Police have cracked down on illegal lockdown-violating parties in Los Angeles, Lancashire, Toronto, and London. Meanwhile, the Vatican advised the faithful to get the COVID-19 vaccination, even though it was developed using strains of cells derived from tissues taken from aborted babies.
In other news, after 111 years of peaceful residence in the U.S. Capitol, the statue of General Robert E. Lee has been permanently removed.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Fjordman, JD, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
Pork City: Here Are the Most Ridiculous Pet Projects in $900 Billion Stimulus Package
As Congress prepares to pass a $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus bill rolled into a consolidated appropriations package — with funding for assistance for households and businesses, along with vaccine distribution and other pandemic-related measures, the bill also includes a ton of pork per usual.
We already know about the $600 checks for each adult and dependent. This time, however, ‘mixed-status’ households where eligible citizens live with illegal immigrants, will not only receive payments — they can retroactively claim benefits after being left out of the last round.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Die Hard” Director Says Film is a Christmas Movie
The director of the cult classic “Die Hard” has weighed in to the cultural debate surrounding the film, saying that it is a Christmas movie.
In a 12-minute behind the scenes feature from the American Film Institute, Director John McTiernan said the decision to infuse escapism and humor in the film is what “turned it into a Christmas movie.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
AG Barr Says No Reason to Appoint Special Counsels to Investigate Election Fraud or Hunter Biden
Outgoing Attorney General William Barr said Monday that he sees “no reason” to appoint special counsels to investigate allegations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election or Hunter Biden, son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Barr Still Covers for the CIA
As Bill Barr is walking out the door of the Department of Justice to open presents on Christmas day, Kimberley A. Strassel of the Wall Street Journal tells us that he is an honest and upstanding Attorney General who believes there was no CIA role in the effort to bring down President Trump. Barr, a former CIA analyst, had come to the conclusion that he didn’t “see any sign of improper CIA activity” and that “The CIA stayed in its lane.”
This is comparable to Joe Biden saying there’s nothing in his son’s laptop worth seeing.
The CIA did not stay in its lane. The driver was drunk and the agency swerved all over the road in an attempt to take out Trump.
Former CIA officials Michael Morell, Michael Hayden and Philip Mudd had all denounced Trump when he ran in 2016. Former CIA operations officer Evan McMullin even ran against him as an independent presidential candidate.
What’s more, the list of those denouncing consideration of Hunter Biden’s laptop revelations prior to the election was dominated by the CIA. (see the list of CIA signers at the end of this column). Their letter was used by Joe Biden during the campaign to suggest the laptop story was a Russian plot.
What does the CIA have to hide?
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
California’s Newsom Could Face Recall as State Struggles During Coronavirus Crisis
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) _ California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a possible recall election as the nation’s most populous state struggles to emerge from the coronavirus crisis. Organizers say they have collected more than half of the nearly 1.5 million petition signatures needed to place the recall on the ballot.
The Rescue California website reads, “California is heading off an economic cliff and Governor Gavin Newsom is driving the car. Voters are angry, and they have a right to be. Newsom has devastated the state’s economy with his dictatorial on-again, off-again shutdown orders. We pay the highest taxes in the nation for a state government that treats business and middle-income families as the enemy, catering exclusively to monied special interests in Sacramento. Voters have a recourse — the power of Recall. We did it in 2003 and we can do it again with your help.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A California restaurant featured in a widely circulated video filed a lawsuit Sunday against Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and other public officials who have imposed shutdowns on outdoor dining in an effort to address COVID-19 positivity rates.
Angela Marsden, the owner of Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill in Sherman Oaks, California, was featured in a video earlier this month where she blasted the state for closing down her outdoor dining patio while allowing a film crew to set up a dining area next to her restaurant.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CDC: U.S. Overdoses Hit Record 81,230 in Single Year
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a new record in drug overdose deaths in the year ending May 2020 at 81,230 overdoses.
The report said the increase in overdoses was “driven by synthetic opioids before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The largest increase in overdoses was recorded from March 2020 to May 2020, and the largest percentage increases occurred in the western United States.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Weekend Violence Leaves 39 Shot, 6 Dead
Thirty-nine people were shot this weekend amid continuing violence in Chicago, six of them fatally.
Six of the wounded were attacked at a party at the Get Glammed Beauty Bar when a gunman walked in and began shooting before fleeing the scene.
The six fatally shot individuals bring the city’s 2020 homicide total to 753, drastically higher than the total of 491 for 2019.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Christmas Star’: Jupiter and Saturn to Align at Closest Distance in 400 Years — Here’s How to Watch
LOS ANGELES — Skywatchers are in for a holiday treat, as Jupiter and Saturn are set to cross paths in the night sky.
