Gates of Vienna News Feed 7/9/2021

A lot of major news items accumulated while I was away. Two of the most significant ones were that a large squad of heavily-armed Colombians assassinated the president of Haiti, and that former President Trump has filed a lawsuit against the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter, and Google.

In other news, a group of Kurdish migrants in Iceland were offered money to return to their homeland, but they turned it down, saying that they preferred to stay in Iceland.

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

Thanks to Fjordman, 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
» Czech Economy to Grow Faster This Year as the EC Estimates Growth at 3.9 Percent
» European Commission Raises 2021 Hungarian GDP Forecast to 6.3%
» Two Years of Robust Growth Ahead for Polish Economy
» Wells Fargo Unexpectedly Shuts All Existing Personal Lines of Credit, Hinting US Economy on the Edge
 
USA
» A Landmark Civil Rights Lawsuit
» Air Force Professor Who Taught Critical Race Theory Should be Fired, GOP Rep Says
» Antitrust Complaints Target Google’s Play Store
» Arizona Governor Signs Bill to Prohibit Critical Race Theory Teaching
» BLM Group Declares American Flag “A Symbol of Hatred”
» College Student Paralyzed by Stray Bullet Dies at 20 After Telling Doctors to Pull the Plug
» Dr. Drew Joins Rumble After YouTube Censorship
» Facebook is Building a City
» Facebook is Banning Anyone Charged (Not Convicted) With Participating in January 6 US Capitol Riot
» FBI Ridiculed for Seizing Man’s Lego Set of U.S. Capitol
» Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance is Banned From LinkedIn
» High Cost But Useless Master’s Degrees and Who’s Offering Them
» Hypocrite: After Rejecting Help From Trump, Lightfoot Asks Biden to Send Federal Troops to Chicago
» James O’Keefe Scores Early Win in Twitter Lawsuit
» John Kerry Caught Violating Mask Rules Yet Again
» Louisiana Boy, 12, Shoots and Kills Armed Burglar With Hunting Rifle After the Intruder Broke Into His Home and Attacked His Mother
» Michael Avenatti Sentenced to 21/2 Years in Nike Extortion Case
» New Florida Law Improves Protections for Sex Trafficking Victims, Makes it Easier to Expunge Records
» Ohio Parents Who Opposed Critical Race Theory Speak Up After Kids Get Expelled
» Pelosi House Profits From Amazon Call Options Before Pentagon JEDI Turnaround That Sent Stock Price Soaring
» Piers Morgan Says Media Knows Identity of Police Officer Who Shot Ashli Babbitt
» Poll: Majority of Americans Now Believe COVID Was Leaked From Wuhan Lab
» President Trump Sues Facebook, Google, And Twitter CEOs Over Censorship
» Rand Paul Says He Will Introduce Bill to Scrap Mask Mandate ‘Farce’
» Report: 61 Percent of U.S. Counties Now ‘Second Amendment Sanctuaries’
» Republicans Release Their Agenda for Tackling Big Tech
» Some Spotify Employees Are Still Triggered by Joe Rogan
» Texas School Board Member: Media’s Demonization of Critical Race Theory Critics ‘Galvanized’ My Community
» The House Select Committee to Criminalize and Obstruct
» Trump Ally Launches Election Audit Plan in Pennsylvania
» Tucker Carlson Says the NSA Has Leaked His Emails to Journalists
» Twitter Bans Nick Fuentes
» US Government Agencies Are Using Facial Recognition Tech With Almost No Oversight
» Video: Former White House Doctor Warns U.S. Will “Pay a Price” For Electing Cognitively Declining Biden
» Video: CNN Doctor Says it’s “Time to Start Mandating” COVID Vaccines
» Video: White House Says “Strike Forces” Being Sent to Get Kids Vaccinated
» Virginia Parents Decry ‘Marxist’ Critical Race Theory, Say it’s ‘Fighting Discrimination With More Discrimination’
» White Fragility Critical Race Theory Sequel Greeted With Slow Sales
 
Canada
» Far-Left Canadian Provincial Lawmaker ‘In Solidarity’ With ‘Burn it All Down’ Activist as Church Burnings Continue
» Native Christians ‘Heartbroken’ After Historic Anglican Church Burns to the Ground
 
Europe and the EU
» “Donald Tusk’s Return to Poland is an Element of Germany’s Plan, “ Says Polish Historian
» Austria: FPÖ Party’s New President Thanks PM Orban for Defending Traditional Europe
» British Rock Star Refuses to be Part of “Government Experiment” Festival
» Croatians and Slovaks Complain Most About the Functioning of Justice in the EU
» EU Passes Emergency Law Allowing Tech Companies to Screen Messages for Child Abuse
» EU Passes Derogation Allowing Email and Messaging Apps to Search Messages for “Suspect Content”
» EU Plans to Exempt Celebs’ Private Jets From Green ‘Climate Tax’
» European Medicines Agency Warns Pfizer, Moderna Injections Potentially Linked to Heart Inflammation
» European Parliament Adopts Resolution Against Hungary
» French Court Convicts 11 for Death Threats Against Teen Over ‘Anti-Islam’ Videos
» Fully Vaccinated Czechs Will Not Have to Test or Quarantine When Returning Abroad
» German Media Are Controlled by the Left While the Public is Manipulated Says the Former Head of Counterintelligence
» John McAfee’s Wife Claims Spanish Authorities Are Overseeing a “Cover Up” Of His Death
» Just 25 Under 18’s Died From COVID in England, Hundreds Died From Suicide and Trauma
» Salvini Defends Hungary in Row With European Union
» Survey: Half of Czechs Believe That the State is Ready for a Possible Next Wave of COVID-19
» UK Vaccination Rate Almost Halves as Young People Hesitate Over Jabs
» UK: Camilla “Can’t Wait to Get Rid of” Face Masks
» UK: Scientist Vows to Stop Wearing Face Masks in Solidarity With Children and the Disabled
» UK: Six Arrested After Extinction Rebellion Dumps Manure Outside Daily Mail Offices in ‘Free the Press’ Protest
» Video: “Europeans Want to Continue Living in Their Own Countries, “ Says Jaroslaw Kaczynski
 
South Asia
» Taliban Advances: Why Are Afghans So Skeptical About Pakistan?
 
Far East
» China Deletes Online Forums of Millennials Who Reject “Work Hard” Ethic
» Special Report: China’s Gene Giant Harvests Data From Millions of Women
» Twitter Flags Foreign Policy Expert Tweeting Criticism of China
» YouTube Caught Auto-Censoring Some Comments That Criticize China’s Propaganda Pushers (Again)
 
Australia — Pacific
» Is That Really an Essential Outing? Natalie Portman and Her Family Head Out for a Leisurely Boat Ride in Sydney With Sacha Baron Cohen and Clan During Sydney’s Strict Lockdown
» Rattled Gladys Berejiklian Begs Sydney Residents to Stay Home and Avoid Visiting Family and Friends After NSW Recorded 38 New Cases — the Highest in More Than a Year — Including 20 Active in the Community
 
Latin America
» Biden Sending FBI, DHS to Haiti After President Assassinated
» Haiti Police Arrest Six Suspects, Kill Seven in President’s Assassination
 
