Palestinians continued firing missiles into Israel, the IDF continued its air attacks on Hamas targets in Gaza, and Palestinians in Israel are rioting and going on strike. Meanwhile, the Israeli government is considering cutting off electricity to the Gaza Strip.
In other news, after its pastor was arrested, a Baptist church in Calgary was ordered closed by municipal health authorities for violating COVID regulations.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Fjordman, JW, 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.
BIDINFLATION: Prices for Almost Everything Soar Under Biden Admin
At a recent family gathering my sister, who is building a house, told me 2x4s were cresting at $9 when they’d previously been around $3. Parents at school pick up have been talking about the increase in the weekly grocery bill, where basic trips to the market in our Brooklyn neighborhood are up by half or more. And most Americans have seen the cost of fuel surge amid pipeline hacks, pipeline shut downs, and the Biden administration’s push for a Green New Deal.
It’s not just anecdotal evidence, the Consumer Price Index released last week shows that prices are up across the board by .8 percent for April. That’s after a .3 increase for January, .4 increase for February, and a .6 increase for March. In contrast, the last few months of the Trump administration had increases as well, albeit much lower. October showed a .1 percent increase, while November and December both showed increases of .2 percent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Black Lives Matter Declares “Solidarity With Palestinians”
The Black Lives Matter organization has officially declared its “solidarity with Palestinians” in the conflict in Israel, which has seen thousands of rockets launched by Hamas and other Iran-backed terrorist organizations towards residential areas in Tel Aviv and other cities.
On Monday, Black Lives Matter tweeted that it “stands in solidarity with Palestinians.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Will Stay Masked for Another Month
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California won’t lift its mask requirement until June 15 to give the public and businesses time to prepare and ensure coronavirus cases stay low, the state health director said Monday, a decision that runs counter to many other states including Oregon and Washington that quickly aligned with last week’s new federal guidelines.
“This four-week period will give Californians time to prepare for this change, while we continue the relentless focus on delivering vaccines particularly to underserved communities and those that were hard hit throughout this pandemic,” Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Critical Race Theory Training to be Mandatory for Virginia Little League Coaches
On Thursday, Little League coaches received an email telling them to cancel everything on May 24 in order to attend an “anti-racist” workshop called “Sports can battle racism.”
The workshop is put on by the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), which has just partnered with the Alexandria VA Little League.
According to the Daily Wire, the PCA has many modules up on their website, and all of them appear to adhere to what is known as CRT or “critical race theory”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Democratic Socialists of America released the first draft of its political platform for 2021 that includes an end to US nationalism and calls for any efforts to keep China’s communist influence at bay, among many other unrealistic demands.
The DSA, which is largely supported by progressive Democrats and includes members like Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, demands statehood for Washington DC, the passage of HB1, public funding for state legislature and statewide positions, packing the Supreme Court, and voting rights for illegal aliens.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Commissioning ISIS Bomb-Making Video From Undercover FBI Operative
A Florida man pleaded guilty today to attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, also known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization since 2014.
According to court documents, Romeo Xavier Langhorne, 31, of St. Augustine, pledged his allegiance to ISIS at some point in 2014, knowing that ISIS was a designated foreign terrorist organization and that they engaged in acts of terrorism.
If convicted, Langhorne faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida: Muslim Arrested for Shooting at Random Cars in Busy Gas Station Parking Lot
We will probably soon hear that Ahmad Jihad Bojeh is mentally ill, but it is also true that the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have repeatedly called upon Muslims in the U.S. to do violence to random people.
“Deputies arrest man accused of shooting at cars at Wawa gas station,” FOX 35 News, May 15, 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fmr. Military Official Details UFO Tech That Outstrips Current by “100 To1,000 Years”
Several former military officers are now speaking about the existence of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, following an explosive report published by CBS News’ “60 Minutes“ on Sunday night about the mysterious, now-confirmed encounters, which reportedly travel at hypersonic velocities with no detectable means of propulsion.
The 60 Minutes segment came ahead of a report that the Department of Defense is planning to deliver to Congress in June. Former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe said an interview with the Washington Post in March that he expects the findings to alarm the public because “frankly, there are a lot more sightings than have been made public.”