The phenomenon is nicknamed the “Christmas star” and the vibrant planetary conjunction will be easily visible to the naked eye as a “double planet.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A part of the massive 5,500+ page government funding/COVID-relief package that is expected to be passed through Congress in the next few days will include a legislative priority for the entertainment industry that will bump up the penalty for operating a for-profit illegal streaming service from a misdemeanor to a felony. Under the new law a violation of this rule could land someone in prison for up to 10 years.
Deadline described the proposed rule (which appears likely to be passed) thusly:
Felony streaming. Establishes criminal penalties, including prison time, for those who “willfully, and for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain, offer or provide to the public a digital transmission service” that offers unauthorized movies and TV shows. Penalties include fines and sentences of up to three years, or five years if the offense involved one or more titles, and “the person knew or should have 7 known that the work was being prepared for 8 commercial public performance.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Doctor Who Warned Americans Not to Travel for Thanksgiving Traveled for Thanksgiving
White House coronavirus response Dr. Deborah Birx traveled to meet family during Thanksgiving after warning Americans to avoid doing the same in yet another example of rampant COVID hypocrisy.
According to an Associated Press report, Birx traveled to her vacation home on Fenwick Island in Delaware the day after Thanksgiving to gather with her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.
Birx claimed the family members were all part of her “immediate household,” but all of those family members do not live in the same home.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Judge Rules Man Who Raped Daughter Can Receive Taxpayer-Funded Sex Change
U.S. District Judge James Peterson ruled last week to approve the sex-change surgery request of a Wisconsin man imprisoned for raping his own daughter.
Mark Allen Campbell, 49, pled guilty to repeated first-degree sexual assault against his 10-year-old daughter and was sentenced in 2007 to 34 years in prison. Campbell now goes by the name “Nicole Rose” and has publicly identified as a woman since 2013, when he first first made a request for gender reassignment surgery.
Campbell is imprisoned at the Racine Correctional Institute, where he has been allowed to dress in women’s clothing and wear make-up. After his initial surgery request was denied, he sued the Department of Corrections in 2016, claiming his Eighth Amendment rights had been violated due to cruel and unusual punishment.
While that lawsuit was shot down as well, Judge Peterson said that Campbell had “waited long enough” for the surgery and believed inadequate access to sex-change surgery was a violation of Campbell’s constitutional rights.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Half of U.S. States Prioritizing Black and Hispanic Populations in COVID-19 Vaccinations
According to guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, every American state is being urged to consider ethnic minorities as a “vulnerable community” when it comes to vaccine distribution.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lauren Southern Sends Defamation Complaint to Wikipedia Over Long-Running Smear Campaign
Documentary filmmaker Lauren Southern has submitted a defamation complaint to Wikipedia in response to a long-running smear campaign against her on the online encyclopedia by the site’s left-wing editors. Southern’s past activities have been misrepresented or taken out of context, such as details regarding her ban from entering the U.K. over prior political speech and her speaking events in Australia and New Zealand, which were subject to repeated cancellations following activist pressure campaigns. As Southern explains, “I don’t even recognize the individual they call ‘Lauren Southern’ on Wikipedia.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mom of 20-Year-Old Man Brutally Murdered, Thrown Off Cliff Lashes Out at LA County DA George Gascon
The mother of a young man who was brutally murdered and thrown off a cliff in Azusa is outraged after learning her son’s suspected killers had special charges dismissed in court Friday morning.
The dismissals came under new Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.
The mother, Desiree Andrade, tells FOX 11 she saw her son’s alleged killers smirk in court earlier in the day as all their special circumstance charges were dismissed, meaning none of them will face life without parole.
[Comment: LA County District Attorney George Gascon was backed by Soros.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Neighbors, Law Enforcement Crack Down on Secret COVID-19 Parties Across LA
LOS ANGELES — “We are stepping in because something has to be done,” says Nancy Hannah, from betterneighborsla.org, which has started a reporting hotline for Angelenos living next to rental homes being used for the illegal, large parties that seem to be exploding in Los Angeles.
Hannah says they received complaints about a home off Redesdale in Silverlake, which is listed as a short-term rental.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The New York Times offered an extensive correction Friday to its 2018 “Caliphate” podcast, with executive editor Dean Baquet calling it an “institutional failure” with reporting based off a “con artist.”
The Times received a Peabody Award for the podcast, which it has now reportedly returned.