Immigration
» Austria: Teen Allegedly Raped and Murdered by Migrants Had 11 Ecstasy Pills in Her System
» Austria: Afghans Accused of Murdering Teen Had Years-Old Deportation Orders
» EU Deploys Border Guards to Lithuania Amid Migrant Surge
» Iceland: Immigration Offers Money to Asylum Seekers to Leave Country; Offer Declined
» Lithuania Building Border Wall as Migrants Pour in Through Belarus
» Populist Party Leader: Mass Migration Has ‘Destroyed’ Sweden
» Slovenian PM: Distribution of Migrants is a Matter for Individual Member States
» Swedish Prosecutor Seeks Life for Stabbing Spree Migrant
 
Culture Wars
» China’s WeChat Deletes “LGBT Groups”
» German Merch Chain Elbenwald Pressured Into Apologizing for Posting Harry Potter Content During “Pride Month”
» Instagram Tests “Limits” Tool Which Recommends Groups to Hide Comments From
» LGBT Activists Claim Wi Spa Incident Was Faked
» PayPal Withholds Funds for Alt-Tech Messaging App Panquake
» Piers Morgan, Shut the F*** Up
» PM Babis Not to Join the Call of EU Leaders to Support Sexual Minorities
» Spanish Teacher Suspended for Stating That There Are Only Two Genders
» Twitter Bans User Who Posted Wi Spa Exposure Video
 

Czech Economy to Grow Faster This Year as the EC Estimates Growth at 3.9 Percent

The growth of the Czech economy will approach 4% this year after last year’s record slump. According to the forecast of the European Commission, the gross domestic product of the Czech Republic will increase by 3.9%, and in the next year by 4.5%, despite the harsh spring coronavirus restrictions. The previous May forecast projected growth of 3.4% this year and 4.4% in the next one.

According to the Commission, the unexpectedly high volume of spring investments will contribute to a more favorable development. The economic recovery will be driven this and next year mainly by household spending, the EC expects.

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

European Commission Raises 2021 Hungarian GDP Forecast to 6.3%

The European Commission has improved its forecast for this year’s growth of the Hungarian economy, from 5.5% in the spring to 6.3%, according to fresh data published on Wednesday. The EC still expects GDP growth of 5% next year, but they highlighted that this could be even higher.

According to the European Commission’s assessment, the Hungarian economy continued to recover from last year’s shock at the beginning of this year, which was reflected in 2% economic growth. Indicators released in recent weeks, however, suggest that there may have been a slight slump in the recovery in the second quarter due to supply chain disruptions.

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

Two Years of Robust Growth Ahead for Polish Economy

Prior to the pandemic, some economists half-jokingly spoke about how bulletproof the Polish economy is. They referred to the fact that Poland was not part of the economic slowdown affecting the Eurozone.

Although the Polish economy suffered its first recession since the 1990s due to COVID, it survived the crisis in much better shape than most of Europe and has chances for a very strong recovery.

Both in 2021 and 2022, Polish economic activity will grow by 5%. Nevertheless, the price for this economic boom will be a rising inflation rate — it will not drop below 4% over the next three quarters.

In the middle of 2022, the rise in prices will slow down, but mainly due to the higher base of reference in that year.

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

Wells Fargo Unexpectedly Shuts All Existing Personal Lines of Credit, Hinting US Economy on the Edge

Wells Fargo just announced that it’s shutting down all of its existing personal lines of credit — a popular product offered by the retail-focused Wall Street giant — a move that will likely infuriate legions of customers.

The revolving credit lines, which will be shut down in the coming weeks, typically allow users borrow $3K to $100K, were pitched as a way to consolidate higher-interest credit-card debt, pay for home renovations or avoid overdraft fees on checking accounts attached to the loan.

Customers have been given a 60-day notice that their accounts will be shuttered, and remaining balances will require regular minimum payments, according to the statement.

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

A Landmark Civil Rights Lawsuit

Last week, a teacher in Evanston, Illinois, filed a landmark civil rights lawsuit against her school district. Her complaint: the district segregated staff by race for professional development, subjected students to race-shaming “privilege walks,” instructed teachers to take race into account in student discipline, and taught students that treating people equally “helps racism.”

Such practices are, unfortunately, no longer shocking. But even if the public has become inured to such stories of state-sponsored racism, policymakers have yet to grapple fully with the significance of why this lawsuit had to be filed: the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has given up on traditional civil rights enforcement.

[Comment: Evanston, Illinois is a libtard city bordered by Chicago to the south.

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

Air Force Professor Who Taught Critical Race Theory Should be Fired, GOP Rep Says

Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., called this week for U.S. Air Force Academy professor Lynne Chandler Garcia to be fired after she publicly advocated for military academies to teach critical race theory to incoming cadets.

In a letter to acting Air Force Secretary John Roth, Green, a West Point graduate, argued Garcia’s stance on critical race theory in a recent Washington Post op-ed “render[ed] her unqualified to teach in one of our prestigious military academies.” Garcia is an associate professor of political science at the Air Force Academy.

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

Antitrust Complaints Target Google’s Play Store

Attorneys general in 36 states and Washington DC have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of abusing its power by increasing its Play Store fees.

The lawsuit, filed at a federal court in California, challenges Google’s recent expansion of its policy that requires Android app developers with apps in the Play Store to pay a 30% commission on sales made through their apps. The updated policy included more digital items, and targeted popular apps that had previously been able to avoid the hefty commission.

We obtained a copy of the complaint for you here.

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

Arizona Governor Signs Bill to Prohibit Critical Race Theory Teaching

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed a bill on Friday preventing local governments from teaching critical race theory.

The measure, House Bill 2906, prohibits “the state and any local governments from requiring their employees to engage in orientation, training or therapy that suggest an employee is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously,” Ducey’s office said in a statement.

The Arizona state House passed the bill in a 31-25 vote, according to records from the state legislature. The state Senate passed the bill on a 16-12 vote.

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

BLM Group Declares American Flag “A Symbol of Hatred”

A Black Lives Matter chapter in Utah has declared the U.S. flag to be a “symbol of hatred” and says that anyone “flying it is a racist.”

In a Facebook post, the group wrote “When we Black Americans see this flag we know the person flying it is not safe to be around.”

It continues, “When we see this flag we know the person flying it is a racist. When we see this flag we know that the person flying it lives in a different America than we do. When we see this flag, we question your intelligence. We know to avoid you. It is a symbol of hatred.”

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

College Student Paralyzed by Stray Bullet Dies at 20 After Telling Doctors to Pull the Plug

A Chicago student has died after requesting he be taken off life support following a shooting last Thursday that left him paralyzed, his family has said.

Max Lewis, 20, was attending the University of Chicago for the summer when a stray bullet struck him in the back of the neck while commuting on a train, according to CBSN Denver. The Denver-native was on his way home when he was struck.

Lewis was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center where doctors had to put him on life support, according to a GoFundMe memorial fund.

No arrests have been made at this time as police continue to investigate the shooting.

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

Dr. Drew Joins Rumble After YouTube Censorship

Rumble, a YouTube alternative and competitor, has welcomed another high-profile creator to the platform — US TV host and podcaster Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Pinsky, who is a board certified internist and addiction specialist, now also has a channel on Rumble where he is live-streaming his shows.

In announcing the first Rumble episode on July 7, Pinsky said it would be dedicated to viewer questions on a variety of topics, including Covid, vaccines, and current events.

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

Facebook is Building a City

US tech giants are moving towards building China-style “specialty towns,” with Facebook unveiling updated plans to build what reports say will be the company’s own “city.”

Willow Park will be built in partnership with Signature Development Group close to Facebook’s Menlo Park campus, and its employees who decide to move there will be spending most of their lives inside the behemoth’s own “state.”