Speaking to CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Monday, Chris Mellon, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence, and Sean Cahill, retired U.S. Navy chief master at arms both spoke about the existence of UFOs and provided a glimpse of what the U.S. military understands about the mysterious objects.
Cahill suggested that the technology used by the unidentified aerial vehicles “outstrips our arsenal by at least 100 years to 1,000 years at the moment.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Republicans Defy Pelosi Mask Rules That Go Against Biden Administration Stance
They’re unmasked and they intend to stay that way.
A group of House Republicans showed their uncovered faces in the chamber Tuesday in defiance of rules set out by Speaker Nancy Pelosi(D-Calif.) despite the recent change in federal guidance for the vaccinated.
At one point, firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted a selfie with three of her mask-free colleagues and the Twitter hashtag “#Freeyourface.”
“Masks are oppressive and nothing but a political tool,” Greene wrote in her post. “End the oppression!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Podcast giant Joe Rogan has warned that the logical conclusion of ‘woke’ cancel culture is that all straight white men will be forbidden from talking or even leaving their own houses.
“You can never be woke enough, that’s the problem,” Rogan stated in a recent conversation with stand-up comedian Joe List about the effect cancel culture is having on comedy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Refers Florida’s Cruise Line Suit Against CDC to Mediator
Cruise lines, their customers, the state of Florida and the U.S. government will have to wait a little longer to learn whether a federal order keeping ships idled can stand.
A Tampa federal judge overseeing the state’s civil case against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention referred the matter to a mediator Tuesday with instructions to hear the positions of both sides before June 1.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kevin McCarthy Pushes Back on Agreement to Form Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Commission
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday that he is not supportive of the bipartisan agreement reached to form a “9/11-style” commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — slamming Democrats for not negotiating “in good faith” and failing to propose “an unbiased premise from which to begin.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lollapalooza Will be Back at Full Capacity as Chicago’s COVID Rates Decline
Chicago is ready to rock once again this summer!
The famed Lollapalooza music festival is returning to the shores of Lake Michigan at full capacity July 29 to Aug. 1 — a year after it was unplugged by the pandemic, and a year earlier than organizers once predicted it would return.
The festival’s lineup will be unveiled Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., and tickets will go on sale at noon, Chicago officials said.
“Here in Chicago, the word ‘Lollapalooza’ has always been synonymous with summer, great music and four days of unforgettable fun — which made last year’s decision to postpone it all the more difficult,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a news release.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WASHINGTON — Damon M. Joseph, aka Abdullah Ali Yusuf, 23, of Holland, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, aka ISIS, and attempting to commit a hate crime, for planning an attack on a synagogue in the Toledo, Ohio area.
“Damon Joseph was inspired by ISIS’ call to violence and hate,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “He planned to target innocents at a Toledo-area synagogue based on their religion and hoping that it would lead to the deaths of many and spread fear. His actions would have been an assault on the liberties and respect for humanity we hold so dear. We will continue to make every effort to prevent such attacks from occurring. I commend the agents, analysts, and prosecutors who identified the threat posed by this defendant and took action to protect the public from his plans.”
“The defendant’s attempt to cause significant harm to members of the Toledo, Ohio, Jewish community constitutes both a federal hate crime and an act of domestic terrorism,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute individuals who use violence to attack our religious communities.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Masks Are Child Abuse.’ Crowd Protests Broward Schools COVID Policy
They shouted chants of “Unmask the children” while holding signs equating masks in schools to child abuse and slavery.
More than 60 people packed outside the K.C. Wright headquarters in Fort Lauderdale before Tuesday’s School Board meeting to question why the Broward School District requires masks to be worn by everyone in schools, including children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Conservative Advocacy Group Launched to Fight Cancel Culture
On Monday, a new conservative advocacy organization was launched to fight back against the rising tide of cancel culture, which has become prominent in various industries throughout the United States. The initiative, called “Unsilenced Majority” aims to speak for voiceless Americans who recognize the threat of cancel culture and promote freedom of expression without fear of retribution from the woke mob.