The 12-part series aimed to cover the Islamic State terror group and relied heavily on the testimony of a Pakistani Canadian who called himself “Abu Huzayfah,” and said he had participated in gruesome killings as part of the group.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rep. Debbie Dingell Demands Facebook Remove Criticism of Islam
My latest in PJ Media:
The Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has always had friends in high places, and on Wednesday it celebrated another, announcing that it had “thanked Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) — and the 29 congressional colleagues that joined her — in urging Facebook to take immediate action to eliminate anti-Muslim bigotry from that social media platform.” CAIR’s longtime spokesman Ibrahim “Honest Ibe” Hooper noted proudly that it was “one of several organizations named by Rep. Dingell in her press release announcing the letter.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Robert E. Lee Statue Removed From U.S. Capitol
A statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee was removed from the U.S. Capitol Thursday night after it had stood for more 111 years in the building.
The statue had been placed there by the State of Virginia, which moved to remove the statue. Following a vote from Virginia lawmakers, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced that the statue would be replaced by a bust of Barbara Johns, who walked out of her all-black high school in 1951 and was an integral part of the desegregation movement that culminated in the historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Stolen Election: What You Must Do Before Jan. 6, 2021
It’s now up to us. Important read: Explainer: Dueling Electors and the Upcoming Joint Session of Congress — No, Professor it’s not a long shot and no, all the legal challenges have been political or cowardly. Evidence of overwhelming vote fraud has simply been ignored by the courts.
I would ask everyone to starting calling only Republican House members and senators from now until January 5th. The list of senators is here which gives party affiliation. U.S. Reps, click here to also find phone numbers for their district offices. DC calls to their offices get only a recording. What to say in a non-threatening manner? Personally, I have been so enraged since Nov. 4th I’d like to tell my rep and senator to go straight to hell if they don’t find the courage to stop the stealing of this election, but politeness can keep one out of trouble.
I want you to tell Rep. ______ or Sen. ________ the following:
If he/she does not stand up and object to the Electoral College vote and stop the stealing of this election (1) I will never donate another penny to the Republican Party no matter how many emails they send begging for money, (2) When Rep. _____ or Sen. _______ comes up for reelection, I am committed to making it my number one goal to make sure he/she does not win their next primaryand (3) I will make it my life’s mission to support his/her opponent in the primary and if my candidate loses, we will be prepared for immediate action against vote fraud.
If Rep. _____ or Sen. _____ refuses to stand and object, he/she will forever be known as a coward willing to throw away our republic because they might be intimidated by riots. The anarchists have been rioting and destroying cities in this country for almost a year. Trump has at least ten million armed Patriots willing to assist local law enforcement or even the National Guard if requested since we have no constitutional militia.
If it happens and most surely it will, that’s when President Trump can invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 which has been used 14 times since it was passed — a move I fully support. (You may not agree on that one.) For Congress or the gutless U.S. Supreme Court to shirk their duty to uphold their oath of office out of cowardice is the greatest slap in the face to those who fought and died to birth this country. End. You can use the same for your state legislators.
If you live in PA, WI, MI, GA, AZ and Nevada (some of them are Republican majority in both chambers of their legislature) get on the phone to their district offices and tell he/she: You know the election was stolen so de-certify the vote. Sending GOP Electoral College votes is not enough. You must withdraw certification and force Congress to stop the vote on Jan. 6th.
How bad do we want to stop this steal? Is it worth 5, 8 minutes of your time EVERY DAY (except Christmas, New Year’s Day and weekends) to stop China Joe from getting into the White House? Then, please do it as I will be doing every day to my CON-gress critter; I’m not in one of the contested states.
Now, you can change or add to the message I’m using above. Trump is not going to invoke what people refer to as martial law. His tweet yesterday: Martial Law = Fake News.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) says “heartless, arrogant, unelected” bureaucrats with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are prioritizing healthy Americans for the coronavirus vaccine before elderly Americans who are the most vulnerable population.
In a video message posted online on Monday, Gabbard torched CDC officials for distributing the vaccine to healthy “so-called ‘essential workers’“ and politicians while elderly Americans and those with underlying health conditions have yet to receive the vaccine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Underground LA Nightclub Faces Millions in Fines for COVID-19 Violations
An underground nightclub in Los Angeles is facing millions in fines over COVID-19 violations.
The nightclub itself doesn’t appear to exist unless you know what to look for. There’s no obvious front entrance, and the club itself looks like an empty storefront. The club has been operating in violation of COVID-19 restrictions passed by the California state government and L.A. city officials.
The city collected evidence against the underground nightclub for months before filing a lawsuit.