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

Facebook is Banning Anyone Charged (Not Convicted) With Participating in January 6 US Capitol Riot

Facebook has revealed that it will ban anyone who’s charged in connection with the riot at the US Capitol on January 6 and may start “fact-checking” claims that the riot was staged.

In an article detailing how Alan Hostetter, a man who has been charged with obstructing official government proceedings and breaching restricted government property, was banned from Facebook and Instagram within hours of posting a video describing the January 6 riot as a “false flag” and a “fakesurrection” because he believed infiltrators were in the crowd, The Washington Post notes that:

“Facebook says that it does not allow people charged in the insurrection on the platform and that it may fact-check claims that the riot was staged.”

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

FBI Ridiculed for Seizing Man’s Lego Set of U.S. Capitol

File this under “what the hell?”

The FBI seized a man’s lego set of the U.S. Capitol building after declaring him to be a leading ‘rioter’ during the January 6th incident.

Court records note that federal prosecutors are accusing 27-year-old Robert Morss of directing other ‘rioters’ in “one of the most intense and prolonged clashes” with Capitol Police around the building that day.

Former Army Ranger Morss, like many others arrested since January 6th, has been languishing in prison, and faces 9 counts of inciting violence.

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

Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance is Banned From LinkedIn

The networking and social platform LinkedIn is once again accused of involvement in suppression of free speech — and this time it isn’t to comply with Chinese censorship.

The Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care (FLCCC) Alliance non-profit has revealed on Twitter that their LinkedIn account was disabled for violating the Microsoft company’s “misinformation” policy.

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

High Cost But Useless Master’s Degrees and Who’s Offering Them

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com

Unable to discharge debts in bankruptcy, students with useless degrees, especially master’s degrees are Financially Hobbled for Life.

Recent film program graduates of Columbia University who took out federal student loans had a median debt of $181,000. Yet two years after earning their master’s degrees, half of the borrowers were making less than $30,000 a year.

The university is among the world’s most prestigious schools, and its $11.3 billion endowment ranks it the nation’s eighth wealthiest private school.

Lured by the aura of degrees from top-flight institutions, many master’s students at universities across the U.S. took on debt beyond what their pay would support, the Journal analysis of federal data on borrowers found. At Columbia, such students graduated from programs including history, social work and architecture.

Undergraduate students for years have faced ballooning loan balances. But now it is graduate students who are accruing the most onerous debt loads. Unlike undergraduate loans, the federal Grad Plus loan program has no fixed limit on how much grad students can borrow—money that can be used for tuition, fees and living expenses.

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

Hypocrite: After Rejecting Help From Trump, Lightfoot Asks Biden to Send Federal Troops to Chicago

In the wake of a deadly Independence Day weekend, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has asked Joe Biden to send federal troops to her city to help control the violence.

“At least 108 people were shot in Chicago over the long Independence Day weekend, including two police officers; children, including 5— and 6-year-old girls; and a group of six people early Monday in the Washington Park neighborhood — where a man was killed hours later in an unrelated shooting,” reports the Chicago Tribune.

But when President Trump offered to send federal troops to Chicago to do exactly what Lightfoot is requesting now, she flatly rejected it.

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

James O’Keefe Scores Early Win in Twitter Lawsuit

Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe landed his first victory in his lawsuit against Twitter. The social media company’s attempt to have the case transferred to a “friendly court” was defeated.

A federal court in Manhattan ruled to take back the case to the state level. The case will be heard at the New York Supreme Court.

Critics believe that Twitter wanted the case transferred to a favorable federal court in California, where courts often dismiss cases brought against Silicon Valley companies.

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

John Kerry Caught Violating Mask Rules Yet Again

Photographs obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show White House climate envoy John Kerry violating federal mask rules yet again by walking through Boston Logan International Airport without wearing a face covering.

“In photos, Kerry can be seen walking through an airport body scanner without wearing a mask. The source who provided the photos said they were taken at 11:41 a.m. on Monday at Logan Airport,” reports the news outlet.

Masks are required “any time someone is inside the airport or on an aircraft,” according to TSA rules, a spokeswoman for Logan Airport clarified.

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

Louisiana Boy, 12, Shoots and Kills Armed Burglar With Hunting Rifle After the Intruder Broke Into His Home and Attacked His Mother

A 12-year-old boy grabbed a hunting rifle and shot dead an armed burglary suspect who broke into his family’s house in Louisiana and attacked his mother last week.

The violent home invasion unfolded at around 7,20am on June 30 in the 5800 block of Winchester Lane near Clinton, according to a news release from the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Brad LeBlanc, 32, was armed with a pistol when he encountered the female resident outside her house that morning.

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

Michael Avenatti Sentenced to 21/2 Years in Nike Extortion Case

Michael Avenatti, the one-time celebrity lawyer who rose to national fame by representing porn star Stormy Daniels, was sentenced to 21/2 years in federal prison Thursday for attempting to extort millions of dollars from Nike.

Before handing down the 30-month sentence, Manhattan federal court Judge Paul Gardephe said Avenatti had “outright betrayed” one of his law clients and became “drunk on the power of his platform — or what he perceived his platform to be” when he executed the attempted extortion.

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

New Florida Law Improves Protections for Sex Trafficking Victims, Makes it Easier to Expunge Records

Florida has passed a new bill aimed at bolstering efforts to protect human trafficking victims and foster better communication between advocates and victims at a time when data suggests that nearly half of trafficking victims do not have anyone reach out to help.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1826 into law last Tuesday as advocates commend the Sunshine State for having some of the strongest human trafficking demand laws in the United States. The bill was passed in the state House and Senate unanimously earlier this year.

The new law prioritizes victims of human trafficking by providing protection and advocacy for the victims and enables human traffickers and those looking to purchase sex to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

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

Ohio Parents Who Opposed Critical Race Theory Speak Up After Kids Get Expelled

Two Ohio parents are denouncing a private school that expelled their children after the pair of mothers launched a public campaign against critical race theory.

Speaking to Fox News Wednesday morning, Andrea Gross and Amy Gonzalez expressed their dismay that Columbus Academy had denied re-enrollment to both of their children, as well as others who the school said breached part of their contract by publicly pushing back against the theory being added to the curriculum.

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

Pelosi House Profits From Amazon Call Options Before Pentagon JEDI Turnaround That Sent Stock Price Soaring

Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), bought Amazon’s Call Options a few weeks before the Pentagon’s decision to include Amazon in a new JEDI deal. Pelosi has also recently made several profitable deals in various Big Tech securities.

A call option is a financial contract giving the buyer the right, not the obligation, to purchase a financial asset within a predetermined time frame at a specified price. Late last week, it was revealed that Paul Pelosi had bought Amazon’s call options on May 21.

A few weeks later, on July 6, the DoD announced the cancellation of Microsoft’s $10 billion JEDI contract, which was awarded in 2019 at the expense of Amazon. However, the cancellation of the Microsoft contract favored Amazon, as the DoD announced its plans for a new version of JEDI, that would involve both Amazon and Microsoft.

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

Piers Morgan Says Media Knows Identity of Police Officer Who Shot Ashli Babbitt

Journalist Piers Morgan says the media knows the identity of the Capitol police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt dead on January 6 but isn’t reporting it due to pressure from authorities.

Babbitt was one of five people killed during the raid of the Capitol Building. Video footage of the incident showed the US Air Force veteran attempting to get through a set of locked doors inside the building before being shot in the neck.

