Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/10/2022

Facebook and Instagram have revised their speech rules to allow users to express their support for neo-Nazis in the Ukrainian Azov Battalion, and also to call for the deaths of Russian soldiers and leaders. Meanwhile, DuckDuckGo announced that it is down-ranking search results associated with Russian disinformation.

In other news, despite the severe energy crisis in Europe, Germany announced that it is still planning to close the last of its nuclear reactors by the end of this year.

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

Thanks to Dean, DV, GL-T, MM, 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
» Consumer Prices Rose 7.9% in February Compared to Last Year, Four-Decade High
» Economic Damage to EU From Ukraine Conflict May be Worse Than COVID Crisis, Volkswagen Warns
» Fearful Czechs Buying Massive Amounts of Foreign Currencies, Mostly US Dollars and Euros
» Poland’s Central Bank Says Inflation Will Remain High
» W.H.O. Chief Tedros Demands Attention: Says Coronavirus Pandemic ‘Far From Over’
 
USA
» 13-Year-Old Girl Stabbed at Holy Name Elementary School in Cleveland, 5th Grader Taken Into Police Custody
» Ballot Bombshells: 20 Episodes Exposing Fraud, Illegalities and Irregularities in 2020 Election
» Biden Admin Bans Unvaccinated Tennis Ace Djokovic From Competing
» Biden in Denial: America Needs Albertan Oil
» Biological Man Who Identifies as Woman Charged With Hate Crime After Allegedly Attacking Asian Man With Hammer
» Biological Male Who Identifies as Woman Arrested for Allegedly Killing Woman After Being Released From Prison for Killing Two Women
» BLM Activist Under Investigation by Federal Grand Jury for Misuse of Funds
» Daytona Beach Stabbing: Arrest Made in Horrific Killing of Married Couple Headed Home
» Exclusive: Black Man Kicked Off Delta Flight for Wearing ‘F*** Joe Biden’ Sweater
» Former Uniformed Division K-9 Officer “Hurricane” Awarded Distinguished Service Medal
» In Trial for Plot to Kidnap Whitmer, Jury Hears Defendant in Tape Covertly Made by FBI Informants
» Intel Community Warns of Chinese Espionage After DOJ Kills Program to Combat Chinese Espionage
» Jussie Smollett Sentenced in 2019 Hate Crime Hoax
» Kamala Laughs Hysterically After Questions About Ukraine Refugee Crisis
» Los Angeles County DA Gascon Expected to Face More Lawsuits From His Own Prosecutors, Attorney Says
» Multnomah County Grand Jury Declines to Charge Portland Police Officer for Fatal Shooting in Suspected Carjacking on I-5
» Ron DeSantis Demands Biden Increase Domestic Energy and Work for Energy Independence
» Thieves Steal Luxury Cars Worth Nearly $1m From Suburban Chicago Dealership
» Trump Says Biden is Letting ‘Radical Climate Extremists’ Run the Country
» United Airlines to Allow Unvaccinated Employees to Return to Work
 
Canada
» A Leger Poll Shows That Many Conservative Party Voters Believe That Longtime Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre Should be Leader.
» Breaking: British Columbia to Remove Mask Mandate Effective March 11
» Canadian Legal Group Continues Fight for Doctors After Provincial Health Service Drops COVID Jab Mandate
» Canadian Veteran James Topp Completes First 500km of Protest March to Ottawa
» Cantin-Nantel: I Went to Carleton’s “Journalism Under Siege” Event, And the Legacy Media Know They’re Flawed
» Convoy Organizer Recounts Repercussions of Trudeau’s Convoy Crackdown
» Experts Declare Pandemic Over, Say Canada Needs a Recovery Plan
» Federal Court Releases Written Judgment in 2021 Leaders’ Debate Battle vs. Trudeau
» Ford May Reintroduce Masks in November: Source
» New Billboard: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney Has Put More Pastors in Jail Than China During the Pandemic
» Roman Baber Enters Conservative Leadership Race
» Unvaccinated in Toronto? Then It’s No Zoo for You!
» Vancouver Coastal Health Top Doctor Said Mandates and Passports Ineffective
 
Europe and the EU
» Czechia Moves Closer to Sending 650 Troops to Slovakia
» EU Orders Removal of Russian State-Owned Media From Search Results, Social-Media Reshares
» Finnish Politician Calls on EU to Denounce Trudeau’s Crackdown on Peaceful Protestors
» From Bad to Worse: Climate Extremists Capitalise on Energy Crunch, Plan to Block UK’s Oil Refineries
» Germany Ignores Looming Energy Crisis, To Close All Nuclear Power Plants
» ‘Instead of Helping Poland, You Continue to Pay Putin, ‘ Says Polish MEP to European Parliament
» Mandatory Face Masks to End in Czechia, Only to Remain in Hospitals and Public Transport
» Poland’s Top Court Declares ECHR Article 6 Unconstitutional
» Swedish PM: NATO Membership Would ‘Destabilize’ Situation in Europe
» UK Considers Donating High-Speed Anti-Aircraft Missiles to Ukraine
 
Russia
» Breaking: Facebook, Instagram ‘Temporarily’ Allow Calls for Violence Against Russians
» British Govt Warns Serving Soldiers ‘Volunteering’ in Ukraine Will ‘Be in an Awful Lot of Trouble’
» DuckDuckGo Down-Ranks Sites for ‘Russian Disinformation’
» Duda Says He Hopes for EU, US and Canadian Recovery Funds for Ukraine
» Kremlin to Ask Military for Information on Ukraine Hospital Strike
» Latest Developments
» Nuclear War? Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Says “I Don’t Believe It”
» Rexit: Russia Withdraws From the Council of Europe
» Russia’s Stock Market to Remain Closed Friday
» Ukraine War Destruction Surpasses $100 Billion, Presidential Adviser Estimates
» World Economic Forum Cuts Ties With Russia
 
South Asia
» India: On Peace’s Side, PM Says on Russia-Ukraine War. Then, Tells “Major Worry”
 
Australia — Pacific
» Victorian Man Dies From Japanese Encephalitis as Authorities Warn People to Avoid Mosquitos
 
Latin America
» Said in Spanish [5 Items]: AMLO’s “Mexico First” Ukraine Policy; Ukraine Asks for Arms; U.S. Senator Miffed With Mexico, Rescue Flight Successful, Ebrard in L.A.
 
Immigration
» EU Parliament Votes to Sanction Hungary and Poland in Midst of Ukraine War — Despite Both Countries Welcoming 1.6 Million Refugees in a Fortnight
» Murderous People-Smugglers Led Up to 1 in 10 Women to Their Deaths on Spanish Migrant Route
» Poll: Czechs Back Ukrainians But Less Enthusiastic About Inviting Them Into Their Homes
 
Culture Wars
» Calgary School Board Opposes “Self-Control” In New Sex-Ed Curriculum
» Conservative University of North Texas Student Says Police Hid Her in Closet After Activists Disrupted Event
» DeSantis Slams ‘Woke’ Disney After CEO Condemns Parents’ Rights Bill
» In Sermon, Russian Church Leader Kirill Links Ukraine War With Gay Pride Parade
 

Consumer Prices Rose 7.9% in February Compared to Last Year, Four-Decade High

Inflation increased by 7.9% in February, compared to the same time last year, according to the Labor Department’s monthly Consumer Price Index report released Thursday.