The platform is one of several prominently conservative efforts to drive back woke political leftism in the United States, which is now the forefront of the political conversation online and in the halls of Congress.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An open letter initially signed by 120 retired high-ranking United States military officers warning of an imminent threat to democracy and the Constitution has now grown to 160 signatories.
The signatures collected by the Flag Officers 4 America group include retired generals and admirals who have broken their silence over what they see as a “conflict… between supporters of Socialism and Marxism vs. supporters of Constitutional freedom and liberty” engulfing the United States. The letter mirrors an earlier one released before the 2020 elections and signed by 317 retired generals and admirals.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A ransomware attack that hacked the police department in the nation’s capital included leaked internal law enforcement training on Antifa’s ideology and tactics.
Last week, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, DC, suffered an enormous data leak of internal information, amounting to an enormous 250GB trove of private files, after refusing to meet the blackmail demands of Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate Babuk.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PBS Journalist Implies That Ending Mask Mandates is Racist
During a White House press briefing, a PBS journalist suggested that ending mask mandates was racist.
Yes, really.
Last week, the CDC disappointed face diaper extremists by lifting restrictions on mask wearing in numerous settings.
This prompted a massive backlash from those who have adopted the face covering as a kind of cult symbol, with a PBS journalist attempting to argue that not masking up will lead to the deaths of more black people.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pentagon Launches Program to Surveil Military Personnel’s Social Media
The Pentagon is planning on launching a program that would screen military personnel’s social media for “extremist material” — looking to retain a private firm to do the digging in order to circumvent First Amendment protections, according to a report.
Internal Defense Department documents reviewed by The Intercept reveal that Bishop Garrison, a senior advisor to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tasked with addressing “extremism” in the armed forces, is currently in the process of designing a social media screening program which will “continuously” monitor for “concerning behaviors.”
[Comment: The military-industrial complex wants to spy on future anti-war movements.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Most Portland Residents Want Police Presence Maintained or Increased
PORTLAND, Ore. — Nearly a year after “defund the police” became a racial justice rallying cry in Portland and across the U.S., a vast majority of Portlanders and those living in the metro area reject the call to diminish police presence in the city.
Three-fourths of Portland-area residents say they do not want to see policing in the city dip below its current levels, with a plurality supporting an increase in cops, according to a recent poll commissioned by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Meanwhile, fewer than a quarter of survey participants in Portland — and even less among suburban residents — believe there should be fewer police officers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Prosecutor: Deputies’ Fatal Shooting of Black Man Justified
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — A North Carolina district attorney says the shooting of a Black man killed by deputies was justified. District Attorney Andrew Womble made the announcement Tuesday after reviewing the results of a State Bureau of Investigation probe of the fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. in April.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Rantz: I Was Assaulted, Israel Flag Burned at Seattle’s Anti-Semitic Rally
Seattle’s progressive activists assembled at Westlake Park to scream anti-Semitic vitriol. They are upset that Israel is defending itself against Hamas terrorists holding Gaza hostage.
In the process of covering the event, which was already tense for me as a Jew, I was assaulted by a fringe activist. I was then summarily kicked out of the public rally. As the woman hit me with a Palestinian flag, anti-Israel activists in the crowd did nothing. Some of the assault was caught on cell phone video. I wasn’t the only Jew assaulted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Governor Bans Mask Mandates From Schools, Government Entities
On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that no Texas governmental entities will be allowed to mandate the wearing of masks, ABC 13 reports.
The executive order would cover counties, cities, school districts, public health authorities, and government officials.
After June 4th, public schools will not be allowed to require mask wearing for teachers, students, parents, or other staff members while on campus.
On May 21, those that impose mask mandate that conflict with the executive order would face a fine of up to $1,000.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Biden Threatens “Those Who Are Not Vaccinated Will End Up Paying the Price”
Joe Biden issued a threat Monday that those who choose not to get vaccinated against coronavirus will “end up paying the price.”
During a speech about vaccine distribution, Biden stated “If the unvaccinated get vaccinated, they will protect themselves and other unvaccinated people around them. If they do not, states with low vaccination rates may see those rates go up — may see this progress reversed.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video Shows National Guard Troops Administering Vaccines in Dallas 7-Eleven
A video out of Dallas shows National Guard soldiers patrolling the streets offering COVID-19 vaccinations to people in bars and 7-Elevens.
