Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/14/2021

The British bank HSBC is considering cancelling the accounts of customers who refuse to wear masks inside its branches in the UK. Meanwhile, according to the latest statistics, COVID-19 caused the German economy to shrink by 5% in 2020.

In other news, the number of Tunisian migrants landing in Italy was five times greater in 2020 than it was the year before.

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

Thanks to 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.

Financial Crisis
» Biden Vows to Destroy Small Businesses With $15 Per Hour Federal Minimum Wage (Video)
» COVID: German Economy Shrank Five Per Cent in 2020
» State Unemployment Claims Continue to Increase Over Pandemic
 
USA
» Another Violent Leftist Arrested at US Capitol Protest: Registered Democrat and 34-Year-Old Son of a New York Judge
» Breaking: Project Veritas: Twitter Insider Records CEO Jack Dorsey Talking Trump and Laying Out Roadmap for Future Political Censorship
» Breaking: In FOIA Request FBI Says it Never Looked at Seth Rich’s Laptop in Their Possession for Years — Does Anyone Believe This?
» Breaking: President Trump Declassifies Russia Collusion Documents — Coming as Soon as Friday
» Calls for Facebook to be Removed From App Store After Revelation Much of Capitol Hill Rioting Was Planned There
» Caught on Video: Antifa Protester John Sullivan Brags About Posing as Trump Supporter, Breaking Window at US Capitol Building During Riots
» Christian Crowdfunding Site GiveSendGo Separates From PayPal Over Riot Funding
» CNN Anchor Says Americans Who Voted for Trump Stood With “The Klan” And “Nazis”
» D.C. National Guard Authorized to Employ Lethal Force for Inaugural Security
» DC Police Reject FOIA Request for Records Related to Their Probe of Siege of Capitol — Insider Leaked Maps, Internal Docs to Help Assist Rioters Navigate Building
» Encrypted Email Provider Tutanota Reports More Than Double Usual Signups
» Facebook Exec Sheryl Sandberg Blames Alt-Tech for Violent Organization
» Former Michigan Governor Snyder to be Indicted for Flint Water Crisis
» Former Members of Congress Dr Ron Paul and Tulsi Gabbard Join Alternative Platforms
» Good News! Supreme Court Rules Against Universal Vote-by-Mail in Texas — Thieving Democrats Hurt the Most
» Home Alone Star Macaulay Culkin Backs Idea of Digitally Removing Trump From “Home Alone 2”
» Jack Dorsey Admits Twitter Banning Trump Was “Destructive” And “Dangerous”
» Man Holding Confederate Flag Inside U.S. Capitol Building, Son Arrested
» Missed Rent Payments in NYC Results in More Than $1 Billion in Debt
» MIT Professor Arrested and Charged With Grant Fraud for Failing to Disclose Work for Chinese Government
» New Jersey Government Seizes $165,000 From Atilis Gym’s Bank Account — 100% of Gym’s Assets for ‘Crime’ Of Remaining Open (Video)
» New Study Claims a Person’s Political Party Can be Determined Through Facial Recognition
» New York Post Bans Reporters From Using CNN, NYT, Others as Sources
» Poll: Three Quarters of Americans Want Vaccine Passports
» Poll: Republicans and Democrats Both Agree That America is Falling Apart
» Report: Trump Has More Pardons Ready to Go and Plans to Appoint Special Counsels to Investigate Crack-Head Hunter Biden and Dominion Voting Machines
» Superspreader Swinger Party With Over 200 Guests Busted by Police in California
» Trump Term Ends With Nearly 8 of 10 Fearing ‘Civil War’
» Utah Activist Who Filmed Capitol Shooting Booked Into Jail
» Uzbek National Sentenced to Over 12 Years for Helping Aspiring ISIS Fighter
» Video Platform Rumble Says Google “Wrongfully” Promoted YouTube Videos in Search Results, Files Suit
 
Canada
» Canadian Government to Introduce Online “Hate Speech” Regulations in Early 2021
» Montreal Woman Says Officer Insisted on Searching Her Lunch Bag During Curfew Stop
 
Europe and the EU
» “We Must Separate the Attack on the Capital From Trump’s Tern as President, “ Says Polish Presidential Minister
» Belgians Are Now a Minority in Their Own Capital of Brussels
» Belgian Psychologist Loses License to Practice After Racy Online Posts
» Czech Airline Sales Crash 90%, Hardest Hit in All of Europe by Coronavirus Crisis
» France Wants to Drop the English Language in Brussels
» French Black Supremacist, Alleged Bomb Maker, Accidently Blows Up Apartment
» Lockdown ‘Removing Hope’ From Britons, ‘Nonsensical’ Interventions ‘Infantilising’ People, Says Senior Tory
» Lockdown Rebellion: Highlanders in Poland’s ‘Winter Capital’ To Reopen Hundreds of Businesses
» Orwellian Surveillance Hell Touted as ‘Future of Tourism’
» Poland Rolls Out Vaccine Passports
» UK Bank Threatens to Cancel Accounts if Customers Refuse to Wear Masks
» UK: Cops Break Up London Rooftop Bash and 100-Strong Village House Party Hours After UK Records Its Worst COVID Toll
» UK: Key Worker Assaulted and 11 Fines Handed Out at Scarborough Parties Over the Weekend
» UK: Police Foil Illegal Rave Set Up in Dulwich Railway Tunnel Despite COVID Rules
 
