Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/27/2022

Dr. Anthony Fauci decreed that children under four years old will get a series of three injections with an experimental mRNA treatment that will allegedly protect them from infection with COVID-19. Meanwhile, Swedish health authorities recommended that children under 11 not be “vaccinated”.

In other news, Canadian Prime Minister Justin “Baby Doc” Trudeau announced that he had been exposed to COVID-19, and that although he had tested negative, out of an abundance of caution he would be isolating at home, and would therefore miss the arrival of the truckers’ “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa this weekend.

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

Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, 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.

Financial Crisis
» Q4 GDP: US Economy Expanded at 6.9% Annualized Rate, Topping Expectations
 
USA
» 3 Houston Police Officers Shot Near Third Ward; Suspect on the Run
» ‘After School Satan Club’: Lebanon Schools Ask Public Not to Protest First Meeting Thursday
» Americans More Likely to Vote for Republican Nominee Than Biden in 2024 Election
» Amid Violent Crime Wave, Permissive, Soros-Funded Prosecutors Under Fire Nationwide
» ‘Anti-Work’ Reddit Goes Private After Moderator Gives Cringe Fox News Interview
» Biden Administration to Regulate Bitcoin, NFTS and Cryptocurrencies as Matter of ‘National Security’ Within Weeks
» Capitol Police’s Social Media Surveillance Raises Civil Liberties Concerns
» Collin College Pays Out After Firing Professor Who Criticized Mike Pence in Tweets
» COVID-19 Can be Stopped Without Massive Vaccination: Dr. Peter McCullough
» COVID-19 Reporting System Has Turned Yale Campus Into ‘Surveillance State’ Say Students
» FDA Asks Court to Delay First 55K Batch of COVID Docs; Pfizer Moves to Join Case
» ‘Lies Through Her Teeth’: DeSantis Calls Out Psaki’s Statements on Florida’s Handling of COVID-19
» Mask Mandate Protest Held Thursday in Front of Riverhead High School
» Nearly 40% of All Illinois COVID Deaths in the Last Month Are Breakthroughs. What Gives?
» New Concerns Over Biden’s Competence After He Appears Incoherent During Meeting With Top US CEOs
» Rep. Cori Bush’s Vehicle Hit by Gunfire in Home District, Congresswoman Uninjured
» Revealed: FBI Paid $54,000 to ‘Informant’ In Gretchen Whitmer Kidnapping Plot
» San Jose to Disproportionately Punish Low-Income Gun Owners With Liability Insurance Requirement
» Speech Therapist: 364% Surge in Baby and Toddler Referrals Thanks to Mask Wearing
» Super Bowl to Require Fans to Mask Up Unless Eating or Drinking
» US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Suggests Joe Rogan Should be Censored
» Vandals Strip Wiring From Under Seattle Bridge Leaving Residents Without Service for Weeks
» Video: Fauci Decrees Kids Under Four Years Old Will Get Three COVID Vaccines
» Whistleblower Bombshell: DoD Medical Data Reveals Surges in Oft-Cited Vax ‘Adverse Events’ In 2021
» Wisconsin Becomes Latest State to Approve Convention of the States Resolution
 
Canada
» American Truckers Join Canada’s ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protesting Vaccine Mandate as Rigs Stretch for 45 Miles: Trudeau Plays it Down and Calls Protesters a ‘Small Fringe Minority’
» Breaking: Justin Trudeau Says He Must Stay at Home After Learning of Exposure to COVID-19
» Canadian ‘Freedom’ Truckers Massive Vaccine Mandate Protest Convoy May Smash World Record
» Canadian Walmarts Install Vaccine Passport Scanner Booths to Screen Customers
» Canada in ‘Revolt’: Joe Rogan on the Trucker Convoy Protesting Trudeau’s Vaccine Mandates
» Convoy of Canadian Truckers Heads to Ottawa to Oppose Vaccine Mandate
» GoFundMe Withholds $6 Million Raised for Canadian Trucker Freedom Convoy
» Group of Laval High-School Students Take Off Masks in COVID-19 Protest, Picket on Sidewalk
» Most Canadians Do Not Think Truckers Should be Forced to Vaccinate Prior to Crossing Border
» MPs Warned About Security Risks Related to Convoy, O’Toole Plans to Meet Truckers
» Musk Says ‘Canadian Truckers Rule’ Ahead of Drivers’ Protest Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
» O’Toole: It’s Time for Solutions, And it’s Time for Canadians to Come Together
» Poilievre Slams Media for Trying to Label Convoy Protesters as Extremists
» Trucker Convoy Headed to Ottawa ‘Peaceful,’ Says RCMP
» Truckers Inspired by Canada Begin ‘Freedom’ Convoys Around the World
» Truck Convoy Rolls Into Kingston, Ont
» Trucker Protest Passes Through GTA as Crowds Line Route of ‘Freedom Convoy’
 
