Communists, anarchists, and Antifa activists took part in often-violent May Day marches in San Diego, Austin, Seattle, Berlin, London, and Paris. Meanwhile, police were also kept busy by anti-lockdown protests that took place in cities across Canada and Europe.
In other news, more than 800 migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean and brought safely to port in Italy.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Fjordman, Reader from Chicago, Upananda Brahmachari, 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.
US GDP Grew 6.4% in the First Quarter as the Economy Began to Reopen
The US economy edged closer to a full recovery in the first quarter of 2021 as vaccine distribution and stimulus reinvigorated spending across the country.
The US’s gross domestic product grew at an annualized rate of 6.4% through the quarter that ended in March, the Commerce Department announced Thursday. The expansion ranks as the second-strongest pace of quarterly growth since 2003, dwarfed only by a record-breaking rebound in the third quarter of 2020.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Free Expression” Activists Call on Biden to Create an Online Disinformation Task Force
A coalition of different organizations has called on President Joe Biden to create a disinformation task force, which will come up with solutions to censor online “misinformation” — paradoxically, “without limiting free expression.”
Like many who have used the pandemic to increase and justify censorship, the coalition referenced what it says is the spread of falsehoods surrounding COVID-19 and its vaccines and the 2020 presidential election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One Portland driver this week decided he wasn’t going to get yanked out of his car and beaten by left-wing protesters so he drove away as fast as he could as one lunatic jumped onto his vehicle.
A group of 25 left-wing Antifa protesters blocked an intersection in Portland on Thursday demanding the abolition of police.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Friday night The Gateway Pundit Jordan Conradson interviewed Arizona Audit Director Ken Bennett on the latest developments in the historic Maricopa County forensic audit.
Ken gave The Gateway Pundit an exclusive on the historic audit that continued Friday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Communists holding Soviet Union hammer and sickle flags marched through Austin, Texas on Saturday, blocked intersections and praised mass murderers in a May Day demonstration.
The annual marches began in 1886 when more than 300,000 people in the United States ditched work to protest in favor of an eight-hour work day, a battle that had began two years earlier.
Now, every year on May 1, unions and anarchists worldwide gather to cause mayhem and havoc in the the streets.
The Communists were ordered off Congress Avenue after blocking an intersection in downtown Austin.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Family of Man Killed in Seattle’s CHOP Zone Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against City
SEATTLE — The family of a 19-year-old who was shot and killed in Seattle’s CHOP zone last summer has filed a wrongful death suit against the city.
The lawsuit, filed by Herrmann Law Group on behalf of Lorenzo Anderson’s mother, claims Seattle officials created a dangerous environment and failed to assist Anderson after he was shot. It comes more than six months after Anderson’s mother Donnitta Sinclair filed the same claim with the city.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Huge! Tennessee Will Require Watermarks on Absentee Ballots
A big win for election integrity.
The Tennesse Legislature approved a bill that would require watermarks to be placed on absentee ballots.
The Senate passed the bill 27-0.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Journalist Linked to Antifa Death Threat Video Against Mayor Ted Wheeler
The Portland Police Bureau with assistance from the FBI are investigating a video death threat made against Mayor Ted Wheeler by a self-described Antifa collective. The Post Millennial can report exclusively that a left-wing journalist is linked to the video.
The disturbing two-minute video was posted Wednesday night on Twitter by a newly created account named, “@knotathreat.” It was quickly shared and promoted among Portland’s Antifa and extremist far-left accounts. TPM is not posting the video because it includes a home address associated with Wheeler.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Liberals Pressure Justice Breyer to Leave Supreme Court — Want Black Woman to Replace Him
Even left-wing justices aren’t safe from the radical left.
Liberals are already beginning to try and push out liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
Back on April 9th, the far-left group Demand Justice got a truck billboard calling for his retirement.
On the billboard, it read “Breyer, retire. It’s time for a Black woman Supreme Court Justice. There’s no time to waste”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Live Updates: At Least Three Protesters Arrested at Post-Derby March Through Highlands
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — About 20 protesters marched in front of Churchill Downs ahead of the 147th Kentucky Derby Saturday, chanting Breonna Taylor’s name.