Far East
» Hong Kong Police Detain 11 for Allegedly Helping Activists Escape
» New Normal: Chinese Citizens Have to Scan a Tracking App to Re-Enter Their Own Homes
» One Year Ago, W.H.O. Shared Chinese COVID Propaganda: ‘No Clear Evidence of Human-to-Human Transmission’
 
Australia — Pacific
» Are You Part of Google’s Search Experiment? Thousands Are Secretly Blocked From Reading Australian News Sites as Tech Giant Gears Up for a Huge Fight to Avoid Paying for Content
» China Targets Another Australian Industry by Slamming Luxury Produce as ‘Inferior’ And Encouraging Millions to Buy Fruit From Chile Instead — as Beijing Refuses to Accept $1billion of Our Coal Floating Offshore
» Google ‘Experiment’ Hid Some News Sources From Consumers
» Horrifying Moment a Man Allegedly Attacks a Shopping Centre Security Guard Before Stabbing Another Shopper After a Dispute Over a Facemask
» India’s Superstars Were Crammed Into Tiny Hotel Quarantine Rooms With No Room Service While AFL Players Relaxed by the Pool and Celebrities Skipped it Altogether…
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Report: Killing of Christians Increased 60% in 2020, Mostly Due to Islamic Violence in Nigeria
 
Immigration
» Denmark Allocates €6 Million to Western Balkans Countries to Help Them With Border Controls & Repatriation of Migrants
» Greece Requests EU to Immediately Return 1,450 Illegal Immigrants to Turkey
» Illegal Immigrants Clash in the Center of Thessaloniki: Video
» More Than 15,000 Migrants Tried to Cross the Channel and Sneak Into Britain Last Year, New Figures Show
» Number of Tunisian Migrants Landing in Italy Rose Fivefold in 2020
» Watch: Rioting Migrants Rock EU Capital
 
Culture Wars
» Amazon Selling “Anatomically Correct” Childrens’ Dolls Under Search Term “Full Size Sex Doll”
 

Biden Vows to Destroy Small Businesses With $15 Per Hour Federal Minimum Wage (Video)

Joe Biden on Thursday vowed to destroy what’s left of small businesses with a $15 per hour federal minimum wage.

Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion Covid relief plan which included a $15 per hour minimum wage, $30 billion in rental assistance and a ban on evictions and foreclosures until the end of September 2021.

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

COVID: German Economy Shrank Five Per Cent in 2020

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The German economy, Europe’s largest, shrank by 5% in the pandemic year 2020, ending a decade of growth as lockdowns wiped out much business and consumer activity. As dreary as they were, the numbers suggest consumers could be ready to unleash a strong recovery when the lid finally comes off.

The statistics office Destatis said Thursday that only the construction sector showed an upturn as industry and services saw deep declines. Agriculture, financial services, real estate and information and communication suffered smaller drops in output.

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

State Unemployment Claims Continue to Increase Over Pandemic

State unemployment benefits claims have dramatically increased as the pandemic continues.

According to the Labor Department, 1.15 million workers filed claims for state unemployment benefits during the first full week of January. Additionally, 284,000 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims were filed.

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

Another Violent Leftist Arrested at US Capitol Protest: Registered Democrat and 34-Year-Old Son of a New York Judge

Another violent leftist was arrested on Wednesday for partaking in the US Capitol protest turned Antifa riot.

Aaron Mostofsky, is a registered Democrat. He is the latest Antifa rioter who was identified at the Capitol on January 6th.

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

Breaking: Project Veritas: Twitter Insider Records CEO Jack Dorsey Talking Trump and Laying Out Roadmap for Future Political Censorship

A whistleblower inside Twitter recorded CEO Jack Dorsey and sent Project Veritas the recording.

Jack Dorsey recently banned President Trump from the social media platform for ‘inciting violence.’

Project Veritas released video of Jack Dorsey laying out the roadmap for future political censorship — censoring Trump was just the beginning.

“We are focused on one account [@realDonaldTrump] right now, but this is going to be much bigger than just one account, and it’s going to go on for much longer than just this day, this week, and the next few weeks, and go on beyond the inauguration,” Dorsey said in a video recorded January 8.

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

Breaking: In FOIA Request FBI Says it Never Looked at Seth Rich’s Laptop in Their Possession for Years — Does Anyone Believe This?

In response to queries related to the Seth Rich case, the CIA has now refused to say whether it framed Russia in the Trump — Russia collusion scam. In addition, the FBI says it never looked at Seth Rich’s laptop in their possession.

We’ve been following the Seth Rich case for years as the MSM has ignored the story labeling it a conspiracy theory. Seth Rich was a young DNC employee who was murdered in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2016. His death was labeled a robbery but none of his personal items were taken. Many suspect that Rich provided DNC emails to WikiLeaks in the fall of 2016 before the Presidential election.

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

Breaking: President Trump Declassifies Russia Collusion Documents — Coming as Soon as Friday

On Tuesday The Gateway Pundit got word that President Trump was going to declassify all of the Russian hoax investigation documents.

We reported previously that Deep State operatives, including people inside the White House and ostensibly on “his” side, were urging the president to keep the information from the public.

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

Calls for Facebook to be Removed From App Store After Revelation Much of Capitol Hill Rioting Was Planned There

Some are calling for Facebook to be banned from the app store after a Washington Post report revealed that a great deal of the Capitol Hill riot was planned on Mark Zuckerberg’s platform.

According to the Post, “a growing body of evidence shows that Facebook played a much larger role” in the storming of the building than COO Sharyl Sandberg previously acknowledged.