Europe and the EU
» Austria to Allow Unvaccinated Out of Lockdown But Keep Health Pass Restrictions
» Denmark Will End Most Pandemic Restrictions, Effective Feb 1, 2022
» Exclusive Survey: Majority of Germans Ready for Permanent Jabs
» Exiled Jihadi Bride Shamima Begum Claims She Now Wants to Help UK Fight Islamic Terrorism
» France: Teen Beaten, Stabbed by Mob Aboard Bus
» Freedom: England’s ‘Plan B’ Restrictions End Today
» Germany: Four Chemistry Professors Question the ‘Grey Shade’ In Vaccine Vials
» Hungary Set to Host Global Conservative Rally Days Before Hotly Contested Election
» More Than a Third of Poles Now Enjoy Some Aspect of Working From Home
» Suspicious Man Armed With Knife and Qu’ran Arrested in French Church
» Sweden Recommends Against COVID Vaccination for Children Under 11
» Thousands of Sex Crime Suspects Released Unconditionally in UK
» UK: Business Leader: “Destructive” Mask Rules Creating “Fearful” Climate
» UK: Boris Doubles Down on Tax Rises, ‘Absolutely Vital’ To Take More to Pay for COVID Policies
» UK: More Than Half of COVID Patients in Hospitals Are Being Treated for Something Else
 
Immigration
» Leaked Video Shows Illegal Migrants Landing at Westchester Airport on Secret Charter Flight — One of Dozens Carried Out on Orders of Biden Administration: ‘The Government is Betraying the American People’
» Previously Deported Illegal Immigrant Arrested for $2 Million in Pandemic Unemployment Fraud
» Swedish Girls Described as ‘Whores’ By Somali Community, According to Police Reports
 
Culture Wars
» Minnie Mouse to Shed Iconic Dress for a Pantsuit for Women’s History Month
 

Q4 GDP: US Economy Expanded at 6.9% Annualized Rate, Topping Expectations

U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) ramped up in the final months of 2021, with still-solid consumer spending helping stoke growth and offset early negative impacts from the Omicron variant’s spread.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its first estimate of fourth-quarter GDP on Thursday. Here were the main metrics from the print, compared to consensus estimates compiled by Bloomberg:

GDP quarter-over-quarter, annualized: 6.9% vs. 5.5% expected, 2.3% in Q3

Personal consumption: 3.3% vs. 3.4% expected, 2.0% in Q3

Core personal consumption expenditures, quarter-over-quarter: 4.9% vs. 4.9% expected, 4.6% in Q3

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

3 Houston Police Officers Shot Near Third Ward; Suspect on the Run

Moments after police officers responded to a domestic disturbance in Fifth Ward Thursday afternoon, the routine call spiraled into chaos: a chase, a crash, a shootout that ended with three police officers wounded, a carjacking and then a barricaded suspect in a home on Lockwood Avenue.

As police waited for hours before finally taking the man — later identified as Roland Caballero — into custody, Mayor Sylvester Turner said the wounded officers were in good spirits and expected to recover.

But the shooting was a reminder of the dangers of police work, Turner said…

           — Hat tip: JW [Return to headlines]
 

‘After School Satan Club’: Lebanon Schools Ask Public Not to Protest First Meeting Thursday

WARREN COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX) — Lebanon City Schools is asking the public not to gather or protest Thursday as the “After-School Satan Club” meets for the first time in one of the district’s buildings.

A chapter of The Satanic Temple’s After-School Satan Club will hold weekly meetings in the cafeteria at Donovan Elementary School for about an hour after classes end each.

It has prompted concerns from parents and religious leaders and drawn national attention.

Last week, school officials released a statement to families that says, in part, the club “…is NOT a district or school-sponsored event. Lebanon City Schools do not endorse the activities or intent of this group or any other religiously affiliated groups offering after-school activities.”

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

Americans More Likely to Vote for Republican Nominee Than Biden in 2024 Election

A new poll published by Morning Consult/Politico has found that American voters are more likely to vote for a Republican candidate during the 2024 presidential election than sitting President Joe Biden.

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

Amid Violent Crime Wave, Permissive, Soros-Funded Prosecutors Under Fire Nationwide

Across the country, left-wing district attorneys funded by progressive megadonor George Soros are facing severe backlash, including efforts to oust them from office, for pushing soft-on-crime policies during a nationwide surge in violent crime and, in some cases, allegedly engaging in prosecutorial misconduct.

Soros, 91, has spent the last several years injecting tens of millions of dollars into local district attorney races throughout the country, backing progressive candidates who support policies such as abolishing bail, defunding the police, and decriminalizing or deprioritizing certain offenses.

From 2015 to 2019, for example, Soros spent more than $17 million on local DA races, according to the Capital Research Center. That figure has likely risen in the past couple years, experts say.

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

‘Anti-Work’ Reddit Goes Private After Moderator Gives Cringe Fox News Interview

On Wednesday, a moderator from the popular Reddit forum r/antiwork bombed a Fox News interview that led other moderators to take immediate action by temporarily making the subreddit “private.”

A 30yo moderator named “Doreen,” a self-proclaimed dog-walker who works 20 to 25 hours per week, spoke with Fox News anchor Jesse Watters about the subreddit where users discuss the need for labor reforms due to overworking, terrible pay, and awful pandemic working conditions.

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

Biden Administration to Regulate Bitcoin, NFTS and Cryptocurrencies as Matter of ‘National Security’ Within Weeks

The Biden administration has expressed its intent to develop a cohesive set of policies to regulate Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as current legislation and enforcement are too scattered across the board — arguing that the move is a matter of national security.

According to Bloomberg, the White House will release an executive order in the coming weeks to task federal agencies with assessing the risks and opportunities posed by cryptocurrency. The publication reports that senior officials of the Biden administration held multiple meetings on developing the plan, with a full directive coming down from President Biden in a few weeks.

