Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/20/2022

Austria has passed a law mandating the “vaccination” of all adults, but the Czech Republic has decided against the mandatory vax. Meanwhile, the actor John Malkovich was turned away from a high-end Italian hotel for having an expired vaccine passport.

In other news, thousands of Iraqi migrants who had been trapped at the border between Belarus and Lithuania have been flown home by the Iraqi government.

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

Thanks to Dean, Fjordman, Insubria, Reader from Chicago, 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.

USA
» Baltimore Safe Streets East Worker Killed Wednesday in Quadruple Shooting ‘Wanted the Best for His Community’
» Biden Approval Hits New Low at One-Year Mark: AP-Norc Poll
» Biden to Give Away 400 Million N95 Masks Starting Next Week
» California’s COVID Gun Store Shutdowns Ruled Illegal
» CDC Report Finds Natural Immunity Worked Better Than Vaccine Against COVID’s Delta-Variant Wave
» CIA: Havana Syndrome Not Result of ‘Worldwide Campaign’ By a Hostile Foreign Power
» CNN Scrambles to Explain Away Joe Biden Saying 2022 Midterms Could be “Illegitimate”
» Fight Over Critical Race Theory Shifts to ‘Curriculum Transparency’ Debate
» Former White House Physician Demands Biden Take Cognitive Test After Weird Presser Breakdown
» GETTR CEO Jason Miller Faces Questions on JFK Censorship, Banning Nick Fuentes, And “Hateful” Content
» House Jan 6 Committee Asks Ivanka Trump to Voluntarily Cooperate in Probe
» Jury in Federal Trial in Floyd Killing Appears Mostly White
» Kyle Rittenhouse Wants Gun Used in Kenosha Protest Shootings Returned
» Listen: ‘We’Re Coming to F*cking America’ Synagogue Attacker’s Last Call With Brother
» More Voters Believe Trump Was Legitimately Elected Than Biden, Poll
» More Cowbell: Protests Outside of Michelle Wu’s House Continue, But Sound a Bit Different
» New Emails Expose Fauci’s Role in Shaping Highly Influential Paper That Established COVID “Natural Origin” Narrative
» Reps. Tlaib, Omar Participated in Events With Groups That Called for Release of ‘Lady Al-Qaeda’
» Senate Democrats Fail to Change Filibuster, Handing Biden Stinging Defeat on Voting Legislation
» Teddy Roosevelt Statue Bound for North Dakota After Being Removed From Outside Museum of Natural History in NYC
» The IRS Will Force Facial Recognition Scans on Users This Summer
» This is America: NYPD Arrests 9-Year-Old Girl & Five Others for Entering Museum of Natural History Without Vax Passport
» Two Dozen Progressive Prosecutors Linked to Soros Money, Report Finds
» Virginia GOP Gov. Youngkin Unveils COVID Plan of Action, Details Where Resources Will be Channeled
» Voters Reject ‘Great Reset’ Agenda
» Waukesha Common Council Approves Commission for Permanent Christmas Parade Memorial
» Wisconsin State Assembly Honors Waukesha Parade Victims
 
Canada
» Jordan Peterson Resigns as Professor Over Woke Revolution in Academia
» ‘Slow-Roll’ Protest Planned by Quebec Truckers Against COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate
 
Europe and the EU
» A German Investigation Into Abuses Within the Catholic Church Accuses Pope Benedict of ‘Wrongdoing’
» Approximately 10% of Deceased Newborns in Belgium Were Euthanized, Claims Bioethics Expert
» Austrian Parliament Passes Europe’s Strictest COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
» Czech Government Rules Out Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations
» EU’s Liberal Elite Claim Orban Will Rig Vote, Call for Wide-Scale Election Observation in Hungary
» French Populist Marine Le Pen Reaches Record Popularity in Poll
» Germany: Useless Rapid Antigen Tests Under the Magnifying Glass
» Germany: Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Rejected by Growing Chorus of Politicians and Health Officials
» Germany’s President Calls for Society to Turn Out Against COVID-19 Demonstrations, Ties Protests to Right-Wing Extremism
» Germany Takes on Telegram to Fight Extremism
» Half Italian Families Gave Up on Medical Treatment Last Year
» Italy: Watch List 2022: Over 360 Million Christians Face ‘High Levels of Persecution’
» Italy: Actor John Malkovich Tossed From Venice Hotel for Expired Vaccine Passport
» Secret Stasi Files Reveal the Communist-Sympathizing Past of Germany’s New Chancellor
» The EU is Considering Its Own DNS Resolver That Can Block Websites
» UK: Prince Andrew is Deleted: Ends Social Media Presence Over Links to Jeffrey Epstein Sexual Abuse Allegations
» Watch: EU Parliament Members Call for Freedom, End of COVID Lockdowns, Censorship & Discrimination
 