This year was not expected to feature a mass demonstration like the one during the rescheduled Derby Day last September, which featured national groups like Until Freedom and the Not F***ing Coalition joining hundreds of marchers in calling for police officers to face charges over Taylor’s death.
But signs carried in front of the racetrack Saturday carried on calls for justice, with one stating, “We haven’t forgotten Breonna.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
May Day 2021: More Than a Dozen Arrested During Seattle Demonstrations
SEATTLE — Seattle Police said they arrested fourteen people Saturday during unpermitted May Day marches for a variety of crimes from property destruction to assault and reckless driving.
Several demonstrations took place earlier in the day in the Seattle area as part of International Workers’ Day. Those marches and rallies ended peacefully.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) was loudly booed and heckled by delegates during a speech at the Utah Republican Convention held in West Valley City. The chairman of the Utah GOP, Derek Brown, intervened to try to calm the crowd. They kept on heckling.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Oregon Sheriff Lowers Jail Booking Criteria Amid Violent Portland Protests
Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese issued a special order last week allowing deputies to book suspects accused of misdemeanor reckless burning and criminal mischief into the county jail as Portland continues to grapple with violent protests that have seen businesses and government buildings vandalized.
The changes took effect on April 23, according to a memo signed by Reese.
“The addition of the two specified crimes was done in recognition of the recent proliferation of attempts to set fire to objects and structures during demonstrations, and has been done in the best interest of public safety,” sheriff’s office spokesman Chris Liedle told Fox News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Photo of Ghislaine Maxwell in Federal Custody With a Black Eye Emerges
A photo of Ghislaine Maxwell with a black eye emerged this week.
Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime pal of Bill Clinton, is currently in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York awaiting trial.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Officers Denied Service at Seattle Chocolate Shop
SEATTLE — Management of a Seattle chocolate shop are working with employees to create a “more inviting community” after two police officers were allegedly denied service.
President of the Seattle Police Officers Guild Mike Solan said two officers walked up to the counter of Chocolati in Wallingford and one employee refused to serve them.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
San Diego May Day Protests Draw Various Causes, Voices
Activists representing a diverse mix of causes marched Saturday afternoon in a May Day protest throughout downtown San Diego in one of many actions across the county.
May Day, celebrated on May 1, is typically a day of protest aimed at giving visibility to the exploitation of workers and is also known as International Workers’ Day. Large protests happened Saturday across the world, including in France where more than 100,000 people marched and fought with police, said Reuters.
Elsewhere in the county, The Gente Unida Coalition organized a car caravan from Balboa Park to the San Ysidro Port of Entry to protest immigration policies, and the San Diego Tenants Union staged a car caravan to protest property owners they characterized as slumlords. Other events included a caravan to the Otay Mesa Detention Center, to protest immigration detention, and a May Day caravan from Barrio Logan to Escondido advocating for the “health and dignity of all workers.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Senate Intelligence Leaders Say Mystery ‘Sonic Weapon’ Attacks on US Officials Increasing
After it was revealed Thursday that US intelligence is investigating at least two potential “directed energy” sonic attacks on White House personnel — one of which is alleged to have happened just off White House grounds — the US Senate Intelligence Committee weighed in on Friday, saying such mysterious incidents appear to be happening with greater frequency worldwide.
Senators Mark Warner (D) and Marco Rubio (R) agreed that such microwave energy attacks have gone on for “nearly five years” and have targeted “US government personnel in Havana, Cuba and elsewhere around the world.” In a joint statement the two ranking members said, “This pattern of attacking our fellow citizens serving our government appears to be increasing. The Senate Intelligence Committee intends to get to the bottom of this,” according to Reuters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tennessee Woman Paralyzed After Second Pfizer COVID Shot (Video)
A Nashville woman is in a hospital bed and unable to walk after receiving her second Pfizer Covid shot on April 16.
Brandy Parker-McFadden said mere hours after her second dose of the Covid vaccine an unusual sensation began in her legs.
Soon the young mother of three was in agony with horrible neck pain and it kept getting worse.
“She was screaming in pain. She is one that is pretty stoic. That’s what created the sense of urgency,” her husband James told WKRN.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Twitter Stock Drops — Trump: “I Guess That’s What Happens When You Go Against Freedom of Speech!”
Twitter’s shares dropped dramatically after the release of their 1st quarter results.
Twitter’s user numbers were below expectations.