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

Capitol Police’s Social Media Surveillance Raises Civil Liberties Concerns

Following the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol, the intelligence unit of the Capitol Police began conducting background checks on people meeting with legislators, including analyzing their social media feeds, according to sources familiar with the issue who spoke to POLITICO. The same outlet highlighted the civil liberties issues it raises.

Traditionally, analysts in the Capitol Police intelligence unit prepared documents called Congressional Event Assessments, which involved the Congress’ chambers’ internal logistical, House and Senate Sergeant at Arms, and security leaders providing information to the Capitol Police on legislators’ meetings and events outside of the Capitol.

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

Collin College Pays Out After Firing Professor Who Criticized Mike Pence in Tweets

Lora Burnett, a former history professor at Collin College who was fired in 2021 over tweets critical of Mike Pence and the institution’s administration, has accepted a settlement of $70,000 plus legal fees.

Burnett was represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), an nonpartisan nonprofit group focused on defending the rights of faculty members and students in tertiary institutions in the US.

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

COVID-19 Can be Stopped Without Massive Vaccination: Dr. Peter McCullough

Authored by Harry Lee and Steve Lance via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)

COVID-19 can be stopped without massive vaccination, renowned cardiologist and epidemiologist Dr. Peter McCullough told NTD’s “Capitol Report” program during the “Defeat the Mandates” march in Washington D.C., on Jan. 23.

According to McCullough, early treatment and natural immunity are safe and effective against COVID-19, but federal health agencies have ignored these in a push for vaccines, the broad use of which is not needed.

“The government has certainly been in an oblivion in terms of early treatment,” he said.

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

COVID-19 Reporting System Has Turned Yale Campus Into ‘Surveillance State’ Say Students

The anonymity of Yale University’s COVID-19 reporting system has led many students to feel as though campus has become a “surveillance state.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, Yale University announced a set of rules students were to abide by in the interest of public safety.

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

FDA Asks Court to Delay First 55K Batch of COVID Docs; Pfizer Moves to Join Case

Authored by attorney Aaron Siri via Injecting Freedom (emphasis ours)

As explained in prior posts, in a lawsuit seeking all of the documents the FDA relied upon to license Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, a federal judge shot down the FDA’s requested rate of 500 pages per month and instead ordered the FDA to produce at the rate of 55,000 pages per month starting on March 1.

Since the government has trillions of dollars of our money, it is putting it to good use by fighting to assure that the public has the least amount of transparency possible. To that end, it has now asked the Court to make the public wait until May for it to start producing 55,000 pages per month and, even then, claims it may not be able to meet this rate.

The FDA’s excuse? As explained in the brief opposing the FDA’s request, the FDA’s defense effectively amounts to claiming that the 11 document reviewers it has already assigned and the 17 additional reviewers being onboarded are only capable of reading at the speed of preschoolers.

Meanwhile…

As the FDA tries to obtain months of delay, guess who just showed upon in the lawsuit? Yep, Pfizer.

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

‘Lies Through Her Teeth’: DeSantis Calls Out Psaki’s Statements on Florida’s Handling of COVID-19

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called out White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s statements about Florida’s handling of COVID-19 at a Wednesday press conference.

Psaki said Friday that Florida used “little to no steps” to distribute funds to ensure that school districts remain open during the pandemic. The Florida governor responded that the press secretary “lies through her teeth” during a briefing at Miami-Dade College.

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

Mask Mandate Protest Held Thursday in Front of Riverhead High School

More than 50 people protested outside of Riverhead High School today against the New York State’s school indoor mask mandate and against the school district’s alleged punishing of students who refuse to comply with the mandate.

The protest started around noon on the sidewalk of Harrison Avenue in front of the school. The protesters waved American flags as cars passed by and honked their horns in solidarity. The event was publicized yesterday on Facebook by the Long Island Loud Majority, a right-wing political organization that supports former President Donald Trump and organizes rallies and protests like the Trump caravan that cut through Suffolk in 2020.

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

Nearly 40% of All Illinois COVID Deaths in the Last Month Are Breakthroughs. What Gives?

By Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner of WirePoints

Square this one up for us, Gov. Pritzker. On January 3rd, you said that only 5 percent of COVID patients in Illinois’ ICUs were vaxxed.* The implication was that Illinois is suffering from a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

But since your comment, nearly 40 percent of all COVID deaths have been breakthroughs. Illinois has experienced 1,007 breakthrough deaths over the last four weeks.

That’s a massive disconnect. How can the vaxxed make up so few of the ICU patients — those most at risk of dying — and yet end up comprising so many of the total COVID deaths?

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

New Concerns Over Biden’s Competence After He Appears Incoherent During Meeting With Top US CEOs

Fresh concerns have been raised over the mental competency of gaffe-prone U.S. President Joe Biden after footage posted on social media appeared to show him incoherent and struggling to string a sentence together.

The incident took place during a White House meeting with several of America’s top business leaders supportive of Biden’s Build Back Better initiative, with the future of all-electric vehicles and climate change on the agenda.

In a discussion with Mary Barra, the chief executive officer of General Motors, Biden attempted to reference a recent trip to Ford Motor’s plant in Dearborn, Michigan. He told America’s top CEOs:

“But, er, um, I er might point out, your — when I went to Dearborn, driving that — er, you know, it was up there. I don’t know, man. It, er — I think the press thought I was crazy. I enjoyed it so much, going up there. Er, your new EV factory and er — and that, er — that Hummer.”