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

Caught on Video: Antifa Protester John Sullivan Brags About Posing as Trump Supporter, Breaking Window at US Capitol Building During Riots

Footage obtained by the Gateway Pundit from militant Black Lives Matter and Antifa activist John Sullivan’s Discord server shows the so-called “civil rights activist” reveling inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan.6 as he damaged federal property.

Sullivan has maintained in multiple interviews that he regularly attends protests only to record what’s going on, but did not actively partake in the insurgence in Washington.

[Comment: The FBI has arrested him: https://www.justice.gov/opa/page/file/1354781/download]

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

Christian Crowdfunding Site GiveSendGo Separates From PayPal Over Riot Funding

Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo has separated from PayPal Holdings Inc. after the digital payment service asked that campaigns used to raise funds for people to attend a rally in Washington, D.C., that eventually led to a riot at the Capitol building be suspended.

PayPay said it also closed the account of Ali Alexander, the director of the “Stop the Steal” movement.

GiveSendGo said it was the one that initially decided to stop doing business with the digital transaction company after it requested certain campaigns be suspended.

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

CNN Anchor Says Americans Who Voted for Trump Stood With “The Klan” And “Nazis”

According to CNN anchor Don Lemon, Americans who voted for President Trump stood with “the Klan” and “Nazis.”

Lemon made his remarks in response to fellow network anchor Chris Cuomo, who asked Lemon to respond to assertions that people who voted for Trump should not be lumped together with the Capitol rioters.

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

D.C. National Guard Authorized to Employ Lethal Force for Inaugural Security

The D.C. National Guard, which will assist local law enforcement agencies in securing the upcoming presidential inauguration, is now authorized to be armed and to use lethal force in doing so.

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

DC Police Reject FOIA Request for Records Related to Their Probe of Siege of Capitol — Insider Leaked Maps, Internal Docs to Help Assist Rioters Navigate Building

What did Pelosi and McConnell know of the planned attack on the US Capitol before the House impeached President Trump for inciting violence?

President Trump was blamed for the siege of the US Capitol last Wednesday, however the FBI confirmed the attack was planned several days in advance.

Investigative reporter John Solomon dropped a bombshell on Wednesday night and said the DC police rejected his FOIA request for records pertaining to their investigation of the siege of the U.S. Capitol.

The DC police said release of the records would be ‘personally embarrassing’ and privacy invading to release the documents.

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

Encrypted Email Provider Tutanota Reports More Than Double Usual Signups

While supporters of free speech are reeling at the level of censorship now on display on Big Tech’s platforms — which has been building up steadily over the past year — the other fundamental problem with these companies, their privacy-undermining business models, is also getting exposed.

This means that people are looking for alternatives more than ever before, with apps and services guaranteeing freedom of expression or protection of privacy enjoying a large number of new users.

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

Facebook Exec Sheryl Sandberg Blames Alt-Tech for Violent Organization

Facebook, which is coming under criticism as the platform that helped those who participated in the Capitol Hill events last week organize, is looking to pin the blame on much smaller, alternative social media competitors.

This criticism of Facebook, once again, boils down to accusations that it doesn’t censor content enough or quickly enough, while the giant is defending itself by arguing that it does — and that most of those who organized their trip to Washington online didn’t even do it there.

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

Former Michigan Governor Snyder to be Indicted for Flint Water Crisis

Rick Snyder, who served as governor of Michigan between 2011 and 2019, will reportedly be indicted on criminal charges for his role in the Flint water crisis. Snyder’s attorney calls the charges “meritless” and accused the Special Counsel of pursuing a political vendetta against the Republican.

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

Former Members of Congress Dr Ron Paul and Tulsi Gabbard Join Alternative Platforms

The great migration of users from large centralized tech platforms continues, as more and more people — both public figures and those not in the public eye — get censored or banned there, or become disappointed and distrustful of these giants.

Among them is former US Congressman Dr Ron Paul, who announced that his show, The Ron Paul Liberty Report, is now available on LBRY.tv and Odysee — decentralized video sites built on the LBRY protocol.

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

Good News! Supreme Court Rules Against Universal Vote-by-Mail in Texas — Thieving Democrats Hurt the Most

This is big news.

The Democrat-Marxist plan to steal elections like they did in 2020 DEPENDS on mail-in voting schemes.

It is well documented that the Democrats always do better with mail-in voting. It’s much easier to cheat that way.

No doubt, this is the Democrat-Marxist plan for the future. They were able to steal a landslide Trump victory this year using mail-in voting and other maneuvers.

On Wednesday the US Supreme Court ruled against universal vote-by-mail in Texas. This is good news for America, Texas, and the rule of law.

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

Home Alone Star Macaulay Culkin Backs Idea of Digitally Removing Trump From “Home Alone 2”

The star of the Home Alone movie franchise has come out in support of public calls to remove President Trump from “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

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

Jack Dorsey Admits Twitter Banning Trump Was “Destructive” And “Dangerous”

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admitted that banning President Trump was “destructive” and “dangerous” to the “noble purpose” of an open Internet, leading some to question who is in control of his company.

The Twitter co-founder issued the statement following criticism from the governments of France and Germany over the permanent suspension of Trump’s account last week.

Dorsey said that he did not “celebrate” or “feel pride” in nuking Trump’s account “sets a precedent I feel is dangerous: the power an individual or corporation has over a part of the global public conversation.”

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

Man Holding Confederate Flag Inside U.S. Capitol Building, Son Arrested

Two Delaware men, one of whom was photographed carrying a Confederate flag inside the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, were arrested Thursday.