Immigration
» 58 Migrants Turned Back on Latvia-Belarus Border Wednesday
» Cyprus Struggling With Migrant Flows
» Essex Lorry Deaths: Trafficking Gang Ringleader Jailed in Belgium
» Finland: Convicted Islamist Terrorist Assaulted Prison Guards in Biting Attack
» French National Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Driving Illegals Across Border
» Ireland: Watch: Anger Boils Over, Police Restrain Crowds at Court as Migrant Male Charged With Woman’s Murder
» Italy, Albania and Greece Dismantle Network That Smuggled Over 1,100 Migrants
» Spain Registers Highest Number of Irregular Migrants Since 2019
» Spanish Police Arrest 63 After Busting Chinese Sex Trafficking Ring
» Thousands of Iraqis ‘Trapped’ at Belarus-Lithuania Border Flown Home
» UK: Army Will Build Camps to House 30,000 Migrants…
» UK: Farage: Deploying Navy to Channel Migrant Crisis is ‘Expensive Taxi Service’
» UK: MPs Blast Priti Patel Over Axing of ‘Vital’ Daily Migrant Figures: Home Secretary is Accused of Being More Concerned About ‘Burying Bad News Than Being Transparent’ As Channel Crisis Worsens
 
Culture Wars
» M&M’s Signature Characters to be Given Makeovers, Become ‘More Inclusive’
» Porn and Comedy Have a Lot in Common, So Why is it So Hard to Go From Sex Work to Stand-Up?
» The Grift is Over
» Video: Bill Gates Calls for “Aggressive” Carbon Taxes to “Accelerate” Fourth Industrial Revolution
» YouTube Demonetizes News Bloopers Channel News Be Funny
 

Baltimore Safe Streets East Worker Killed Wednesday in Quadruple Shooting ‘Wanted the Best for His Community’

DaShawn McGrier, a Safe Streets violence interrupter at McElderry Park, was one of the three men shot and killed Wednesday night on E. Monument Street, a spokeswoman for the organization confirmed.

McGrier had been working with Safe Streets for a little over a month, going to welding school by day and joining the anti-violence program at night, said Living Classrooms Foundation spokeswoman Meg Ward, who called him hardworking and a devoted, present father.

Living Classrooms is a nonprofit that operates Safe Streets sites in the McElderry Park and Belair-Edison neighborhoods. He was working at the time he was shot, Ward said.

“He was passionate about reducing violence in the community and wanted to be a positive part of that,” Ward said. “He was from the community. He wanted the best for his community.”

“He knew that violence and trauma were present in the community, and he wanted to change that.”

The quadruple shooting in East Baltimore’s Milton Montford neighborhood, several blocks east of Johns Hopkins Hospital, left three men dead and another person injured…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Biden Approval Hits New Low at One-Year Mark: AP-Norc Poll

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden ends his first year in the White House with a clear majority of Americans for the first time disapproving of his handling of the presidency in the face of an unrelenting pandemic and roaring inflation, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

More Americans disapprove than approve of how Biden is handling his job as president, 56% to 43%. As of now, just 28% of Americans say they want Biden to run for reelection in 2024, including only 48% of Democrats.

Asked on Wednesday at a wide-ranging news conference about his flagging popularity, Biden responded, “I don’t believe the polls.”

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

Biden to Give Away 400 Million N95 Masks Starting Next Week

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to U.S. residents starting next week, now that federal officials are emphasizing their better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth face coverings.

The White House announced Wednesday that the masks will come from the government’s Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of the highly protective masks on hand. The masks will be available for pickup at pharmacies and community health centers across the country. They will begin shipping this week for distribution starting late next week, the White House said.

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

California’s COVID Gun Store Shutdowns Ruled Illegal

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Two California counties violated the Constitution’s right to keep and bear arms when they shut down gun and ammunition stores in 2020 as nonessential businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

Officials in Los Angeles and Ventura counties had separately won lower court decisions saying gun stores were not exempt from broader shutdown orders aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus early in the pandemic.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected both lower court rulings.

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

CDC Report Finds Natural Immunity Worked Better Than Vaccine Against COVID’s Delta-Variant Wave

Anew CDC report states a prior case of COVID-19 protected people from infection better than vaccinations did during the delta wave last summer and fall.

Anew CDC report states a prior case of COVID-19 protected people from infection better than vaccinations did during the delta wave last summer and fall.

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

CIA: Havana Syndrome Not Result of ‘Worldwide Campaign’ By a Hostile Foreign Power

According to a new intelligence assessment, the CIA has eliminated the possibility that the mysterious symptoms known as “Havana Syndrome” are the result of an ongoing global campaign by a hostile power aimed at U.S. diplomats and spies.

In a number of cases, the intelligence agency has not been able to rule out foreign involvement, including many that connected to the U.S. Embassy in Havana beginning in 2016. However, in hundreds of other cases, the United States’ top spy agency has reportedly found plausible alternative explanations.

In particular, the CIA deemed it unlikely that Russia is running a campaign to target members of the American intelligence community and diplomats, who have symptoms of brain injuries.