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

Rep. Cori Bush’s Vehicle Hit by Gunfire in Home District, Congresswoman Uninjured

A vehicle belonging to Democratic Missouri Rep. Cori Bush was shot in St. Louis on Saturday, Jan. 22, the congresswoman confirmed on Twitter.

“I’m touched by everyone who has reached out. Thankfully no one was harmed. But any act of gun violence shakes your soul,” Bush tweeted.

“No one should have to fear for their safety here in St. Louis and that is exactly why our movement is working every day to invest in our communities, eradicate the root causes of gun violence, and keep every neighborhood safe,” she added in a statement to KSDK 5, which first reported the shooting.

A St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) spokeswoman was unable to locate a police report when provided with information about the shooting. SLMPD does not release a case clearance rate for all reported crimes, but cleared 55% of homicides in 2021, in line with the national average.

Bush, a St. Louis native, is the second member of Congress to be victimized by violent crime in the last two months. Pennsylvania Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon was carjacked at gunpoint in downtown Philadelphia in December.

A member of the left-wing “Squad,” Bush is a proponent of defunding both police and the Defense Department. Despite her position on government-funded police departments, Bush has spent thousands of dollars on private security since she entered Congress in 2021. Of those funds, $880 were official disbursements, meaning that they came from taxpayers.

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

Revealed: FBI Paid $54,000 to ‘Informant’ In Gretchen Whitmer Kidnapping Plot

It has been revealed that at least twelve FBI operatives were instrumental in moving the plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI). In addition, at least one of them was paid $54,000 directly by the FBI.

Fourteen people are currently being charged in connection with the plot, and the cases revolve largely around testimony from these FBI operatives, who where deeply involved in the same plot. This raises questions of whether this can be potentially considered to be entrapment.

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

San Jose to Disproportionately Punish Low-Income Gun Owners With Liability Insurance Requirement

From their ivory towers (and returning to their low-crime neighborhoods) the San Jose, California City Council has decreed that gun owners will soon be required to carry liability insurance and pay a fee if they want to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights.

The new requirements — the first of their kind in the United States — disproportionately punishes low-income residents who wish to defend themselves against criminals who will ignore the new financial burden.

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

Speech Therapist: 364% Surge in Baby and Toddler Referrals Thanks to Mask Wearing

A speech therapist says that mask wearing during the pandemic has caused a 364% increase in patient referrals of babies and toddlers.

Jaclyn Theek told WPBF News that before the pandemic, only 5 per cent of patients were babies and toddlers, but this has soared to 20 per cent.

Parents are describing their children’s speech problems as “COVID delayed,” with face coverings the primary cause of their speaking skills being seriously impaired.

As young as 8 months old, babies start learning how to speak by reading lips, a thankless task if parents and carers smother themselves with masks to comply with mandates.

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

Super Bowl to Require Fans to Mask Up Unless Eating or Drinking

Football fans looking to attend next month’s Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles will be required to wear masks at all times during the game unless they are actively eating or drinking, or face fines.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer announced that KN95 masks will be distributed to fans, with the expectation that all county COVID-19 protocols be followed, according to the Daily Mail.

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

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Suggests Joe Rogan Should be Censored

The US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has suggested that Big Tech platforms should censor even more COVID “misinformation” on social media.

Speaking on MSNBC, Murthy said that online platforms have a role to play when it comes to censoring “misinformation” and ensuring that the public gets “accurate” information.

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

Vandals Strip Wiring From Under Seattle Bridge Leaving Residents Without Service for Weeks

Vandals are stealing internet wiring and cables from under a bridge in Seattle, which has many wondering how long until they start stealing essential parts from the bridge itself.

Copper wiring and fiber-optic cables were cut and stolen from under the Magnolia Bridge twice last week, causing internet and phone outages in the surrounding area. Wiring and cables under the bridge were cut and stolen Thursday. After repairs were made, the cables and wiring were stripped again on Friday.

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

Video: Fauci Decrees Kids Under Four Years Old Will Get Three COVID Vaccines

Appearing during a White House press briefing Wednesday, Anthony Fauci decreed that children under the age of four will eventually be subjected to a “three-dose regimen” of COVID vaccines.

“Dose and regimen for children 6 months to 24 months worked well, but it turned out the other group from 24 months to 4 years did not yet reach the level of non-inferiority, so the studies are continued,” Fauci noted.

He added, “It looks like it will be a three-dose regimen. I don’t think we can predict when we will see an EUA [Emergency Use Authorization] with that.”

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

Whistleblower Bombshell: DoD Medical Data Reveals Surges in Oft-Cited Vax ‘Adverse Events’ In 2021

Military medical whistleblowers have come forward with a trove of data on vaccine safety that they claim is the most accurate available.

On Monday, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) hosted “COVID-19: A Second Opinion,” a livestreamed discussion panel featuring world-renowned doctors and medical experts who provided an alternative take on the public health response to COVID-19.

One of the panelists was Ohio attorney Thomas Renz, who is representing clients who have brought lawsuits against the COVID vaccine mandates, The Blaze reported.

Renz’s whistleblower clients found information on common vaccine injuries in DOD medical billing data from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED).

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

Wisconsin Becomes Latest State to Approve Convention of the States Resolution

Wisconsin is the latest state to go on the record in asking for a convention to change the U.S. Constitution.

