-mass migration parties.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Parliament Resolution is an Anti-Democratic Coup: Polish Justice Minister
Members of the Polish government are describing a resolution passed by the European Parliament — arguing that rule of law and basic rights are increasingly deteriorating in Poland — is anti-democratic and an attack on Polish sovereignty.
The resolution was passed by 513 to 148 votes in the European Parliament. It was opposed by all MEPs from Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) but supported by all MPs from Poland’s Left and Civic Platform (PO). The Polish People’s Party (PSL) MEPs abstained, according to Polish news outlet Polsatnews.pl.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro said that the European Parliament is questioning the very essence of democracy. It was effectively refusing to accept the decisions taken by the Polish electorate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Glorifying Terrorism Attempts to Hold French Police at Knifepoint
A 21-year-old man was arrested in the city of Montpellier after attempting to hold three police officers at knifepoint while praising and advocating terrorism.
The incident took place on Tuesday evening in the Mosson-la Paillade district of the city and saw the 21-year-old approach the three officials while allegedly making incoherent remarks towards them.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The UK government has introduced a new law that forces some businesses to refuse entry to customers unless they download and use the government’s contact tracing app or hand over their personal data. Fines of up to £4,000 ($5170) can also be issued for non-compliance.
Under the new law, “The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Collection of Contact Details etc and Related Requirements) Regulations 2020,” UK citizens that want to use bars, cafe’s, pubs, restaurants, and even workplace cafeterias, from today, will be legally required to hand over several pieces of personal information to enter.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PM Orban Greets Hungarian Jews for Jewish New Year
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sent the country’s Jewish community a New Year’s greeting stressing the importance of the role they played in the country throughout the centuries and praising the heritage they represent, Orban’s press secretary Bertalan Havasi told national news agency MTI on Thursday.
“On the occasion of Rosh Hashanah, I would like to wish all my Jewish compatriots a sweet new year full of less difficulty and more joy!” Orban wrote in a letter to Andras Heisler, president of the Association of Jewish Communities in Hungary; Slomo Köves, senior rabbi of the United Hungarian Jewish Community; Eduard Deblinger, president of the Hungarian Autonomous Orthodox Jewish Community; and György Szabó, president of the Hungarian Jewish Community.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Snap Election May be Called as Ruling Coalition Enters New Crisis
A crisis within Poland’s ruling conservative bloc has been sparked over the refusal by the Solidarity Poland and Agreement parties to back a measure that bans fur farming and limits ritual animal slaughter as well as a law that would offer immunity to state officials for their actions during the pandemic.
Now, the leadership of Law and Justice (PiS), which is the largest party in the conservative coalition, are threatening to call a snap election.
The crisis intensified when the two allied parties in the coalition failed to support the animal protection legislation in the Lower House of Polish Parliament. All of 20 of the Solidarity Poland MPs voted against it and the members of Agreement abstained.
The minister of Agriculture, Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski, and some other PiS MPs voted against the measure as well.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Romanian Intelligence Service Recruiting Via Facebook Ads
In an unconventional move, the Romanian Intelligence Service (Serviciul Romn de Informatii or SRI), the country’s main domestic intelligence service, is seeking language specialist via Facebook ads.
The languages themselves are a fairly good indication of what countries or regions Romania considers as a national security threat: Albanian, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Chinese, Korean, Dari, Hebrew, Georgian, Hindi, Kurdish, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Gypsy, Russian, Serbian, Tatar, Ukrainian and Urdu.
Although Romanian nationalist politicians often play the ethnic card against the country’s sizeable Hungarian minority, the neighboring country’s language is not in the list.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish Journalist Charged With Hate Crime for Publishing Article About Muslim-Owned Pharmacies
A journalist in Sweden was charged with a hate crime and faces two years in prison for publishing an article that questioned whether Muslim-owned pharmacies would fairly distribute drugs if supplies became limited.
Yes, really.
Ingrid Carlqvist and her colleague Maria Celander face a court appearance on November 2 over an article which they didn’t even write but published on their website.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish Women’s Soccer Team Kneels for Black Lives Matter
The Swedish women’s national soccer team took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement during a European cup qualifier match with Hungary this week.
Captain of the national side Caroline Seger stated that the gesture, which was notably kicked off by American football player and political activist Colin Kaepernick in 2016 during the playing of United States national anthem, is something her team supported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Today, Europe is Being Built in Central Europe, ‘ PM Orban Says at Danube Bridge Opening Ceremony
At the inauguration ceremony of a new bridge over the Danube River linking Slovakia and Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, “Today, Europe is being built in Central Europe by the Hungarians, Slovaks, Czechs, and Poles,” while adding a warning that if Central Europeans did not organize the infrastructure of the region, foreigners would do it for them.