The clip was posted by the official Dallas County Health and Health & Human Services Twitter account to promote its vaccine drive.
“We’re going out tonight too administering the #COVID19 Syringe to bar goers in Deep Ellum” states the tweet. “By getting vaccinated you’ll be able to enjoy going out again knowing that you’re safe & protected.”
“So right now we are going to give a COVID vaccine to someone inside a 7-Eleven — this is what community service looks like and getting the community vaccinated,” states the person filming the video.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
YouTube Deletes Video of Attack on Asian-American Uber Driver
Google’s alleged double standards on political and societal issues became evident again. YouTube deleted a video showing an Asian-American Uber driver getting attacked.
When there was a spike in violence against Asian-Americans in the first few months of this year, Big Tech corporations, including Google, showed their solidarity by becoming some of the largest voices against Asian-American hate. However, when Google had the chance to actually show it was against Asian-American hate, it didn’t come through.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fairview Baptist Church in Southeast Calgary Ordered Closed by Alberta Health Services
One day after a southeast Calgary pastor was arrested for holding a service deemed an illegal gathering, Alberta Health Services has ordered the church closed.
The notice of closure for the Fairview Baptist Church was posted by Alberta Health Services on Monday. On Sunday, pastor Tim Stephens was arrested.
Officials say the Sunday gathering did not comply with public health orders requiring masking, physical distancing, and attendance limits.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Open Letter Asks Trudeau to Stop Plans to Harm the Internet
In an open letter published on Monday, a broad list of privacy advocates and tech critics called on Canada’s Trudeau administration to “stop harming the internet” with the proposed Bill C-10. The signatories to the letter feel the bill could result in severe consequences for the free and open Internet in Canada.
“We are Canadian Internet policy and technical professionals, writing as concerned experts and on behalf of all those who care about the future of a free and open Internet,” the letter, addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, begins.
“We call on you to stop harming the Internet, and the freedoms and aspirations of every individual in this country, and our knowledge economy through overreaching regulatory policies that will have significant, yet unintended consequences for the free and open Internet in Canada.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nova Scotia Injunction Blocking Protests ‘Unjustifiable’ Limit on Expression: CCLA
A court injunction that bans protests against public health orders in Nova Scotia should be modified or set aside, says the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
Cara Zwibel, the association’s director of fundamental freedoms, said Tuesday that the injunction is an indefinite ban on freedom of assembly and expression that is “unjustifiable.”
Zwibel said her organization’s concern is that the court order issued Friday prohibits any and all protest activity during the province’s state of emergency — something that she says runs counter to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Raw: Maxime Bernier Gives Powerful Speech at Worldwide Freedom Rally in Toronto
Rebel News was downtown Toronto again this past weekend to cover the weekly Freedom Rally.
The crowd seems to be getting bigger and bigger every weekend with thousands of people filling the streets. This past weekend, as part of the Worldwide Freedom Rally, People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier joined Torontonians and delivered a powerful speech discussing the rights of Canadians.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Revealed: Trudeau’s COVID App Was Collecting Your Data All Along
Canada’s COVID Alert app, frequently promoted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a way for users to protect their health while being respectful of their privacy, is being used for data collection, a federal panel says.
The app has been downloaded more than six million times, but only 25,552 people put their information to notify others around them after testing positive for COVID-19, according to data from Health Canada.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the app cost a total of $480,000 to develop, with an additional $16 million to promote it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Waterloo Bylaw Recaps Charges, Summonses Issued Over Uptown Anti-Lockdown Protests
Offering an update on bylaw response to the continuing, weekly anti-lockdown protests in UpTown Waterloo, officials said 27 charges have been laid in relation to those demonstrations — including seven individual court summonses with some being issued to repeat offenders. Those summonses carry three charges each — involving attendance and organization of a public event or gathering contrary to current regulations, failure to comply with public guidance of physical distancing as outlined by the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA) and failure to remain at residence contrary to the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA)
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A concerned Pope Francis appeared on Friday, May 14, in Rome, at the “General States of Birth” event organized by Italian family associations to address Italy’s precarious demographic situation, La Croixreported.