During its monitoring, city officials were witness to multiple shootings at the venue. L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer had harsh words for the owners of the nightclub and its COVID violations.
“Beyond the bullets and the assaults and the other criminal activity, I want to emphasize that packing people into an indoor space — an unlicensed club — during the pandemic is the height of irresponsibility,” Feuer told reporters during a news conference.
The lawsuit against the LA Party Society’s manager and others seeks millions in damages. The suit says the underground nightclub is in violation of public nuisance and unfair competition laws. The lawsuit itself names Yves Oscar Jr. as the nightclub manager — and two LLCs as the owners. Real estate investor David Taban is also named in the lawsuit.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vaccinations at Chicago-Area Hospital to Resume After 4 Workers Experience Adverse Reactions
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. — A north suburban hospital is temporarily pausing coronavirus vaccinations after four workers reported feeling adverse reactions.
Since Thursday, four team members at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville experienced reactions shortly after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination. Their symptoms included tingling and elevated heartrates, the hospital said in a statement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Toronto Police Laid 25 Charges Related to Large Gatherings This Weekend
On the same day that Premier Doug Ford announced that a province-wide shutdown will be implemented after Christmas to help curb the spread of COVID-19, city officials revealed that many of the city’s residents continue to flout the lockdown rules already in place in Toronto.
During the city’s press briefing Monday afternoon, General Manager of the Office of Emergency Management and Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg provided his weekly enforcement update, and he said officers laid a total of 25 charges as a result of complaints about large gatherings over the weekend.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An Overwhelming Majority in France is Unhappy With Macron
The survey of French Institute of Public Opinion shows that the popularity and trustworthiness of Emmanuel Macron is on decline.
A recently conducted survey by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP) revealed that 60 percent of French people are dissatisfied with President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Jean Castex.
IFOP said 1,936 people aged above 18 participated in the survey, which suggested the French President’s popularity has dropped by ‘three percentage points’ to 38 percent in December.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria: Top Court Overturns Headscarf Ban
The Austrian Constitutional Court has ruled that Austria’s ban on the wearing of headscarves in public schools violates the freedom of religion and the freedom of expression and therefore is unconstitutional.
The case highlights the constitutional restraints that European governments face in regulating political Islam and promoting integration.
The headscarf ban, introduced in June 2019 by a governing coalition comprised of the center-right People’s Party (ÖVP) and the populist Freedom Party (FPÖ), was an extension of a groundbreaking October 2017 “Integration Law” that sought to improve the integration of Muslims into Austrian society.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brexiteers Threaten to Veto Any Brexit-in-Name-Only Deal
Around 30 Brexiteer Conservative MPs could vote against or abstain over Boris Johnson’s trade deal with the European Union, if the prime minister agrees to a soft Brexit, or ‘Brexit In Name Only’.
Talks between London and Brussels are going down to the wire, with the transition period set to end on December 31st, 2020. Disagreement remains over issues including access to Britain’s lucrative fishing waters, with nations like France demanding the continued unfettered access the had under the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy before Brexit.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Europe Cuts Transport Links on Virus Fears as Britain Holds Crisis Talks
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Israel, India, Grenada, Sudan and Canada were among those that shut off travel ties after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a highly infectious new strain of the virus was a danger to the country.
Johnson was due to chair an emergency response meeting on Monday to discuss international travel, in particular the flow of freight in and out of Britain. EU officials were also expected to hold talks on coordinating their response.
France shut its border to arrivals of people and trucks from the United Kingdom, closing off one of the most important trade arteries with mainland Europe. After a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, Johnson said he understood the reason for the restrictions and expressed hope for a swift resumption in the free flow of traffic between the U.K. and France.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Muslim Cleric Says ‘Christmas is an Insult to Allah’
The Qur’an denies that Jesus is the Son of God (19:35) and that he was crucified (4:157). Hence he is not the savior of the world and Christmas is not the day on which “Christ the savior is born.” The idea that Jesus is the Son of God is described in the Qur’an as an insult to Allah’s “transcendent majesty” (4:171). So what Abu Maher says here is not “extremist,” but mainstream Islam. Imagine the embarrassment of European authorities when they finally realize this, and its implications.