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

CNN Scrambles to Explain Away Joe Biden Saying 2022 Midterms Could be “Illegitimate”

CNN hosts scrambled to explain away Joe Biden’s remark during his car crash of a press conference when he said that the 2022 mid-term elections could be “illegitimate.”

Former President Donald Trump was vehemently monstered by the media both in 2016 and 2020 for suggesting the election outcome could be compromised.

Following the riot on January 6 last year, Trump’s so-called undermining of the election process was blamed for the raid on the Capitol itself.

Tens of millions of Trump supporters who believe the 2020 election was rigged have also been denounced as everything from dangerous radicals to domestic terrorists.

So when Joe Biden questioned the legitimacy of the upcoming election during a live press conference, the media was placed in an invidious position.

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

Fight Over Critical Race Theory Shifts to ‘Curriculum Transparency’ Debate

In at least 12 states, lawmakers have introduced bills that could require schools to publish all of their teaching materials online to better promote “curriculum transparency.” NBC News’ Tyler Kingkade explains how the debate over critical race theory is related and who is behind the efforts.

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

Former White House Physician Demands Biden Take Cognitive Test After Weird Presser Breakdown

The former White House physician Ronny Jackson reacted to Joe Biden displaying more brain freeze during his second press conference in office Wednesday, demanding that the president immediately undergo a cognitive test.

Biden essentially ignored a question from a reporter about why so many Americans believe he is in cognitive decline, replying “I have no idea.”

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

GETTR CEO Jason Miller Faces Questions on JFK Censorship, Banning Nick Fuentes, And “Hateful” Content

During an appearance on the Timcast IRL podcast, Jason Miller, CEO of the alternative social media platform GETTR, was questioned on some of its content moderation decisions which include banning videos that show the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK), banning political commentator Nick Fuentes, and the way GETTR bans “harmful,” “hateful,” and “obscene” content while describing itself as a free speech platform.

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

House Jan 6 Committee Asks Ivanka Trump to Voluntarily Cooperate in Probe

The House Jan. 6 select committee is asking former President Trump’s daughter and senior Trump White House adviser Ivanka Trump to voluntary cooperate with its probe, committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson said Thursday.

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

Jury in Federal Trial in Floyd Killing Appears Mostly White

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A jury of 18 people who appeared mostly white was picked Thursday for the federal trial of three Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s killing, a case that the judge told potential jurors has “absolutely nothing” to do with race.

The jurors chosen to hear the case against former Officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Kueng appeared to include one Asian among the 12 jurors who would deliberate if no alternates are needed, and a second person of Asian descent among the six alternates, with all others appearing white. The court declined to provide demographic information.

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

Kyle Rittenhouse Wants Gun Used in Kenosha Protest Shootings Returned

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois man acquitted of fatally shooting two men and wounding a third during street protests in Kenosha in 2020, has filed papers in court to recover property seized by police after his arrest, including the gun he used in the shootings.

A motion filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court on Wednesday states that Rittenhouse wants the AR-15-style rifle returned so that it can be destroyed.

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

Listen: ‘We’Re Coming to F*cking America’ Synagogue Attacker’s Last Call With Brother

The Texas Synagogue attacker chillingly told his brother over the phone “we’re coming to f***ing America” to give Americans a “f***ing war”, in a recording of a telephone call that allegedly took place shortly before he was shot dead by the FBI.

Malik Faisal Akram, 44, who held four people hostage at Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas told his brother Gulbar, 43, in his final phone call to his family “we’re coming to f***ing America” for a “f***ing war”, The Jewish Chronicle reports of audio recordings they claim to have acquired from a law-enforcement source.

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

More Voters Believe Trump Was Legitimately Elected Than Biden, Poll

More voters (61%) believe that former President Donald Trump was legitimately elected in 2016, than believe President Biden was legitimately elected in 2020 (57%), according to a new poll from Scott Rasmussen.

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

More Cowbell: Protests Outside of Michelle Wu’s House Continue, But Sound a Bit Different

The anti-vaccine-mandate protesters outside Mayor Michelle Wu’s house have swapped out bullhorns for cowbells after the cops reportedly made it clear they’d start confiscating noise amplifiers.

On Thursday morning, protesters clanged cowbells and blew whistles as they saw Wu off as she left her house for work.

They ditched their characteristic bullhorns after the police precinct commander told residents in a small community meeting that police would confiscate bullhorns, which locals have complained protesters have used in ways that have woken up kids and elderly relatives early in the morning. The police comments were first reported by Universal Hub following the meeting earlier in the week.

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

New Emails Expose Fauci’s Role in Shaping Highly Influential Paper That Established COVID “Natural Origin” Narrative

Authored by Jeff Carlson and Hans Mahncke via The Epoch Times

New evidence has emerged that suggests that Dr. Anthony Fauci not only initiated efforts to cover up evidence pointing to a lab origin of SARS-CoV-2 but actively shaped a highly influential academic paper that excluded the possibility of a lab leak.