And Twitter’s projections for the 2nd quarter are now lower.
President Trump said, “I guess that’s what happens when you go against FREEDOM OF SPEECH!”
[Comment: Twitter’s stock price went down 13% this past Friday.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
10 People Fined $2,000 for Violating COVID Gathering Limit
Halifax Regional Police has fined 10 people in Halifax for violating Nova Scotia’s COVID gathering limit.
At around 12:30 a.m. on May 1, police received a report of a loud party at a residence in the 2000-3000 block of Parker Street in central Halifax.
Police arrived at the scene and issued 10 tickets under 71 (1)(b) of the Health Protection Act for failing to comply with the Act and its regulations which now carries a fine of $2,000.
The total fine equates to $20,000.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One Man Arrested in Weekly Anti-Lockdown Protest in Barrie
BARRIE, ONT. — Despite having their typical gathering place blocked off, hundreds still turned out in downtown Barrie Saturday to protest the provincial government’s COVID-19 restrictions.
One man was led away by four police officers from the protest, which started near the city’s waterfront.
“There was one arrest in a crowd of mostly peaceful people,” said Inspector Rich Johnston of the Barrie Police Service. “There was an individual causing a disturbance to the point there were some concerns for everyone around.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Protestors from Extinction Rebellion’s Vancouver chapter once again flooded into the city’s downtown core Saturday, blocking a major intersection and calling for urgent action from governments and the public in response to the climate crisis.
Photos and footage posted to the group’s social media feeds on May 1 show demonstrators gathered around a massive pink boat placed in the middle of the Granville and Georgia intersection, emblazoned with the phrase “Tell the truth.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Quebec Reports 3rd Case of Vaccine Bloodclotting as Thousands Protest Lockdowns
Thousands of unmasked demonstrators marched in Montreal on Saturday to protest COVID-19 public health measures they call excessive and unjustified.
Demonstrators gathered at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, calling on the Quebec government to lift a nighttime curfew that has been in place in much of the province since January.
They also expressed opposition towards the notion of immunity passport for those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-COVID Protests Grip Europe
Protests have gripped the main park in central Brussels, as well as other major cities across Europe. COVID restrictions looked largely ignored.
Video Transcript
ADAM PARSONS: A month after an illegal party was broken up in this park in the heart of Brussels, it filled up again today. Thousands swarming to the border larcombe. There wasn’t much social distancing here.
May the first is a bank holiday across Europe. It’s a traditional day to either relax or demonstrate. And this was a mixture of both, a blend of partying and of various protests against the lockdown, masks, vaccines, and a few other things.
But the government was insistent that this was all banned and that it will be stopped. The police were here in numbers. And before long, they swung into action.
Water cannons came first, and then the tear gas. The crowd rapidly dispersing. Before long, this big party in the park was over.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Antifa Communists Riot and Trash London, Paris, Italy on May Day (Video)
Antifa Communists on Saturday rioted and trashed the streets of London, Paris, Italy and other European cities in May Day demonstrations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arrests in Paris as Thousands Join May Day Protests Across France
Hooded, black-clad demonstrators clashed with police in Paris on Saturday as thousands of people joined traditional May Day protests across France to demand social and economic justice and voice their opposition to government plans to change unemployment benefits.
Police made 46 arrests in the capital, where garbage bins were set on fire and the windows of a bank branch were smashed, momentarily delaying the march.
More than 106,000 people marched throughout France, including 17,000 in Paris, according to the Interior Ministry.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium Police, Partiers Clash Anew Over Virus Restrictions
BRUSSELS — A few thousand people gathered for an illegal party in a Brussels park Saturday to protest COVID-19 restrictions, only to be met with a big police force who used a water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
It was the second such open-air gathering in a month. Once again, the mostly young people disregarded pleas from the government and the capital city to stay away and respect mask-wearing and social-distancing rules.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Clashes Mark May Day Protests in Europe
Riots overshadowed a May 1 labor day demonstration in Berlin Saturday evening amid fierce street clashes between police and radical leftist militants, according to local media reports.
Black-clad protesters threw bottles, firecrackers and stones at baton-wielding police who tried to disperse the crowd with pepper spray and water-gun trucks.
Police officers were repeatedly attacked while trying to pull troublemakers out of the crowd as several protesters were arrested.