“Preacher in Braunschweig: ‘Christmas is an insult to Allah!,’“ translated from “Prediger in Braunschweig: “Weihnachten ist eine Beleidigung Allahs!”“ by David Berger, Philosophia Perennis, December 19, 2020 (thanks to Medforth).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary and Poland’s Victory Against Globalism
Looking back twenty years from now, it should become clear that what Hungary and Poland achieved at the Dec. 10 European Union Summit was a historic milestone, political analyst Tamas Fricz writes in a column in daily Magyar Nemzet:
Moving away from the events of several days ago during the EU summit and removing the static and competing claims, we can confidently say that Dec. 10, 2020, was an important moment in the history of the Union — a day which saw the Hungarian and Polish governments achieve an outstanding success. If, in, say, twenty years from now, someone writes on the tumultuous history of the European Union, I am convinced that this day will have to be remembered as a highlight and historic turning point.
But the basic question is: in what way can the victory of Viktor Orban and Mateusz Morawiecki be quantified? Why is this a success and not a failure, as some of the domestic left-liberals claim who have divorced themselves from reality?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
AN EXTINCTION REBELLION activist accused of trespassing and graffiti at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) is to spend Christmas in prison after refusing to stay away from the university.
Ronan Browne, 30, co-founder of activism groups Systems Change and Economists Rebellion, was before Dublin District Court today.
He has accused TCD of not tackling climate change. Browne, with addresses at Main Street, Headford, Co. Galway and at Tyrconnell Road in Inchicore in Dublin, had been charged earlier with three counts of trespassing with intent to commit an offence and one charge of criminal damage by graffiti, which he denies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Leftist Scottish Leader Calls for Brexit Delay as Yet Another Deadline Passes
The left-separatist leader of Scotland’s devolved government is using the French shutdown of its border with Britain an excuse to call for Brexit to be delayed further.
While Britain officially left the European Union at the beginning of 2020, years after the people’s vote to leave the bloc in 2016, it currently remains a member — minus voting rights — in all but name, as a year-long “transition” period in which a trade agreement is supposed to negotiated runs its course.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PM Orban: Manfred Weber Has Insulted the Hungarian People
German politician Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party’s faction in the European Parliament, has insulted the Hungarian people who no longer believe him, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in an interview with German Sunday paper Welt am Sonntag.
In the interview, Orban said he agreed with Weber at a meeting in Budapest two years ago to support his election as president of the European Commission, but two days later the German politician publicly said he did not want to win with Hungarian votes.
“Everyone here asked what kind of person is that? Do you think we are second-class Europeans? This case was not about me, but about insulting the Hungarian people. We have lost confidence in him,” Orban said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Social Media Companies Face $2.2 Million Fines for Removing Lawful Free Speech
A new law set to be passed in Poland would fine social media companies $2.2 million a pop for censoring lawful free speech.
While numerous western countries are seeking to impose heavy fines on the likes of Facebook and Twitter for failing to remove “hateful” content, Poland is taking a very different approach.
“Under its provisions, social media services will not be allowed to remove content or block accounts if the content on them does not break Polish law,” reports Poland In.
“In the event of removal or blockage, a complaint can be sent to the platform, which will have 24 hours to consider it. Within 48 hours of the decision, the user will be able to file a petition to the court for the return of access. The court will consider complaints within seven days of receipt and the entire process is to be electronic.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Kaczynski: I Hope We Will be Able to Present a New EU Treaty
Following the European Union’s attempts to circumvent its founding treaties and impose centralized rule through a “rule of law” sanctions mechanism, Poland is now pursuing a joint project to shape Europe through the European Conservatives and Reformists party in the European Parliament, said Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party.
The project also includes future plans to present new European treaties, but for the time being, the focus will be on efforts to curtail the power of the dominant liberal majority operating in the EU’s institutions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Despite nations all over the world beginning to isolate from the UK, banning travel to and from Britain, and effectively cutting it off, the infection rate is LOWER there than several other countries.
As noted by the Daily Mail, infection rates in Britain are still lower than in Sweden, Denmark, Croatia and Holland.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An internal email exchanged between the UK’s Media Monitoring Unit and politicians and civil servants sheds light on the fact that the UK government is monitoring social media platforms for online conversations suggesting the reported new strain of coronavirus in the UK is made up as an excuse to further lockdown.
It is worth noting that the MMU is a part of the UK government’s Cabinet Office and is responsible for informing the government’s daily press strategy. The emails, while seeming neutral, reveal what the UK government anticipates. Among the various challenges the UK government is facing communication-wise, the desire to tackle anti-vaccine sentiment and what it calls conspiracy theories among the population is near the top of its agenda.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Police: There Are No Powers to Enforce Xmas Travel Ban
Police in the UK have admitted that they have no legal authority to enforce a travel ban in and out of London and the South East after the government instituted a third lockdown, cancelling Christmas for millions of people.