The index measures a wide range of goods and services.

However, increases in the indexes for gasoline, shelter, and food were the largest contributors to the seasonally adjusted, all-items increase, the department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its report.

The annualized increase for last month marked a 40-year high for the index, according to CNBC.

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

Economic Damage to EU From Ukraine Conflict May be Worse Than COVID Crisis, Volkswagen Warns

Russia’s military operation in Ukraine could inflict greater economic damage on European economy than coronavirus pandemic, the head of Volkswagen carmaker, Herbet Diess, told the Financial Times on Thursday.

On 3 March Volkswagen Group said that it would suspend production at its Russian plants in Kaluga and Nizhny Novgorod, with vehicle deliveries to Russia also suspended.

The interruption to global supply chains “could lead to huge price increases, scarcity of energy and inflation,” Diess told the Financial Times, adding that “it could be very risky for the European and German economies.”

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

Fearful Czechs Buying Massive Amounts of Foreign Currencies, Mostly US Dollars and Euros

In recent days, Czechs have begun to look for foreign currencies to buy up as uncertainty in the global economy and inflation pressures grow.

Most of the addressed money changers agreed that the demand for currency exchange had begun to rise in the last seven to ten days. According to them, Czechs are especially interested in exchanging korunas for U.S. dollars or euros, seen as relatively safe currencies. Demand has also grown for the British pound and Swiss francs. According to the exchange offices, the usual amount of money people want to exchange has also increased, with often tens of thousands of korunas being transferred per individual (about €400 to €3,500).

Now, there are long lines at some currency exchange offices in Prague, and the majority of the customers consist of Czechs.

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

Poland’s Central Bank Says Inflation Will Remain High

Inflation in Poland will stay at record-high levels throughout 2022 amid global supply chain bottlenecks and economic shocks caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the National Bank of Poland’s rate-setting body has warned.

The Monetary Policy Council (RPP) said in a Tuesday statement, following a 75 basis-point interest rate hike, that “there is a 50-percent probability that the annual price growth will be in the range of 9.3—12.2 percent in 2022.”

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

W.H.O. Chief Tedros Demands Attention: Says Coronavirus Pandemic ‘Far From Over’

The coronavirus pandemic is far from over and global governments must continue testing and enforcing social compliance to fight its progress until the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) says otherwise, its Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared Wednesday.

The career bureaucrat and longstanding member of a Marxist-Leninist Ethiopian political party spoke as the world’s attention has now turned to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the cost of living begins to soar on the back of rising fuel prices and inflation.

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

13-Year-Old Girl Stabbed at Holy Name Elementary School in Cleveland, 5th Grader Taken Into Police Custody

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A 13-year-old girl was taken to the hospital Thursday morning after Cleveland police say she was stabbed in the neck by another student at Holy Name Elementary in the 8300 block of Broadway Avenue.

EMS crews also told 3News the teen was taken from the scene to MetroHealth Medical Center in serious condition.

3News received the following statement on the stabbing from an official at Holy Name Elementary:

Administrators at Holy Name Elementary School in Cleveland and Cleveland Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding an apparent altercation in the school building this morning between an 8th grade student and a 5th grade student that led to the 8th grader suffering a stab wound to the chin and neck.

The 8th grade student was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The 5th grade student was taken into police custody.

Altercations between students are not tolerated at Holy Name Elementary School. Holy Name administrators will cooperate with the Cleveland Police in investigating this matter and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken once the school has completed its investigation.

Holy Name Elementary School works hard to create a safe and healthy environment for its students. Our school community prays for the swift recovery of the student who was injured.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Ballot Bombshells: 20 Episodes Exposing Fraud, Illegalities and Irregularities in 2020 Election

After the 2020 election ended with Joe Biden declared the winner, the federal cybersecurity agency declared it was a perfectly secure vote. Months later, federal prosecutors admitted two Iranian nationals hacked into a state’s database and stole the identities of 100,000 voters in an effort to influence the election.

Likewise, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declared it was “outrageous” to think his state’s 2020 election needed to be investigated. Now, two separate courts have concluded that state election regulators illegally changed rules, allowing tens of thousands to cast ballots in an unlawful manner.

And that probe Evers so stubbornly resisted just provided evidence of fraudulent vote-collecting operations that exploited vulnerable residents in nursing homes.

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

Biden Admin Bans Unvaccinated Tennis Ace Djokovic From Competing

Tennis star Novak Djokovic has been denied entry into the U.S. by the Biden administration because he remains unvaccinated against COVID.

Djokovic announced Wednesday that as he expected, he will not be able to compete in upcoming tournaments in California and Florida because CDC regulations mean as a foreign national he will not be granted a visa.

Djokovic tweeted “While I was automatically listed in the @BNPPARIBASOPEN and @MiamiOpen draw I knew it would be unlikely I’d be able to travel.”

The multi time grand slam champion added that “The CDC has confirmed that regulations won’t be changing so I won’t be able to play in the US. Good luck to those playing in these great tournaments.”

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

Biden in Denial: America Needs Albertan Oil

In response to Putin’s invasion President Joe Biden has banned oil imports from Russia, leaving the United States with worsened supply chain issues, skyrocketing costs, and a shortfall of nearly 700,000 barrels of oil a day.

Fortunately, one of America’s oldest allies Canada has a ready-made solution that could make any president look like a genius, even Biden. The Keystone XL pipeline, which is nearly done and could deliver over 830,000 barrels of oil a day with very little cost, sits ready and waiting. All Biden has to do is say yes. But he won’t, and it makes no sense at all.

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

Biological Man Who Identifies as Woman Charged With Hate Crime After Allegedly Attacking Asian Man With Hammer

The suspect accused of attacking an Asian man with a hammer in a New York City subway station has been charged with hate crimes.

On Tuesday night, a 29-year-old Asian man was attacked with a hammer at a 14th Street subway station. The attack was committed by a biological male who identifies as woman.

The suspect, 48-year-old Christian Jeffers, has since been arrested and charged with numerous hate crimes.

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

Biological Male Who Identifies as Woman Arrested for Allegedly Killing Woman After Being Released From Prison for Killing Two Women

An 83-year-old Brooklyn biological male who identifies as a woman and served time for murdering two women has been arrested after allegedly killing another woman, dismembering her body, and scattering her parts.

The gruesome discovery of a woman’s severed body parts around Brooklyn has been traced back to two-time killer Harvey Marcelin. Marcelin is accused of committing the crime, and is currently being held without bail on Riker’s Island.

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

BLM Activist Under Investigation by Federal Grand Jury for Misuse of Funds

A Black Lives Matter activist involved in relationships with former and current members of Congress now reportedly has prosecutors looking into whether donations or grant money from her multimillion-dollar non-profit were spent on personal expenses.

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

Daytona Beach Stabbing: Arrest Made in Horrific Killing of Married Couple Headed Home

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona Beach police announced an arrest was made in the horrific deaths of a married couple killed last weekend.