The identity of the officer responsible for killing Babbitt remains unknown to this day.

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

Poll: Majority of Americans Now Believe COVID Was Leaked From Wuhan Lab

A new Politico-Harvard study finds that a majority of Americans now believe COVID was leaked from the Wuhan lab, underscoring again the danger of empowering ‘fact-checkers’, media outlets and Silicon Valley to censor information.

The poll found that 52% of Americans believe the lab leak hypothesis, once derided as a fringe “conspiracy theory,” including 59% of Republicans and 52% of Democrats.

Bipartisan support for the theory is highly unusual, with poll designer Bob Blendon commenting, “Usually, our polls find a big split between Republicans and Democrats, so this is unique.”

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

President Trump Sues Facebook, Google, And Twitter CEOs Over Censorship

President Trump has filed class action lawsuits against Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, YouTube and the Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Twitter and its CEO Jack Dorsey over the censorship of his accounts and the accounts of class members.

Class members are defined as users of these platforms “who have resided in the United States between June 1, 2018, and today” and “had their access to their social media accounts wrongly restricted or curtailed by these Defendants and who were damaged thereby.”

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

Rand Paul Says He Will Introduce Bill to Scrap Mask Mandate ‘Farce’

Senator Rand Paul declared Thursday that he intends to introduce legislation that would scrap mask mandates, specifically on planes, calling the practice a ‘farce’.

Paul noted that he intends to seek a repeal of Joe Biden’s executive order mandating masks on public transit.

Paul tweeted that he will seek “immediate repeal of the mask mandate on planes” when the Senate reconvenes next week, adding, “let people travel in peace!”

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

Report: 61 Percent of U.S. Counties Now ‘Second Amendment Sanctuaries’

The majority of all U.S. counties have been designated as Second Amendment sanctuaries, according to an analysis by SanctuaryCounties.com.

As of June 20, there are 1,930 counties “protected by Second Amendment Sanctuary legislation at either the state or county level,” representing 61% of 3,141 counties and county equivalents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

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

Republicans Release Their Agenda for Tackling Big Tech

Republican representatives in the House Judiciary Committee unveiled their “agenda for taking on Big Tech” for silencing opinions through censorship.

The agenda, fronted by ranking member of the committee Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), contains proposals that “will speed up and strengthen antitrust enforcement, hold Big Tech accountable for its censorship, and increase transparency around Big Tech’s decisions.”

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

Some Spotify Employees Are Still Triggered by Joe Rogan

Just like in many companies and institutions these days, a small number of perpetually outraged individuals are causing all the trouble. And, it appears that Spotify is no different.

Some employees at Spotify have issues with Joe Rogan and his podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience.”

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

Texas School Board Member: Media’s Demonization of Critical Race Theory Critics ‘Galvanized’ My Community

DALLAS—The mainstream media’s bias in favor of critical race theory has only lit more of a fire under concerned anti-CRT parents, Texas school board member and education advocate Hannah Smith said Friday.

Smith, elected to the Dallas-area Carroll Independent School District board in May, told Fox News at the Conservative Political Action Conference that while she and other advocates had been “really successful” in getting their story out through some outlets, the liberal press has provided some accidental aid.

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

The House Select Committee to Criminalize and Obstruct

The House of Representatives just voted to create a select committee to investigate the unrest on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021. And — surprise, surprise — Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger crossed over to vote with the Democrats in support of their select committee. Cheney found herself appointedto the select committee by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She says she is “honored to serve.” Cheney’s Republican primary opponent(s) must be overjoyed.

Pelosi advanced the creation of the select committee when an earlier effort at a so-called joint “independent” commission failed after Senate Republicans blocked the initiative.

Pelosi’s committee has absolutely nothing to do with the investigation of facts concerning what happened on January 6. It is a transparent political ploy to sensationalize and criminalize all things and persons related to President Donald Trump and political conservatism.

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

Trump Ally Launches Election Audit Plan in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania state lawmaker and ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump is launching a “forensic investigation” of the state’s 2020 presidential election, demanding cooperation from counties and mimicking a widely criticized partisan effort in Arizona.

Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, issued letters to three counties Wednesday, giving officials there a sweeping information request, with the threat of subpoenas for holdouts who do not respond affirmatively by July’s end.

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

Tucker Carlson Says the NSA Has Leaked His Emails to Journalists

Tucker Carlson revealed today that the NSA has leaked his emails to journalists and that one contacted him to warn him about an upcoming hit piece designed to discredit the Fox News host.

Last week, Carlson said that the National Security Agency had been spying on his communications in an effort to “take this show off the air” by leaking the information to left-wing journalists.

The NSA responded by denying that it had spied on Carlson, re-iterating the wildly dubious claim that it only eavesdrops on foreign adversaries.

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

Twitter Bans Nick Fuentes

Political commentator Nicholas J. Fuentes has been banned from Twitter two days after the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) published reports about him.

The first of these reports was published by the SPLC on July 7 and revealed that the SPLC had been flagging Fuentes’ tweets to Twitter since January 5. According to this report, Twitter refused to censor Fuentes but offered to enroll the SPLC’s “Hatewatch” blog in its “Partner Support Portal” on January 11.

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

US Government Agencies Are Using Facial Recognition Tech With Almost No Oversight

The federal oversight agency Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report on the use of facial recognition by government agencies. The main revelation in the report is that there is little internal oversight on the use of the technology.

There’s no denying that facial recognition technology is useful for criminal investigations. However, the technology is not perfect as it has a tendency for false positives and the implication can be sending law enforcement officers after the wrong person. It’s also generally invasive and promotes a surveillance state.

Private companies providing the tech, such as Clearview, have only made the reputation of facial recognition worse.

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

Video: Former White House Doctor Warns U.S. Will “Pay a Price” For Electing Cognitively Declining Biden

Texas Congressman and former White House doctor Ronny Jackson warned this week that the U.S. is going to “pay a price” for having a president that is clearly not able to execute his duties because of cognitive decline.

Appearing on Hannity, Jackson noted that “Our adversaries are taking advantage of us,” and Biden should be made to take a cognitive test, just as President Trump was.

“On a world stage, we’re failing miserably. He’s not inspiring confidence in the American people. He’s not inspiring confidence in our allies, and he’s sending the absolute wrong message to our adversaries,” Jackson said of Biden.

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Video: CNN Doctor Says it’s “Time to Start Mandating” COVID Vaccines

CNN ran a broadcast Thursday with its own medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner declaring that it is “time to start mandating” coronavirus vaccines for all Americans to counter people opting not to take the shots.

CNN host Erin Burnett said to Reiner “when you look at this in the broader context, there’s still a third of the eligible population in the United States that hasn’t got a single dose.”

“Given where things are going, is it time to move on from saying please to mandating?” Burnett asked.

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

Video: White House Says “Strike Forces” Being Sent to Get Kids Vaccinated

After announcing that the Biden Administration is to begin a door to door vaccination push, the White House Press Secretary used disturbing wording during a briefing, promising to get children vaccinated by sending in “strike forces.”

Biden made the announcement Tuesday.

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

Virginia Parents Decry ‘Marxist’ Critical Race Theory, Say it’s ‘Fighting Discrimination With More Discrimination’

Virginia parents condemned an “anti-racism” curriculum in a middle school pilot program, saying it is “Marxist” and “only creates resentment” at a schoolboard meeting Thursday.