The London Telegraph reports that officials from the Police Federation say that officers do not have the power to stop people traveling or to stop cars and check if citizens are “unlawfully” visiting relatives and friends for Christmas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Police Will Fine Britons Leaving Tier 4 Without Excuse
The National Police Chiefs’ Council has said that it will instruct forces to fine people trying to leave Tier 4 areas of England; however, the Police Federation has said officers have no power to stop travellers to check if they are making “unlawful” Christmas visits.
Last month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had promised citizens five days of relaxed lockdown rules over the five days of Christmas, only at the last minute on Saturday to throw London and most of the South East of England — encompassing some 16 million people — into a newly-revealed Tier 4, not only prohibiting travel outside of the zone, but banning all households mixing without exception, effectively outlawing family Christmases.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: 40 People Fined for Breaking Coronavirus Rules in Pendle
MORE than 40 people were fined at the weekend as police saw a rise in the number of Covid-19 breaches being reported.
Officers said they experienced a rise in reports of people breaching Covid-19 regulations across Pendle, especially in Colne and Barnoldswick.
A spokesperson for the police said: “This weekend, we unfortunately experienced a rise in reports of people breaching current Covid-19 regulations across Pendle, particularly in Colne and Barnoldswick. This has resulted in over 40 fixed penalty notices being issued for a variety of different reasons.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
London Police forcibly shut down an anti-lockdown protest on Saturday for allegedly breaching the city’s coronavirus restrictions, arresting 29 people in the process.
Approximately 150 protesters took to the streets of the British capital, demanding that the government rescind its lockdown measures.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Flights from countries all over the world, including COVID-19 hotspots like Brazil, continue to land at London airports despite Londoners themselves being banned by law from traveling outside the area.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that London and the south east of England would be placed under a new lockdown — tier 4 — making it illegal for Londoners to travel outside the region.
Johnson also revealed that people living in tier 4 areas would be banned from international travel, forcing millions of Brits who planned to visit family abroad to cancel their Christmas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Leftist Ridiculed for Bragging About Wearing Two Face Masks
A leftist on Twitter faced ridicule after posting a selfie in which he bragged about wearing two face masks.
“Taking no chances queue at Waitrose today. Two masks. N95 and surgical. #teir4,” tweeted Mike Chamberlain, who describes himself in his bio as “Pro EU, Remain.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jordan Henderson asks: “Within the dressing rooms there none of that [intolerance] so why isn’t that the case in the outside world?”
Well, yeah, Jordan, this is just great. You guys are wonderfully tolerant. But have you ever asked yourself why Christians in, say, Saudi Arabia, aren’t even allowed to have crosses and Bibles, and why so many Pakistani Christians have been imprisoned and threatened with death on trumped-up “blasphemy” charges, and why the Islamic State decimated the Yazidi community, and why there are so very, very many examples of Muslims being intolerant toward non-Muslims around the world? If a sports team in Iran or Syria had non-Muslim players, do you think the team would celebrate a victory with alcohol out of respect for those players? Why does the tolerance always and everywhere only go one way, and is only expected to go one way? Why is it an unbreakable, universal principle that in Muslim countries, one must conform one’s behavior to suit Islamic sensibilities, and in non-Muslim countries, one must conform one’s behavior to suit Islamic sensibilities?
“LOVELY BUBBLY Liverpool sprayed non-alcoholic champagne in title win out of respect for Muslim stars Mo Salah and Sadio Mane,” by Joe Miles, The Sun, December 19, 2020 (thanks to The Religion of Peace).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Paperchase Removes Joke Christmas Card From Sale After Outrage From Twitter Users
‘Tis the season to be angry — at least judging by a furious reaction on social media staged by UK’s 2012 Olympic poet Lemm Sissey, after he became aware of a joke Christmas card.
What an Olympic poet is or does aside, clearly it’s a person with enough clout to make Paperchase, originally British, now an international chain of stationery stores, remove the Christmas card in question from in the UK — and apologize.
It might have looked like an innocuous enough card to the average observer: it showed a mother rabbit upset that a bunny had ruined her Christmas-ready and decorated home by spilling milk. Here’s where the joke came in: she is next seen phoning “the orphanage” where the bunny came from, demanding “a f***ing refund.”
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UK: Scientists, MPs Ask ‘Where is Evidence of 70% More Contagious Mutant COVID?’
As London and the entire South East of the UK was plunged into a fresh lockdown over the weekend, scores of countries have banned all travel to and from the UK, but scientists there are demanding to see any evidence that there is a 70% more contagious mutant strain of COVID, having not been shown anything by the government.