The Wisconsin Senate on Tuesday approved a resolution calling for a Convention of the States.

“Thank goodness our Constitution has given the states and the people a framework to step in and save the Republic when Congress will not,” Sen Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, said.

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

American Truckers Join Canada’s ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protesting Vaccine Mandate as Rigs Stretch for 45 Miles: Trudeau Plays it Down and Calls Protesters a ‘Small Fringe Minority’

US truckers have reportedly joined their Canadian brethren in a ‘Freedom Convoy’ across Canada that has stretched to 45 miles long as the big rigs head to Ottawa to protest the country’s vaccine mandates

Truckers left from British Columbia on Sunday and will be met in the nation’s capital on Saturday by other protesters driving from the east and the south of the country

‘It’s 70 kilometers long,’ Benjamin Dichter, a spokesman for the Freedom Convoy 2022, told the Toronto Sun, referring to the convoy after it passed Calgary heading west on Wednesday.

‘I have seen footage from an airplane. It’s impressive.’

Canadian Trucking Magazine publisher Dave Mackenzie, who is a working long-haul trucker, told West Standard Online that some US truckers are driving from North Dakota to Portal Saskatchewan, where they intend to cross the border and join the group.

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

Breaking: Justin Trudeau Says He Must Stay at Home After Learning of Exposure to COVID-19

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is isolating at home after a purported exposure to COVID-19.

The prime minister said in a tweet that he learned about the exposure just last night.

He says the result of his rapid antigen test was negative, but he will be “following [Ottawa Public Health] rules and isolating for five days.”

This means the prime minister will be in isolation this weekend for the anticipated arrival in Ottawa of an estimated hundreds of thousands of protesters participating in the Truckers for Freedom movement.

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

Canadian ‘Freedom’ Truckers Massive Vaccine Mandate Protest Convoy May Smash World Record

Truck drivers in Canada are protesting vaccine mandates on their industry with a massive convoy that may break a world records.

“It’s 70 km long,” Benjamin Dichter, spokesman for the Freedom Convoy 2022, told the Toronto Sun. “I have seen footage from an airplane. It’s impressive.”

The Freedom Convoy left from Vancouver for Ottawa on Sunday to protest the federal government’s vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers, which took effect on Jan. 15. The Canadian Trucking Alliance estimates that roughly 15% of truckers in the country are not fully vaccinated, or about 16,000 truck drivers.

Guinness World Records show that the longest convoy recorded took place in Egypt in 2020, coming in at nearly 5 miles long.

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

Canadian Walmarts Install Vaccine Passport Scanner Booths to Screen Customers

Photos from the entrance of a Walmart in Quebec, Canada show plexiglass vaccine passport scanner booths set up to screen customers entering the store.

According to Walmart, “The dividers are for associates when they scan vaccine passports.”

Welcome to the new normal.

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

Canada in ‘Revolt’: Joe Rogan on the Trucker Convoy Protesting Trudeau’s Vaccine Mandates

The convoy of Canadian truckers headed to Ottawa has become an international story following their efforts to protest Trudeau’s vaccine mandates — and it’s an event that popular podcaster Joe Rogan took notice of during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.

On Wednesday’s edition of the show, Rogan asked his guest, a former lawyer turned chef and Montreal native Valentine Thomas if she was aware of the truck convoy, which is headed to Ottawa.

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

Convoy of Canadian Truckers Heads to Ottawa to Oppose Vaccine Mandate

OTTAWA, Ontario (WCAX) — A convoy of Canadian truckers is heading to Ottawa, Ontario, to protest the federal vaccine mandate.

Police in the capital say they’re preparing for significant disruptions, as the demonstration could last several days and involve thousands of people.

This comes as both Canada and the United States made it mandatory to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to bring loads across the border.

Extremist voices are causing some the most concern and anti-hate groups are sounding the alarm.

“They’re certainly the ones getting the lion’s share of attention, so as I said there are certainly truckers who are going to this protest who are doing so through no malice towards anything other than their desire to protest vaccine mandates,” said Kirk Phillips, with the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.

Some Conservative lawmakers back the truckers and so do others who have raised millions of dollars…

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

GoFundMe Withholds $6 Million Raised for Canadian Trucker Freedom Convoy

Crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has held more than $6 million in funds raised to support the trucker convoy that is protesting vaccine mandates in Canada.

While GoFundMe has been known to hold on to funds, even take down fundraisers of causes it doesn’t agree with, it continues to be the go-to platform for crowdfunding.

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

Group of Laval High-School Students Take Off Masks in COVID-19 Protest, Picket on Sidewalk

About 50 students at a Laval high school took part in a protest against COVID-19 rules that got briefly heated, and was captured on video, on Thursday.

The students at Laval Senior Academy were upset about the requirement to wear masks and that they’re only allowed to eat in their school’s cafeteria, said Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board spokesperson Maxeen Jolin.

They protested in the morning and then outside during the lunch hour. A video posted to Facebook showed a rowdy group of teenagers shouting in a school hallway at a masked adult.

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

Most Canadians Do Not Think Truckers Should be Forced to Vaccinate Prior to Crossing Border

A national survey conducted by Maru Public Opinion found that a majority of Canadians believe that truckers should be allowed entry into the country without a COVID vaccine.

The polling found that just 36 percent said truckers need to be fully vaccinated to enter.