Jean Robert Macean, 32, was arrested Thursday at approximately 11 a.m. outside of a home on Pointe Vista Circle in Orlando where he lives.

At a news conference Thursday night, Young said Macean arrived at Daytona Beach by bus on Saturday during Bike Week and left the area on Sunday.

Police say Macean was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killings of 48-year-old Terry Aultman and 55-year-old Brenda Aultman. Investigators say the victims were married and riding their bikes home from Main Street when they were attacked.

“Everyone can now breathe a sigh of relief,” Young said. “The suspect responsible for committing these heinous crimes is in custody…

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Exclusive: Black Man Kicked Off Delta Flight for Wearing ‘F*** Joe Biden’ Sweater

A black man was allegedly kicked off a Delta Airlines flight recently for wearing a “f*ck Joe Biden” sweatshirt, with a flight attendant telling him that that was the airlines policy, despite a representative saying no such policy is in place.

Video posted to TikTok by the man, who identified himself as Jauneil Brooks, showed him being informed by a flight attendant that his sweatshirt goes against the airline’s policies, and requested that he turn it inside out, or be kicked off the flight.

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

Former Uniformed Division K-9 Officer “Hurricane” Awarded Distinguished Service Medal

Washington, D.C. — Yesterday evening, former U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division K-9 Officer “Hurricane” was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal during the Second Annual Animals in War and Peace ceremony.

K-9 “Hurricane,” a Belgian Malinois, joined the Secret Service’s Emergency Response Team Tactical Canine Unit in November 2012. In October 2014, “Hurricane” neutralized an intruder who had scaled the White House fence. An initial K-9 responder, “Jardan,” first encountered the intruder, who violently fought “Jardan” off and badly injured the dog. “Hurricane” also sustained serious injuries, but ultimately forced the man to the ground, allowing his Uniformed Division colleagues to make the arrest.

“On every shift of every day, we at the Secret Service strive to uphold five core values; Duty, Honor, Loyalty, Justice, and Courage,” said Uniformed Division Assistant Chief Michael Buck during the ceremony. “They are the five points of our agency’s star, and on a dark night in October 2014, they were embodied by a very good boy named Hurricane.”

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

In Trial for Plot to Kidnap Whitmer, Jury Hears Defendant in Tape Covertly Made by FBI Informants

Prosecutors on day-two of the trial for the men charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday played a covertly recorded tape in which one defendant apparently discussed a plan to abduct the governor.

The recording was made during in July 2020 and includes Barry Croft Jr., one of the four defendants, seeming to describe having a team to nab Whitmer as another team possibly uses explosives to deter law enforcement.

Prosecutors say the four defendants — Croft, Adam Fox, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta — planned to kidnap the Democrat governor from her Michigan vacation home because they thought her COVID-19 restrictions were overreaching.

They also allegedly planned to blow up a nearby bridge to slow the police response.

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

Intel Community Warns of Chinese Espionage After DOJ Kills Program to Combat Chinese Espionage

Just two weeks after the Justice Department ended its program to thwart Chinese spies, the U.S. intelligence community warned Congress that China’s espionage efforts pose a major threat to America’s economy and national security.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on Tuesday submitted the intelligence community’s annual assessment of worldwide threats to the House Intelligence Committee, which held open and closed hearings on the report.

“China will remain the top threat to U.S. technological competitiveness as Beijing targets key sectors and proprietary commercial and military technology from U.S. and allied companies and institutions,” the assessment states. “Beijing uses a variety of tools, from public investment to espionage, to advance its technological capabilities.”

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

Jussie Smollett Sentenced in 2019 Hate Crime Hoax

Jussie Smollett learned his long-awaited fate when he was sentenced on Thursday after being convicted last year of staging a hate crime against himself and lying about it to Chicago law enforcement.

When Smollett returned to Cook County court on Thursday — after much back-and-forth by his defense team and prosecutors over four hours — he was sentenced to thirty months felony probation, restitution to the city of Chicago in the amount of $120,106, a fine of $25,000, and 150 days in the Cook County Jail.

Asked if he wanted to take the stand prior to his sentencing, “No your honor I don’t want to say anything. Thank you.”

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

Kamala Laughs Hysterically After Questions About Ukraine Refugee Crisis

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris broke out in uncomfortable laughter after she was questioned about the Ukraine refugee crisis during a joint press conference with Polish President Andrej Duda on Thursday.

Harris and Duda met in Warsaw to discuss the relationship between the United States and Poland as it pertains to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The Vice President appeared totally incapable of responding to a direct query about the Biden administration’s plans for helping mitigate the historic outflow of Ukrainians that has overwhelmed neighboring European countries in recent weeks.

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

Los Angeles County DA Gascon Expected to Face More Lawsuits From His Own Prosecutors, Attorney Says

More lawsuits against Los Angeles County’s embattled top prosecutor from his own staff are expected in the coming weeks, an attorney who represents the plaintiffs told Fox News.

Two veteran prosecutors who worked supervisory roles filed a lawsuit this week against District Attorney George Gascon, alleging they were demoted after disclosing his prosecutorial reforms violated the law.

Maria Ramirez and Victor Rodriguez both have over 30 years of service in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and were bureau directors before being removed from their positions, the lawsuit states.

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

Multnomah County Grand Jury Declines to Charge Portland Police Officer for Fatal Shooting in Suspected Carjacking on I-5

It’s the fourth time in the past year that a grand jury declined to indict a Portland police officer in a fatal shooting.

A Multnomah County grand jury has declined criminal charges against Portland Police Bureau Officer John Hughes, who shot and killed 30-year-old Brandon Keck during a suspected carjacking on Interstate 5 last year.

The not true bill is the latest development in a puzzling set of events that occurred Dec. 6. At about 10 am that day, PPB said, officers responded to reports of an armed suspect who was “involved in multiple carjackings” on I-5 near Rosa Parks Way. Police initially said the suspect had shot a victim who was being treated at the hospital for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

Two days later, on Dec. 8, police announced that “the female victim who reported that she had been shot was not in fact injured by gunfire. They’re working to determine the cause of her injury.” PPB added that detectives believed the suspect may have been involved in other violent incidents before police intervened, but they did not specify what those incidents were.

The DA’s office has not yet released grand jury transcripts, which should provide greater clarity about what transpired that day.

           — Hat tip: MM [Return to headlines]
 

Ron DeSantis Demands Biden Increase Domestic Energy and Work for Energy Independence

Amid rising geopolitical tensions, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is urging the federal government to make America energy independent by increasing domestic production. Across the country, gas prices have been on the rise, putting a strain on the wallets and wellbeing of everyday Americans.

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

Thieves Steal Luxury Cars Worth Nearly $1m From Suburban Chicago Dealership

A group of thieves drove off with nearly $1 million worth of luxury cars from a dealership in a Chicago suburb early Monday, authorities said.

The heist began around 2 a.m. at the Autobarn Collection in Evanston, a suburb located just outside Chicago, FOX32 Chicago reported.

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

Trump Says Biden is Letting ‘Radical Climate Extremists’ Run the Country

Amidst skyrocketing gas prices and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, former President Donald Trump said that sitting president Joe Biden is letting “‘radical climate extremists’ run our country while the world burns.”