The Daily Mail reports that Carl Heneghan, Professor of Evidence Based Medicine at Oxford University’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care, has expressed scepticism over the 70 per cent figure.
“I’ve been doing this job for 25 years and I can tell you can’t establish a quantifiable number in such a short time frame,” Heneghan said.
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Video, Pictures: British Travellers ‘Held Against Their Will’ At German Airports
As chaos unfolded in the UK with the government touting an unverified ‘mutant strain’ of COVID to justify a fresh lockdown, video has emerged of British travellers being herded inside foreign airports and held against their will.
As EU nations began to shut down flights from Britain, some passengers have been caught up in the nightmare. Video from German newspaper BILD shows Brits forced to sleep in the same room at Hanover airport, after being refused entry to the country.
The footage shows health officials and nurses, some in full hazmat gear, administering immediate Covid-19 tests, as passengers plead “Please help us leave!”
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Bashar Al-Assad: Neoliberalism is Based on “Total Moral Degeneracy”
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad gave a speech during which he slammed neoliberalism as being based on “total moral degeneracy” and representing the enemy of humanity.
Assad made the comments during a recent address at a mosque.
“Neoliberalism is based on promoting a total moral degeneracy and separating individuals from any principles or values and affiliations and beliefs in order to reach this moral degeneracy,” said the Syrian leader.
He went on to criticize the legalization of gay marriage and questioned why gay parents were allowed to adopt children.
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Russia: Muslim Injures Six in Jihad Suicide Bombing in Front of Federal Security Service Building
Somalia, Russia — the same kind of attack in both. What, oh what, could be the unifying factor? That question absolutely mystifies mainstream counterterror analysts.
“Allah has bought from the believers their selves and their possessions against the gift of Paradise; they fight in the way of Allah; they kill, and are killed….” (Qur’an 9:111)
“Six people injured in terrorist bombing in southern Russia,” SANA, December 12, 2020, 18:09 GMT+11
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China Used Internet Troll ‘Army’ To Shape Coronavirus Narrative: Report
China’s propaganda and censorship operation is unmatched by any other nation in the world, a university researcher claims.
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Communist Agitprop Bites Back After Nigel Farage Criticises China for Killing Christmas
A senior representative of a Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece lashed out at Britain’s Mr Brexit, Nigel Farage, telling him to “wear a mask and stop talking s***” on Sunday.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that for millions of Britons, Christmas would effectively be cancelled if they lived in the most populous region of the country at a press conference at the weekend. Many mourned yet another loss of freedom thanks to the government’s harsh reaction to the Chinese coronavirus, among them Brexit leader Nigel Farage, who slammed China for their role in the virus spiralling out of control.
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Former Journalist Arrested in Vietnam After Criticizing the State on Facebook
In Vietnam, authorities have arrested a popular social media influencer for posting anti-state content. While the south-east Asia country has made some reforms, the government still does not take kindly to criticism on social media.
In the last week, state media reported the arrest of Truong Chau Huu Danh, a 38-year-old with more than 168k followers on Facebook. According to the Ho Chi Minh City police newspaper, Danh will spend three months in jail for posting content against the state and, if convicted under Article 331, Danh could face up to seven years in prison.
“Danh owns a Facebook page with nearly 168,000 followers and has got several anti-state posts, causing division of national unity,” the report stated.
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Many Hongkongers Are Ditching Facebook for MeWe
Even though residents in this territory are left out of China’s Great Firewall, meaning they have access to social networks like Facebook, internet users in Hong Kong are no strangers to bypassing many other kinds of restrictions.
That seems to include what can be described as self-imposed restrictions, like “the necessity” of being on Facebook because it happens to be the most widely used platform.
But this kind of reasoning is coming to an end for many in Hong Kong. There, users are starting to turn to alternatives such as MeWe, a freemium subscription-based network that doesn’t rely on ads.
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Top-level scientists and government doctors in the United States suggested that COVID-19 could have originated from human activities, with one asking if it may have been deliberately engineered, according to the Daily Mail.
The emails were obtained via the freedom of information act (FOIA), and detail communications between University of North Carolina epidemiologist Ralph Baric — whose team created chimeric viruses in collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Baric has admitted that viruses can be made without any signs of manipulation.