Authorities arrested the man bearing the flag — Kevin Seefried — and his son Hunter Seefried. They have been charged with violent entry or disorderly conduct inside the Capitol and entering restricted grounds.

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

Missed Rent Payments in NYC Results in More Than $1 Billion in Debt

A new survey reveals that New York City apartment tenants are more than $1 billion in debt from missed rent payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Landlord and tenant advocacy groups have lobbied for more government rental assistance during the pandemic as the survey shows that unemployment benefits and federal stimulus packages have not been enough to alleviate the financial burden of missed rent payments.

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

MIT Professor Arrested and Charged With Grant Fraud for Failing to Disclose Work for Chinese Government

One way the Chinese Communist Party influences the US is by infiltrating universities.

Gang Chen, 56, was arrested and charged with grant fraud on Thursday for failing to disclose his work for the Chinese government to the US Department of Energy.

Since 2013, Chen’s research at MIT has been funded by more than $19 million in US grants.

The Justice Department announced the charges on Thursday and according to charging documents, Chen is a naturalized citizen who was born in China.

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

New Jersey Government Seizes $165,000 From Atilis Gym’s Bank Account — 100% of Gym’s Assets for ‘Crime’ Of Remaining Open (Video)

Ian Smith is the co-owner of Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, New Jersey. In May Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, New Jersey reopened in defiance of Governor Phil Murphy’s Coronavirus lockdown order.

In July a swarm of police officers burst through the door of Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, New Jersey Monday morning and arrested the owners for violating Governor Murphy’s authoritarian shutdown order.

Since that time Ian Smith and Atilis Gym have been harassed and fined by state authorities for opening their business. They currently have several lawsuits pending in court.

On Wednesday, New Jersey officials Ian Smith announced that Governor Murphy and state officials seized 100% of their assets. The state took $165,000 from Ian Smith and Atilis Gym bank account.

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

New Study Claims a Person’s Political Party Can be Determined Through Facial Recognition

Researchers claim a new machine learning system can determine a person’s political party based only on their face. The study, conducted by Stanford University’s Michal Kosinski, leads to the conclusion that a person’s appearance may actually reveal personal information.

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

New York Post Bans Reporters From Using CNN, NYT, Others as Sources

The New York Post has banned its reporters and editors from using CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post, and The New York Times for their articles.

Three New York Post journalists have said that reporters are not allowed to base their articles exclusively on any of the named outlets’ reporting. Instead, they must independently verify reporting from those outlets before writing for the Post.

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

Poll: Three Quarters of Americans Want Vaccine Passports

A poll has found that 74% of Americans say they are willing to get a COVID vaccination passport, should they be introduced in the U.S.

Travel news website The Vacationer revealed the findings after polling 520 Americans over the age of 18, with a error margin of under 5%.

Those surveyed were asked “If required for travel, would you agree to a COVID-19 Vaccine Passport or App so airlines and border authorities can check your vaccination status and COVID-19 test results?”

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

Poll: Republicans and Democrats Both Agree That America is Falling Apart

Republicans and Democrats can at least agree on one thing: the county is falling apart.

A new poll from Axios-Ipsos showed that 83% of Republicans and 78% of Democrats agree that American is falling apart.

Additionally, 22% of Democrats and 19% of independent say they are not proud to be American. That number falls to just 7% of Republicans, but totals to 17% of all Americans.

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

Report: Trump Has More Pardons Ready to Go and Plans to Appoint Special Counsels to Investigate Crack-Head Hunter Biden and Dominion Voting Machines

CNBC Washington Correspondent Wamon Javors reported on Thursday that President Trump has a slew of pardons ready to go as well as plans to appoint special counsels to investigate meth addict Hunter Biden and possibly the Dominion voting machines!

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

Superspreader Swinger Party With Over 200 Guests Busted by Police in California

A swinger party in South Central Los Angeles, that over 200 people attended amid rising coronavirus cases in California, was busted by police on Saturday.

ABC 7 News reports that the arrests happened on Jan. 9 as the local sheriff’s department has continued to target large illegal gatherings during the pandemic. Cases in California have been on the rise since November, reaching a peak of over 64,000 new cases on Dec. 26. As the arrests at the swinger party, which was called an “adults only” event, happened, an LASD deputy told everyone there over loudspeakers that “the party is over.”

“The results of the operation included 2 commercial building locations, and a total of 182 arrests,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department tweeted. L.A. Sheriff Alex Villanueve added that legal action will be taken against “ALL underground party events occurring anywhere within Los Angeles County,” with the hope that shutting down these dangerous events will reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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

Trump Term Ends With Nearly 8 of 10 Fearing ‘Civil War’

As President Trump packs up to retire to Florida after being impeached a second time, partisan division in the nation has reached a modern-day high, with nearly 8 in 10 fearing the outbreak of civil war.

In the latest Battleground Civility Poll, registered voters put the chance of war at 76 out of 100, the highest ever recorded and up from 73 in October after a summer of violent city Black Lives Matter protests.

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

Utah Activist Who Filmed Capitol Shooting Booked Into Jail

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah activist who filmed the fatal shooting of a California Trump supporter during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week was arrested Thursday, according to authorities.

John Sullivan, 26, a self-described journalist and liberal activist, released footage to the FBI that showed him entering the Capitol on Jan. 6 and roaming the building, according to arrest documents. He was charged with civil disorder, violent entry or disorderly conduct and entering a restricted building or grounds.