The pope was invited to open this day of reflection in the presence of several senior Italian politicians, including Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
COVID Incidence Rate in Spain Continues to Fall Despite Relaxed Restrictions: COVID Update May 17
The daily Covid report published by the Ministry of Health continues to indicate that the incidence of Covid in Spain is steadily falling, despite the relaxation of restrictions following the end of the State of Alarm last weekend.
This weekend was the first full weekend of “liberty” and millions of Spaniards took advantage of their new-found freedom to enjoy a short break at the coast or head to second homes around the country, the hot weather providing the perfect excuse to fill beaches over the weekend.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Investigation Launched After Swastika Banner Displayed at Pro-Palestine Rally
Authorities in the French city of Lille have launched an investigation into a banner displaying a swastika that appeared at a pro-Palestine rally over the weekend.
Around 1,500 to 2,000 people took part in a pro-Palestine rally in Lille after a call to protest was issued by the France-Palestine Solidarité organisation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary’s Vaccination Rate Overtakes the US
The Hungarian vaccination rate overtook that of the United States and currently the country is fourth in the world, news and opinion portal Mandiner writes.
Within the European Union, the speed of vaccinations in Hungary has been accelerated for a month. In May, the country led the European ranking together with Malta. On Sunday, Hungary also reached the top of the world rankings: ahead of Chile, it is now fourth in the world rankings after Israel, Bahrain and the United Kingdom.
Cabinet minister Gergely Gulyas said earlier that the third wave of the epidemic had hit Hungary hard, but the number of new infections and deaths had fallen dramatically as a result of the vaccinations. He added that the more people vaccinate themselves, the faster the epidemic can be pushed back.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Meghan Markle and Harry Snub as Six in Ten Brits Say Sussexes Should Lose Royal Titles
A survey conducted by YouGov found three out of five people said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be stripped of their official royal titles. One in five people polled said they should be allowed to keep their Sussex titles but not use them day to day.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sharia UK: University Reprimands Student Teacher for Defending Teacher Who Showed Muhammad Cartoon
It all happened so quickly, while the British public was deceived into thinking that those who were defending the principles of a free society were “racists,” “bigots,” and “Islamophobes.” Now there is hardly anyone left there with the wit and courage to stand for freedom.
“Fury as student teacher is reprimanded by university bosses for saying he supports staff member at Yorkshire school ‘who showed Prophet Muhammad cartoon to pupils,’“ by Henry Martin, MailOnline, May 13, 2021 (thanks to The Religion of Peace).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: Muslims Screaming ‘Allahu Akbar’ Riot as Police Stand by Passively
Mustn’t do anything to offend their new overlords.
“VIDEO: Palestinian demonstration in Stockholm ends in chaos — ‘Allahu Akbar,’“ translated from “VIDEO: Palestinska demonstrationen i Stockholm slutade i kaos — ‘Allahu Akbar,’“ Samnytt, May 12, 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish City Rocked by Night of ‘Unparalleled’ Arson Attacks
Police in Eskilstuna, Sweden, have arrested at least three suspects following a night of ‘unparalleled’ arson fires, according to reports.
Emergency services responded to around 20 blazes on Sunday night, in a series of attacks authorities suspect may have been retaliatory following the recent arrest of a prominent gang leader.
Police believe patrols were possibly lured to a diversionary call about a man carrying a gun while arsonists lit blazes across the city, many involving cars.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The English cops are unlikely to be any help. They’re terrified of appearing “Islamophobic.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre ‘Decolonising the Plays of Shakespeare’
Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in London has received backlash for boasting of its efforts at “decolonising the plays of Shakespeare” via a programme of “Anti-racist Shakespeare webinars”.
Shakespeare’s Globe, which works primarily out of a reconstruction of the iconic Globe Theatre built by William Shakespeare’s own playing company in the 1500s, suggested that the webinars, supported by Cambridge University Press, were an answer to its own rhetorical question: “What does it mean to read Shakespeare through an anti-racist lens?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Watch: Policewoman Seen Chanting ‘Free, Free Palestine’ During Anti-Israel Protest in London
The Metropolitan Police in London has come under criticism after footage emerged online which appears to show a female officer shouting a pro-Palestinian chant during an anti-Israel protest.