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Australians who are suspicious of foreigners illegally buying real estate can now call a tax office hotline and report their fears to a government website.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Event manager Solomon Ngadziore, 27, appeared in Sydney’s Burwood Local Court alongside his fiancee with their young child in his arms, after pleading guilty to being part of a crime group.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
A tourist has been left unconscious in the water at a Rotorua hot thermal pool with a bruised face and a broken bone after being randomly attacked by a group of thugs.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The Qur’an teaches that men are superior to women and should beat those from whom they “fear disobedience”: “Men have authority over women because Allah has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because Allah has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them.” — Qur’an 4:34
Muhammad’s child bride, Aisha, says in a hadith that Muhammad “struck me on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: ‘Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you?’“ — Sahih Muslim 2127
“Muslim in Uganda Forces Christian Wife to Drink Pesticide,” Morning Star News, December 17, 2020.
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Switzerland: Muslim Migrant Screams ‘Are You Gay? Are You Gay?’ and Then Stabs His Son in the Neck
Muhammad specifies the punishment for homosexual activity in a hadith: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Loot, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.’“ (Sunan Abu Dawud 4462)
Will gay rights advocates say a word about this? Of course not. It has long been established that in the hierarchy of politically correct causes, Islam trumps gay rights. When AFDI ran ads highlighting the mistreatment of gays in Islamic law, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors issued a resolution condemning not that mistreatment, but our ads. Gay advocates such as Theresa Sparks and Chris Stedman attacked us for daring to call attention to the institutionalized mistreatment of gays under Islamic law. It was that, or risk not being invited to the best parties.
“‘You’re a queer?’ Man stabs his daughter with a knife in the throat,” translated from “‘Du bist schwul?’ Mann sticht Tochter Messer in Hals,” Heute, December 18, 2020 (thanks to Medforth).
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Top Officials Warn of Potential Civil War in France Linked to Mass Immigration
General Pierre de Villiers, who was chief of staff of the French Armed Forces before he resigned from the post at the beginning of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency, is the latest of a series of top officials in France who have warned against a looming civil war due to mass immigration.
In an interview with Le Parisien published on Dec. 5, General de Villiers said that he fears France “could fall slowly or very rapidly” into a “civil war” that could be ignited by “a spark like in 1789”. This time, however, problems are of a different nature. They are linked to the fact that France has become a country where “a teacher gets beheaded in front of a middle school and three persons are assassinated while praying in a church.”
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Migrants hoping to enter the UK will be shown ‘hard-hitting’ geo-targeted adverts via social media in a bid to deter people from making dangerous attempts via the English Channel.
From Wednesday, the adverts will appear to migrants located near border hotspots via Facebook and Instagram, warning they could be sent back to mainland Europe even if they successfully make the journey across.
The Home Office said the campaign will include activity to undermine and disrupt organised criminal gangs who make money from exploiting vulnerable people, aiming to tackle disinformation spread by smugglers.
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The Instagram photo was posted last Thursday and shows a bowl with beef that’s topped with cilantro and mint. According to Eater Chicago, the post’s original caption “only called it ‘bibimbap’ without any cultural context or sign of the dish’s hallmarks including the crispy, charred rice from a stone pot produced by one of the dish’s variants.”
A small number of Instagram accused Izard of cultural appropriation and complained that the food photo bears little resemblance to the traditional Korean rice dish bibimbap.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vatican Urges COVID-19 Vaccination, Even With Cell Lines From Old Abortions’ Tissue
The Vatican told Roman Catholics on Monday that it was morally acceptable to use COVID-19 vaccines even if their production employed cell lines drawn from tissues of aborted fetuses.
Vatican’s doctrinal congregation, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the use of such vaccines was permitted as long as there were no alternatives.
Both the Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc vaccines have some connection to cell lines that originated with tissue from abortions in the last century, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which issued a separate note to American Catholics last week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vatican: Pro abortion Biden a-OK, and abortion derived RX a-OK. Now, let’s calculate how many angels can stand on a needle’s head, he?
That makes him pro abortion and Planned Parenthood. It is so daft.
A division of labor is ok too.
Great to know that the Vatican thinks Evil has an expiration date these end days.
Show me on this doll where the statue hurt you comrade and we will pet your hairy legs.
Mommgov will make everything peace and safety for you.
It’s coming down just in time for the end of the long ceasefire.
We can thank the Karl Marx pen pal Ape Lincoln for the crazy clown car crash collision dumpster fire on steroids that is coming.
Wasn’t there some of those wild aluminum hat wearing nutters warning us that Shock and Awe would eventually get around to U.S.?
Congress just passed this so called covid relief or spending bill.
Someone did some math.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1341073307458793473.html
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Mulder’s Unapologetic Toxic Masculinity
21 Dec, 12 tweets, 2 min read
$900 billion divided among us would be $2700 per person. For a family of 5, that’d be $13,500….
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