In an interview with Fox News, Trump bashed Biden, placing blame with him in regards to US gas prices that have reached new records for national average prices.

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

United Airlines to Allow Unvaccinated Employees to Return to Work

United Airlines has announced it will allow unvaccinated employees to return to their full-time jobs by March 28.

A memo obtained first by Reuters shows that the company was informed recently that about 2,220 of its employees have met vaccine-related reasonable accommodations to return to work.

The company was initially one of the first major U.S. employers to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for its employees.

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

A Leger Poll Shows That Many Conservative Party Voters Believe That Longtime Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre Should be Leader.

The poll, conducted on March 6, found that 41 percent of Conservative voters believe Poilievre would be the best leader. At a distant second was Jean Charest at 10, with 2020 leadership race runner-up Peter MacKay at 9, former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown at 3 percent, and rising star MP Leslyn Lewis at 2 percent.

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

Breaking: British Columbia to Remove Mask Mandate Effective March 11

Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that BC’s mask mandate will be repealed at 12:01 am Friday.

In the past few weeks, provinces across Canada have begun reducing and removing COVID safety measures.

On Thursday, British Columbia’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that the province would be moving away from many of the restrictions that have been in place.

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

Canadian Legal Group Continues Fight for Doctors After Provincial Health Service Drops COVID Jab Mandate

EDMONTON, Alberta (JCCF) — The Justice Centre is pleased that Alberta Health Services (AHS) will be lifting its Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers effective March 10, 2022 at 4:00pm, but today announces that the court action will continue against AHS for violating the Charter rights of four physicians.

On December 8, 2021, the Justice Centre filed a Statement of Claim and Injunction Application on behalf of four Alberta physicians. The doctors were facing termination, restrictions, and disciplinary action for standing against Alberta Health Service’s (“AHS”) mandatory vaccine policy for all staff. On December 22, 2021, AHS issued an amendment, on the direction of the provincial Government, which allowed an estimated 1,400 unvaccinated Healthcare Workers who were placed on unpaid leave, terminated and/or disciplined by AHS, to return to work with the option of rapid testing. This policy change to allow for rapid testing was announced a few days after the Justice Centre had been in court asking for this specific accommodation.

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

Canadian Veteran James Topp Completes First 500km of Protest March to Ottawa

Canadian Armed Forces veteran James Topp completed the first tenth of his march from Vancouver to Ottawa on Thursday, reaching the town of Grand Forks, British Columbia as he looks ahead to crossing the Columbia and Rocky Mountains into Alberta.

“The support being offered is overwhelming, and I am thankful to everyone who reached out to me,” Topp told True North. “Many have opened their homes to me or offered donations. People have pulled over to wish me well and even marched with me for a while. It is the most amazing thing to be a part of.”

Topp also wanted to thank his support crew through the first portion of his journey, whom he described as “vital to the success of the mission so far.”

“They are Jeremy, Cristian, Dallas, Dan, Esther, and David, the owner of the RV who saw us through to Hope in the first phase of the march. There are other names I have not mentioned working super hard behind the scenes, and I am thankful to them all for making this mean something.”

Topp began his 4395-kilometre trek on Feb. 20, departing from the Terry Fox monument at Vancouver’s B.C. place in solidarity with the truckers and working Canadians to bring an end to overbearing government mandates.

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

Cantin-Nantel: I Went to Carleton’s “Journalism Under Siege” Event, And the Legacy Media Know They’re Flawed

Carleton University’s School of Journalism held a panel discussion with members of the legacy media on Tuesday to discuss their role in covering what the school called “the siege of Ottawa” by “the so-called freedom convoy.”

Before it even took place, the event received backlash online for its biased tone and the apparent exclusion of independent and right-of-centre journalists.

Given that I live in Ottawa and had spent a good amount of time covering the Freedom Convoy for True North, I thought I would attend the event, and with an open mind.

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

Convoy Organizer Recounts Repercussions of Trudeau’s Convoy Crackdown

After the dismantling of the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, some organizers were arrested, others released or simply sent home. Despite this, there were repercussions and consequences to their lives.

The story continues, but no one is highlighting the negative effects that people are currently experiencing, all caused by Trudeau’s government decisions.

Tom Marazzo was one of the volunteers who was part of the Freedom Convoy organizing team. He has had his bank account frozen, his name on a $306-million lawsuit, and is now in the midst of a massive criminal investigation due to his role in the convoy.

In this interview, he explains the charges against him and what has happened since he left the nation’s capital.

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

Experts Declare Pandemic Over, Say Canada Needs a Recovery Plan

As we approach the two-year anniversary of two weeks to flatten the curve, it’s become abundantly clear to anyone outside of the COVID zero echo chamber that Canadians, and Canada as a whole, has suffered massive collateral damage.

In this interview, I discuss the “National Exit Strategy” developed by the Canada Science and Policy Committee to choregraph and steer Canada out of the pandemic. It’s a collaborative think tank of doctors, scientists and policy professionals who deem the pandemic effectively over.

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

Federal Court Releases Written Judgment in 2021 Leaders’ Debate Battle vs. Trudeau

Justice Elizabeth Heneghan has told Justin Trudeau that he has to toughen up and take critical questions, and that his attempts to silence the media are, frankly, un-Canadian.

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

Ford May Reintroduce Masks in November: Source

The Ontario Ministry of Health and the office of Doug Ford are already preparing for masks to return sometime in the fall around November.

According to a source on the condition that they remain anonymous, high-level talks have already been held regarding the matter.

“To be blunt, masks are not going away. We are just in the temporary situation for the summer months until seasonal infections rise again,” said the source to Elect Conservatives.

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

New Billboard: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney Has Put More Pastors in Jail Than China During the Pandemic

It’s awful. But it’s true.

Calgary Pastor Tim Stephens was arrested in front of his crying children for refusing to force his congregation to comply with government COVID rules on places of worship. He was held for weeks. His congregation held services in secret away from the prying eyes of police and health bureaucrats.

Edmonton area Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church turned himself in and spent 35 days in jail when he ran afoul of public health regulations on places of worship that he said violated the religious freedom of this congregation. The church building itself was confiscated by the province for nearly 3 months and the congregation was forced underground to avoid fines and harassment.

Pastor Artur Pawlowski has been arrested five times. His trouble started when he was feeding the homeless in downtown Calgary and was fined for holding an illegal public gathering. That initial contact with police set off a cascade of events that has seen him slapped with a compelled speech order, a travel ban and serious fines for not limiting church services and allowing inspectors to interrupt prayers.

Artur is currently in jail, the only person ever charged under a law designed to target pipeline bombers and wellhead saboteurs. His crime was offering a sermon to truckers who were blockading the Coutts border.

Things are reopening in Alberta. The economy is picking back up. But we should not forget what was done to civil liberties in the name of public health in Alberta.

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

Roman Baber Enters Conservative Leadership Race

Independent Ontario MPP Roman Baber has announced he is running to become the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC).

“Despite the challenges, please have faith in Canadian kindness,” said Baber at his campaign launch on Wednesday. “It’s time to heal, and I invite you to turn a page and join me in uniting this country.”

Baber was introduced by Breakthrough Autism founder Nancy Marchese who said that she has met many politicians over the years, but none of them were like Baber.