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

MPs Warned About Security Risks Related to Convoy, O’Toole Plans to Meet Truckers

The top official who oversees security for the House of Commons has issued a warning to MPs about the potential risks related to the coming convoy of truckers set to arrive on Parliament Hill as early as tomorrow.

In an email sent to members of Parliament obtained by CTV News, Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonell cautioned MPs about the potential for doxing—finding and publishing people’s personal information with malicious intent—of MPs homes who live in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

“Solicitations were issued to the online community for Members’ residential addresses in the Ottawa-Gatineau area,” said McDonell.

The so-called “freedom convoy” is heading to Parliament Hill to protest vaccine mandates, though as the demonstration has picked up steam—raising now more than $6 million through an online fundraiser—it has become a vehicle for Canadians to express anger at the federal government and pandemic public-health restrictions.

The gathering is scheduled to culminate on Saturday, though security officials are preparing for participants to show up on Friday.

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

Musk Says ‘Canadian Truckers Rule’ Ahead of Drivers’ Protest Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted on Thursday that “Canadian truckers rule” as drivers made their way toward Ottawa to protest against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The mandate at issue was instituted by the Canadian government and applies to truck drivers who cross the U.S.-Canadian border, Reuters noted.

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

O’Toole: It’s Time for Solutions, And it’s Time for Canadians to Come Together

by Erin O’Toole

I know the last two years feel like a blur. I know you and your family are tired, I know you’re upset, and I know you’re frustrated.

Like so many parents, Rebecca and I watched with heartbreak as our children missed out on some of the best years of their lives. Virtual school, isolation, and feelings of loneliness and even hopelessness — there are no words.

I can’t even begin to imagine the pain and anxiety felt by those who lost their jobs as our country desperately tried to contain COVID-19. Or worse yet, those who lost a loved one.

And for a moment, it seemed like the worst was behind us — it seemed like we beat COVID. Then Omicron hit and we were back to square one, despite all of the sacrifices of the last two years.

Frustration has turned to desperation. Desperation has turned to anger. And I understand why.

I want Canadians to know that some of the people who are the most frustrated, who are the most upset, and who are the most desperate working Canadians, include truckers.

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

Poilievre Slams Media for Trying to Label Convoy Protesters as Extremists

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre blasted the “liberal media” for generalizing the Truckers For Freedom convoy as extremists, based on a small number of individuals who have attached themselves to the convoy instead of focusing on the broad issues opposed by the group.

“Whenever you have [5,000] or 10,000 people who are part of any group, you’re bound to have a number who [do] or say unacceptable things,” Poilievre said. “They should be individually responsible for the things they say and do.”

Poilievre continued, saying just because there is a small number of questionable characters who have attached themselves to the massive convoy, “that doesn’t mean we disparage the thousands of hard-working, law-abiding and peaceful truckers” who have been the backbone of the country the past two years by keeping stores stocked with food.

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

Trucker Convoy Headed to Ottawa ‘Peaceful,’ Says RCMP

Supporters of truck drivers protesting the vaccine mandate gathered in Borden-Carleton Thursday

A convoy of truckers and their supporters gathered in Borden-Carleton Thursday morning to begin their trip to Ottawa in what’s called a “freedom convoy.”

The group opposes COVID-19 restrictions and supports Canadian truck drivers protesting the vaccine mandate on the cross-border industry.

The P.E.I. RCMP was on site before and during the demonstration to look out for public safety and for traffic issues.

“The RCMP is responsible for Borden, so traffic and safety was paramount for us,” said Sgt. Chris Gunn of the RCMP…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Truckers Inspired by Canada Begin ‘Freedom’ Convoys Around the World

Truckers around the world are creating their own convoys to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates after being inspired by the Canadian Freedom Convoy, which reportedly has thousands of trucks.

Freedom Convoy 2022, the group that organized the Canadian trucker protest, reported initially having 1,600 trucks. The convoy, which now has nearly 50,000 trucks, will be in Ottowa by Saturday with the goal of getting “the government of Canada to repeal its cross border Covid tracking passport / phone app and ALL Covid-19 vaccine mandates,” according to a press release.

The Canadian convoy has reportedly been joined by some American truckers and in Ontario, farmers came in tractors to show support. Both the United States and Canada mandate cross-border truckers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Americans are invited to also protest the mandate this Saturday at three border locations: Houlton, Maine; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; and Sweet Grass, Montana.

In Australia, the “2022 Official Convoy to Canberra” has more than 44,000 members on Facebook and more than 10,000 followers on Telegram as of Thursday. The group is planning to meet in the capital by Jan. 31 to protest vaccine mandates.

European truckers are organizing to protest vaccine mandates as well. The European Convoy Telegram channel has more than 7,300 members. Truckers are organizing across Europe, including the Netherlands, France, Hungary and more, to converge on Brussels by Feb. 7.

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

Truck Convoy Rolls Into Kingston, Ont

The ‘freedom convoy’ rolled into Kingston, Ont. early Thursday evening, the latest stop for the trucking convoy on its way to Ottawa to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other government restrictions.

Dozens of people lined the Gardiners Road overpass to Hwy. 401 waiving Canadian flags and cheering as the convoy pulled off the highway. The first trucks turned off the highway at 4:45 p.m., with a larger convoy arriving shortly after 8 p.m.

“Other than some stragglers all major convoys appear to be situated for the night between Belleville, Napanee and Kingston for the region,” Kingston Police said on Twitter.