Fauci’s involvement with the paper wasn’t acknowledged by the authors, as it should have been under prevailing academic standards. Neither was it acknowledged by Fauci himself, who denied having communicated with the authors when asked directly while testifying before Congress last week.

The article, Proximal Origin, was co-authored by five virologists, four of whom participated in a Feb. 1, 2020, teleconference that was hastily convened by Fauci, who serves as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and Jeremy Farrar, who heads the UK-based Wellcome Trust, after public reporting of a potential link between the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China and the COVID-19 outbreak.

The initial draft of Proximal Origin was completed on the same day the teleconference, which wasn’t made public, took place. Notably, at least three authors of the paper were privately telling Fauci’s teleconference group both during the call and in subsequent emails that they were 60 to 80 percent sure that COVID-19 had come out of a lab.

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

Reps. Tlaib, Omar Participated in Events With Groups That Called for Release of ‘Lady Al-Qaeda’

Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota participated in events with Muslim-American advocacy groups that have called for Aafia Siddiqui’s release from a Texas prison.

The gunman who took hostages inside a Texas synagogue on Tuesday demanded the release of Siddiqui, who has often been referred to in the counterterrorism world as “Lady al-Qaeda.” Siddiqui was convicted in 2010 of attempting to murder U.S. nationals, according to the FBI.

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

Senate Democrats Fail to Change Filibuster, Handing Biden Stinging Defeat on Voting Legislation

Senate Democrats failed twice on Wednesday night to pass their signature legislation to nationalize elections, handing President Joe Biden a stinging defeat that was delivered in part by two centrists in his own party.

The second vote came late Wednesday night when the Senate refused to change the filibuster rules in a 52-48 vote.

Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (W.V.) and Krysten Sinema (Ariz.) voted with Republicans to keep the filibuster rules, rejecting their party’s bid to end the 60-vote threshold for passing legislation in the chamber.

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

Teddy Roosevelt Statue Bound for North Dakota After Being Removed From Outside Museum of Natural History in NYC

A statue of President Theodore Roosevelt that has stood outside the Museum of Natural History in New York City for more than 80 years was removed Wednesday night after complaints of racism and colonization.

The bronze statue was removed in pieces and is expected to be shipped to the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, The New York Times reported. It is estimated to cost $2 million for the removal process.

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

The IRS Will Force Facial Recognition Scans on Users This Summer

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the US will require people to submit a facial scan through a third party provider to make payments or file taxes online. The system raises obvious privacy concerns.

Currently, users only require a username and password to log into their IRS accounts. But starting the summer of 2022, users will need to verify their identity through a third-party identity verification company called ID.me. The change was first noticed by Krebs on Security.

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

This is America: NYPD Arrests 9-Year-Old Girl & Five Others for Entering Museum of Natural History Without Vax Passport

A group of anti-vaccine mandate and anti-vax passport protesters were arrested Wednesday night for entering New York City’s Museum of Natural History without showing their vaccine passports.

Despite securing a reservation at the museum, security refused to let the group inside without showing a vaccine passport.

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

Two Dozen Progressive Prosecutors Linked to Soros Money, Report Finds

WASHINGTON (TND) — While billionaire and millionaire philanthropists often seek to influence national policy, George Soros has long made headlines for his financial support of progressive prosecutors, many of whom push policies criticized for emboldening criminals in major American cities.

A total of 24 incumbent local prosecutors received financial support from Soros on the campaign trail, according to a new report by Parker Thayer of the Capital Research Center.

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

Virginia GOP Gov. Youngkin Unveils COVID Plan of Action, Details Where Resources Will be Channeled

Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin has announced a new plan of action to combat COVID-19 in his state and signed an executive order that will enable health care systems, facilities and personnel to access the tools they need to effectively fight the ongoing pandemic.

“While many families have experienced tragedy over the last two years, Virginians have truly embodied the spirit of Virginia as they came together to fight a common enemy — COVID-19,” said a statement from the governor’s office.

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

Voters Reject ‘Great Reset’ Agenda

Business should focus on traditional goals like consumer service and profit, rather than the social justice and environmentalist agenda of the “Great Reset” movement, most voters believe.

A new Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. voters believe the highest priority for businesses should be providing individual consumers with high quality products and services at the lowest prices. Another 23% think businesses should prioritize providing good benefits and pay to employees, and 14% say earning a profit to benefit shareholders or owners should be the top priority. Only nine percent (9%) of voters think trying to stop climate change should be the top priority for business, and a mere one percent (1%) think using business resources to pursue social justice causes should be a top priority.

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

Waukesha Common Council Approves Commission for Permanent Christmas Parade Memorial

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) — A permanent memorial to honor those affected by the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy is closer to being installed. Common Council members approved the creation of a new commission Wednesday, Jan. 19.

According to Project Charter, members of the commission are asked to “create a memorial that thoughtfully honors the victims of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy, provides an opportunity for reflection, and represents healing as a community.”