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

Unvaccinated in Toronto? Then It’s No Zoo for You!

On March 1, Ontario Premier Doug Ford decided it was time for the COVID-19 vaccination passport to go the way of the dinosaur. Finally, all Ontarians are equals yet again. Regardless of vax status, all Ontarians can go to cinemas and gyms or movie theatres and arenas without having to produce their “papers.”

Well, not really…

Indeed, we recently decided to visit the Toronto Zoo to check out the various lions and tigers and bears, oh my! After years of being shutout from the joint, we wanted to once again see who’s who in the zoo now that two-tier citizenship and medical apartheid in Ontario is allegedly a thing of the past.

Well, wouldn’t you know it? The corporate zookeepers who run the Toronto Zoo apparently believe they are more knowledgeable when it comes to virology than Ontario’s chief medical officer of health. Which is to say, if you are an unvax’d member of homo sapiens, then it’s no zoo for you in Hogtown.

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

Vancouver Coastal Health Top Doctor Said Mandates and Passports Ineffective

Vancouver Coastal Health’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patricia Daly slammed vaccine mandates and lockdowns as being ineffective and doing more harm than good in a newly released letter from February.

The letter addressed to the president of the University of British Columbia cited a study by the Social Science Research Network entitled The Unintended Consequences of COVID-19 Vaccine Policy: Why Mandates, Passports, and Segregated Lockdowns May Cause more Harm than Good

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

Czechia Moves Closer to Sending 650 Troops to Slovakia

The Czech government approved on Wednesday the transfer of approximately 650 troops in Slovakia, the majority of whom will operate under a multinational NATO unit commanded by the Czech army.

A small number of the deployed troops will aid Slovakia as it manages migratory flows from Ukraine.

The mandate will be valid until June 30, 2023, with a total defense cost estimated at 540 million korunas (€21.3 million). The mission has yet to be approved by Czech parliament.

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

EU Orders Removal of Russian State-Owned Media From Search Results, Social-Media Reshares

Europe’s effort to cut off access to Russian state-owned media extends to search engines and social-media posts, not just their television channels and online-video feeds, according to a copy of an email from the bloc’s executive arm.

The email, disclosed by Alphabet Inc.’s Google in a public database of removal requests, shows how the European Union’s sanctions last week against RT—the Kremlin-backed outfit previously known as Russia Today—and sister online media outlet Sputnik News, are broader than some initially understood. The EU imposed the sanctions in an effort to cut off what officials described as Kremlin war propaganda during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A Google spokeswoman said disclosure of government take-down requests is a longstanding practice. A spokesman for the European Commission, said that the ban applies regardless of distribution channel, including internet service providers.

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

Finnish Politician Calls on EU to Denounce Trudeau’s Crackdown on Peaceful Protestors

Finnish politician and Member of European Parliament Laura Huhtasaari is calling on the European Union to denounce Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over his crackdown on the peaceful freedom convoy protests that paralyzed Ottawa’s downtown core for much of February.

Huhtasaari wrote a letter to the Vice-President of the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy demanding that the EU clarify where it stands on Trudeau’s crackdown, reports True North Centre.

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

From Bad to Worse: Climate Extremists Capitalise on Energy Crunch, Plan to Block UK’s Oil Refineries

Britain’s radical eco-protest group Extinction Rebellion (XR) announced they plan to block oil refineries in April to protest the UK’s use of fossil fuels, potentially compounding the looming energy crisis fed by the Ukraine conflict.

The controversial environmentalist protest group have declared their oil refinery blockade — at undisclosed locations — will begin on the 9th of April, saying on their website that they plan to “demand an end to the fossil fuel economy” and for the UK Government to “immediately” “end fossil fuel investments”.

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

Germany Ignores Looming Energy Crisis, To Close All Nuclear Power Plants

Germany will close all of its nuclear power plants by the end of this year, despite the nation’s already-crippling addiction to Russian natural gas.

While there had been claims Germany would ‘u-turn’ on its hardline anti-nuclear policy in light of the intensification of the Ukraine conflict, officials have now confirmed on Tuesday that it will keep to schedule and shutter all remaining atom-splitting power plants by the end of this year.

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

‘Instead of Helping Poland, You Continue to Pay Putin, ‘ Says Polish MEP to European Parliament

Poland had tried to warn the European Parliament that EU dependency on Russia and its resources would help fund Russia’s nefarious aims, declared Solidarity Poland MEP Patryk Jaki during a speech in the European Parliament.

“Instead of suspending deals with Putin, you took it out on Poland! I counted. Forty-one debates and resolutions were aimed at Poland during this term. For what? For, among other things, refusing to accept refugees,” he said.

“During Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland is showing the world the difference between migrants and actual refugees,” Jaki stated and pointed out that instead of helping Poland, the EU was paying €600 million per day to Putin.

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

Mandatory Face Masks to End in Czechia, Only to Remain in Hospitals and Public Transport

From Monday, March 14, Czechia will lift the requirement for face masks to be worn with the exceptions of public transport and healthcare and social services facilities, Czech Health Minister Vlastimil Valek confirmed on Wednesday.

Currently, Czech Covid-19 laws require the mandatory wearing of face masks in all public indoor areas, including workplaces.

“If the favorable development continues, we will put away the face masks completely during April,” the minister added, thanking those who followed the pandemic measures.

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

Poland’s Top Court Declares ECHR Article 6 Unconstitutional

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) does not have the power to question the legitimacy of local judges, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal has ruled.

In its judgement, rendered on Thursday, the Tribunal challenged Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which allows ECHR and national courts to review the status of local judges.

The Constitutional Court ruled that this provision was unconstitutional to the extent that it “authorises the ECHR or national courts to assess the compliance with the constitution and convention of statues related to the judiciary system, the jurisdiction of courts and the law specifying the system, procedure and method of electing members of the National Council of the Judiciary (the top judicial self-governing body — PAP).”

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

Swedish PM: NATO Membership Would ‘Destabilize’ Situation in Europe

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has stated that she will not be pursuing a possible application for her country to join NATO, arguing that an application could further destabilize Europe.

Prime Minister Andersson stated Tuesday that she did not support applying to join the NATO alliance, arguing that, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, such a move could further destabilize the security situation in Europe.

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

UK Considers Donating High-Speed Anti-Aircraft Missiles to Ukraine

Britain is considering donating Starstreak anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine to help Kyiv protect its airspace from Russian invasion, the country’s Defense Minister Ben Wallace revealed on Wednesday.

It is believed that the U.K. considers the systems in question, manufactured by Thales Group, to be classed as defensive weapons, and will allow Ukraine to better protect its airspace.

“It is vital that Ukraine maintains its ability to fly and counter Russian airstrikes,” Wallace told lawmakers on Wednesday, a day after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had addressed the House of Commons with his latest plea for greater assistance from NATO members in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

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

Breaking: Facebook, Instagram ‘Temporarily’ Allow Calls for Violence Against Russians

UPDATE: Meta has since released a statement saying they’d “still won’t allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians.”

Reuters has since changed their headline to say “invading Russians” in particular.