Sullivan’s footage also included video of when Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, of San Diego, was shot by Capitol Police outside the Speaker’s Lobby, according to court documents.

In one video, Sullivan can be heard cheering on the crowd as they broke through the final barricade before the Capitol and saying “We did this together… We are all a part of history.”

In at least two encounters, Sullivan can be heard telling officers to stand down so they don’t get hurt and saying “the people have spoken,” according to an affidavit…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Uzbek National Sentenced to Over 12 Years for Helping Aspiring ISIS Fighter

An Uzbek national was sentenced Thursday in Brooklyn federal court to 12 1/2 years in prison for supporting a wannabe ISIS fighter.

Azizjon Rakhmatov, 33, of New Haven, Connecticut, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to Seth DuCharme, the acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

In 2015, Rakhmatov gave aspiring terrorist Akhror Saidakhmetov $400 cash to help bankroll a trip to Syria to join ISIS and to buy a gun once he arrived.

Saidakhmetov, who had pledged his allegiance to ISIS, had said if he couldn’t make it to Syria to wage jihad, he’d turn his homicidal urges on cops and FBI agents in the US, according to court papers.

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

Video Platform Rumble Says Google “Wrongfully” Promoted YouTube Videos in Search Results, Files Suit

Rumble, a video platform popular among conservatives, filed suit against Google in federal court Monday, alleging the search engine inappropriately prioritizes YouTube content ahead of content from Rumble and other players in the space.

Rumble, a video platform popular among conservatives, filed suit against Google in federal court Monday, alleging the search engine inappropriately prioritizes YouTube content ahead of content from Rumble and other players in the space.

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

Canadian Government to Introduce Online “Hate Speech” Regulations in Early 2021

The Canadian government plans to introduce “comprehensive” regulations that target “hate speech” on social media platforms.

The regulations will reportedly be tabled in 2021 and are being introduced “to promote a safer and more inclusive online environment.”

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

Montreal Woman Says Officer Insisted on Searching Her Lunch Bag During Curfew Stop

Sarah Vresk was heading to work at around 4 a.m. Tuesday when she was stopped near her home by Montreal police and asked to prove she had the right to be on the road during curfew.

“I got my letter out of my glove compartment and he asked for my ID. I gave him that,” said Vresk. “He then asked me what was in my bag.”

Vresk demanded to know why that mattered, and why she wasn’t free to go after showing a letter from her employer stating she works for a snow-removal contractor and needs to be on the job during curfew.

The officer questioned the validity of that letter, saying it’s just a piece of paper, and threatened to give her a ticket anyway, Vresk said. The officer accused her of delaying detainment by not co-operating and showing the bag’s contents.

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

“We Must Separate the Attack on the Capital From Trump’s Tern as President, “ Says Polish Presidential Minister

Donald Trump’s entire term as president of the US was a net positive for Poland and Polish-American relations, says Presidential Minister Krzysztof Szczerski, who stressed that Trump should not be solely judged by the events of the Capitol.

Szczerski, the minister responsible for foreign relations in the chancellery of President Andrzej Duda, discussed the current situation in Polish Radio 3, saying he evaluated Trump’s presidency as a good one while also sharing his perspectives on Poland’s cooperation with the new Biden administration.

He emphasized that a “very critical outlook” on the events from the US Capitol is one thing, and a cold evaluation of Trump’s presidency is something else entirely.

“I believe that — especially from the Polish point of view of looking at Donald Trump’s entire term — it was very beneficial for Poland and for Polish-American relations,” he said.

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

Belgians Are Now a Minority in Their Own Capital of Brussels

For the first time, Belgians have become a minority in their own capital of Brussels, which incidentally is also the de facto capital of the European Union, Belgian Pmagazine reports based on data from the country’s statistics office.

The politically correct term for this development is called “diversity”, but the less “correct” term, but the one that may be just as appropriate, is “colonization”. In Brussels-City, where the coronavirus figures are skyrocketing, nearly 80 percent of the population is of foreign origin.

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

Belgian Psychologist Loses License to Practice After Racy Online Posts

The recent trend of online activity costing people their job continues. However, in Belgium, a practicing psychologist lost more than her job — she lost her license.

A psychologist and media personality Kaat Bollen has lost her psychologist license due to the revealing pictures of herself she posted on Instagram. The Belgian Commission of Psychologists has reprimanded Bollen for her “indiscreet” photographs.

Bollen is a popular figure in the Benelux media where she discusses issues surrounding aspects such as sex and relationships. She also directed a porn film for women titled “A Girls’ Getaway,” as well as writing three books.

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

Czech Airline Sales Crash 90%, Hardest Hit in All of Europe by Coronavirus Crisis

Czech Airlines and Smartwings, the two largest air carriers in Czechia, transported 83.7 percent fewer people, with the coronavirus epidemic causing sales to fall by as much as 90 percent compared to 2019.

Due to the unprecedented situation in aviation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Smartwings Group experienced a significant drop in transport performance last year. It carried more than 1.3 million passengers on regular flights and charter flights under the Smartwings and Czech Airlines brands. This is a year-on-year decrease of 83.7 percent.

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

France Wants to Drop the English Language in Brussels

Due to the conclusion of Brexit and the EU-UK trade deal, the EU should stop speaking “broken English,” French Minister for EU Affairs Clément Beaune stated. He called for linguistic diversity and politicians to get used to speaking in their languages, the Politico server reported.