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

Wisconsin State Assembly Honors Waukesha Parade Victims

WAUKESHA, WI—A moment of silence was held in the state Capitol on Thursday to honor those impacted by the Waukesha Christmas parade on Nov. 21.

A bipartisan resolution passed in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

The resolution also recognizes the heroism of law enforcement and emergency medical officials who responded to the scene.

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

Jordan Peterson Resigns as Professor Over Woke Revolution in Academia

The prominent Canadian academic and author of the bestseller “Twelve Rules for Life,” Jordan B. Peterson, has announced his resignation from his professorship at the University of Toronto, quoting diversity, inclusivity and equity mandates (DIE) as the main reason for his decision. In an article written for the National Post, Peterson gives a detailed and equally disturbing account of his experience in academia distorted by radical woke policies.

In the article, republished in a podcast on Youtube, the renowned professor claimed that the appalling ideology of diversity, inclusion and equity is demolishing both education and business. He states that well-trained and hard-working White male students have little chance of being offered academic research positions, despite their achievement and grades. Even though qualified minority candidates have today every chance of getting into academic positions and face no discrimination, quotas have been brought in to positively discriminate on their behalf.

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

‘Slow-Roll’ Protest Planned by Quebec Truckers Against COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate

A growing number of truck drivers plan on disrupting and blocking circulation on Quebec roads to protest the federal government’s latest vaccine mandate imposed on the trucking industry.

From coast to coast, truck drivers against COVID-19 vaccination regulations have gathered under the pan-Canadian banner ‘Convoy for Freedom 2022.’

Thousands of truck drivers plan to slowly converge and meet on Parliament Hill on Jan. 28.

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

A German Investigation Into Abuses Within the Catholic Church Accuses Pope Benedict of ‘Wrongdoing’

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was accused Thursday by a German investigative panel of “wrongdoing” in his handling of sexual-abuse cases during his time at the head of the Munich archdiocese, from 1977 to1 982, when he was known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

The law firm that conducted the investigation says Benedict’s claims that he had no direct knowledge of the cases of sexual abuse were ultimately not credible.

The firm introduced its nearly 1,900-page report at a news conference Thursday, during which it said that Benedict could be accused of wrongdoing in four cases of sexual abuse, including one in which he knowingly accepted a priest into his archdiocese after the former had been criminally convicted of sexual abuse.

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

Approximately 10% of Deceased Newborns in Belgium Were Euthanized, Claims Bioethics Expert

At least 10 percent of all deceased newborns in Belgium were euthanized in a 15-month period in 2016 and 2017 in what experts describe as a growing phenomenon.

Constance du Bus, a lawyer and expert from the Institute of European Bioethics (IEB) in Brussels, revealed that the data analyzed from the Flanders region of the country showed a concerning growing trend of euthanasia.

“We don’t have the exact numbers for all of Belgium, but we have data from recent research concerning deceased newborns in Flanders where around 60 percent of the country’s population lives,” de Bus explained.

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

Austrian Parliament Passes Europe’s Strictest COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Austria’s parliament voted 137 to 33 in favor of requiring all residents over the age of 18 to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in what will be Europe’s most stringent mandate, despite protests.

The requirement goes into effect Feb. 1, provided it is approved by the upper house and is signed into law by President Alexander Van der Bellen, both of which are considered formalities according to the BBC.

Starting March 15, Austrian authorities will begin checking if people are following the mandate, which is in effect until January 2024. Those who do not comply will face a 600 euro ($680) initial fine.

Eventually, unvaccinated Austrians will face a maximum fine of 3,600 euro ($4,074) up to four times a year if they continue to not follow the mandate.

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

Czech Government Rules Out Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations

Petr Fiala’s government will not introduce compulsory vaccination against Covid-19 but insists that vaccines remain the biggest weapon the country has in the fight against the pandemic.

“Covid-19 vaccination will not be mandatory. However, our attitude towards vaccination has not changed as we still consider vaccination to be the best way to avoid difficult courses of the illness and hospitalization,” Fiala confirmed at a meeting on Wednesday, adding that the government did not find substantiated reasons for mandatory vaccination.

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

EU’s Liberal Elite Claim Orban Will Rig Vote, Call for Wide-Scale Election Observation in Hungary

Self-proclaimed European federalist Guy Verhofstadt has led the charge of a number of liberal MEPs calling for wide-scale election observation in Hungary, according to reports.

A cross-party group of 62 MEPs have reportedly penned a letter to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) expressing deep concerns about the commitment of the Hungarian government to delivering a free and fair election, and wants the deployment of EU officials to ensure democratic principles are respected.

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

French Populist Marine Le Pen Reaches Record Popularity in Poll

Populist National Rally (RN) leader and French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has achieved a record level of popularity in a new poll, while French President Emmanuel Macron has seen a decline.

The popularity of Ms Le Pen has risen to 40 per cent among the French public, according to a poll released by the firm Ifop this week. The poll is the best result ever for the populist French presidential candidate who is one of the main contenders in the presidential race.