Original story is as follows below:

Meta’s Facebook and Instagram on Thursday have made changes to their hate speech policy to allow for calls of violence against Russians and Russian soldiers amidst the Ukraine invasion.

In an exclusive from Reuters, they cite “internal emails” to content moderators about the updated revision. The outlet adds that calls for the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will be allowed to stay up on the platform within areas like Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.

[Comment: Don’t support Facebook. From assisting in the theft of the 2020 Presidential election to allowing calls of violence on their platform, Facebook is a force for evil in the world.]

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

British Govt Warns Serving Soldiers ‘Volunteering’ in Ukraine Will ‘Be in an Awful Lot of Trouble’

The British government has warned members of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces believed to have gone to Ukraine to fight will “be in an awful lot of trouble” and urged them to return.

While Liz Truss MP, the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, recently gave her backing to Britons travelling to Ukraine to fight Russian in an “international legion” established by the Ukrainian government in a television interview, her clarion call was later countermanded, with officials warning that heading to a foreign conflict zones to take up arms was, in fact, likely unlawful.

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

DuckDuckGo Down-Ranks Sites for ‘Russian Disinformation’

On Thursday, search engine website DuckDuckGo founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg announced that the website would be down-ranking search results that are “associated with Russian disinformation.”

Weinberg wrote on Twitter that he was “sickened” by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “and the gigantic humanitarian crisis it continues to create.”

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

Duda Says He Hopes for EU, US and Canadian Recovery Funds for Ukraine

Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday, after his Warsaw talks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, that he hopes Canada will contribute funds for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

Duda told a press conference that he believes Ukraine should be granted the status of an EU candidate country and that the EU should earmark funds for Ukraine’s reconstruction after the Russian invasion ends.

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

Kremlin to Ask Military for Information on Ukraine Hospital Strike

Moscow, Russia:

The Kremlin said Thursday it would approach the Russian military for details of a strike on a hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky called a “war crime”.

“We will certainly ask our military about this, since we don’t have clear information about what happened there. Without fail, the military will provide some kind of information,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, as Moscow’s advance into Ukraine entered its third week.

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

Latest Developments

In Ukraine: Moscow launched a fresh assault on the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, a day after one of its planes bombed a maternity hospital, illustrating how Russia is ramping up a violent push to take strategic towns, at a high cost for civilians.

On the 15th day of fighting, Ukrainian authorities raised the casualty count of Wednesday’s hospital bombing to three dead and 17 wounded.

Cease-Fire Talks: The two top diplomats from Russia and Ukraine failed to agree on a cease-fire during a 90-minute meeting in Turkey, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. But there were signs that Russia’s position could be shifting.

Markets: U.S. stocks declined and oil prices reversed early gains, as cease-fire talks between Russia and Ukraine yielded little progress and inflation readings reached a 40-year high.

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

Nuclear War? Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Says “I Don’t Believe It”

London:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday he did not believe the conflict in Ukraine would spiral into a nuclear war but cautioned the United States and Europe that Moscow never again wanted to be dependent on the West.

Russia’s economy is facing the gravest crisis since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union after the West slapped heavy sanctions on almost the entire Russian financial and corporate system following Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Asked by a Kremlin correspondent for Russia’s Kommersant newspaper if he thought a nuclear war could be triggered, Lavrov told reporters in Turkey, “I don’t want to believe it, and I do not believe it.”

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

Rexit: Russia Withdraws From the Council of Europe

Russia has reportedly left the Council of Europe, which oversees the European Court of Human Rights, alleging European Union and NATO “abuse” of their influence in the organisation.

“The EU and NATO states, which are unfriendly to Russia, are using their absolute majority in the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers to continue the destruction of the Council of Europe and the common humanitarian and legal space in Europe,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused in an official statement published on March 10th.

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

Russia’s Stock Market to Remain Closed Friday

There will be no stock trading on the Moscow Exchange on Friday, as the closure of Russia’s stock market reaches the two-week mark.

In a notice posted on its website late Thursday evening, the Russian Central Bank said there would be no stock trading on the exchange the next day. The Moscow Exchange’s currency market will be open.

Stock trading on the Moscow Exchange has been shut since Feb. 25—the day after Russian forces invaded Ukraine—although the exchange’s currency market has reopened.

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

Ukraine War Destruction Surpasses $100 Billion, Presidential Adviser Estimates

More than 50% of Ukrainian businesses aren’t operating and the Russian assault on the country has resulted in at least $100 billion in destruction, according to estimates by Ukrainian presidential economic adviser Oleg Ustenko.

Mr. Ustenko, a top adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, described Ukraine’s economic outlook as “very depressed,” in comments from Kyiv to a Peterson Institute for International Economics conference.

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

World Economic Forum Cuts Ties With Russia

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has frozen all relations with Russia.

“We are not engaging with any sanctioned individual and have frozen all relations with Russian entities,” spokesperson Amanda Russo told Politico this week.

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

India: On Peace’s Side, PM Says on Russia-Ukraine War. Then, Tells “Major Worry”

New Delhi:

Amid a war between Russia and Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India’s several needs are connected to the involved countries but it is on the side of peace and hopes that all problems get resolved through dialogue.

He also hit out at opposition parties for raising questions about the government’s efforts to evacuate stranded Indians from war-hit Ukraine.

“These people also tried to regionalise ‘Operation Ganga’. These people have given a different colour of regionalism and communalism to every scheme — it is a major worry for India’s future,” the prime minister said.

Addressing BJP workers after his party’s massive win in four state elections, Modi said, “India has a connection with the countries involved in the war — economically, security wise, education wise and politically as well. India’s several needs are connected to these countries.” “The ongoing war is affecting every country across the world. India is on peace’s side and hopes that all problems are resolved with deliberations,” he added.

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

Victorian Man Dies From Japanese Encephalitis as Authorities Warn People to Avoid Mosquitos

Health authorities warn of serious risks of mosquito-borne disease as NSW and Queensland also report cases

A Victorian man in his 60s has died from the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) with authorities warning Australians must take the risk from the mosquito-borne disease seriously.

An autopsy on the northern Victorian man — who died on 28 February — revealed the cause of death was JEV, the state’s health department said on Tuesday. Investigations are under way as to how the man acquired the virus.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time,” a department spokesperson said in a statement.

“We strongly advise people take steps to limit their exposure to mosquitoes and avoid mosquito habitats such as stagnant water.”

There have been seven confirmed cases of JEV in Victorian residents including the man who died…

           — Hat tip: GL-T [Return to headlines]
 

Said in Spanish [5 Items]: AMLO’s “Mexico First” Ukraine Policy; Ukraine Asks for Arms; U.S. Senator Miffed With Mexico, Rescue Flight Successful, Ebrard in L.A.

The Russian-Ukraine War is affecting Mexico more than one might think. And just as they do with the United States, Mexican leaders are looking for their interests by combining its nonintervention doctrine with a Mexico First policy not only on trade but also for Mexicans in Ukraine.

On March 2, Mexico, with the U.S. and 139 other nations, voted to condemn the Russian invasion in the United Nations General Assembly [U.N. General Assembly in historic vote denounces Russia over Ukraine invasion, by Humeyra Pamuk and Jonathan Landay, Reuters, March 2, 2022].