“After Brexit, it will be difficult to understand why we all stick to a type of broken English,” Beaune told reporters.

“Let’s get used to speaking our languages again!” he added.

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

French Black Supremacist, Alleged Bomb Maker, Accidently Blows Up Apartment

A French black supremacist accidentally caused an explosion in an apartment and injured himself while handling chemicals, allegedly to make explosives.

A fire broke out at a residence in the commune of Saint-Leu-la-Forêt on Wednesday shortly after 8 am, reportedly caused when the suspect mishandled chemicals.

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

Lockdown ‘Removing Hope’ From Britons, ‘Nonsensical’ Interventions ‘Infantilising’ People, Says Senior Tory

Influential backbench leader Sir Graham Brady has said that lockdown measures could be “removing hope” from Britons, criticising “pointless restrictions” that ban people from sitting on a park bench or taking more than one walk a day.

Sir Graham, chairman of the 1922 Committee of all backbench Tory MPs, warned that the government and ministers need to recognise that “lockdown carries its own costs”.

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

Lockdown Rebellion: Highlanders in Poland’s ‘Winter Capital’ To Reopen Hundreds of Businesses

Highlanders in Poland’s “winter capital” of Zakopane are rebelling against lockdown, with hundreds of businesses vowing to reopen in defiance of government restrictions.

Sebastian Piton, who has emerged as leader of the Górlaskie Veto — Highlanders’ Veto — movement, was previously best known as an architect whose Tolkienesque designs were the subject of a Snopes article, as some people had doubted that viral images of his beautiful if eccentric traditional buildings were real.

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

Orwellian Surveillance Hell Touted as ‘Future of Tourism’

CNN report published Wednesday details how Venice, Italy has created a disturbing monolithic surveillance grid to track and trace everyone who enters and leaves the city, and claims that this could be the ‘future of tourism’ in a ‘post-COVID world.

The article begins:

They’re watching you, wherever you walk. They know exactly where you pause, when you slow down and speed up, and they count you in and out of the city. What’s more, they’re tracking your phone, so they can tell exactly how many people from your country or region are in which area, at which time. And they’re doing it in a bid to change tourism for the better. Welcome to Venice in a post-Covid world.

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

Poland Rolls Out Vaccine Passports

Poland has become the latest European nation to introduce so called vaccine passports, which will allow those who have taken the COVID shot greater freedoms than those who have not.

Polish deputy Health Minister Anna Golawska announced that the ‘passports’ would be issued to all who get the jab.

Euractiv reports that the document will come in the form of a QR code, which can only be downloaded from citizens’ public health system account. An alternative printed version will be issued to those who do not have smart phones.

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

UK Bank Threatens to Cancel Accounts if Customers Refuse to Wear Masks

HSBC has said it will “reserve the right” to cancel the accounts of customers who refuse to wear masks inside its UK branches.

The British-based bank — the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) founded in 1865 — said that masks are mandatory in all branches unless visitors have a medical exemption.

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

UK: Cops Break Up London Rooftop Bash and 100-Strong Village House Party Hours After UK Records Its Worst COVID Toll

COPS broke up a London rooftop bash and a 100-strong house party yesterday — hours after the UK recorded its worst-ever Covid toll.

London PCs were left “astounded” after selfish revellers mobbed an industrial unit, while in England’s second hardest-hit region, scores of people gathered in a village home.

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

UK: Key Worker Assaulted and 11 Fines Handed Out at Scarborough Parties Over the Weekend

Over the weekend Scarborough Police were called to several house parties, indoor gatherings and BBQs, all of which had attendees from several different households in clear breach of restrictions.

At one party, 11 fixed penalty notices were handed out and at another, a woman was charged with assaulting an emergency service worker during police attempts to disperse the guests present.

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

UK: Police Foil Illegal Rave Set Up in Dulwich Railway Tunnel Despite COVID Rules

An illegal rave planned in a disused railway tunnel against lockdown rules has been foiled by police in south east London.

Officers and council staff discovered sound equipment, barriers, a temporary bar and a DJ table set up in Dulwich Wood, a registered bat roost, after snapping locks on the tunnel’s gates.

There was also a large black curtain obscuring the venue’s entrance so revellers would not be seen.

All equipment was seized and taken to a police station by Met officers from Lambeth and Southwark, working with Southwark Council’s Wildlife Department.

The plot was discovered on January 6. If traced, the organiser faces a £10,000 super-fine for Covid-19 rule-breaking.

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

Hong Kong Police Detain 11 for Allegedly Helping Activists Escape

Police in Hong Kong arrested 11 people under the territory’s national security law on Thursday morning for allegedly helping 12 activists who attempted to escape the city by speedboat and were last month tried and jailed in mainland China.

Local media said eight men and three women — the youngest aged 18 and the oldest 72 — were detained in a series of raids that began at dawn. One of them was a secondary school student, according to local broadcaster TVB.

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

New Normal: Chinese Citizens Have to Scan a Tracking App to Re-Enter Their Own Homes

As part of the post-COVID “new normal” in China, which has been heralded by many in the west for its lockdown policies, some citizens now have to scan a government tracking app before being allowed to re-enter their own homes.

That’s according to a LockdownSceptics.org reader who has lived in China on and off since 2002 and owns a home and company there.

According to the reader, life isn’t back to what it was before the pandemic and has in fact changed drastically.

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

One Year Ago, W.H.O. Shared Chinese COVID Propaganda: ‘No Clear Evidence of Human-to-Human Transmission’

Twelve months ago today, the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) reassured the world on the then-new coronavirus outbreak, uncritically repeating a message from the Chinese Communist Party that there was “no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission” of the virus.