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

Germany: Useless Rapid Antigen Tests Under the Magnifying Glass

The Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), the German medical regulatory body and research institution for vaccines and biomedicines, which is also a WHO Collaborating Centre for quality assurance, has found out that 92 percent of rapid antigen tests are worthless.

PEI evaluated 245 rapid antigen tests and the results were shocking: Only eight percent of them show valid results. This is according to an article published on January 16 by the website ScienceFiles.

There is a list of rapid antigen tests maintained by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). According to the article, 245 rapid antigen tests from a wide variety of manufacturers were included on this list. These tests have been a money tree for some since rapid tests are used extensively.

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

Germany: Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Rejected by Growing Chorus of Politicians and Health Officials

While the idea of mandatory vaccination is supported by much of Germany’s political establishment, a number of authoritative voices are coming out against the plans, raising doubts about the divisive proposal.

Arguably the most prominent voice to come against mandatory vaccination is Thomas Merten, the head of Germany’s Standing Vaccination Committee (STIKO), which is the leading authority in the country on vaccination recommendations.

“It divides society, there is too much pressure,” he warned.

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

Germany’s President Calls for Society to Turn Out Against COVID-19 Demonstrations, Ties Protests to Right-Wing Extremism

Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is attempting to delegitimize protests against the Covid-19 measures, saying that they are being infiltrated by right-wing extremists.

“Everyone in our country has the right to protest peacefully against Covid-19 measures. However, with concern, I observe that radical, especially right-wing extremist forces, who are not concerned with coronavirus, but who are attacking our democratic constitutional state, are exploiting the protests for their own purposes and are increasingly harnessing others to their anti-democratic carts,” warned the head of state on Wednesday at citizens’ forum in Bellevue Castle.

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

Germany Takes on Telegram to Fight Extremism

Extremists use the messaging service to stoke hate and violence. The German government plans to get tough on Telegram — but, even if Berlin gets the firm to cooperate, this alone will not solve the problem, experts warn.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Half Italian Families Gave Up on Medical Treatment Last Year

For economic problems, unavailability, inadequate supply

(ANSA) — ROME, JAN 12 — Fully half of Italian families, or 50.2%, gave up on much-needed medical treatment last year due to economic problems, the unavailability of treatment or lack of supply of services, commercial information agency CERVED said Wednesday.

At the same time, it said, household spending on health, assisting the elderly and education all went up.

This widening gap between a growth in demand and a lack of supply was a new feature in the 2022 edition of CERVED’s Report on Italian Family Welfare.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Watch List 2022: Over 360 Million Christians Face ‘High Levels of Persecution’

ROME — The year 2021 saw the worst persecution of Christians in history, according to the 2022 World Watch List released Wednesday by Open Doors.

The grim global statistics highlight how more Christians face violent aggression because of their faith than any other religious group, with over 360 million Christians living in places “where they experience high levels of persecution and discrimination.”

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

Italy: Actor John Malkovich Tossed From Venice Hotel for Expired Vaccine Passport

ROME — U.S. actor and director John Malkovich was turned away from a top Venice hotel over a lapsed coronavirus vaccine passport last week, Italian media reported Wednesday.

The Hotel Danieli, which overlooks Venice’s Grand Canal, denied entry to the 68-year-old Hollywood star and he was reportedly forced to stay at a nearby private residence.

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

Secret Stasi Files Reveal the Communist-Sympathizing Past of Germany’s New Chancellor

The Social Democrats’ new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, may be known as the silent man of German power-politics, yet newly revealed Stasi files literally speak volumes on his behalf. The content of the former East German intelligence agency’s files is unlikely to be information that Scholz would be happy to repeat, but according to the author of the study, the chancellor’s past can explain a lot about his current, mostly foreign policy-related decisions.

German Historian Hubertus Knabe has published a study entitled “The Scholz Files,” in which he ventures out to explain why, for instance, Scholz seems to be so reluctant to make a resolute stance against a resurgent Russia, while both his coalition partners are keen on isolating and punishing Vladimir Putin’s government. Left-wing German newspapers have rather predictably cried conspiracy over the new revelations, with the Suddeutsche Zeitung, for example, suggesting that the study used catchphrases to evoke false accusations against their preferred chancellor.

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

The EU is Considering Its Own DNS Resolver That Can Block Websites

The EU is working on its own DNS resolver, dubbed DNS4EU. The purpose of the resolver is to provide an alternative to the popular resolvers based in the US and to questionably provide security and privacy to users, and to block websites.

When you visit a website, you use its domain name. But your computer needs to know the IP address of the website you are using. And that’s where DNS resolvers come in.

Most ISPs operate their own DNS resolvers, but there are popular third-party resolvers, such as Google, Norton, Cloudflare, and OpenDNS (all based in the US).

The EU has proposed creating its own resolver, DNS4EU, as an alternative to the US-based resolvers.