“Both countries are beautiful and both lie in an important location,” Orban continued, “If we don’t organize this region between Germany and Russia, then foreigners will.”
The Hungarian prime minister said the bridge also serves as a symbol of Central European countries being at the forefront of building a new Europe as well as rapidly improving bilateral relations between Hungary and Slovakia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Boris Suggest Anti-Brexit Biden Does Not Understand EU Talks
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested U.S. presidential hopeful Joe Biden does not understand Britain’s negotiations with the European Union, after the Democrat intervened on Brexit on the EU’s side.
The 77-year-old former U.S. vice president butted into the Brexit talks to threaten he would block a British-American trade deal if the United Kingdom undermines the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement which brokered peace between the British state and the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) terror organisation in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Govt Introduces Localised Restrictions, Mulls Nationwide Second Lockdown
The Johnson administration has imposed localised restrictions in the North East of England, affecting millions, while government scientists have reportedly advised a second nationwide lockdown next month.
Confirmed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock only on Thursday, from Friday parts of the North East finds itself under new restrictions that ban people from mixing with others outside of their household and a 10 pm curfew on pubs, restaurants, and other social venues.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: The Snitching Begins: Nosey Neighbour Calls Police on Wake in Pub Garden
Britons have already starting snitching on each other over perceived breaches of the coronavirus ‘rule of six’, with one woman grassing on people at a wake in a pub garden.
Ministers this week had urged members of the public to inform on their neighbours if they were suspected of gathering in groups of larger than six. Home Secretary Priti Patel even said that two families bumping into each other in the street and stopping for a chat could be against the law.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Caroline Glick: A Tale of Two White House Signing Ceremonies
Washington: Attending the White House signing ceremony on Tuesday of the Abraham Accords — which normalize relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain — was both moving and jarring. Standing at the South Lawn, just meters from the Rose Garden where the Oslo Accord were signed 27 years ago on September 13, 1993, the comparison between the two agreements was inescapable.
That ceremony was an act of political theater unsurpassed in the history of Israel. Yasser Arafat, chairman of the PLO, and architect of modern terrorism, grinned ear to ear as he received the royal treatment on the White House Lawn.
Seeking peace, Israel’s then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin promised the PLO land, money and weaponry, which Arafat used to build a terror state on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Arafat in turn promised to end terrorism, accept Israel’s right to exist and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. Arafat was lying.
I wanted to believe in the fake peace of 1993. But the grim facts made it impossible. For the past 27 years, first as a member of Israel’s negotiating team during my service in the IDF and then as a writer and a lecturer, like thousands of other Israelis and friends of Israel in the US and around the world, I devoted myself to exposing the lies and warning about the danger of empowering those who seek Israel’s destruction. I wrote hundreds of articles, briefed hundreds of politicians and community leaders in the US and worldwide. I wrote a book.
And as I sat in the garden at the White House today, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Mahyan and Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani standing in the portico before me, the names of the victims of that previous peace agreement rushed through my head. David Biri, Nachson Waxman, Kochava Biton, Ohad Bachrach, Ori Shachor, the Lapids, the Ungars, the Fogels, the Schijveschuurders, Madhat Yusuf, Shalhevet Pas and on and on and on…
| — Hat tip: Caroline Glick | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Responds to Syria’s Economic Plea
by Daniel Davis
The Kremlin reaffirmed its vow to support Syria after President Bashar al-Assad requested economic help last week. Assad’s regime has faced a number of challenges over the past decade, including a civil war, ISIS, and allegations of crimes against humanity.
Putin and Assad Inseparable
Economically, individual Syrian individuals and businesses have been targeted by US sanctions since the administration of US President George W. Bush. President Barack Obama issued an executive order barring US citizens from doing business with the Syrian government in addition to embargoing oil imports.
President Donald Trump doubled-down on the hard-line approach to Syria, citing human rights abuses. Much like the Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran, the US may sanction any individual, anywhere in the world for conducting business deals with Assad.
[…]
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Poland’s Belarus Plan Gets EU Support
Poland has managed to get the majority of European Union states to agree with its proposed aid package for Belarus, which would be implemented as long as Belarus agrees to hold free elections.
The foreign policy initiative is Poland’s boldest within the EU since the days of the Ukrainian crisis. It should also help Poland to offset the disputes it has been having with the EU under the present administration in Warsaw.
The program for Belarus is modelled on that which Brussels instituted for Poland in the 1990s.
The plan is seen as a counter to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer of a credit line of $1.5 billion for Belarus, with the EU offer initiated by Poland seen as more attractive. The EU market that would be opened up for Belarus is 12 times the size of that of Russia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judd Apatow Calls Out Hollywood Censorship in China: ‘They’ve Bought Our Silence With Money’
Judd Apatow is refusing to let Hollywood off the hook for allowing itself to be censored in international markets such as China in order to reap financial rewards. During a conversation with MSNBC’s Ari Melber on “Mavericks with Ari Melber,” Apatow criticized Hollywood for staying away from and/or cutting out content that is critical of certain countries in order to make money.