On January 14, 2020, as Coronavirus raged inside China and just one day after the first international case had been reported, the W.H.O. announced to the world that “Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in Wuhan, China.”

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

Are You Part of Google’s Search Experiment? Thousands Are Secretly Blocked From Reading Australian News Sites as Tech Giant Gears Up for a Huge Fight to Avoid Paying for Content

Users this month complained they were no longer able to see articles from national news websites including Daily Mail Australia in the search engine’s results.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

China Targets Another Australian Industry by Slamming Luxury Produce as ‘Inferior’ And Encouraging Millions to Buy Fruit From Chile Instead — as Beijing Refuses to Accept $1billion of Our Coal Floating Offshore

Australia’s world-renown cherry producers have been slammed by Beijing becoming the latest industry to be get caught in the cross hairs of China.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Google ‘Experiment’ Hid Some News Sources From Consumers

Tech giant Google is under fire after it revealed that it blocked some Australian news sites from search results as part of an “experiment.” Critics call it a “chilling illustration” of the company’s stranglehold on internet search.

Business Insider reports that the Silicon Valley tech giant Google is facing major criticism after it was revealed that the company removed some local news content from its search results in Australia as part of an “experiment.” Critics have called the situation a “chilling illustration” of the power that Google holds over the internet.

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

Horrifying Moment a Man Allegedly Attacks a Shopping Centre Security Guard Before Stabbing Another Shopper After a Dispute Over a Facemask

The 25-year-old man, a woman and two children were in Windsor Riverview shopping centre on George Street in Windsor in Sydney’s north-west at 8.20pm on Tuesday.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

India’s Superstars Were Crammed Into Tiny Hotel Quarantine Rooms With No Room Service While AFL Players Relaxed by the Pool and Celebrities Skipped it Altogether…

…so why IS Australia treating cricket’s biggest names this way, asks MIKE COLMAN

Indian cricketers have been treated like a bunch of spoilt, over-entitled whingers despite unequal hotel quarantine treatment, writes Mike Colman.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Report: Killing of Christians Increased 60% in 2020, Mostly Due to Islamic Violence in Nigeria

The number of Christians killed for their faith in 2020 was up 60% over 2019, according to advocacy group Open Doors USA.

Of the 4,761 Christians known to be martyred around the globe in 2020, a little less than half — somewhere around 2,200 — died in Nigeria at the hands of Islamic extremists. Open Doors USA also reports that in some places, COVID-19 policies were used in a discriminatory manner to oppress Christians.

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

Denmark Allocates €6 Million to Western Balkans Countries to Help Them With Border Controls & Repatriation of Migrants

Denmark has once again allocated millions in order to help the six countries located in the Western Balkans deal better with migrants that are currently located in their territory, as well as to strengthen their border controls in order to prevent further illegal migration.

The Danish government has allocated almost DKK 45 million (over €6 million) from development aid to two regional projects in the Western Balkans, which intend to strengthen both border control and the repatriation of irregular migrants and rejected asylum seekers.

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

Greece Requests EU to Immediately Return 1,450 Illegal Immigrants to Turkey

Greece submitted a request to the European Commission and Frontex to immediately return 1,450 illegal immigrants not entitled to international protection under the EU-Turkey Joint Statement.

This is a very important development as it is essentially the resumption of requests for returns to Turkey, based on the Joint Declaration that obliges Ankara to stop illegal crossings, and on the other hand, accept returns of those who are not entitled to international protection.

In particular, Greece requested the return of 955 illegal immigrants to Turkey and are currently in Lesvos, 180 in Chios, 128 in Samos and 187 in Kos, whose requests were rejected and as a result, are reimbursable under the EU-Turkey Joint Declaration.

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

Illegal Immigrants Clash in the Center of Thessaloniki: Video

Illegal immigrants clashed in the centre of Thessaloniki.

According to GRTimes, despite COVID-19 lockdowns, there was an incident between two people in front of the surprised eyes of the few people out on the streets.

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

More Than 15,000 Migrants Tried to Cross the Channel and Sneak Into Britain Last Year, New Figures Show

More than 15,000 illegal migrants attempted to cross the Channel last year, police have revealed.

The data combined the number of attempted crossings with those who reached Britain from northern France and other points such as Belgium and the Netherlands.

Home Office figures show 8,500 migrants reached the UK in 2020 — up from 1,850 in the previous 12 months.

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

Number of Tunisian Migrants Landing in Italy Rose Fivefold in 2020

The number of Tunisian migrants landing on Italian shores soared fivefold to 13 000 in 2020, a rights group said on Tuesday, citing economic privations in Tunisia that fuel migration in boats across the Mediterranean.

Tunisia has come under strong pressure from European nations on opposite shores of the Mediterranean to stem the flow of migrants, especially after a deadly Islamist attack at a church in the French city of Nice by a Tunisian migrant last year.

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

Watch: Rioting Migrants Rock EU Capital

Major riots broke out in Brussels, Belgium, the de facto capital of the European Union.

Police arrested over 100 suspects amid violence that even saw the King of Belgium’s motorcade attacked with projectiles.

The turmoil has been blamed on the death of Ibrahima Barrie, a 23-year-old black male who passed away while in police custody.

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

Amazon Selling “Anatomically Correct” Childrens’ Dolls Under Search Term “Full Size Sex Doll”

A Twitter user confirmed that Amazon is selling childrens’ dolls that are described as “anatomically correct” and refer to genitalia when users search for the term “full size sex doll.”