Albemarle County Public Schools introduced a curriculum called Courageous Conversations About Race between May and June for all grades at Henley Middle School. The guidance, which district leaders approved in February 2019, includes talks about race, white privilege, bias, and transgender issues. Some parents bill the curriculum as critical race theory.

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

White Fragility Critical Race Theory Sequel Greeted With Slow Sales

Is Robin DiAngelo’s 15 minutes of fame just about up?

The author perpetuated critical race theory and saw her ideology go mainstream after a 2018 book, but now her follow-up effort Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm has tanked with a listing of 1,980 on Amazon. It hasn’t cracked the top 10 in any category, and 30% of the reviews are one-star.

DiAngelo’s first book, White Fragility, was on the bestseller list for a year, spending time at No. 1 after the George Floyd killing in May 2020. However, her newest book sold just 3,500 copies in the first week.

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

Far-Left Canadian Provincial Lawmaker ‘In Solidarity’ With ‘Burn it All Down’ Activist as Church Burnings Continue

A far-left member of the Ontario Parliament has expressed “solidarity” with an activist who wrote “burn it all down” after a surge of church fires across Canada.

New Democratic Party (NDP) member of the Ontario provincial parliament Dr Rima Berns-McGown took to Twitter to express “solidarity” with British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) executive director Harsha Walia, whose comments on church burnings came under fire in recent days.

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

Native Christians ‘Heartbroken’ After Historic Anglican Church Burns to the Ground

First Nations Christians spoke of being left “heartbroken” after their historic Anglican church burned to the ground amid the ongoing wave of arson attacks and statue-smashing sweeping Canada.

Rosealene Daniels captured video footage of 108-year-old St Paul’s Anglican Church being consumed by fire on Gitwangak First Nations land in British Columbia. She can be heard saying: “No matter if this is just a building, it’s something that means to everybody in this village [sic]”.

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“Donald Tusk’s Return to Poland is an Element of Germany’s Plan, “ Says Polish Historian

Historian and political scientist Jerzy Targalski commented on Donald Tusk’s recent return to Polish politics and him once again taking leadership of the Civic Platform.

Targalski admitted in the interview for Polish Radio that he had always believed that if Tusk was to ever return to Poland, it would be on Berlin’s orders.

“I still think that his return is one of the elements of a broad operation being carried out by German special services. Their goal is to lead to the abolishment of the Polish government and to make it so that Poland exists in name only and simply stops bothering Germany,” he explained.

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

Austria: FPÖ Party’s New President Thanks PM Orban for Defending Traditional Europe

Herbert Kickl, newly elected President of Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ), wrote a letter to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban thanking him for his relentless work in defending European values, Orban’s press secretary Bertalan Havasi told national news agency MTI on Tuesday.

Herbert Kickl wrote that Orban does not watch idly as a Europe of homelands becomes a Europe without homelands. “Yes to cooperation, no to unification,” Kickl stressed. The chairman of the FPÖ went on to add:

“Nor can we look on while a prominent clique denies our real life, which sees gender theory and the raising of the rainbow flag as the ultimate standard of all things against the will of the majority. One needs to be sober.”

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British Rock Star Refuses to be Part of “Government Experiment” Festival

British rock star Richard Ashcroft immediately cancelled a scheduled appearance at a music festival after organisers decided to make the event part of the government’s Events Research Programme, meaning only those who have been ‘double jabbed’ or tested negative for COVID can attend, and must submit to further government tracking after the event.

Ashcroft withdrew from the Tramlines Festival in Sheffield, England, noting that he refuses to be a part of any “government experiment” or events that impose restrictions.

“Apologies to my fans for any disappointment but the festival was informed over 10 days ago that I wouldn’t be playing once it had become part of a government testing programme,” Ashcroft wrote in social media posts.

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

Croatians and Slovaks Complain Most About the Functioning of Justice in the EU

On Thursday, the European Commission published the European Union’s annual comparative overview of the judiciary for 2021. Confidence in the independence of the judiciary has fallen from last year among almost half of the Member States. Citizens of Croatia, Slovakia and Poland hold the worst perception of their courts. The Czech Republic ranked about halfway through this category but dominated some digitization charts.

“Compared to last year, the public’s perception of independence has fallen among almost half of the member states, and in some countries the level of perceived independence remains extremely low,” the Commission said in a report focusing on the quality, efficiency and independence of national judicial systems.

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EU Passes Emergency Law Allowing Tech Companies to Screen Messages for Child Abuse

The European Parliament has approved emergency measures allowing internet companies to scan users’ private messages for material containing child sex abuse.

The controversial decision is an interim solution designed to fix problems with the European Electronics Communications Code, which came into force last December.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

EU Passes Derogation Allowing Email and Messaging Apps to Search Messages for “Suspect Content”

The European Parliament (EP) on Tuesday passed the ePrivacy derogation with 537 votes in favor, 133 against and 20 abstained.

Activists and privacy-friendly members of parliament (MEPs) are slamming it as an unacceptable example of legislation allowing for mass surveillance of all citizens and their electronic messages, and a big blow to digital privacy.

The proposed legislation received strong backing in the EP despite the fact that a YouGov opinion poll from March 2021 showed as many as 72% percent of the constituents that these MEPs represent opposed general monitoring of their messages.

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

EU Plans to Exempt Celebs’ Private Jets From Green ‘Climate Tax’

The European Union plans to exempt business jets and private “pleasure flights” from its new green tax on aviation fuel.

The European Commission, the EU’s appointed executive that drafts all legislation for the European Parliament, will publish proposed revisions to the 2003 energy taxation directive on July 14.

Proposals include dropping fuel duty levies on cargo flights on the grounds that that they would “adversely affect EU carriers”.

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

European Medicines Agency Warns Pfizer, Moderna Injections Potentially Linked to Heart Inflammation

The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) safety committee on 9 July warned that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna could be linked to 321 cases of rare heart inflammation.

In a press release, the EMA said that it had reviewed 164 cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and 157 cases of pericarditis (inflammation of the heart’s outer lining), linked to the two mRNA vaccines. Symptoms of both conditions include breathlessness, chest pain, and heart palpitations.

EMA’s safety committee said that 145 cases of myocarditis were observed in individuals who received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and a further 19 among people who received Moderna’s vaccine.

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European Parliament Adopts Resolution Against Hungary

On Thursday afternoon, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Hungary in response to the Child Protection Act, with 459 votes in favor, 147 against, and 58 abstentions.

The representatives of the opposition — with the exception of Jobbik’s politician Marton Gyöngyösi — all voted for the resolution. According to the EU parliament, the law violates EU values and legislation. In the text, which contains shades of green and is sharper than usual, the liberal majority body demands, among other things, that:

  • the Hungarian authorities use EU funds on the basis of the principle of non-discrimination, so the country should not receive European Union funding from the 2021—2027 framework budget as long as possible violations persist.
  • the European Commission should not carry out an assessment of the Hungarian National Recovery Plan as long as there is a possibility that it will in any way contribute to the implementation of the disputed law.
  • the Slovenian EU Presidency should call a vote on the recommendations to be formulated for Hungary in the so-called rule of law procedure under the Article 7 proceedings, taking the procedure to a new stage.
  • the European Commission should start applying the rule of law regulation, which will come into force on January 1, because it will provide a clear definition of the rule of law for EU payments.

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

French Court Convicts 11 for Death Threats Against Teen Over ‘Anti-Islam’ Videos

A French court on Wednesday handed down suspended prison sentences of between four to six months to 11 people who were found guilty of online harassment of a teen for her anti-Islam videos published on social media.