In the clip, the officer is seen hugging a female protester before shouting “free, free Palestine”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Will the Military Take Power in a Disintegrating West Hostile to Its Own People?
The military takes their oath seriously and will always defend their nations, economist László Bogár writes in daily Magyar Hírlap.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Zemmour: France is in a Struggle for Survival Against the Great Replacement
The French people are currently engaged in a struggle of survival against the Great Replacement, French author and philosopher Eric Zemmour said on the television channel CNews’ evening political talk show.
“I think the anguish felt over the end of France as it was, the anguish of the Great Replacement, has become a global feeling,” said Zemmour. “The fear of no longer being France, the fear of the famous Great Replacement. A lot of people are starting to think that Islam is going to replace us. It has become a massive feeling, a mass of 70 to 80 percent of France.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israel May Cut Power to Gaza, Official Warns Ahead of ‘Intensive’ Tunnel Strikes
Israel’s intelligence minister warned Tuesday that power to the Gaza Strip could soon be cut off — as the country’s military geared up for an “intensive night” of additional airstrikes against the region’s terror tunnels.
Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen told Israel’s Channel 20 that he favored shutting down electricity to Gaza as the worst conflict in years stretched into its ninth day.
“I think the next thing we should do — and I’ll raise this in the Cabinet — is to shut off electricity in Gaza,” he said in Hebrew, according to a video clip posted on Twitter.
Cohen added, “There was no discussion about a cease-fire in the Cabinet.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israel, Hamas Trade Fire in Gaza as Palestinians Go on Strike
Israeli aircraft carried out a new wave of airstrikes against targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday as militants fired rockets at the Jewish state, targeting the northern border with projectiles and a drone — which the military said may have been launched from a neighboring country.
The Israeli strikes leveled a six-story building that housed libraries and educational centers belonging to the Islamic University, leaving behind a massive mound of debris.
There were no reports of casualties after the Israel Defense Forces warned the building’s residents ahead of time, sending them fleeing into the predawn darkness.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
by Robert Spencer
In the aftermath of the bombing of the Associated Press offices in Gaza, which also housed Hamas, there are two possibilities regarding AP. One is that they really didn’t know Hamas was in the building, in which case they’re the worst reporters on the planet. Or else AP knew Hamas was there, and was fine with it, which is line with its general editorial tendency to whitewash jihad violence and demonize Israel.
I’ve documented here many times that our nation’s colleges and universities are no longer institutions of higher learning, but radioactive wastelands of far-left indoctrination. The latest manifestation of this is one Emily Wilder, who as a student “journalist” at Stanford engaged in numerous activities in support of the genocidal “Palestinian” jihad. Get information on Emily Wilder’s hatred of Israel, support for jihad violence, and long record of lies at the Stanford College Republicans’ Facebook page.
You can read here about how Emily Wilder libeled me while she was at Stanford, and here about how she doubled down on her lies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestinian Rioters Clash With Police in Jerusalem’s Old City
Pro-Palestinian protesters threw rocks, bottles and fireworks at Israeli border police in Jerusalem’s historic Old City on Tuesday, according to reports.
Eight rioters were arrested amid the violence, which erupted when a man attacked a female soldier during a security check near the Damascus Gate, the Jerusalem Post said.
Dozens of others approached and began rioting, according to Israel Hayom.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
This is the Artillery Being Lobbed at Israel by Hamas Militants in Gaza
Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,200 rockets at Israel in the latest round of hostilities, according to reports, most of which were the locally produced, short-range Qassams — named after the Hamas military wing and with a range of a mere six miles.
Costing anywhere from $300 to $800 apiece, the crude projectiles have unpredictable trajectories, frequently fall short of the border and are no match for the Israeli Iron Dome, which has an interception rate of about 90 percent, according to a New York Times report and the Israeli military.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Waiving Sanctions for Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Firm: Report
The U.S. State Department is set to waive sanctions that would affect the construction of a Russian company’s pipeline into Germany, Axios reported Tuesday, citing two sources briefed on the matter.