“A lot of these giant corporate entities have business with countries around the world, Saudi Arabia or China, and they’re just not going to criticize them,” Apatow said, “and they’re not going to let their shows criticize them or they’re not going to air documentaries that go deep into truthful areas because they make so much money.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump to Block TikTok, WeChat Downloads Starting on Sunday
The U.S. will ban transactions with WeChat and TikTok beginning on Sunday, the Commerce Department announced on Friday.
The announcement comes ahead of an expected statement from President Trump on whether technology company Oracle will be allowed to take a minority stake in the Chinese-owned TikTok.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Melbourne Lockdown-Dodgers Are Fined After Driving 30km to Buy Fried Chicken
The man and woman had driven from Tarneit to St Kilda East — about 34km — when they were pulled over by Victoria Police in the 24 hours to Friday.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Pre-Crime: New Law Would Give Australian Authorities Power to Arrest COVID “Conspiracy Theorists”
A draconian new coronavirus law could give Australian authorities the power to arrest coronavirus “conspiracy theorists” if it’s thought they may commit a crime in the future.
Yes, really.
The new COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) bill, which is being debated in the Victoria State Parliament this week, will give local authorities the power to detain people who refuse to self-isolate as well as “conspiracy theorists” and anyone deemed to be at risk of spreading COVID-19 negligently.
A government spokesman told the Age that the measures “could be applied to conspiracy theorists who refuse to self-isolate or to severely drug-affected or mentally impaired people.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Couple Filmed Wearing Dog Cone-Style Corona Visors
A video out of Argentina shows a couple proudly walking down the street wearing full upper body visors that resemble dog cones to protect against coronavirus.
Welcome to your new normal.
Apparently, the contraptions are called ‘Breathe Well Tubes’ and look completely ridiculous.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Evros Farmer Receives Lengthy Suspended Sentence for Clashing With Turkish Asylum Seekers
The court of Alexandroupolis handed out a suspended 26-month imprisonment sentence to the young farmer from Feres who clashed with Turkish asylum seekers who illegally entered Greece, Evros News reported.
Fera, near the Delta of the Evros on the Greek-Turkish border, was the scene of where five adult Turkish citizens entered Greece illegally to seek political asylum but attacked a young cattle breeder instead.
The cattle breeder, who was carrying a firearm as is customary for farmers working on the Greek-Turkish border, located the asylum seekers on Wednesday and asked them to wait for the arrival of police officers so they could begin the asylum seeking process.
According to Evros News, the Turkish asylum seekers then attacked the farmer and attempted to steal his gun.
Police would arrive a few minutes later, but the farmer suffered a ruptured tendon and other injuries.
The Turks would be charged, but after making contact with connections in Athens, the farmer was later charged for making a racially motivated attack against the asylum seekers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Greek Minister Claims Closed Borders Have Cost People Traffickers €100 Million
Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarakis has claimed that people traffickers have lost as much as €100 million due to the reduction in migrants flowing into Greece.
The Migration and Asylum minister stated that Greece has seen just 12,000 migrants arrive this year, compared to 74,000 in 2019. This, he said he estimated, would have cost illegal people traffickers €100 million.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary and Czechia Refuse to Accept Migrants From Moria But Agree to Donate Aid
Czechia and Hungary are donating aid to the Moria migrant camp in Greece after a fire set by migrants destroyed almost the entire camp, leaving nearly 12,500 people temporarily homeless.
Both countries indicate they are willing to help financially but will not take any migrants in, which has been consistent with the migration stance of both countries over the years. In June of this year, both countries signed a letter to the European Commission, along with five other European nations, rejecting further migrant quotas in the European Union.
Czechia will give Greece almost €97,420 (2.6 million korunas) and Hungary will offer €60,000 to help with the destroyed Moria migrant camp on the island of Lesbos.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One Witness Named Five of the Six Afghans That Burnt Moria Migrant Camp
The testimony of a witness and a video posted on social media the night the Moria migrant camp was destroyed by fire led to the identification of six young Afghans accused of setting the fire. In addition to the testimonies of police and firefighters, who described what happened on the night of September 8, the case file includes the testimony of an Afghan national who named five of those arrested as the people who led the arson of the camp.
The sixth detainee was identified by a video posted on social media in which he appears to be setting fire to bushes using a burning cardboard. He is one of the two 17-year-olds who were transported inland the day after the fire, along with more than 200 unaccompanied minors. In fact, at the time of his arrival, he is said to have been dressed in the same clothes he wore on the night of the arson.