The prosecutions came after the teen, known as Mila, was forced to change schools and accept police protection after threats to her life.

Since her first videos in 2020, the previously unknown schoolgirl has become a divisive public figure, seen by supporters as a symbol of free speech and the right to blasphemy, and by critics as deliberately provocative and Islamophobic.

The court in Paris tried 13 people from several French regions aged 18 to 30 who were charged with harassing Mila, with some of them sending her death threats.

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

Fully Vaccinated Czechs Will Not Have to Test or Quarantine When Returning Abroad

Beginning Friday, July 9, fully vaccinated Czechs will not have to pass a coronavirus test or stay in quarantine, regardless of the country from which they arrive. A completed arrival form will suffice. This will also apply to countries with an extreme risk of Covid-19.

Last week, after a government meeting, Minister of Health Adam Vojtech announced that the rules for returning to the country would change as of July 9 and that people from all countries would have to be tested on arrival. Travelers from countries marked green and orange on the Covid-19 travel map will have to fill in an arrival form and be tested, at minimum, with an antigen test not older than 48 hours, or a PCR test not older than 72 hours.

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

German Media Are Controlled by the Left While the Public is Manipulated Says the Former Head of Counterintelligence

Former German counterintelligence chief Hans-George Maassen recently criticized the media, accusing them of a clear lean to the left. According to him, there is a strong connection, especially between the public television station ARD and the left-wing scene. Maassen therefore suggested that the “character traits” of some editors be tested.

Maassen was immediately criticized by many journalists as well as members of left-wing parties who referred to his “attack on press freedom”. Maassen was forced to resign in 2018 after questioning Chancellery’s claim that anti-migrant fights had taken place in Chemnitz, East Germany.

Maassen, who to the displeasure of some party members will run for the CDU in the autumn elections to the Bundestag, criticized the mainstream German media in a television interview, especially the public media channels headed by ARD television and Radio GDR.

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

John McAfee’s Wife Claims Spanish Authorities Are Overseeing a “Cover Up” Of His Death

John McAfee’s wife claims that Spanish authorities are engaged in a “cover-up” of the software tycoon’s death by withholding information.

McAfee was found dead in his Barcelona jail cell last month after a Spanish court ruled that he would be extradited to the U.S., where he faced the rest of his life in jail for tax evasion.

Widower Janice McAfee continues to insist that foul play could have been involved, tweeting that authorities are dragging their feet on releasing information.

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

Just 25 Under 18’s Died From COVID in England, Hundreds Died From Suicide and Trauma

New figures released by researchers in the UK show that just 25 under-18’s died from COVID from March 2020 to February 2021, two-thirds of whom had “chronic” health conditions, and that lockdown measures aimed at children “may prove a greater risk than that of SARS-CoV-2 itself.”

The numbers show that there is around a 1 in 500,000 chance of children dying from coronavirus in England, and that includes victims of pre-existing medical conditions, like heart disease and cancer.

“More than 75 per cent of the children who died had chronic conditions, while two thirds had more than one underlying condition and 60 per cent had life-limiting conditions,” reports the Daily Mail.

During the same time period, 124 children died from suicide and 268 died from trauma.

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

Salvini Defends Hungary in Row With European Union

Ursula von der Leyen — who became President of the European Commission with Hungarian and Polish votes — has given an ultimatum to the Orban government, leader of the Italian League party Matteo Salvini said on Thursday.

Matteo Salvini said in an impromptu press release that he currently wants to deal primarily with Italians and Italy, but added, “I must remind you that Ursula von der Leyen was elected head of the committee, thanks to the votes of Hungary and Poland.”

The leader of the League commented on the statement of the President of the European Commission on the Hungarian government’s child protection law.

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Survey: Half of Czechs Believe That the State is Ready for a Possible Next Wave of COVID-19

According to half of Czechs, the state is ready for a possible new wave of coronavirus, about a tenth of people are sure of that. This follows from a survey by the Median agency for Czech Radio. By contrast, more than two-fifths of respondents are skeptical about the country’s readiness.

According to Median director Premysl Cech, women mistrust the state more (49 percent) than men (39 percent).

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

UK Vaccination Rate Almost Halves as Young People Hesitate Over Jabs

The vaccination rate in Britain has almost halved, with concerns being expressed about young people possibly hesitating to get jabbed, a development that comes as the number of adults in the general population estimated to have Covid antibodies by the government hits 90 per cent.

85,811 first doses of vaccine were injected Tuesday, according to The Times, with the seven-day average standing at 113,532 — a fall of 45 per cent from the high point of 205,668 jabs on the 23rd of June.

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UK: Camilla “Can’t Wait to Get Rid of” Face Masks

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall reportedly “can’t wait to get rid of” face masks as England nears “freedom day” of July 19th when all legal mask mandates are lifted.

The Duchess and her husband Prince Charles were visiting the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama when Camilla made the comment to an MA student.

“I can’t wait to get rid of these,” said Camilla as she touched her face mask.

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UK: Scientist Vows to Stop Wearing Face Masks in Solidarity With Children and the Disabled

Sociology professor Robert Dingwall has vowed to stop wearing a face mask in solidarity with children and the disabled, asserting that he won’t be lectured by mask proponents on the morality of not covering up.

England is set to exit all COVID restrictions on July 19, dubbed “freedom day,” although lockdown proponents are desperately scrambling to maintain levels of fear that would see mask mandates remain in place.

Dingwall, who sits on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, has vowed to set the example by ditching his face mask on that day.

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UK: Six Arrested After Extinction Rebellion Dumps Manure Outside Daily Mail Offices in ‘Free the Press’ Protest

Six people were arrested after Extinction Rebellion (XR) dumped a pile of manure outside the offices of the Daily Mail as part of a planned ‘Free the Press’ protest.

Climate activists dropped 7 tonnes of the fertiliser outside the entrance of Northcliffe House, in Kensington, west London, at 6.40am on Sunday and also targeted the offices of the Daily Telegraph at Victoria.

The environmental group said in a statement it wants to send a message to “the 4 billionaire owners of 68 per cent of the UK’s print media” and is demanding “an end to media corruption that suppresses the truth from the public for profit.” Protesters left signs behind saying “cut the crap” and “free the press”.

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Video: “Europeans Want to Continue Living in Their Own Countries, “ Says Jaroslaw Kaczynski

Law and Justice (PiS) leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski discussed recent attempts to further the federalization of Europe and the recent Declaration signed by European conservative and right-wing parties on European values and the sovereignty of nations in the EU.

“One should not even use the term federalization in this case. This is essentially about centralism and the construction of not only a union of European states, but of European societies,” Kaczynski said in his speech prior to the Conference on the Future of Europe that is planned to be held in Warsaw in September.

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Taliban Advances: Why Are Afghans So Skeptical About Pakistan?

Afghan media are extremely critical of Pakistan’s alleged support for the Taliban, who are gaining strength amid the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan.

Most media outlets and political commentators in Afghanistan are blaming Islamabad for the current turmoil in their country, alleging that the Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies are backing the Taliban following the withdrawal of foreign troops, helping militants capture more territories.

These are not new accusations: Afghan officials have long maintained that Pakistan provides shelter and military support to the Taliban. But as the US is ending its two-decade war in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s alleged interference in Afghanistan has become a major topic of discussion in the Afghan media.