Dumpsters and pallets were set on fire in Berlin’s Neukoelln district as paramedics were on the scene to treat the wounded.
At least three police officers and several protesters were injured.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland to Leave Lockdown in May
Starting May 1, Polish economic and social life will slowly begin returning to its pre-lockdown state while maintaining key health safety measures.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated that government data is cause for optimism about the development of the coronavirus crisis, which should allow the country to begin reactivating its economy. He emphasized that while the number of infections was one thing, the deaths due to the pandemic were the real tragedy and the most crucial aspect.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Scotland: Dundee Extinction Rebellion Protesters Stage City Centre Sit-in
Five female “rebels” and an 11-year-old boy took park in the Dundee protest which saw them sit down in the City Square.
Elsewhere in the UK protesters sat down on roads to block traffic, including in London and Banbury.
The Dundee Extinction Rebellion activists wore chalkboards with various messages on them, one of which read: “I am in deep grief about the lost future of my unborn children.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
SNP MP: Party Would ‘Totally’ Accept Euro and Hard Border With England as Price of Rejoining EU
A Member of Parliament for the left-separatist Scottish National Party (SNP) stoked controversy by saying it would “totally” accept dropping the pound for the euro and policing a hard border with England as the price of rejoining the European Union.
While notionally committed to leaving the United Kingdom in order to establish sovereign statehood for Scotland, few British political parties are more committed to reversing Brexit than the SNP, at least in their corner of Britain — even though this would entail giving up independence with respect to national fishing waters, agricultural policy, international trade deals, and a swathe of other policy areas which the European Union controls on behalf of its member-states.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: Alleged Jihadists Charged Over Online Threats to French Citizens
Spanish authorities have charged three alleged radical Islamic extremists who threatened the lives of French citizens in response to the publishing of the Mohammed cartoons by the magazine Charlie Hebdo.
The three alleged extremists are accused of having posted various messages encouraging terrorism and violence against French citizens on social media in response to the republishing of the Mohammed cartoons in October.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Climate Activist Arrested After Gluing Himself to Westminster Bridge
Nine people were arrested on Saturday including a man who glued himself to Westminster Bridge in London in protest at a lack of government action two years after parliament declared a climate emergency.
It was among a wave of “rebellion of one” protests on Saturday, organised by Extinction Rebellion (XR), in which hundreds of activists blocked roads by sitting alone wearing signs expressing their fears about the future.
Earlier on Saturday police shut Tower Bridge to southbound traffic after Morgan Trowland, 38, attached himself to the crossing.
Trowland, a civil engineer from Hackney, east London, told PA Media: “I’m terrified that billions will die because of the climate crisis, humans and non-humans. I’m freaking out that many people are accepting this, or feel powerless to change the course. I want to show onlookers that we each have phenomenal power.”
[Comment: Dude, get a grip.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Extinction Rebellion Protesters Block Roads in Exeter and Topsham
Extinction Rebellion (XR) protesters have been blocking busy roads in parts of Devon today (May 1).
Protesters gathered on Magdalen Road in Exeter during what is said to be one of three happening across Devon today.
Another demonstration has been conducted on Fore Street in Topsham, with traffic monitoring website Inrix saying: “Reports of slow traffic due to demonstration on Fore Street at Underhill Terrace.”
Their aim is to peacefully force the government to take greater action on climate change and biodiversity.
Those in attendance are currently live streaming the protest from Exeter, which shows some people sat in the road with signs and police present at the scene.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Extinction Rebellion activists are deliberately causing enough criminal damage during protests to ensure they are tried by juries.
Under the law, anyone accused of damage valued at less than £5,000 is dealt with by a magistrate. But if the sum involved is higher, they can be brought before a jury — where protesters believe they stand a better chance of being acquitted.
The group has admitted to the tactic after six defendants were last month found not guilty of damaging oil giant Shell’s London HQ in April 2019.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Extinction Rebellion Protestors Block Nottingham Roads
At 11 am, activists from Extinction Rebellion blocked four roads around Nottingham in protest of inaction to tackle the climate crisis.
At least one protestor has now been removed from the road by the police. Meanwhile, a Notts student has joined a protestor in support near Old Market Square.