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

UK: Prince Andrew is Deleted: Ends Social Media Presence Over Links to Jeffrey Epstein Sexual Abuse Allegations

Then, just like that, he was gone. Britain’s Prince Andrew purged himself from social media on Wednesday amid a sexual assault scandal and his new status as a private citizen no longer officially recognized as a member of the royal family.

UPI reports his official Twitter page led to a message saying the account does not exist. His Instagram account was set to private and his YouTube page also leads to an error message saying the page is not available.

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

Watch: EU Parliament Members Call for Freedom, End of COVID Lockdowns, Censorship & Discrimination

A trio of European Union Parliament members gave invigorating speeches promoting global freedom and slamming current mainstream Covid measures during a January 13 press conference.

Ivan Sincic, a Croatian MEP, called for demonstrators across Europe to gather in Brussels on January 23rd for a massive protest against censorship, lockdowns and vaccine mandates.

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

58 Migrants Turned Back on Latvia-Belarus Border Wednesday

On Wednesday, January 19, the border guard prevented 58 people from crossing the Latvian-Belarusian border.

Since the announcement of the state of emergency on the Latvia-Belarus border August 10, the Border Guard has prevented 4,905 persons from crossing the border.

No persons were detained having crossed the border illegally.

Since the announcement of the state of the emergency, 109 people have been allowed to cross the border citing humanitarian reasons.

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

Cyprus Struggling With Migrant Flows

Cyprus struggles to cope with high numbers of asylum seekers, as in the first 18 days of January, over 700 migrants have filed applications for international protection.

According to data cited by Phileleftheros daily, the island’s authorities have a backlog of some 19,000 applications while receiving 13,500 just in the past year.

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

Essex Lorry Deaths: Trafficking Gang Ringleader Jailed in Belgium

A Belgian court has sentenced a Vietnamese man to 15 years in prison after ruling that he was the ringleader of a gang that trafficked migrants found dead in a lorry in the UK.

Vo Van Hong was found guilty of leading a cross-Channel people trafficking operation based in Belgium.

Thirty-nine Vietnamese people, aged 15-44, were discovered suffocated at an industrial estate in Essex in 2019.

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

Finland: Convicted Islamist Terrorist Assaulted Prison Guards in Biting Attack

Convicted radical Islamic terrorist Abderrahman Bouanane, who committed the first Islamist attack in Finland, has been brought before a court after being accused of attacking prison guards, allegedly biting one.

Bouanane, a migrant from Morocco, was brought before the District Court of Southwest Finland love incidents at Turku prison that are said to have taken place on October 13th, 15th and October 31st in 2020.

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

French National Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Driving Illegals Across Border

A 49-year-old French national has been sentenced to four years in prison for driving migrants across the border from Spain into France and even trying to ram his vehicle into officers at the time of his arrest.

The Bayonne Criminal Court found a 49-year-old identified as ‘Daniel’ guilty of people trafficking for driving as many as 162 sub-Saharan African migrants on 24 different trips between the Spanish town of Irun to France since December as well as for acts of violence. He was sentenced to four years in prison this week.

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

Ireland: Watch: Anger Boils Over, Police Restrain Crowds at Court as Migrant Male Charged With Woman’s Murder

Irish police were forced to hold back an angry crowd from a foreign man on Wednesday, shortly after he was charged with the murder of a 23-year-old woman.

Members of the Irish police force were forced to hold back an angry crowd from Jozef Puska on Wednesday evening after the Slovakian was charged with the murder of 23-year-old Ashling Murphy.

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

Italy, Albania and Greece Dismantle Network That Smuggled Over 1,100 Migrants

In a joint investigation spanning over 18 months, Italian, Greek, and Albanian authorities arrested 29 suspected members of a transnational smuggling network that had trafficked more than 1,100 migrants, Europol reported on Wednesday.

The suspects come from a diverse background, with members holding Albanian, Turkish, Syrian, Iranian, Iraqi, and Pakistani nationality, according to Eurojust.

Authorities believe, however, that the detained suspects are part of a larger criminal network that is comprised of no less than 80 members and is engaged in at least 30 sea smuggling operations.

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

Spain Registers Highest Number of Irregular Migrants Since 2019

A total of 1,604 migrants have arrived in Spain irregularly in the first two weeks of 2022 according to the latest data released by the ministry of the Interior, the highest figure recorded in this period since 2019, when more than 3,000 entries were registered. This is also a 16.5% increase compared to the beginning of last year.

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

Spanish Police Arrest 63 After Busting Chinese Sex Trafficking Ring

Following a tip from a Chinese national, Spanish authorities have arrested 63 people accused of operating a human trafficking ring, importing women from China to two cities in Spain for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Of the 63 detained, 60 are Chinese nationals while two are Spanish and one is a Pakistani national. 50 were arrested in Bilbao, 13 in Zaragoza and one in Madrid where the network had already rented an apartment to extend their activity into the city, newspaper El Mundo reports.