“You must be aware that we are under attack from Pakistan. It is not the Taliban that we are fighting: We are dealing with Pakistan’s proxy war,” Abdul Sattar Hussaini, an Afghan lawmaker, said on a recent TV talk show.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

China Deletes Online Forums of Millennials Who Reject “Work Hard” Ethic

China’s internet censors are removing online forums promoting the “lying flat” movement, involving Chinese millennials quitting jobs in protest of the government-promoted work-hard lifestyle.

Chinese residents have previously protested against the prevalent 996 culture, which means working from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week.

According to the Hindustan Times, internet censors in China are cracking down on the “tangping” (which translates to lying flat) movement. The crackdown saw the removal of a group on popular platform Douban, which had over 9,000 members.

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

Special Report: China’s Gene Giant Harvests Data From Millions of Women

A Chinese gene company selling prenatal tests around the world developed them in collaboration with the country’s military and is using them to collect genetic data from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations, a Reuters review of scientific papers and company statements found.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Twitter Flags Foreign Policy Expert Tweeting Criticism of China

Authored by Jonathan Turley

We have previously discussed Twitter’s robust censorship program that repeatedly has been denounced for bias in taking sides on scientific, social, and political controversies. The problem is that, when you have an army of censors with their thumbs on buttons to flag or bar comments, the tendency is ever expanding levels of censorship. Indeed, much censorship is not thumbless through automatic systems to remove certain comments. That was evident this week.

Not only did Twitter flag a picture of a veteran wishing the country a Happy Fourth of July (presumably due to his combat scars) but it flagged New Zealand foreign policy expert Anne-Marie Brady who mocked the Chinese government. The incident is particularly notable after Twitter recently admitted to censoring criticism of India’s government.

Brady is a professor at the University of Canterbury and an authority on the Chinese regime. Like many, Brady mocked the recent Communist Party’s over-the-top celebration of Chinese President Xi Jinping. She soon found that some of her tweets were “unavailable,” Twitter’s version of being “disappeared.”

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

YouTube Caught Auto-Censoring Some Comments That Criticize China’s Propaganda Pushers (Again)

Last year, YouTube was caught auto-censoring several phrases that criticized “wumao” — a phrase describing the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) internet propaganda division the “50 Cent Army” which is a reference to members of this propaganda division reportedly being paid 50 cents per post.

YouTube responded by claiming “this was an error in our enforcement systems and we are working to fix it as quickly as possible.”

Now, just over a year later, Oculus and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey has reported that YouTube was again censoring a phrase that criticized wumao for influencing YouTube censorship operations.

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

Is That Really an Essential Outing? Natalie Portman and Her Family Head Out for a Leisurely Boat Ride in Sydney With Sacha Baron Cohen and Clan During Sydney’s Strict Lockdown

Sacha, 49, boarded the vessel with his kids in tow, while Natalie, 40, and Benjamin, 44, were joined by their two children, son Aleph, nine, and daughter Amalia, four

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Rattled Gladys Berejiklian Begs Sydney Residents to Stay Home and Avoid Visiting Family and Friends After NSW Recorded 38 New Cases — the Highest in More Than a Year — Including 20 Active in the Community

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said only 18 of the new infections had been in self-isolation for the entire time they were infectious — with 11 out in the community ‘for a number of days’.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Biden Sending FBI, DHS to Haiti After President Assassinated

Update (1427ET): Many unanswered questions are swirling around the two American assassins, part of a team of 26 heavily armed Colombians who stormed Haitian President Jovenel Moise’s private residence Wednesday and shot him dead, also critically injuring his wife.

Reuters says U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies are investigating James Solages, 35, and Joseph Vincent, 55. Both are from South Florida and were arrested by the Haitian National Police Thursday in connection with the president’s slaying.

Two law enforcement sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters an “active investigation” is open on Solages and Vincent, and their roles in the killing. The sources said U.S. agencies have yet to assist Haitian police because officials have not requested help.

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

Haiti Police Arrest Six Suspects, Kill Seven in President’s Assassination

At least two suspects in the brazen slaying of Haitian President Jovenel Moise were found in the capital of Port-au-Prince by residents who turned them over to the Haitian National Police.

Journalists saw scores of people gather around the men on Thursday, grabbing the suspects by their shirts and the back of their pants, pushing them and on occasion slapping them. People in the crowd said they had found the two hiding in bushes.

Police arrived shortly afterward to arrest the men, who were sweating heavily and were wearing clothes that seemed to be smeared with mud. Officers placed them in the back of a pickup truck and drove away as the crowd ran after them to the nearby police station. —AP News.

Two of the assassins were hauled off to the Port au Prince police station.

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Austria: Teen Allegedly Raped and Murdered by Migrants Had 11 Ecstasy Pills in Her System

Austrian 13-year-old Leonie, who was found dead last week, is said to have been given at least 11 ecstasy tablets before she was allegedly raped and murdered by several Afghan migrants.

A full autopsy of the teen is expected in the coming weeks, but already, investigators believe she may have been given a large number of drugs. A coroner has claimed to have seen evidence of violence on the teen’s body, as well.

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

Austria: Afghans Accused of Murdering Teen Had Years-Old Deportation Orders

Three of the four Afghan migrants suspected of raping and murdering a 13-year-old Austrian girl had their asylum claims declined. But due to appeal proceedings, they were not deported.

Four Afghan asylum seekers are suspected of drugging, raping, and murdering 13-year-old Leonie in Vienna. Police arrested three suspects, aged 16, 18, and 23, last week, while a fourth suspect, aged 22, remains at large and subject of a Europe-wide arrest warrant.

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

EU Deploys Border Guards to Lithuania Amid Migrant Surge

Border guards have been deployed to bolster Lithuania’s frontier amid a surge of illegal migrants pouring in through Belarus, European Union officials have announced.

Following requests from multiple Baltic nations for additional support, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (also known as Frontex) agreed to send teams to Lithuania and Latvia to help mitigate a “significant rise in the number of illegal border crossings from Belarus in recent weeks.”

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

Iceland: Immigration Offers Money to Asylum Seekers to Leave Country; Offer Declined

The Directorate of Immigration (ÚTL) invited a group of asylum seekers to a meeting at their offices in Hafnarfjörður yesterday morning and offered to pay them money to return to their home countries, Visir reports. Kurds who were present at the meeting declined the offer, saying that they would instead prefer to just be able to live in Iceland.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Lithuania Building Border Wall as Migrants Pour in Through Belarus

Lithuania has begun construction of new barrier along its border with Belarus amid a surge of illegal migrants entering the Baltic nation, according to reports.

On Wednesday, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Shimonyte announced plans to erect “an additional physical barrier that separates Lithuania and Belarus.”

The move comes in response to a substantial uptick in migrant traffic which began after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko threatened to allow migrants and drugs to flood Europe amid fraying diplomatic relations with the European Union earlier this year.

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

Populist Party Leader: Mass Migration Has ‘Destroyed’ Sweden

Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson has claimed that mass migration and “imported crime” has destroyed his country after a police officer was recently shot dead in a no-go zone.

Mr Åkesson stated that following the fatal shooting of the police officer in Biskopsgården in Gothenburg last week that “organised and largely imported crime celebrates another victory over Sweden.”

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Slovenian PM: Distribution of Migrants is a Matter for Individual Member States

In his speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Slovenian Janez Jansa reasserted the opinion held by a growing group of Central European governments, according to which more should be done to protect Europe’s external borders, and the EU should step up its fight against illegal migration. In his speech marking the beginning of the Council of the European Union’s six-month Slovenian presidency, Jansa stated that the redistribution of migrants among member states is only possible under a mechanism that is acceptable to all countries and should not be forced on them via a central mechanism drafted by leading powers.