In its mandatory 90-day report to Congress, the Biden administration will concede that both the corporate entity behind the pipeline, Nord Stream 2 AG, and CEO Matthias Warnig, are engaging in sanctionable conduct. However, the department will suspend application of those sanctions, but apply sanctions to Russian ships involved in the construction.
Fully halting the 95 percent complete project would likely require sanctioning German entities as well, the sources told Axios, and the White House has decided against applying such pressure to the U.S.-German relationship.
The completion of the pipeline would allow fuel from Russia to bypass Ukraine to reach Europe, undermining the nation’s connection to western Europe. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Antony Blinken previously said in his confirmation hearing earlier this year that “I am determined to do whatever we can to prevent [the pipeline’s] completion.”
Sources told Axios the administration would reserve the right to cancel any sanctions waivers, and that knowledge of that would give the U.S. leverage over Russia.
Radoslaw Sikorski, the interparliamentary delegation chair for the European Union, called for the U.S. to impose sanctions on the entire pipeline in April. After a meeting with a group of lawmakers including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks Gregory Weldon Meeks (D-Calif.), Sikorski told The Hill he “made the point that if the U.S. imposes sanctions they should be effective.”…
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
India: Muslim Columnist Says ‘A Hindu Chanting Jai Shree Ram is Most Likely a Terrorist’
No word on what Sharjeel Usmani thinks of people who scream “Allahu akbar” while doing violence to infidels, but from his record, he probably has no problem with that. This is a classic example of the tactic of accusing the other of what one is guilty of doing.
“Newslaundry columnist Sharjeel Usmani gives communal angle to crime to defame Hindus and ‘Jai Shri Ram,’“ OpIndia, May 17, 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese Communists Clamp Down on Christian Social Media
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has added further restrictions on Christian content on the social media platform WeChat, the Barnabas Fund reported Monday.
WeChat has blocked Christian search words such as “Christ,” “Bible,” and “Gospel,” the Barnabas Fund noted, and searches for these terms offer no results on the platform.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Apple has been caving to Beijing’s demands, to the extent of compromising the security of its users’ data, according to a report on The New York Times. The report contradicts the Big Tech company’s commitment to security and privacy.
Perhaps Apple’s largest compromise, per the report, surrounds a new datacenter that the company is building in Guiyang, China. The report claims the datacenter, to be completed next month, will store Apple’s servers containing the information of its Chinese users.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Australian Prime Minister Suggests COVID Passport for Travel Between States
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested that vaccine passports will likely be a requirement for travel within the country’s states in an interview marking the second anniversary of his election.
Speaking to 9News, the prime minister responded to a question asking if “internal vaccine passports” would be necessary for travel between Australian states, Morrison stated that “all of those arrangements will have to be put in place,” adding that the concept was something his government would “have to work with the states and territories on.”
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A fiery debate has erupted on the Today show about whether children should be able to take religious weapons to school after a teenager was stabbed with a kirpan in Sydney.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Jamaica: Beenie Man Fined J$150,000 for Breaching COVID-19 Protocols
Jamaica international dancehall artiste Beenie Man was fined J$150,000 after he pleaded guilty to breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA).
The deejay, whose real name is Moses Davis, had pleaded guilty to the offense on April 19 and appeared in the St Elizabeth Parish Court where the fine or three months in jail was imposed.
An additional charge of breaching the Noise Abatement Act was thrown out during the deejay’s last court appearance.
“Beenie Man pleaded guilty because he wanted to take a responsible approach given that he is an elder of the global music community,” his attorney Roderick Gordon had said in April.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ceuta: Spanish Troops Clear Migrants From African Enclave
Footage shows Spain’s troops carrying and forcing migrants from its north African enclave of Ceuta back into neighbouring country, Morocco.
Some 8,000 people have reached Ceuta in two days — record numbers — officials say.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: 71 Per Cent of French Say Country Has Had Enough Immigration
A survey measuring the fraternity between residents of France has revealed that 71 per cent of French think there has been enough immigration and have no desire to see more.