But when it came to jumping on the sanctions-against-Russia bandwagon, Mexico said no.

Mexico’s vibrant trade with the two countries in calendar 2021 is likely the reason [Fertilizantes y autos dominan en comercio de México con Rusia y Ucrania (“Fertilizers and autos dominate Mexico’s grade with Russia and Ukraine”), by Roberto Morales, El Economista, February 25, 2022]:

  • Mexican exports to Ukraine $38 million
  • Mexican imports from Ukraine $302 million
  • Mexican exports to Russia $499 million
  • Mexican imports from Russia $2,251 billion

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

EU Parliament Votes to Sanction Hungary and Poland in Midst of Ukraine War — Despite Both Countries Welcoming 1.6 Million Refugees in a Fortnight

The European Parliament voted on Thursday morning in favor of imposing sanctions on Hungary and Poland, its two member states that have received the largest number of Ukrainian refugees following the invasion by Russia on Feb. 24.

The EU legislative body supported the call for the European Commission to place immediate sanctions on the two countries by a vote of 478 to 155, despite the humanitarian crisis from the Russo-Ukrainian conflict spilling over into Hungarian and Polish territory.

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

Murderous People-Smugglers Led Up to 1 in 10 Women to Their Deaths on Spanish Migrant Route

As many as ten per cent of the women who attempted to reach Spain illegally by boat in 2021 were killed, double the death rate of male migrants, according to statistics compiled by a Spanish NGO.

The Association for Human Rights of Andalusia claims that for every hundred men who board boats to head to Spanish territory from Africa, five end up dying, while the statistics for women is double, with ten in a hundred dying during the journey.

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

Poll: Czechs Back Ukrainians But Less Enthusiastic About Inviting Them Into Their Homes

An overwhelming majority of Czechs are in favor of supporting Ukrainian refugees, but many are hesitant when it comes to welcoming them into their own homes, new polling reveals.

According to a survey conducted by the European National Panels, 85 percent of respondents backed their country’s government in opening the doors to those in need, with 80 percent content with refugees being welcomed to their region or municipality. However, less than 30 percent of those polled would directly offer accommodation to the refugees in their own homes.

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

Calgary School Board Opposes “Self-Control” In New Sex-Ed Curriculum

In addition to a spate of other criticisms, the Calgary Board of Education has complained that kids are being taught too much “self-control” in the latest sex-ed curriculum proposed by the Alberta government for five to 11 year-olds.

“The idea of ‘self-control is a necessary virtue’ is a heavily faith-based concept that erodes the ability to learn about healthy sexual relationships,” wrote the board. “Faith-biased understanding continues to label processes within this proposed draft. For example, pregnancy is referred to as a natural process while birth control is categorized as artificial. Further, the specific use of abstinence is inaccurate and presented as moral/values based ideal rather than one option with specific advantages.”

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

Conservative University of North Texas Student Says Police Hid Her in Closet After Activists Disrupted Event

The organizer of a Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) meeting at the University of North Texas (UNT) says campus police escorted her into a janitor’s closet for her own safety after activists disrupted the event featuring Texas House of Representatives candidate Jeff Younger.

Younger is the father of a 7-year-old child, who was born James but now goes by Luna, at the center of a 2019 custody battle that attracted national attention after his mother encouraged the boy to medically transition into a girl. A Texas judge granted Younger’s ex-wife full custody of the child and a sibling in 2019.

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

DeSantis Slams ‘Woke’ Disney After CEO Condemns Parents’ Rights Bill

FIRST ON FOX: Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed the Walt Disney Company as “woke” on Thursday after the company came out against a Republican-led parental rights bill in the state that progressives have claimed is anti-LGBTQ.

Speaking to supporters in Boca Raton, DeSantis said there is “zero” chance he’s going to reverse his position on disallowing the instruction of “transgenderism in kindergarten classrooms.”

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

In Sermon, Russian Church Leader Kirill Links Ukraine War With Gay Pride Parade

Kirill, the Patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church, has blamed liberal western values, particularly gay pride parades, for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The remarks justifying Ukraine’s invasion were made in Sunday sermon.

Kirill is a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has so far refrained from criticising the Russian invasion.

“We have entered into a struggle that has not a physical, but a metaphysical significance,” he said during the Forgiveness Sunday sermon.

Kirill then focused his attention on the situation in Donbas, the breakaway eastern region of Ukraine held since 2014 by pro-Russia separatist groups. He echoed Putin’s unfounded claims that Ukraine was engaged in the “extermination” of Russian loyalists in Donbas.

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

41 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/10/2022

  1. Zuckerman (Facebook) throws firewood into the flames of war.
    Here is the answer to the question “Who benefits?”

  2. The West is ill-prepared for any ground war and has spent its monies on socialism, not defense. The chicks are coming home to roost…as Donald Trump warned…and there are no war hawks. The EU continues to pay Russia to stay warm as Deutschland, under a former Stasi associate, closes the last nuclear power plants.

    • Deutsche Bank’s CFO said Thursday it is not “practical” to close its Russia business, despite similar moves by major corporations seeking to distance themselves from the pariah state.
      Speaking to CNBC, James von Moltke said the decision hinged on the bank’s duty of care to its clients in the country.
      The comments come as the list of Western companies closing or pausing their Russia operations grows.
      https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/10/deutsche-bank-says-not-practical-to-exit-russia-business.html

      • Of course business with Russia is very bad they are evil people but business with Muslim countries is excellent especially business with those jihadis that are already in Deutschland they benefit Germany so well especially Chechnyans

        Western Europe has brought 50 million Muslims they are clever they know who will benefit them it’s the jihadis

        • ,,”Western Europe has brought 50 million Muslims ”
          waw ! just waw !!
          Where they are hided ? in Schwarzen Wald i heard !

  3. Never trusted DuckDuckGo.
    The founder is a quiet shady person.

    I found myself using the Swiss search engine “Swisscows” more and more.
    For now I do get better search results then with others (almost like in the good old days with Google) and uncensored except for potentially sexual content.

  4. Baron..For yours own reflection..what your blog is used for and you are not aware..
    4 years ago i tried to tell you what’s German-Russian alliance and ” friendship” is about and where it lead, and what is aimed on ..
    You kick me out..2 X
    Yesterday former Ambassador to Poland under Trump Administration , said openly : ..” “The Union is currently dealing with the rule of law in Poland and is debating sanctions. It’s time to say it out loud – when it comes to problems with the rule of law, much of what reached the West was the result of Russian and German Secret Services disinformation “- G. Mosbacher
    She also point out media some names ,Secret Services used for this purpose :

    @Disinfo_Digest

    @DisinfoLab

    @EU_MediaLit

    @DisinfoW

    @DisinfoPortal
    Your site is infiltrated..clean it up..or lose left credibility your site when Dymphna was around..Regards
    There si a Hybrid War lunch by Germany on Poland and Hungary to achieve German Empire again..
    This war is directly sponsored by Germany, calling Polish “rusophobes”, and dare to say “starve Poland financially”.Yesterday Germany imposed Economical Sanctions on Poland , Hungary using own political tool EP..EC

  5. Putin sends 16,000 Arabs to Ukraine

    Published 11 March 2022 at 12.07 in Fria Tider
    EXTRACTS.
    Russian President Vladimir Putin will approve the deployment of more than 16,000 men from the Middle East to be deployed in Ukraine, RT reports.