Most of those arrested, apologizing to police, denied the allegations and claimed they had no involvement in the events. The Mytilene Prosecutor’s Office filed criminal charges against them, including the formation of a criminal organization and arson. They received a deadline and are expected to apologize to the investigator tomorrow.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Second UK Military Migrant Camp Set to Open in Wales, As Migrant Crisis Grows
The British government is “actively” considering opening a second migrant camp to house some 250 alleged asylum seekers in Wales, as the illegal boat migration crisis in the UK deepens.
Following the revelation that the Home Office has taken over a former army barracks in Kent to hold some 450 migrants, the Welsh Secretary of State and the MP for South Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen West, Simon Hart, confirmed that the government is considering opening a second camp in a Ministry of Defence facility the small Welsh village of Penally just outside of Tenby.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
SUE REID’S disquieting report from the villages on the front line lays bare frustrations of locals who feel forgotten
All Sue Cook wanted was to get to work and help the friend she has looked after for years, a woman in her 70s with health problems.
But the road to her friend’s house was blocked. Migrants were standing on it, police had parked up their squad cars and were milling about trying to gather them up. It wasn’t the first time Sue had found the road blocked in this way and she let her frustration show.
What happened next in this attractive corner of Kent hit the headlines this week. Sue was filmed shouting at the 16 migrants from Syria and Sri Lanka who, an hour earlier, had landed from Calais on the nearby beach in a small grey inflatable boat.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Author J.K. Rowling’s defense of the concept of biological sex and refusal to bow to the demands of activists has made her a persistent target of online outrage.
With the recent announcement of a new Harry Potter game, Hogwarts Legacy, and the recent release of Rowling’s latest book, Troubled Blood, the online targeting of Rowling has intensified with news outlet Kotaku even going as far as branding her “transphobic.”
But one of the most surprising sources to come out against Rowling and brand her “anti-trans” is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) — a nonprofit that describes itself as “our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Church Launches Sunday School Ad Depicting Jesus as Bearded Lady With Breasts
The Church of Iceland has raised eyebrows with a Sunday School advert depicting Jesus Christ sporting a long beard and apparently bouncing breasts.
The Scandinavian church, which is notionally Evangelical Lutheran, earned a substantial backlash for the stunt, with social media users claiming to be former congregants citing such “woke” virtue-signalling as their reason for leaving its dwindling flock.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Facebook to Stop Recommending All Health-Related Groups
Facebook groups have been a popular way for those who are against the mainstream coronavirus narrative to gather and discuss. But Facebook wants users to get their information from “authoritative sources” and has announced that it will now block health-related groups completely from recommendations.
Facebook has released numbers related to the actions it took on “violations” of its rules with regards to groups. Facebook Groups, for a long time now, have been at the receiving end of intense criticism from the media and have been accused of being the breeding grounds for controversial theories.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google Calls for More Censorship on Internal Message Boards
Google wants more self-censorship in internal message boards. According to the company, there has been a rise in “questionable” content on the message boards due to the “tough global conversations” surrounding race and the pandemic.
In 2019, Google launched a policy restricting discussions on politics in internal messaging boards. The policy was criticized by some employees who claimed the restrictions were too broad.
According to a blog post by the company’s internal community management, there has been an increase in “abusive” posts in message boards. They believe the cause is a combination of increased engagement since Googlers have to work from home and the “tough global conversation.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kroger Faces Lawsuit After Firing Employees for Not Wearing Pro-LGBT Aprons
Kroger is facing a lawsuit after it fired two employees for refusing to wear a pro-LGBT apron as part of their work uniform because it violated their religious beliefs.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against the grocery store chain after a location in Conway, Arkansas, fired two employees for refusing to follow a new dress code that required them to wear an apron with a rainbow-colored heart emblem.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nearly 3 Dozen Lawmakers Call for Charges of Child Pornography Against Netflix for “Cuties” Movie
Thirty-three Republican lawmakers signed their names in support of a letter Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) sent Attorney General William Barr a letter urging him to prosecute Netflix for distributing child pornography.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Undercover Journalist Sues Planned Parenthood for Defamation
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is under demands to pay damages to pro-life journalist David Daleiden and his Center for Medical Progress for allegedly defaming both in its responses to Daleiden’s explosive undercover videos.
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is under demands to pay damages to pro-life journalist David Daleiden and his Center for Medical Progress for allegedly defaming both in its responses to Daleiden’s explosive undercover videos.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sadiq gets called out
https://mobile.twitter.com/tweet_elitist/status/1306951193856532487
Despicable buffoon!
A second lockdown?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN2690SX
anti-lockdown protest in London
https://mobile.twitter.com/SteveLaws19/status/1307282499987558401