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

Trucker Protest Passes Through GTA as Crowds Line Route of ‘Freedom Convoy’

Hundreds of people lined highway overpasses on Thursday with some even spilling onto an on ramp as a trucker convoy protesting vaccine mandates at the border made its way through the Greater Toronto Area.

The group of truckers began a cross-country trip in British Columbia over the weekend en route to Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

There are at least two groups — one which is headed straight for the nation’s capital via northern Ontario and another that began in southwestern Ontario and transited through the GTA.

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

Austria to Allow Unvaccinated Out of Lockdown But Keep Health Pass Restrictions

The Austrian government has announced it will be ending some elements of the strict lockdowns for unvaccinated residents but will be keeping many of the Wuhan coronavirus health passport restrictions on the unvaccinated.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein stated that the lockdown on the unvaccinated will end on Monday next week, reflecting the number of people hospitalised with the Wuhan coronavirus has remained stable.

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

Denmark Will End Most Pandemic Restrictions, Effective Feb 1, 2022

On Wednesday, the government of Denmark announced that most pandemic restrictions will no longer be active as of the coming week. Sweden, on the other hand, decided to extender their own COVID measures for at least another two weeks.

“We say goodbye to the restrictions and welcome the life we knew before. As of Feb. 1, Denmark will be open,” iterated Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark.

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

Exclusive Survey: Majority of Germans Ready for Permanent Jabs

As is well known, the system media is still spreading the message that the Corona vaccination is supposedly safe. But nothing could be more false than this claim. In fact, the experimental gene therapy being sold as a vaccination is one of the most dangerous injections currently available. But heartbreakingly, German citizens nevertheless trust their government.

The spike concoctions, which have only been given emergency approval pushed through for purely political reasons, led to a wave of side effects soon after the injection agenda began. Blood clots, heart problems, menstrual problems, cancers and many other highly dangerous side effects have become commonplace.

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

Exiled Jihadi Bride Shamima Begum Claims She Now Wants to Help UK Fight Islamic Terrorism

A former jihadi bride who was expelled from Britain and had her citizenship revoked has claimed she wants to help UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson fight Islamic terrorism.

In an interview broadcasted on GB News, high-profile ISIS runaway Shamima Begum insisted that she possesses the tools required to prevent Brits from being radicalized by Islamist propaganda, and claims to want to help the government that has banished her from returning to Britain.

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

France: Teen Beaten, Stabbed by Mob Aboard Bus

A teenage boy sustained serious injuries when he was attacked and stabbed by a group of assailants aboard a bus in France this week, according to reports.

The brutal incident unfolded at around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Arles, a commune in the southern coastal department of Bouches-du-Rhône.

A 16-year-old male was set upon by a mob of six or seven attackers on a public bus.

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

Freedom: England’s ‘Plan B’ Restrictions End Today

So-called ‘Plan B’ restrictions have ended in England, with widespread mask mandates being officially scrapped in the country from today.

England has now officially left “Plan B”, with widespread mask mandates no longer in effect from today.

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

Germany: Four Chemistry Professors Question the ‘Grey Shade’ In Vaccine Vials

Four German chemistry professors have sent a list of questions to BioNTech founder Ugur Sahin. They are concerned about a possibility of defective products.

The four are: Jörg Matysik, Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Leipzig; Gerald Dyker, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Ruhr University Bochum; Andreas Schnepf, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Tübingen; Martin Winkler, Professor Materials and Process Engineering at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

The professors sent a letter to Sahin, seen by the Berliner Zeitung. “We find the possibility of stabilising mRNA so that it can be used for vaccinations very exciting. We understand that this biotechnological innovation can open up very significant new possibilities in medical practice.”

They are “interested in both general public health and a successful chemical and pharmaceutical industry”, the professors said. But Matysik explained in an interview with the Berliner Zeitung: “As chemists, we don’t have the impression that this product can be used as a mass vaccine at the moment.”

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

Hungary Set to Host Global Conservative Rally Days Before Hotly Contested Election

Leading conservatives from around the world will descend on Budapest’s Varkert Bazar in March as Hungary hosts a Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event less than two weeks before the country heads to the polls for what has become a closely fought general election.

The annual political conference, typically held in the United States, will for the first time hold an affiliated event in Europe, for which a number of high-profile conservative activists and elected officials from across the world have been invited.

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

More Than a Third of Poles Now Enjoy Some Aspect of Working From Home

Remote and hybrid work is becoming increasingly more common across Poland with as many as 35 percent of Poles working either entirely or partly from home, according to a new report.

The latest data by digital recruitment market, pracuj.pl, revealed that 65 percent of respondents continued to undertake tasks from the office or a designated place of work, 11 percent were now working fully remotely and 24 percent had a hybrid working arrangement.

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

Suspicious Man Armed With Knife and Qu’ran Arrested in French Church

A man dressed in traditional Islamic clothing and carrying a knife and a copy of the Qu’ran was arrested in a French church this week after witnesses called police over a man acting, in their opinions, suspiciously.

The incident took place on Tuesday at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Trinité in the commune of Blois at around 4:45 pm and saw the man, dressed in a white djellaba, walk around the Basilica asking a volunteer if he was a priest.

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

Sweden Recommends Against COVID Vaccination for Children Under 11

Swedish health officials announced on Thursday that they have decided against recommending COVID vaccines for children. The health agency said that the benefits did not outweigh the risks for those aged 5-11.