    On Twitter, the news has led to concerns that the Arabs will commit various sex crimes against Ukrainian women. A concern that is probably not entirely unfounded, as surveys show that Arabs in Finland are 52.6 times more likely to rape than the European population there.

    A further concern is that the EU has opened its borders not only to legal residents of Ukraine but to all persons fleeing Ukraine – including potential Arab deserters from the Russian armed forces.

    Putin, however, defends the idea of putting Arabs into the fighting, even though he believes it is against international law to put foreign mercenaries into combat.

    – The Western actors behind the Ukrainian regime are not even hiding it, they are doing this quite openly, in violation of international law, Putin says.

    • They all will all go to their devil allah with many compliments. Funny that no faction in Ukraine is taking any arab or Chechen prisoner. LOL

    • British Prime Minister Chamberlain was afraid to provoke Hitler. President Biden is afraid of provoking Putin. History does not have a fixed end point. History is simply what happens. Nevertheless, is does seem that history often repeats failure more than it repeats success.

      • This isn’t on Biden but rather Obama and his minions that control him.

        Obama-Biden, the “leaders” that have severely weakened America.

        • how many Mathoneys are there?
          and how often does their linguistic proficiency swing? One time, it is fourth grader grammar ( hided) and then it is fluent and elegant english.
          Who are you two?

          • it depends … On my emotional state on a given day (as there are many responsibilities with corpses and destruction and logistics .. it is not enough time for correct English, that’s the 4th grade grammar ) … tiredness … equipment that i use … military duty … free time … being sloppy … Enough to satisfied your curiosity ? choose which suit you …

      • Like many Brits, I was brought up on this story about Chamberlain; apparently the truth is that he was buying time, so we’d have more time to rearm for the coming war with Germany.

        • Yes, that’s quite right. Chamberlain knew that Great Britain could not possibly go to war with Germany in 1938; the result would have been disastrous. “Peace for our time” was PR cover for “We need more time to manufacture planes and tanks.”

  6. Nobody should be surprised that the same buffoon who surrendered to the Taliban in Afghanistan abandoning hundreds of citizens and $85 billion of citizen funded military equipment would conclude that Ukraine doesn’t need Mig aircraft. Those USA people and USA military assets the idiot in chief left on the battlefield. This level of neglect is unbelievable and impeachable.

  7. You can no longer talk aloud about the Volhynia massacre in Poland

    The Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) recommends canceling the school competition “Volyn – the memory of generations”. In a letter sent to the organizers by the chairman of the Committee of Historical Sciences, PAN, Professor Tomasz Schramm, it is said that in connection with the appearance of a large number of students from Ukraine in Polish schools, it is necessary to abandon the “memory of losses in the past.”

    In Polish schools, with the advent of Ukrainian children, conflicts related to the use of official and unofficial state symbols have become more frequent.

    The cancellation of the competition not only caused confusion among a number of Polish historians and activists, who consider the ban on the PAN as yet another evidence of the return of censorship, but also jeopardizes scientific research on the genocide committed by Ukrainian nationalists against the population of the former eastern Kresy.
    https://www.politnavigator.net/pro-volynskuyu-reznyu-v-polshe-bolshe-nelzya-govorit-vslukh.html
    =================
    One gets the feeling that Poland as a buffer to the world “puppeteers” is no longer interested.

  8. https://vk.com/wall-151500600_134580

    Aktueller Netzfund

    Das sind die Dinge die wir nicht sehen sollen. Heute in der Oberpfalz aufgenommen , 6 !!! LKW mit Hilfsgüter für das Kriegsgebiet Ukraine welche wieder entladen wurden um anschließend in der örtlichen Müllverbrennung zu landen. Ob das die Schafe wissen was mit ihren Spenden passiert???
    Und es sollen weitere Lkw zur Entladung kommen.

    Warum fahren sie danach trotzdem weiter in die Ukraine? Leer? Sie haben Zollpapiere über Spendenlieferungen, was ist aber wirklich in den LKWs???

    So werden Waffen geliefert!

    Current network find

    Those are the things we’re not supposed to see. Recorded today in the Upper Palatinate, 6!!! Trucks with relief supplies for the war zone Ukraine which were unloaded again and then ended up in the local waste incineration. Do the sheep know what happens to their donations???
    And more trucks are to be unloaded.

    Why do they still continue to Ukraine after that? Empty? They have customs papers about donation shipments, but what’s really in the trucks???

    This is how weapons are delivered!

    • Did they stupid Germans really know what’s going on ?? Or they that dumb!!bunch of wimps with no balls,, unbelievable..

    • At this point I don’t know if you are capable of accessing this site but if you can, your link is blocked off this side of the internet. It appears to be in a Russian domain. Today, maybe yesterday for you was the separation.

      • Many German right-wing groups are hosted on the Russian social network Vkontakte. This is a German public. I got information from there. No bias or pro-Russian position.

    • I believe you are right, Elena.
      And how do you launder money stolen from the American taxpayers? Give them to USAid, they give them to Ukie elites who steal some of it and send a big chunk as a “donation” to the likes of Clinton Foundation and other similar outfits.

  9. Biden on Friday stressed the U.S. and NATO allies would not fight Russia in Ukraine, describing such a scenario as “World War III.”
    Holy s….t Biden gave an even worse version of the “ peace in our time “ speech

  10. So much is written about the “neo-nazi” Azov Batallion – yet here in Poland people raising money, for the same Azov Batallion – including people I know to be pro-multi-kulti anti-nazis!

    So, what’s the truth? And can a batallion defending its country against an aggressive, imperialist invasion really be the biggest “nazis” in this conflict?

    • gdzie ta informacje mozna zweryfikowac ? .
      Mozesz podac zrodlo ?

      [Note from the moderator: This is an English-language blog. In future please make your comments in English, or include a translation of foreign-language remarks.

      Machine translation:

      “where can this information be verified? .
      Can you name the source?”]

      • A friend from a previous job in Warsaw. Highly-respected in his job, for a big Western corporation. Liberal, anti-PiS, “anti-fascist”, now supporting Ukraine in a lot of ways, including fundraising for Azov.

        I’d rather not give out too much personal info on a public page, so you’ll have take my word for it… or not.

  11. Putin sends Syrian terrorist mercenaries, and Ukraine under the control of the globalists accepts help from Islamic terrorist rebels, linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which sponsored the Syrian Civil War to overthrow Assad. It’s a fight between fascists.

    • Pssst, the foreign legions are dealing with those muslims in the usual way with the gloves off, they simply shoot them out in the field.

  12. Baron..
    By Memory of Dymphna i start to be concern, if you didn’t get yourself in a company of wrong crowd..
    Most of the people here, look like a Network and organize group..They using operational technics of co-opps..
    Operational language used here , pointing out for join work and action of neo-nazi and Russian Government Services..

    I hope you have not get yourself deliberately in your naivety in stupid thinks on side..
    It is a deadly , dirty business..and nobody know who keep the thread ends in hands..

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