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

Thousands of Iraqis ‘Trapped’ at Belarus-Lithuania Border Flown Home

The Iraqi government has repatriated thousands of its citizens who became ‘trapped’ along the border of Lithuania and Belarus while attempting to migrate to Europe, according to reports.

Tens of thousands of migrants hailing mostly from the Middle East and Africa traveled to Belarus last year, hoping to continue onward into wealthier European countries, such as Germany and the U.K.

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

UK: Army Will Build Camps to House 30,000 Migrants…

…as it emerges MoD could stop releasing figures on how many are crossing the Channel each day

The Army will start building camps to house up to 30,000 Channel migrants from next month, the Mail can reveal.

Plans are being drawn up for soldiers to construct temporary housing on Ministry of Defence land across the UK.

The project is likely to cost tens of millions of pounds. Home Secretary Priti Patel has privately told Tory MPs that work on the first phase is due to start within weeks.

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

UK: Farage: Deploying Navy to Channel Migrant Crisis is ‘Expensive Taxi Service’

The British government’s latest plans to use the navy to tackle illegal migration have faced staunch criticism from Nigel Farage as well as Conservative MPs.

The Conservative-led UK government announced on the 16th of January 2022 that the Royal Navy would be put in charge of all Border Force vessels in the English Channel in an effort to tackle Britain’s migration crisis.

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

UK: MPs Blast Priti Patel Over Axing of ‘Vital’ Daily Migrant Figures: Home Secretary is Accused of Being More Concerned About ‘Burying Bad News Than Being Transparent’ As Channel Crisis Worsens

Fury has erupted over Government plans to scrap the publication of daily Channel migrant figures as Tory MPs accuse Priti Patel of ‘burying bad news’, saying the information was ‘vital’ to assess the progress in tackling the ongoing crisis.

The Home Office currently issues the data after arrivals have been processed by the UK Border Force, typically on the following day, but this could stop when the Ministry of Defence (MoD) takes over operations to intercept migrants, it emerged last night.

The UK Statistics Authority is understood to have raised concerns about the current way migrant numbers are released, but not publishing the numbers would leave ministers open to accusations of trying to hide crucial information from the public.

[Comment: If the government does not publish the numbers of illegal migrants, private parties could step in. Individuals could fly drones along to shore and record, for example.]

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

M&M’s Signature Characters to be Given Makeovers, Become ‘More Inclusive’

The maker of M&M’s candy has announced that its globally recognizable characters are about to be revamped in light of modern standards and will each receive more “nuanced personalities.”

Mars Incorporated, the company behind the colorful, crunchy chocolates, announced Thursday a new “global commitment to creating a world where everyone feels they belong and society is inclusive.”

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

Porn and Comedy Have a Lot in Common, So Why is it So Hard to Go From Sex Work to Stand-Up?

Former adult film actress and director Sovereign Syre has tackled a new type of entertainment in becoming a stand-up comedian.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

The Grift is Over

It’s the beginning of the end.

The lockdown narrative is crumbling.

We were right, and they were on the wrong side of history.

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

Video: Bill Gates Calls for “Aggressive” Carbon Taxes to “Accelerate” Fourth Industrial Revolution

Speaking with the World Economic Forum Wednesday, Bill Gates called for an aggressive implementation of carbon taxes in order to force middle income countries to fundamentally alter their entire industry sectors.

Gates declared that “The rich countries have to play a central role, both funding RND and having policies, in some cases carbon taxes will be used to drive the demand for these clean products.”

He continued, “Only by doing that in an aggressive way will the economic costs be brought down enough that we can turn to all the middle income countries and say ‘OK, change your whole cement industry, change your whole steel industry.’“

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

YouTube Demonetizes News Bloopers Channel News Be Funny

YouTube has demonetized another comedy channel by removing it from the Partner Program. This time the target was the News Be Funny bloopers channel.

The creators behind the channel that has over 700K subscribers and has been up since 2012 announced this in a statement, noting that the News Be Funny was on January 18 demonetized for the 5th time in 12 months.

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

5 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/20/2022

  1. “Eventually, unvaccinated Austrians will face a maximum fine of 3,600 euro ($4,074) up to four times a year if they continue to not follow the mandate.”

    14,400 Euro a year tax for freedom from the experimental injections? Seems like a setup against the poor people.

    I am really watching this closely, I can’t take this lightly, what if I walk through the forrest here and accidently cross into Austria? Will they shoot me one shot or can I pay for my freedom? Oh – Austria!

    • Nobody is going to pay any fine over chink flu, even the most rule following amongst them. They can’t put everyone in jail and they know it, that is why this govt will fall soon.

  2. “Jordan Peterson Resigns as Professor Over Woke Revolution in Academia”
    That’s really bad news. Like him or not, he was a beacon of light in the darkness covered academics of today. It’s understandable relentless attacks have worn him out, especially since he had his fair share of health and family issues, but, hopefully, he’s not going to step away from being a public person as a whole.

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