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Swedish Prosecutor Seeks Life for Stabbing Spree Migrant

Swedish prosecutors have demanded life in prison for the Afghan migrant who injured seven people during a stabbing spree in Vetlanda.

The trial for the 22-year-old Afghan national resumed this week in a Swedish district court. Prosecutors demand that the migrant be sentenced to ‘life’ in prison and then deported from Sweden.

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

China’s WeChat Deletes “LGBT Groups”

China’s WeChat has permanently banned almost all “LGBT” public groups run by college students.

In a since-deleted post on Twitter-like Chinese social media app Weibo, a user who often posts about such issues claimed that complaints about the bans began on Monday evening.

Users of the affected groups discovered they had been shut down through a notice on the groups’ main pages that said the groups were terminated as a result of WeChat receiving “relevant reports from users,” and determined that the groups “had violated regulations on the management of accounts offering public information service on the Chinese internet.”

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

German Merch Chain Elbenwald Pressured Into Apologizing for Posting Harry Potter Content During “Pride Month”

Elbenwald, one of Germany’s largest film merchandise, gamer clothing, and lifestyle product brands, has issued a lengthy apology for the offense of tweeting about Harry Potter during June’s “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month” after some Twitter users responded to the tweets by complaining about Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

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

Instagram Tests “Limits” Tool Which Recommends Groups to Hide Comments From

It’s turning into a full time job for those who wish to create, curate and maintain their own “bubble” on mainstream social media by making use of the ever-growing list of options that restrict communication and interaction with other users.

Facebook’s Instagram is now testing a new feature to keep away groups of users rather than just individuals, several social media consultants have shared on Twitter, along with screenshots showing the new setting.

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

LGBT Activists Claim Wi Spa Incident Was Faked

New developments in the Wi Spa controversy, with LGBT activists now claiming the whole thing was staged.

Really?

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

PayPal Withholds Funds for Alt-Tech Messaging App Panquake

On Tuesday, Suzie Dawson clarified some details regarding PayPal’s withholding of funds raised by new social and messaging app Panquake.

In a tweet, Dawson said that PayPal didn’t facilitate refunds and that this job was done by Panquake staff, while the giant payment processor charged not only fees on all withheld money — but also on refunds that it apparently took no action to make happen.

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

Piers Morgan, Shut the F*** Up

We expect the elites to think the rules don’t apply to them, but for the love of God, please stop pretending to be the altruistic, moral guardians of lockdown, stop lecturing us and shut the f*** up.

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

PM Babis Not to Join the Call of EU Leaders to Support Sexual Minorities

Prime Minister Andrej Babis will probably not join the June letter from 17 EU leaders in support of sexual minorities, prompted by a Hungarian law that bans promoting LGBT in schools. Babis called the letter “drivel” when speaking in the Chamber of Deputies. He accused members of the Pirate Party, who asked him why he did not sign the appeal, of treason and subverting Czechia based on orders from Brussels.

“They (members of sexual minorities) want to have some rights. It is not about me signing some drivel dictated by someone from Europe,” stated the Prime Minister.

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Spanish Teacher Suspended for Stating That There Are Only Two Genders

Jesus Luis Barron Lopez, who is a middle school biology teacher in Alcala de Henares near Madrid, has been suspended in his job for teaching that there are only two genders: male and female.

“Severe sanctions have been imposed on the teacher for stating scientific truth, that there are only two biological genders, male and female, depending on being born with XX chromosomes in the case of women and XY chromosomes in the case of men,” the head of the Christian Lawyers organization Polonia Castellanos explained.

In April, Barron Lopez conducted a lesson on human sexuality with permission from the school’s authorities. In accordance with the biology textbook used by Spanish middle schools, the teacher explained that although transsexual people who change their gender existed, they genetically maintain the chromosomes of their birth gender.

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Twitter Bans User Who Posted Wi Spa Exposure Video

A Twitter user (@neeRodriguez) who posted a video recounting her January 2020 experience of a naked “person with a penis and a beard” getting into a hot tub with her six-year-old daughter at Wi Spa in Los Angeles has been booted from the platform.

In the video, @neeRodriguez described how she took her daughter on a spa day on January 7, 2020.

“It’s a Korean spa, so everyone’s naked,” she said. “I wanted to be, kind of, culturally with it, so we also were nude in the women’s side of the spa.”

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8 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 7/9/2021

  1. “President Trump has filed a lawsuit against the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter, and Google.”

    Do people remember how kings oppressed their subjects. The result kings were ousted one after the other esp. in 1848 in Europe and in 1950s and sixties in the Middle east.

    Today kings and decent Presidents like Pres. Trump are oppressed by the same people that were oppressed yesterday.

    in 1789 in France, people thought that they would live in Utopia for ever.

    Today the rulers of France and elsewhere are punishing their own people by invited invaders. . . even worse than yester kings.

    misery is written on human brow.

    • President Trump has a solid grasp of reality. He sees. Biden son and company limited do not. Obama’s bedfellows are currently easy prey to Islam. Trump is too clear. He is not.

  2. Kurds turned down money? They did the simple maths: a livelyhood paid for by foreign taxpayers or 25K $ extorted by domestic thugs at their return. They are smarter than one might think.

    • I like to add that even if Iceland would double my income I would not move there, though it is certainly a fine state with nice people. Beach life, vineries and walks in forests are no activities up above the polar circle. Unless… you like diving in ice holes.

  3. Let’s recall 2005 when Delaware’s pro-corporate senator, Biden, pushed through the Bankruptcy Reform Act to punish debtors for years to come…..ending the Hope of a clean start. Students were the hardest hit. Joe got it done and now lies about it.

  4. The killer of Ashli Babbit is Lt. Michael L. Byrd. The name was caught in an official voice recording from January. And the visual details check out. Byrd is reported to be on leave, his social networks data were scrubbed clean, he moved to Maryland and the rumor has it the house is empty and he is in hiding.
    https://cleverjourneys.com/2021/07/05/capitol-police-lt-michael-leroy-byrd-is-alleged-killer-of-ashli-babbitt/
    This brief vid was censored off of ytb. It’s on rumble.
    https://rumble.com/vjd0xn-to-answer-trumps-question-this-is-the-man-who-shot-ashli-babbitt.-.html
    Also a pic:
    https://thespectator.info/2021/07/09/cnn-c-span-scrub-rumored-babbitt-shooters-name-from-transcript-of-house-sergeant-at-arms-testimony/

  5. Opposite to the British public prosecutor’s office after a controversial bill, justice will no longer prosecute migrants crossing the Channel
    https://www.fdesouche.com/2021/07/09/royaume-uni-les-migrants-risqueront-desormais-4-ans-de-prison-pour-une-traversee-illegale-de-la-manche/

    MAGGIE OLIVER: Our so-called ‘justice system’ treats the victims of the Rochdale grooming gang with contempt
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-9762143/MAGGIE-OLIVER-justice-treats-victims-Rochdale-grooming-gang-contempt.html

    Shopping center in Claye-Souilly (77): Théo, 18, stabbed to death by a Senegalese man, another seller seriously injured, the suspect was arrested
    https://www.fdesouche.com/2021/07/10/claye-souilly-77-2-personnes-poignardees-et-grievement-blessees-au-centre-commercial-un-suspect-arrete/

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