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

Thousands of Sex Crime Suspects Released Unconditionally in UK

British police released as many as 12,000 suspected sex offenders back into their communities without setting any bail conditions to protect victims and the general public in the year to March 2021, data from the Home Office shows.

An additional 55,207 individuals arrested for violent offenses were also released under investigation (RUI) across England and Wales during that period, according to the newly revealed figures. In all, the police released around 147,334 arrested suspects through the RUI route — this accounted for more than a third (35%) of all arrests made over the year.

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

UK: Business Leader: “Destructive” Mask Rules Creating “Fearful” Climate

A prominent business leader in the UK has slammed mask rules as “destructive” to the economy because they help maintain a constantly “fearful” climate.

England dropped all its mask mandates today, although Mayor Sadiq Kahn is still insisting people wear them while using the London Underground, with some supermarkets also asking customers to continue to wear face coverings.

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

UK: Boris Doubles Down on Tax Rises, ‘Absolutely Vital’ To Take More to Pay for COVID Policies

While Boris has been accused of making ‘red meat’ conservative policy giveaways to buttress his waning popularity, he clearly is not wounded badly enough to consider scrapping a looming tax rise, insisting it is “absolutely vital” to increase taxes on working people.

The British government has spent “over £400 billion keeping the British economy going” during the coronavirus lockdowns it elected to impose on the nations and, as a consequence, the coming rise in payroll taxes on British workers must go ahead, the Prime Minister said Thursday.

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

UK: More Than Half of COVID Patients in Hospitals Are Being Treated for Something Else

New figures show that over half of ‘COVID patients’ in hospitals in England are primarily being treated for something else.

Official statistics count 13,023 patients with COVID on Tuesday, but 6,767 were not being treated principally for the virus.

That means 52 per cent of hospital patients being considered to be ‘COVID patients’ aren’t actually COVID patients at all.

In London, the number is even higer, with 64 per cent of ‘COVID’ patients in hospital for a different reason.

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

Leaked Video Shows Illegal Migrants Landing at Westchester Airport on Secret Charter Flight — One of Dozens Carried Out on Orders of Biden Administration: ‘The Government is Betraying the American People’

Leaked footage shows dozens of illegal migrants landing at a Westchester airport on a secret charter flight in the dead of night, just one of the dozens of such resettlements carried out by the Biden administration last year.

The bodycam footage, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, shows migrants being flown from southern border states to White Plains, New York, and then on to other parts of the U.S.

In the August 13, 2021 footage, Westchester Police Sgt. Michael Hamborsky is seen questioning federal contractors, who are overseeing migrants embarking and boarding American Dream charter buses in the early morning hours on the tarmac of a Westchester Airport, about what exactly is going on.

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

Previously Deported Illegal Immigrant Arrested for $2 Million in Pandemic Unemployment Fraud

A woman arrested in New York along with an unnamed “coconspirator” for allegedly perpetrating $1.9 million of pandemic unemployment fraud was a previously deported illegal immigrant, Just the News has learned.

Yohauris Rodriguez Hernandez, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was convicted for running a tax fraud scheme in 2014. She was deported upon her release from prison in 2017. Together, Hernandez and Gerardo Enmanuel Luna Marmolejos stole more than 40,000 identities to file fraudulent income tax returns and collect refunds from the IRS.

Hernandez reentered the U.S. illegally after her previous deportation and went on to commit more alleged offenses, this time related to pandemic unemployment fraud, as Hernandez and her coconspirator filed fake unemployment claims with stolen information and collected weekly payments.

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

Swedish Girls Described as ‘Whores’ By Somali Community, According to Police Reports

Girls with a Somali background are not allowed to hang out with girls with a Swedish background because “the Swedish girls are described as whores,” by a large number of Sweden’s foreign-born population, according to a report from Swedish public broadcaster SVT Nyheter.

Widespread racism against ethnic Swedes in a Swedish neighborhood of Tjärna Ängar in Borlänge, which features a large concentration of Somali immigrants, was revealed in the Uppdrag granskning TV program. The program detailed the police reports in question for the first time.

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

Minnie Mouse to Shed Iconic Dress for a Pantsuit for Women’s History Month

The Disney character Minnie Mouse will be shedding her iconic polka dot dress for a pantsuit in honor of Women’s History Month at Disneyland Paris.

In an announcement on Tuesday, Disneyland Paris shared the new Minnie Mouse polka dot purple pantsuit from famed designer Stella McCartney that will coincide with Women’s History Month and the theme park’s 30th-anniversary celebration.

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

2 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/27/2022

  1. I would like the song “Convoy” from 1975 make it back onto the charts although it is probably a bit too defiant. I think it may make some people uncomfortable if it did. I guess it was a protest song about trucking regulations. Funny thing from the later movie, Dirty Lyle says “I am the law”. I can’t help but think of Anthony Fauci, “I am science”.

    https://groovyhistory.com/convoys-cbs-and-trucker-culture-seventies-novelty-song-was-a-political-statement
    https://sites.dwrl.utexas.edu/countrymusic/2016/04/22/the-fascinating-story-behind-convoy-and-the-secret-trucker-lingo/

  2. Justin Trudeau is afraid to meet with the truck drivers. He is isolating for 5 days. That’s OK. The truckers will wait for you.

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