The 2021 Fraternity Barometer, which was conducted by the polling firm Ifop and le Labo de la Fraternité, is the third survey designed to measure the value of fraternity in the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden Agrees With Denmark That Parts of Syria Are Now Safe Enough to Reject Asylum Seekers
Security in large parts of Syria has improved and that will have repercussions for Sweden’s immigration system/. That is the conclusion of the Swedish Migration Agency in a report on Syria from February 2021.
The Swedish Migration Agency is Sweden’s counterpart to the Danish Immigration Service. The authority grants asylum and assesses whether people are entitled to protection.
“The Swedish Migration Agency seems to have the exact same assessment of the general conditions in certain parts of Syria that Denmark has,” Louise Halleskov, associate professor of EU and human rights at Aarhus University, told Jyllands-Posten.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Celebrate diversity! Diversity is our strength! Remember: Tamim Sultani’s attitudes and assumptions are almost certainly not unique to him. Islamic law mandates death for blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy. But any attempt to discuss the compatibility of such laws with Western pluralistic societies just means you’re the problem, you greasy Islamophobe, and need to shut up for the sake of diversity.
“Vetlanda terrorist’s motive: ‘One person said that Allah does not exist,’“ translated from “Vetlanda-terroristens motiv: ‘En person sa att Allah inte finns,’“ Samnytt, May 14, 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Thousands of Migrants Cross Into Spain by Sea From Morocco
A man is held by soldiers of the Spanish Army at the border of Morocco and Spain, at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Ceuta, a Spanish city of 85,000 in northern Africa, faces a humanitarian crisis after thousands of Moroccans took advantage of relaxed border control in their country to swim or paddle in inflatable boats into European soil. Around 6,000 people had crossed by Tuesday morning since the first arrivals began in the early hours of Monday, including 1,500 who are presumed to be teenagers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jury selection has begun for the long-delayed trial of Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the undocumented immigrant accused in the 2018 murder of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts.
According to ABC affiliate WOI-DT, jury selection in the Mollie Tibbetts murder trial is expected to take around two days and will wrap up on Wednesday.
Opening arguments are expected that day in Davenport, where the trial has been moved following pretrial publicity of the case in Brooklyn, Iowa.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Church of Sweden Announces That it is “Trans”
The Church of Sweden has published an open letter signed by a long list of priests, deacons, and other church staff, proudly announcing that it is “trans.”
Whatever that means.
The Church of Sweden represents Europe’s largest Lutheran denomination and the letter was published on the Västerås diocese’s official website.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Left-Wing Groups Sue to Stop ‘Sanctuary for the Unborn’ Ordinance
Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are suing to stop a Texas city from implementing a “sanctuary for the unborn” ordinance that seeks to outlaw abortions.
Voters in Lubbock, Texas, passed the ordinance earlier this month, bucking council members in the West Texas city, who warned it would cause a legal battle and it isn’t enforceable, the Texas Tribune reported.
The law, one of many similar ones passed in Texas, would reportedly take effect on June 1.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ottawa-Carleton School District to Host ‘Drag Storytime’ Event for Kids
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is hosting a virtual event called the Annual Rainbow Youth Forum, and this year it will feature events called “Decolonizing Gender” and “Drag Storytime” geared toward children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Twitter Suspends Spanish Politician for Saying Men Cannot Get Pregnant
A member of Spain’s right-wing Vox Party, Francisco Jose Contreras, was temporarily suspended from Twitter after the platform considered his comment that “a man cannot get pregnant” to be a violation of its hate speech policy.
Contreras was locked out of his Twitter account for 12 hours for stating that men have “no uterus or eggs” and therefore cannot birth children, in response to an article he shared which discussed a transgender man announcing they were a father after giving birth to a child.
“You can see this is already fascist biology. Next time I’ll try 2 + 2 = 4,” Contreras wrote in an indignant post on Facebook.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Why is the World Economic Forum Worried About Gay TV Characters?
What’s the World Economic Forum concerned about now?
The great reset? Poverty? Economics?
No, they’re concerned about gay characters on TV.
Why?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |