Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/27/2022

Poland has taken in 2.3 million Ukrainian refugees since the Russo-Ukrainian war began. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron warned against the escalation of anti-Russian rhetoric after President Joe Biden appeared to call for regime change in Russia.

In other news, a cruise ship that had visited Panama docked in San Francisco with a number of passengers and crew members who tested positive for COVID-19. All passengers and crew had been “vaccinated”.

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

Thanks to Dean, Fjordman, Reader from Chicago, Upananda Brahmachari, 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 Sentiment Falls to New Decade-Long Low as Inflation Fears Soar
 
USA
» Antifa Member Accused of Carrying Pipe Bomb Near Conservative Florida Rally Sentenced to Probation, $450 Fine
» Biden Approval Ratings Plummet Amid War and Inflation Fears in New Public Opinion Poll
» Breaking: Elon Musk Confirms He’s ‘Giving Serious Thought’ To Building Twitter Alternative
» Children Scoring Worse in Math and Reading Compared to Before Lockdowns, Data Shows: ‘Multiyear Recovery’
» Cruise Ship in San Francisco Docks With Multiple Passengers Testing Positive for COVID-19
» DeSantis’ Office Warns Antifa Not to Hold Violent Rallies in Response to Anti-Grooming Bill
» Former CBS News Reporter Slammed for Saying Biden’s Speech in Poland Topped Reagan’s ‘Tear Down That Wall’
» House GOP Pushes Wray for Transparency on FBI Misconduct in Probing Politicians, Religious Groups, Journalists
» Indiana Man Set to Plead Guilty After Allegedly Throwing Molotovs at 2020 Portland Protests
» LA Music Journalist Reveals How She Was Canceled by Woke Mob After She Blasted BLM for Vandalizing LA Synagogues During George Floyd Protests
» Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison After Torching Nashville City Hall During Floyd Riot
» New York College Newspaper Retracts Article for Quoting Too Many White Students
» Penn State Comms Professor Calls for Assassination of Trump: ‘Should’Ve Been Lincoln’d’
» Personal Data of 820,000 NYC Students Compromised in Hack, Says City’s Education Department
» Police Unions Protest NY College Talk by Man Convicted in NYPD Deaths
» Prolific Offender Arrested Following Fatal Shooting of Everett Police Officer
» Watch: Trump Slams Biden’s SCOTUS Nominee at Georgia Rally
» Why Biden’s Off-Script Remarks About Putin Are So Dangerous
 
Canada
» “Next Generation Convoy” From Quebec Winds Through Ottawa
» Breaking: MPP Randy Hillier to Surrender to Police Over Charges Linked to Freedom Convoy
» Calgary Police Arrest 2 During Ongoing Weekend Protests Downtown
» Effect of Pandemic on Kindergarten Kids Concerns Toronto School Board Chair
» What the Toronto Star Got Very, Very Wrong About the Freedom Convoy: Rupa Subramanya With Ezra Levant
 
Europe and the EU
» France’s Macron Warns Against Escalation After Biden Says Putin ‘Cannot Remain in Power’
» France: She Received 50,000 Death Threats From Islamists, But One Chechen Suspect Has Already Been Released
» Ten Arrested After Mob Seriously Injures French Police Officers
» UK Govt Pressures YouTube to Censor Video of Defence SEC’s Embarrassing Call With Fake Ukrainian Prime Ministe
» ‘Whittled Away by Wokery’ — Free Speech to Get Protection in UK Law, Supposedly
 
Russia
» Head of Luhansk Region in Ukraine Suggests Referendum to Join Russia is Coming
» Latest Developments
» New Evidence May Better Explain Mysterious Deaths at Dyatlov Pass
» Pope Francis: ‘The Time Has Come to Abolish War’
» Ukraine and Russia Negotiators to Have Next Face-to-Face Talks in Istanbul, Turkey Says
» Zelensky Says Ukrainian Neutrality on the Table Ahead of Fresh Talks With Russia in Turkey
 
South Asia
» India: Ban Madrasas as They Teach Anti-National Lessons, BJP MLA Urges Karnataka CM & Education Minister
» India: Manipur: Mysterious Disease Kills 35 Water Buffaloes in Ukhrul
» Pakistan: Muslim Man Climbs on the Cross of a Church and Vandalizes it, Chants Islamic Verses Terrorising Local Christians, Video Viral
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» “Oh Allah… Destroy the Jews, The Christians, The Hindus, The Russians, And the Shiites!”: The Persecution of Christians, February 2022
 
Immigration
» France: Zemmour’s Concept of Remigration Explained by Political Scientist
» Poland Accepts 2.3 Mln Refugees Since War in Ukraine Started
» Watch: Activists, Celebs, And Sadiq Khan Use Ukraine War to Push Diversity and ‘Refugees Welcome’ Agenda
» ‘You’re Very Young Looking’ — South Asian Men Claiming to be 60-Years-Old Ukrainian Refugees Quizzed in Ireland
 
Culture Wars
» Photojournalist ‘Surprised and Disappointed’ NBC Altered Lia Thomas Photos
» What’s a Woman? Tulsi Gabbard Takes Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee to Task
 
General
» Mysterious Vortex Waves Discovered on the Sun Hint at New Solar Physics
 

Consumer Sentiment Falls to New Decade-Long Low as Inflation Fears Soar

A recent survey by the University of Michigan found that consumer sentiment fell to a new decade-long low as concerns about inflation grow amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (MCSI), a monthly survey of how consumers feel about the economy, personal finances, business conditions, and buying conditions, ended March 2022 at 59.4%, representing a 5.4% decline from the final reading of 62.8% in February 2022 and a 30.0% decline from the index’ reading of 84.9% one year ago in March 2021.

The end of March reading of 59.4% is down by .5% from what was already a decade-long low of 59.7 recorded in mid-March.

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

Antifa Member Accused of Carrying Pipe Bomb Near Conservative Florida Rally Sentenced to Probation, $450 Fine

A Florida man with Antifa affiliation was sentenced to six months probation and a $450 fine Thursday for the charge of “loitering or prowling” near a Jan. 6 right-wing anniversary rally held in support of a Capitol riot defendant.

In addition to the misdemeanor charge, 22-year-old Antifa member Garrett Smith was facing three felony charges of making, possessing, or discharging a destructive device. However, those serious charges were dropped by prosecutors with the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office a month earlier mid-February.

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

Biden Approval Ratings Plummet Amid War and Inflation Fears in New Public Opinion Poll

President Biden’s job approval rating has declined to 40%, the lowest level of his presidency, as the president continues to see eroding support from key demographics like independents and minority voters ahead of the midterm elections, a new poll shows.

Biden’s approval rating stands at 40%, down from 43% in January, while the number of voters who disapprove has increased by one percentage point to 55%, according to an NBC News poll released Sunday.

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

Breaking: Elon Musk Confirms He’s ‘Giving Serious Thought’ To Building Twitter Alternative

Telsa and SpaceX boss Elon Musk confirmed on Saturday night that he is “giving serious thought” to building a free speech friendly alternative to Twitter.

On Friday, Musk polled his Twitter audience, asking whether or users of the platform believed that “Twitter rigorously adheres” to the principle that “free speech is essential to a functioning democracy.”

Musk said that the “consequences of this poll will be important,” and to “Please vote carefully.”

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

Children Scoring Worse in Math and Reading Compared to Before Lockdowns, Data Shows: ‘Multiyear Recovery’

Children continue to be impacted by learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures, a new report shows.

Students fared worse academically during the second year of the pandemic compared to the first year, when students earned lower scores than they did prior to the pandemic.

The trend suggests the impact of COVID-19 closures on student success continues to be felt, according to a study released Wednesday by education software company Renaissance Learning.

“All signs suggest that this is going to be a multiyear recovery,” Gene Kerns, vice president and chief academic officer at Renaissance, said in a statement.

“We can reset instruction back to where it was pre-pandemic, but that isn’t going to instantly move students up to where they would have been had the pandemic not occurred,” Kerns said. “For example, if you worked out every day and then stopped for two years, you aren’t going to be in the same shape as before the break when you return to the gym. We know what to do — and educators are rising to meet this great challenge — but it’s going to take time.”

Renaissance’s results are based on an analysis of standardized test scores for early literacy, reading or math during both the 2020—2021 and 2021—2022 academic years. The company’s analysis included 4.4 million early literacy or reading assessments at 19,046 schools and 2.9 million math assessments at 12,754 schools, covering K-12 students in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

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

Cruise Ship in San Francisco Docks With Multiple Passengers Testing Positive for COVID-19

A cruise ship that went to the Panama Canal returned to San Francisco on Sunday morning with multiple passengers who tested positive for COVID-19.

The Ruby Princess returned to San Francisco from a 15-day trip to the Panama Canal, but multiple passengers arrived with COVID-19, according to FOX San Francisco.

Vaccination rates between the crew and guest were at 100%, and a cruise spokesperson said that all COVID-19 cases from passengers were mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic, according to the report.

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

DeSantis’ Office Warns Antifa Not to Hold Violent Rallies in Response to Anti-Grooming Bill

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office issued a warning Tuesday to Antifa cells operating in the Sunshine State, warning them not to conduct any violent actions in response to Florida’s anti-grooming bill.

The anti-grooming bill, HB 1557, which has been incorrectly referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by Democrats and members of the press, has faced increasing resistance from the left.

Christina Pushaw, DeSantis’ press secretary, told Townhall.com that journalists and TV personalities who have uncritically repeated the “Don’t Say Gay” narrative are partly responsible for stirring up radical leftist activists.

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

Former CBS News Reporter Slammed for Saying Biden’s Speech in Poland Topped Reagan’s ‘Tear Down That Wall’

Critics slammed former CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller on Saturday after he said President Biden’s speech in Poland topped former President Ronald Reagan’s “tear down that wall” speech.

Biden’s speech ended with him saying Russian Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.” The White House appeared to walk back his comments shortly afterward, saying that Biden was calling for regime change.

[Comment: The CBS reporter was not the only one who compared Biden to Reagan and JFK.]

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

House GOP Pushes Wray for Transparency on FBI Misconduct in Probing Politicians, Religious Groups, Journalists

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., contends Democrats have a stake in digging for more details about the FBI breaking its own rules to probe elected officials, political candidates, religious organizations and the news media.

The FBI conducted an internal audit, a highly redacted version of which came to light earlier this month, that found 747 “compliance errors” across 353 separate cases in the category of “sensitive investigative matters.” The bureau acknowledged the 2019 audit findings were “unacceptable.”

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

Indiana Man Set to Plead Guilty After Allegedly Throwing Molotovs at 2020 Portland Protests

Court documents allege Malik Muhammad threw the homemade devices at police on several occasions during protests.

An Indiana man charged with breaking windows and throwing Molotov cocktails at police during Portland’s 2020 racial justice protests is set to plead guilty to charges in state and federal courts this week.

Malik Muhammad faces dozens of charges after traveling from Indianapolis to Portland during the summer of 2020, according to prosecutors.

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Muhammad with several counts, including civil disorder and unlawful possession of a destructive device. He’s set to appear in federal court Monday to plead guilty.

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

LA Music Journalist Reveals How She Was Canceled by Woke Mob After She Blasted BLM for Vandalizing LA Synagogues During George Floyd Protests

A rising-star journalist has shared how she was canceled by her colleagues and the internet for blasting BLM for vandalizing synagogues during summer 2020.

Eve Barlow was enjoying a soaring career as a music writer, with the journalist — who is Scottish, gay and Jewish — once told she was ‘magic’ by a senior editor for the quality of her copy.

But Barlow — who was on track to become one of New York magazine’s star writers — says she was shunned after blasting BLM vandalism days after George Floyd’s murder.

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

Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison After Torching Nashville City Hall During Floyd Riot

A Nashville-area man was sentenced to five years in federal prison last week after being labeled “the face of the attempt to burn down City Hall,” according to court filings.

Wesley Somers, 26, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee.

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

New York College Newspaper Retracts Article for Quoting Too Many White Students

The editorial board for a New York-based liberal arts college’s student newspaper recently issued a retraction for a story originally published in February, claiming that the article featured too many quotes from white students.

The editorial board for The Miscellany News, Vassar College’s student newspaper, issued the retraction on Wednesday, on a piece centered around former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson’s withdrawal from giving a commencement speech this year. Johnson had reportedly decided against speaking after he received campus pushback on his border deportation policies.

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

Penn State Comms Professor Calls for Assassination of Trump: ‘Should’Ve Been Lincoln’d’

Responding to a tweet over the weekend, Penn State University’s associate professor of communications at the Greater Allegheny campus Zack Furness called for the assassination of former President Donald Trump.

Furness was responding to a tweet Saturday depicting then-President Trump in Puerto Rico, who visited after Hurricane Irma and Maria devastated the island.

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

Personal Data of 820,000 NYC Students Compromised in Hack, Says City’s Education Department

California-based software company Illuminate Education has found itself the target of a recent wave of criticism after an online hack compromised the personal data of about 820,000 current and former New York City public school students.

The city’s Education Department officials are calling the attack likely the largest-ever breach of K-12 student information to date in the United States.

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

Police Unions Protest NY College Talk by Man Convicted in NYPD Deaths

DEER PARK, NY (PIX11) — A talk by a former Black Panther who was imprisoned for nearly 50 years for killing two New York City police officers has been met with massive backlash.

Parolee Jalil Muntaqim, also known as Anthony Bottom, was convicted in the 1971 killings of officers Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini at a Harlem public housing complex. He was paroled in 2020.

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

Prolific Offender Arrested Following Fatal Shooting of Everett Police Officer

While still in mourning for a fallen sheriff’s deputy, Washington state law enforcement suffered another devastating loss.

Everett Police officer Dan Rocha was shot and killed Friday afternoon by a suspect who then ran over his body while fleeing the scene in a car.

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

Watch: Trump Slams Biden’s SCOTUS Nominee at Georgia Rally

At the Save America rally in Commerce, Georgia, former President Donald Trump blasted President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson who couldn’t provide a definition of a woman during the Senate confirmation hearings.

“The left has become so extreme that we now have a justice being nominated to the Supreme Court who testified under oath that she could not say what a woman is,” Trump stated Saturday, then questioning: “If she can’t even say what a woman is, how on Earth can she be trusted to say what the Constitution is?”

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

Why Biden’s Off-Script Remarks About Putin Are So Dangerous

Over the past week, US President Joe Biden has made a series of unscripted remarks that have upped the temperature of US-Russia relations to near boiling point.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

“Next Generation Convoy” From Quebec Winds Through Ottawa

A second freedom convoy of trucks and cars from Quebec made its way through Ottawa on Saturday, cheered by flag-waving onlookers and escorted by Ottawa police.

The fleet left the Quebec City area Saturday morning en route to Vankleek Hill, a town in eastern Ontario with a major truck stop. According to organizers, they will head back towards Quebec City on Sunday.

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

Breaking: MPP Randy Hillier to Surrender to Police Over Charges Linked to Freedom Convoy

Independent Ontario MPP Randy Hillier is expected to turn himself in to Ottawa police on Monday morning over charges stemming from the Freedom Convoy protests.

Toronto Sun reporter Joe Warmington broke the news of the charges against Hillier on Twitter Sunday evening.

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

Calgary Police Arrest 2 During Ongoing Weekend Protests Downtown

Two people were arrested as two anti-mandate rallies were held in Calgary Saturday.

One began at Olympic Plaza, with about 200 people, who then marched down Stephen Avenue to Harley Hotchkiss Gardens.

Trevor Simpson was one of them.

“For the freedom of all Canadians,” said Simpson, explaining why he was at the rally. “My grandfather fought at Normandy. There’s a reason why we have freedoms, and we haven’t had freedoms for a long time in this country.”

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

Effect of Pandemic on Kindergarten Kids Concerns Toronto School Board Chair

The chair of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has publicly shared his concerns about the “extraordinary developmental needs” of incoming Kindergarten students caused by the COVID-19 pandemic — although he didn’t mention masks.

TDSB Chair Alexander Brown wrote a letter to the Ontario government on Thursday asking that early childhood educators be placed in all Kindergarten classrooms.

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

What the Toronto Star Got Very, Very Wrong About the Freedom Convoy: Rupa Subramanya With Ezra Levant

On a recent episode of The Ezra Levant Show, National Post columnist Rupa Subramanya (follow @RupaSubramanya on Twitter) joined Ezra to discuss the Toronto Star‘s smears against the Freedom Convoy.

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

France’s Macron Warns Against Escalation After Biden Says Putin ‘Cannot Remain in Power’

French President Emmanuel Macron warned against escalation Sunday regarding Ukraine, a day after President Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin was a “butcher” who “cannot remain in power.”

“I wouldn’t use this type of wording because I continue to hold discussions with President Putin,” Macron said Sunday during an appearance on France 3 TV channel. “We want to stop the war that Russia has launched in Ukraine without escalation — that’s the objective.”

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

France: She Received 50,000 Death Threats From Islamists, But One Chechen Suspect Has Already Been Released

A 17-year-old Chechen with a disturbing past was arrested last August for having published death threats against Mila, a French teen who has already received tens of thousands death threats and lives under constant police protection.

Indicted in September for endorsing terrorism and provocation to terrorist acts, the Chechen teen was released and placed under judicial control. Mila’s family has since been gravely concerned, reported BFMTV news outlet.

Since Jan. 18, 2020, the young woman has been the target of more than 50,000 death threats for criticizing Islam on Instagram and claiming her right to blasphemy.

Within the influx of stalkers, some profiles arouse concerns. That is the case of Saïd A., a 17-year-old Chechen, arrested by the judicial police at the family house in the town Langres on Aug. 31.

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

Ten Arrested After Mob Seriously Injures French Police Officers

Ten people were arrested in the Paris suburb of Valenton this week following a brutal attack on police officers that left two seriously injured, including a policewoman who was kicked while on the ground.

The attack took place Wednesday evening when four police officers from the Villeneuve-Saint-Georges police station approached a group of ten people playing football and called on them to move on after the ball struck cars in a nearby car park several times.

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

UK Govt Pressures YouTube to Censor Video of Defence SEC’s Embarrassing Call With Fake Ukrainian Prime Ministe

Britain’s Ministry of Defence pressured YouTube to remove footage of a Russian YouTuber fooling the Defence Secretary into thinking he was the Ukrainian prime minister, claiming it had been “doctored”.

Ben Wallace MP was left red-faced after Russian pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov, known as Vovan and Lexus, managed to bypass Ministry of Defence security while posing as Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, managing to record a video call with the Cabinet minister on the 18th of March.

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

‘Whittled Away by Wokery’ — Free Speech to Get Protection in UK Law, Supposedly

The British government has claimed they will give free speech a “trump card” status in an effort to combat woke cancel culture, despite the fact it is currently legislating to increase censorship online.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab warned on Friday that free speech in Britain is being “whittled away” by “wokery and political correctness” and claimed the government has plans to replace former Labour prime minister Tony Blair’s Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights — a promise the Tories have been making, but not keeping, for over 15 years at least.

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

Head of Luhansk Region in Ukraine Suggests Referendum to Join Russia is Coming

Leonid Pasechnik, head of the Russian-backed separatist government in Luhansk, said he believes a referendum on joining Russia would soon be conducted among residents of the breakaway region in eastern Ukraine.

Mr. Pasechnik’s comments were recorded and released Sunday by Russian news service RIA Novosti.

Moscow in late February recognized parts of the area around the Ukrainian cities Luhansk and Donetsk, collectively known as Donbas, as independent states, before invading Ukraine under the pretext of defending the rights of the Russian-speaking population there. Russia has previously distributed Russian passports to residents of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Russian senator Andrey Klishas said in a post on his Telegram channel that the governments of the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics have the constitutional right to decide whether to conduct a referendum.

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

Latest Developments

In Ukraine: Ukraine said Sunday its forces have retaken Trostyanets, a village in the northeast, potentially opening a road to Sumy, the provincial capital that has been encircled since the invasion’s early days. Earlier, Russian missiles struck a site in western Ukraine, near Lviv, the city’s mayor said. The attack occurred as President Biden was visiting the Polish capital Warsaw, about 210 miles away. Meanwhile, Russian forces were regrouping in what appeared to be preparations for a renewed offensive in the east, extending from the contested area of Luhansk along the Russian border and south to beyond the port city of Mariupol, Ukraine’s military said.

A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said Saturday the country’s forces were fighting to take two villages around Donetsk, a city held by Russian-backed separatists since 2014.

In Russia: On Friday, Moscow said it was nearing the end of the first phase of its military operation in Ukraine. “Our forces and resources will focus on the primary objective: full liberation of the Donbas,” said Sergei Rudskoy, head of the Russian general staff’s main operational department. Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made his first public appearance in about two weeks.

In the EU: President Biden appeared to call for Vladimir Putin’s ouster in a speech in Warsaw on Saturday, saying, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” The White House said he “was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.” President Biden discussed with Polish President Andrzej Duda and senior Ukrainian officials how Washington can bolster its assistance to both countries. Unity between the U.S. and its allies in Europe is beginning to show its limits, with differences emerging over how far to press their campaign of economic sanctions against Russia.

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

New Evidence May Better Explain Mysterious Deaths at Dyatlov Pass

Yetis, nuclear tests, aliens, katabatic winds and infrasound-induced panic have all been invoked in the quest to uncover what happened to nine hikers in Russia’s northern Urals in 1959. A group of students, led by Igor Dyatlov, set out for the snowy mountains on Jan. 28, 1959. They set up camp by digging a platform into a slope and pitching a tent. Then… they fled and died in terrible ways.

When their bodies were eventually found, it became clear they had cut out of their tent from the inside and abandoned their equipment in the middle of the night. Some of them had suffered violent injuries to the chest and one hiker had fractures in his skull. Six froze to death. But what happened to them? And why did they abandon their tent? That mystery had endured for decades.

Last year, it seemed to have been solved — with a little bit of science and a little bit of Disney magic. Two researchers, Alexander Puzrin and Johan Gaume, published work suggesting it was not aliens or yetis that killed the group, but an unusual and rare avalanche known as a slab avalanche. Using some scientific models, they suggested the conditions on the night of the incident, Feb. 1, likely saw an accumulation of snow building up just behind where the hikers set up their tent. This snow then slid down onto the tent and some of the group.

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

Pope Francis: ‘The Time Has Come to Abolish War’

ROME — Pope Francis renewed his appeal for an end to war Sunday, condemning the “bestiality” of the Russian war on Ukraine.

“More than a month has passed since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, since the beginning of this cruel and senseless war which, like any war, represents a defeat for all, for all of us,” the pontiff told the 30,000 pilgrims gathered in the Vatican for his weekly Angelus address.

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

Ukraine and Russia Negotiators to Have Next Face-to-Face Talks in Istanbul, Turkey Says

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will hold their next face-to-face meeting in Istanbul, the Turkish president’s office said on Sunday.

Turkey has been playing a mediating role in the Ukraine crisis, hosting a meeting of Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers earlier in March.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday to accept a cease-fire and peace between Russia and Ukraine, the Turkish president’s office said in a tweet. The two leaders discussed the state of the Russia-Ukraine war during a phone call, the Turkish president’s office said.

A Ukrainian official, David Arakhamia, said on Facebook earlier on Sunday that the next meeting of Russian and Ukrainian negotiators would take place in Turkey from March 28 to March 30.

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

Zelensky Says Ukrainian Neutrality on the Table Ahead of Fresh Talks With Russia in Turkey

Ukraine is willing to become neutral and compromise over the status of the eastern Donbass region as part of a peace deal, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday, after a Ukrainian negotiator said the next round of face-to-face talks with Russia would be held in Turkey on March 28-30.Follow all the developments in Ukraine on our live blog. All times in Paris time[GMT + 1].

04:58 am: Parisians rally in solidarity with Ukraine, demand French retail giant leaves Russia

Ukrainian-born Parisians and their supporters took to Place de la République Sunday for a weekly demonstration against Russia’s invasion. They stepped up calls for the France-based Mulliez group, which runs high-profile chains such as Leroy Merlin, Decathlon and Auchan, to close its Russian stores after its owners reiterated that they had no intention of doing so.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

India: Ban Madrasas as They Teach Anti-National Lessons, BJP MLA Urges Karnataka CM & Education Minister

Karnataka BJP MLA Renukacharya has called for a ban on all madrasas in the state on the grounds that they propagate “anti-national lessons and subversive activities”.

B Upendran | HENB | Bengaluru | March 27, 2022:: Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s political secretary and MLA from Honnani, M Panchaksarya Renukacharya on Saturday stoked a fresh controversy as he said he would urge the chief minister and the education minister of Karnataka to ban madrassas (Islamic seminary) as they are only creating anti-national elements. The comment comes amid the ongoing hijab row in the state for some time. The Karnataka high court, in its recent ruling, has upheld the state government’s order on the hijab ban in educational institutions.

“I ask Congress leaders why do we need madrasas in place of schools? What do they propagate in madrasas? They propagate instigation to innocent kids. Tomorrow, they will go against our country and they will never say Bharat Mata ki Jai,” Renukacharya said.

“They are teaching these kinds of lessons at madrasas. I am requesting the Chief Minister and education minister to ban madrasas. Don’t we have other schools where Hindu and Christian students study? You can’t teach anti-national lessons here. Madrasas should be banned or made to teach the syllabus what we teach in other schools,” the rulling BJP’s senior party member and MLA Renukacharya said.

Earlier, education minister BC Nagesh said madrassa students in the state are not getting contemporary education and if madrassas demand, then the government is ready to offer uniform education to all.

The political atmosphere in Karnataka is heated because of several incendiary remarks exchanged amid the hijab row. The BJP MLA, Renukacharya who also serves as the chief minister’s political secretary, lashed out at the Congress over the hijab row, accusing the party of fabricating the issue and playing vote-bank politics. He also questioned the need for madrasas.

He also criticized the calls for state-wide bandh to protest the Karnataka High Court’s verdict in the hijab row, slamming the organizations that called the bandh as “anti-national”.

“Some anti-national organizations have called for Karnataka bandh. Can government tolerate this? Is this Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Islamic country? Won’t tolerate this. Congress leaders defended this on floor of the House,” Renukacharya said.

The political discourse in Karnataka has been highly polarized in the wake of the hijab row. On March 15, the state’s high court dismissed a batch of petitions filed by Muslim girl students seeking the right to wear hijabs in classrooms. In its ruling, the bench noted that hijab “does not make up an essential religious practice in the Islamic faith”.

           — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari [Return to headlines]
 

India: Manipur: Mysterious Disease Kills 35 Water Buffaloes in Ukhrul

Imphal: A mysterious disease killed over 30 water buffaloes along the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Ukhrul district.

According to the locals, the first death of a cattle was reported from New Tusom village on March 18. Later, similar deaths were also reported from two more adjoining villages: Razai Khullen and Kharasom.

Altogether, 35 water buffaloes belonging to different cattle owners have succumbed to the unknown disease, with Razai Khullen village having reported the highest number of deaths (18), followed by Kharasom (9) and New Tusom (8).

Most of the dead buffaloes were found along the Challou River.

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

Pakistan: Muslim Man Climbs on the Cross of a Church and Vandalizes it, Chants Islamic Verses Terrorising Local Christians, Video Viral

In the Green Town area of Nishtar Tehsil in Lahore, Pakistan, a Muslim man reportedly climbed the cross on the roof of a church and chanted Islamic verses threatening the local public. He was accompanied by two other men who insulted local Christian men while ogling and making sexual gestures at young Christian girls in the locality.

Muhammed Bilal Saleem entered a factory and ascended the facility’s steps to the roof. He vaulted across to the roof of the adjacent church, where he straddled a massive cross anchored on a metal structure. Bilal began frantically swaying on the cross while yelling “Allah-u-Akbar” and other Islamic phrases.

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

“Oh Allah… Destroy the Jews, The Christians, The Hindus, The Russians, And the Shiites!”: The Persecution of Christians, February 2022

The following are among the abuses Muslims inflicted on Christians throughout the month of February, 2022:

The Muslim Slaughter of Christians

Nigeria: On February 25, members of the Islamic State West Africa Province murdered three Christians during an attack on Chibok, in the nation’s northeast. The terrorists also destroyed a worship building belonging to the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria.

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

France: Zemmour’s Concept of Remigration Explained by Political Scientist

If elected the president, Éric Zemmour proposes to create a ministry of “remigration” to manage the problems of migration, clandestine business, and the expulsion of foreigners. But what does this concept mean? Political scientist Jean-Yves Camus explained Zemmour’s vision in an interview with the Ouest-France news outlet.

Camus clarified that the concept of “remigration” means the return of migrants to the “country of origin.” It concerns people of non-European origin staying in France. However, according to Camus, this does not concern people from countries such as the United States and Canada, but mainly those of African origin.

“It should be borne in mind that the concept of remigration is the logical consequence of the concept of Great Replacement. They are intimately linked. The concept of the great replacement says that the French people are now a minority in their territory, in their own country,” Camus noted.

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

Poland Accepts 2.3 Mln Refugees Since War in Ukraine Started

Since February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, 2.3 million people have crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border into Poland, the Border Guard (SG) tweeted on Sunday morning.

The SG wrote on Twitter that on Saturday Border Guard officers carried out 31,100 border checks on people entering Poland from Ukraine, a growth of 2.2 percent compared to the previous day.

The Border Guard also said that the number of arrivals by 7:00 a.m. on Sunday had reached 5,200 people, down 15.6 percent compared to Saturday.

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

Watch: Activists, Celebs, And Sadiq Khan Use Ukraine War to Push Diversity and ‘Refugees Welcome’ Agenda

Politicians, activists, and celebrities took to Central London on Saturday to protest against the war in Ukraine and celebrate refugees, diversity, and multiculturalism.

The demonstration, which was attended by thousands of people, was organized by the leftist Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, began in Hyde Park and descended on Trafalgar Square, where a stage and massive screen played out messages from Ukrainians, including — albeit with major technical difficulties, the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko.

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

‘You’re Very Young Looking’ — South Asian Men Claiming to be 60-Years-Old Ukrainian Refugees Quizzed in Ireland

A video of an Irish “citizen journalist” questioning a number of South Asian men claiming to be 60-year-old Ukrainian refugees has gone viral, with the footage prompting questions about the people being given asylum in Western Europe.

Over 3.8 million people have left Ukraine since Russia’s renewed invasion of the state late last month, with up to 200,000 fleeing the country expected to end up in Ireland, according to the EU member-state’s officials.

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

Photojournalist ‘Surprised and Disappointed’ NBC Altered Lia Thomas Photos

Days after NBC edited photos of transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas to soften the athlete’s appearance, photojournalist Erica Denhoff expressed her dismay at the cable news network, whom she says intentionally edited the photos she took.

NBC’s Today Show was lambasted on social media earlier this week for altering photographs of Thomas, seemingly to soften the biologically male athletes’ masculine appearance amid the networks gushing coverage of Thomas, who won the women’s 500 freestyle in the NCAA Women’s Swimming Championship.

Thomas beat the competitors, who are biologically female, sparking outrage among women’s rights activists and conservatives alike.

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

What’s a Woman? Tulsi Gabbard Takes Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee to Task

Tulsi Gabbard, who previously demolished Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential nomination during the 2020 Democratic primary, has taken aim at Ketanji Brown Jackson for her inability to define what a woman is.

When asked by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to provide a definition for the term “woman,” Jackson replied that she was unable to do so because she is “not a biologist.”

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

Mysterious Vortex Waves Discovered on the Sun Hint at New Solar Physics

A new type of high-frequency acoustic wave discovered propagating on the Sun seems to be defying expectations.

The waves appear on the surface of the Sun as a pattern of swirling vortices, moving against the Sun’s rotation. The problem is that these high-frequency retrograde vorticity waves seem to be moving three times faster than predicted by theory — and solar physicists have been unable to determine why.

The discovery, they say, suggests that there is new solar physics to be uncovered, as well as giving fresh insight into the Sun’s internal properties and activity.

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

7 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/27/2022

  1. Saw a report that 20% of Ukraine’s population are refugees, and 50% of all the children.

    That is a lot of people, and has downstream implications whatever the peace looks like.

    • Most of the refugees are internally displaced though: Over 6 million left to other parts of Ukraine (mostly the Western part), while 3 million went abroad.

  2. .
    .
    Putin: The West are thieves – destroying their own system
    28 March, 2022
    from SWEBB Nyheter

    With its harsh sanctions against Russia and the seizure of Russian assets, the West has destroyed its own trust. Confidence in the dollar will plummet and the world’s nations will soon be lining up to turn their digital assets into real ones. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin predicts in a speech.

    It was in a speech earlier in March that Vladimir Putin not only condemned the heavy sanctions against Russia but also made some conclusions about the world and predictions about the future.

    According to the president, Western countries are the ones responsible for rising inflation.

    – They themselves have driven up global inflation in recent years, and their actions have caused growing poverty and greater inequality throughout the world. The question that now arises is: who is responsible for all the millions who will die of hunger in the world’s poorest countries because of growing food shortages?” he says.

    But the sanctions will backfire on the West and the dollar, Putin argues. At the same time, he accuses Western powers of stealing Russia’s assets.

    – The global economy and trade as a whole have been hit hard, as has confidence in the US dollar as the main reserve currency. The illegal freezing of the Russian Central Bank’s foreign exchange reserves marks the end of the reliability of so-called first-class assets, Putin says, pointing out:

    – In fact, the US and the EU have not fulfilled their obligations to Russia. Now everyone knows that financial reserves can simply be stolen. And many countries will in the near future start – and I am sure this will happen – to convert their securities and digital assets into real reserves such as commodities, land, food, gold and other real assets.

    According to the Russian leader, the Western powers want to crush Russia.

    – The collective West is trying to divide our society. They want to provoke civil unrest and are using their Fifth Column in an attempt to achieve this goal. Their goal is to destroy Russia. But any nation, and especially the Russian people, can always distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors, and will simply spit them out like a bug in the mouth. I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-detoxification of society would strengthen our country, our solidarity and cohesion, and our readiness to deal with all kinds of challenges.

    https://nyheter.swebbtv.se/putin-vast-ar-tjuvar-som-raserar-sitt-eget-system/

    • Yes Yes Yes.
      This Botox rotten fish brought his country to a complete collapse, killed a lot of people, and says something else about the West.

  3. The question for the future, is a US Presidential pardon valid if the POTUS leaves office because he is mentally unfit? So if JB padons Hunter Biden right before leaving office either because of the 25th Amendment or self recognized impairment is it valid? I get mad if I try to type more. For example, did JB HAVE to be POTUS?

    Is the delusion I have awaken from still just a delusion?

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