The group argue such disruptive action is necessary due to the severe threat of climate change, however, say they are also sorry for any inconvenience caused.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: London Protests: ‘Kill the Bill!’ 5,000 People March on Westminster — Police Clashes
They are demonstrating against the Policing and Crime Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament. Protests are expected in towns and cities across the country on Saturday. The Government claims the legislation is needed to stop disruptive protests but critics claim it undermines free expression. Video filmed earlier in the day showed a large crowd, many waving red and black flags, making their way down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: May Day ‘Kill the Bill’ Protest Turns Into Mass ‘Rave’ In London Park
A May Day ‘Kill the Bill’ protest this afternoon (May 1) turned into a rave in a London park. Protesters danced in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens contrary to Covid legislation which makes such raves illegal. The event passed off peacefully, and despite several warnings, there was no police intervention.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Nine Arrested in London Protests Against Greater Police Powers
Police arrested nine people who took part in protests in London on Saturday demanding that the government reverse planned legislation that would increase police powers.
More than 1,000 people marched through central London and chanted “Kill the Bill” outside government buildings, as well as dancing to music played from a bus.
A police statement said nine people had been arrested and officers were “continuing to engage” with protesters who had gathered in a park in south London after the march.
Similar protests took place in other cities across England and Wales, including Bristol, which saw several days of clashes between protesters and police in March.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Reports Claim Millions Living in Areas With No Corona Deaths in Weeks
Reports by two of Britain’s leading news outlets have published separate sets of analyses that claim millions of Britons have been living in areas that have seen no deaths from coronavirus in weeks.
Analysis by BBC News, also quoted by British newspaper of record The Times, was published on Friday claiming that around 22 million people across the four nations of the United Kingdom live in areas where there have been no recorded deaths by COVID-19 from April 1st to the 28th. In the four week period of January, by comparison, that figure was only around 50,000 people.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
India: Jihadi Racket Busted in Assam for Temple Robbery
Assam police arrested 12 miscreants so far in connection with Shri Nrisingha temple robbery in Karimganj. Jihadi gangs are involved in temple loot and robbery in Assam.
Priyadarshini Dutta Barua | HENB | Karimganj | May 1, 2021:: The famous Shri Nrisingha temple of Balliya in Karimganj district was robbed on the fall of Sunday night dated 11th April approaching to 12th.
As per reports, some miscreants with sharp weapons looted Gold ornaments, cash, and many valuable properties from the 300 years old Hindu temple situated near to Bangladesh border. The priest’s family members were tied up and beaten up.
Speaking to the media, the priest of the temple said, “Some miscreants looted Gold ornaments, cash, and many valuable properties from the temple, they tied us and beaten us.” A local said, “The Shri Shri Nrisingha temple was robbed. They looted many valuable properties, ornaments, cash, etc.”
As the villagers and temple management committee reported the matter to the local Nilambazar Police Station, the Assam Police started investigation of the case.
On a tip off from a reliable source, Nilambazar Police team arrested 12 miscreants including a driver whose auto was used for ferrying the miscreants to the spot of robbery.
As per report, Nilambazar police arrested the mastermind of the temple robbery, Mohammad Shalimuddin (33) was arrested from Dimapur as he fled from his native place of Kautuki after the robbery.
Other Muslims miscreants viz. Makburur Rahanman (22) and Helal Uddin (34) of Bherarpatta, Ahad Uddin (24) of Bhagirkhola, Ataur Rahaman of (33), Subur Ali (31), Ali Hossian (34) and Aynul Haq (31) of Yatrapur, Selim Uddin (35) of West Duaribaga, Mayab Uddin (22) of Bunugram and Mutlib Ali (38) of Alamkhani…
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
Myanmar Anti-Junta Protests Continue 3 Months Into Coup
Anti-junta demonstrators in Myanmar took to the streets again Saturday three months after a coup spelled the end of the country’s transition to democracy.
Explosions were reported by local media throughout the country’s largest city of Yangon as protesters marched for democracy in defiance of the military government, which seized power on February 1.
No casualties were reported nor were there any immediate claims of responsibility.
Demonstrators also rallied in Myanmar’s second-largest city of Mandalay and the southern town of Dawei, according to local media reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
TikTok Stops Downplaying Its Ties to Its Chinese Parent Company
Last year, as video-sharing app TikTok faced mounting scrutiny over reports of its ties to the Chinese state and the Trump administration was pushing for it to be banned in the US, TikTok consistently presented its US operations as being completely separate from its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
In an August 2020 lawsuit, TikTok wrote that it had erected software barriers that keep US user data separate from the data stored by ByteDance and noted that key executives, including its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), are “all Americans based in the United States—and therefore are not subject to Chinese law.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
90 Migrants Found Crammed Inside Houston House in Alleged Smuggling Operation
Authorities investigating a reported kidnapping Friday came upon an alleged human smugglers’ house holding more than 90 migrants, some with COVID-19 symptoms, Houston police said.
Investigators worked overnight to track down the location in southwest Houston after receiving a call about a potential kidnapping late Thursday, said Assistant Chief Daryn Edwards of the Houston Police Department.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Baby Born on Dinghy and 44 Migrants Land in Spain
Emergency services reported that a woman gave birth to a baby girl on Thursday (April 29) night while she was travelling with the rest of the migrants the boat.
The baby and the mother were taken to a local hospital on Friday (April 30) to undergo a medical check.
Twenty-eight men, 11 women and 4 children were also travelling in the dinghy.
The number of undocumented migrants arriving in the Canary Islands was more than eight times higher last year than in 2019, with the impact of COVID-19 on tourism and other industries in north and sub-Saharan Africa pushing many more to embark on the dangerous journey.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Cancels Pentagon Funding for Border Wall Construction Ordered by President Trump
The Biden administration announced Friday it is cancelling Defense Department funding of the border wall ordered by President Trump. This is the latest move by Biden to stop wall construction short of that planned by Trump to secure the border with Mexico. Biden ordered a halt to review border wall construction upon taking office January 20. The White House has since said they would consider fillings gaps in the wall caused by the sudden stop, but not completion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Numbers: A Breakdown of Germany’s Muslim Population
Around 5.5 million Muslims live in Germany, almost one million more than five years ago. And now the group is more diverse than ever before, according to a new study.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
More Than 800 Migrants Rescued at Sea Head to Italy
ROME — Two Italian ports faced an influx of hundreds of migrants on Saturday, as a charity ship sailed toward a Sicilian port with 236 people rescued in the Mediterranean from traffickers’ boats, while Italian coast guard and border police brought 532 others to a tiny island.
The maritime rescue group SOS Mediterranee said a ship it operates, Ocean Viking, pulled the migrants to safety four days ago from two rubber dinghies. Upon instructions from Italian authorities, the Ocean Viking was sailing to Augusta, Sicily, with its passengers, 119 of whom were reported to be unaccompanied minors.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
MS-13, Other Gang Members Exploit Migrant Wave to Cross Into US
Members of MS-13 and other gangs are slipping across the southern border, hidden in the waves of thousands of Mexican and Central American migrants who continue to surge into the US.
Border Patrol officials detained five gang members in the last week near frontier crossings at Laredo, TX., said US Border Patrol Agent Chief Matthew Hudak in a tweet Friday.
“They attempt to evade arrest by exploiting the influx of migrants attempting to enter our country,” Hudak tweeted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Almost 200 migrants were intercepted by Border Force officials as they crossed the English Channel today — with the total number so far this year surpassing 2,100.
The Home Office confirmed that another 185 migrants attempted the journey in nine separate incidents today.
These latest arrivals mean that the total number to make the crossing this year is now 2,293 — including 223 in January, 308 in February, 831 in March and 746 in April.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech MPs Prepare for Heated Debate on Same-Sex Marriage
Six months before the autumn parliamentary elections, deputies embark on debating a matter they have avoided for three years, the legalization of same-sex marriages, which they last discussed in 2018. The counter-proposal, which would constitutionally protect traditional marriages, is on the table.
The Chamber of Deputies is divided on this issue, while some critics also point out that the debate is currently unnecessary because the country has to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
The debate on this change of law was started after the elections to the Chamber of Deputies in 2017 by the then MP for the ANO movement, Radka Maxova. Together with another 45 deputies, she proposed an amendment to the Civil Code so that gay people could enter into marriage. According to the explanatory memorandum, same-sex couples and their children are to enjoy “the dignity and the same protection of family life as is provided by law to spouses and their children, thus ensuring equal status not only in society but also in law”.
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