“I heard about this and couldn’t believe it was true but verified it was. @amazon lists dolls of kids under “full size sex doll” and other search terms. Some describe dolls as “anatomically correct” with “warm and moist” mouths,” remarked Twitter user @imatriarch.

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

7 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/14/2021

  1. One must understand this. With so much central bank money being printed across the globe, the banks care not about your loan or mortgage. Unless you can’t pay of course. Then they can take any equity you accrued pre-China-Virus.

    Although banks are meant to hold a minimum of equity (maybe 3%) they circumnavigate this by underwriting each others debt. You may recall AIG’s role in this and the collapse this mechanism caused. The instruments have changed names. The methods remain the same.

    A further bubble can be observed in the Tech world. This money needs to be parked somewhere. Take a look a the Nasdaq to see where this central bank money is landing. The banks no longer need to loan the money out.

    Finally, look a companies like Tesla. They have a price-to-earnings ratio of over 1,200. When this bubble bursts – and all bubbles burst. We’ll all be living in our cars. If the Repo man doesn’t get there first.

    Imagine you could simply print as much money as you like. Welcome to the world of big finance.

    The end is nigh!

  2. That article about AI detecting political affiliation from facial features interested me.

    Some years ago, I noticed that several Fox News personalities had left eyebrows that sit higher than their right eyebrows. It’s a feature that I share, and regard as a disadvantage. O’Reilly, Kimberly Strassel, Paul Gigot, Tucker Carlson, for example.

    Now, when you think of a raised eyebrow, it’s usually in conjunction with witticism, an “arch” reply. And it’s usually the right eyebrow being raised. Think that famous photo of scheming Scarlett O’Hara. After focusing on eyebrows for a year or so, I’ve come to believe that a raised left eyebrow has a different connotation. Most TV and movie characters that have a left eyebrow noticeably higher than the right are either doomed and pitiable victims, or horrific serial murderers. Characters having a higher right eyebrow seem not to be type cast. But, in intensely emotional scenes, all characters tend to tilt their heads to the right, raising the left eyebrow.

    The left brain, seat of rationality, governs the right side of the body. So does a raised right eyebrow (even if involuntary and inborn) suggest rationality and wit? While a raised left eyebrow (even if equally fixed and involuntary) suggests mindless emotion? I was surfing through Dr No the other day and noticed that Sean Connery, whose eyebrows seem ambidextrous, raised his right eyebrow when delivering his supposed witticisms, but raised his left eyebrow when he first caught sight of Ursula Andress.

    Conclusion? Perhaps folks like me, with permanently raised left eyebrows, have to fight harder all our lives to get our rationality across. And thus we learn to value rationality very highly. So, naturally, in this age of Leftist lunacy, we’re more inclined to step forward to defend truth and reason.

  3. “New Study Claims a Person’s Political Party Can be Determined Through Facial Recognition”

    I can usually tell from a person’s overall demeanor, or having a conversation with them about things OTHER than politics.

    I’m fairly accurate, too, which is almost eerie.

    I can uncannily pick out whom is likely to vote for Quebec separation vs those who won’t, for example. It’s partly stereotype-based, but there’s more to it than that.

    Now the funny thing is that *I* look like a leftie-weirdo. That’s probably what caused the local “Green” candidate to approach me while I was on the street. There I was, with my somewhat scraggly beard, physically unimpressive frame, walking back from the grocery store, carrying a leftie-looking(*) bag. It was quite fun telling her how insane I think that she is, and watching the two (brainwashed) students who were with her recoil in horror.

    (*) It was some cloth thing of the type that would probably rate as “environmentally responsible”. Funnily enough, it was a piece of swag given out by an “evil” mining company, but the logo happened to face the wrong way, so they didn’t see that, else they might have left me alone. I really did look like the very picture of one of their voters, it was hilarious.

  4. Surprised, cheating in a blue county
    Fulton County Elections Caught On Video Discussing Stealing Votes
    https://commonsenseevaluation.com/2021/01/15/fulton-county-elections-caught-on-video-discussing-stealing-votes/

    James, brother of accused leftist provocateur John Sullivan, claims 226 Antifa members started Capitol riots
    https://noqreport.com/2021/01/15/james-brother-of-accused-leftist-provocateur-john-sullivan-claims-226-antifa-members-started-capitol-riots/

    This Was No Insurrection
    Just People Complaining About Their Government
    https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/this-was-no-insurrection

    Mailchimp suspends gun-rights group…
    https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/mailchimp-boots-gun-rights-group/

  5. Europeans must stay under lockdown, no holidays, no restaurants, limited church attendance, most shops closed…

    But hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens can come right in.

    I can’t write anything about this that would not need Baron’s redaction.

  6. Baron- I don’t know if you saw this heartbreaking “statement” from Tom Lifson at American Thinker, but it is one of the saddest things I have ever read from a publisher in a country where we are supposed to have Free Speech enshrined in our Constitution.

    I am sure that the thug lawyers from Dominion must have had a figurative if not an actual gun to his head to force him to write such a disavowal.

    Please take care of yourself. These are dangerous times we live in, especially if you dare to write the truth.

    By the way, yesterday AT discontinued all comments. I guess they thought that would satisfy the bastards but of course it just wasn’t enough. No way could AT afford the legal bills that would quickly accrue if they tried to fight. I totally get it.

    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/01/statement.html

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