The price of gasoline in Vancouver has risen above $2 per liter ($7.57 per gallon) for the first time ever. Meanwhile, Turkey’s inflation rate hit a twenty-year high of 54%.
In other news, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the sanctions imposed upon his country in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine are tantamount to a declaration of war.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, HW, JW, MM, Reader from Chicago, SS, 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.
Turkey’s Inflation Rate Hits a New 20-Year High of 54%
Inflation in Turkey has increased to a fresh 20-year high, a higher than expected 54.44% for February, as the lira continues to suffer and energy prices climb.
Prices of consumer goods rose 4.81% on the previous month, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute on Thursday. The producer price index jumped 7.22% on the prior month, clocking an annual increase of 105%.
Record energy imports in January helped Turkey’s trade deficit soar, and commodity prices continue to mount amid supply concerns and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Brent crude is up 53% year-to-date.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Princeton University initially defended a professor’s controversial article before attacking him behind the scenes for more than a year; destroying the school’s free speech rule in the process.
As Edward Yingling and Stuart Taylor wrote at RealClearPolitics, Princeton professor Joshua Katz was the one behind the controversial article published in 2020, which heavily criticized demands declared in a Princeton Faculty Letter that included things like providing benefits to junior professors of color based solely on their skin color. Katz called Princeton’s Black Justice League “a small local terrorist organization that made life miserable for the many (including the many black students) who did not agree with its members’ demands.” Katz systematically broke down numerous other demands in the letter, including one that create a “star chamber” capable of punishing people for behaviors deemed inappropriate by a committee beholden to current campus race dogma.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BLM Rioter Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Torching Seattle Police Cars
On Tuesday, a Tacoma, Washington, woman was sentenced in US District Court in Seattle to five years in federal prison for arson after she was convicted of burning five Seattle Police vehicles during a violent May 30, 2020, Black Lives Matter riot.
During the sentencing hearing for 26-year-old Margaret Aislinn Channon, US District Judge John C. Coughenour said Channon’s conduct had done “tremendous damage to Black Lives Matter in Seattle,” according to the Department of Justice.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BLM, Antifa Activists Convicted of Arson After Attempting to Frame Proud Boys for Their Own Crimes
A group of Black Lives Matter and Antifa rioters were convicted on federal charges after attempting to frame the Proud Boys for a series of vandalism and arson attacks the far-left extremists carried out on Atlanta police vehicles and United States Postal Service property during the lead up to the 2020 presidential election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A career criminal with more than 20 arrests to his name since 1999 was released for two separate assaults this week because of the state of New York’s bail reform laws.
The 37-year-old suspect appeared in court Wednesday after allegedly assaulting a woman on the New York City Subway in late February. Surveillance video from the Bronx subway station showed the man walking up to a woman with a black plastic bag in his hand. Then, without saying a word, the suspect smashed the contents of the bag, allegedly his own fecal matter, in her face, and smeared it on the back of her head before fleeing the scene, as the New York Post reported. According to the Bronx Assistant District Attorney present at his arraignment hearing, the suspect made a pass at the woman, but the woman did not engage with him. He then walked into a nearby idling subway car, where he defecated into the bag, before he walked back to the woman and attacked her.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CHD Says Pfizer and FDA Dropped Data Bombshell on COVID Vaccine Consumers
Washington, DC, March 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a 55,000-page set of documents released on Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) is for the first time allowing the public to access data Pfizer submitted to FDA from its clinical trials in support of a COVID-19 vaccine license. This follows U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman’s decision on January 6 to deny the request from the FDA to suppress the data for the next 75 years which the agency claimed was necessary, in part, because of its “limited resources.”
A 38-page report included in the documents features an Appendix, “LIST OF ADVERSE EVENTS OF SPECIAL INTEREST,” that lists 1,291 different adverse events following vaccination. The list includes acute kidney injury, acute flaccid myelitis, anti-sperm antibody positive, brain stem embolism, brain stem thrombosis, cardiac arrest, cardiac failure, cardiac ventricular thrombosis, cardiogenic shock, central nervous system vasculitis, death neonatal, deep vein thrombosis, encephalitis brain stem, encephalitis hemorrhagic, frontal lobe epilepsy, foaming at mouth, epileptic psychosis, facial paralysis, fetal distress syndrome, gastrointestinal amyloidosis, generalized tonic-clonic seizure, Hashimoto’s encephalopathy, hepatic vascular thrombosis, herpes zoster reactivation, immune-mediated hepatitis, interstitial lung disease, jugular vein embolism, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, liver injury, low birth weight, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, myocarditis, neonatal seizure, pancreatitis, pneumonia, stillbirth, tachycardia, temporal lobe epilepsy, testicular autoimmunity, thrombotic cerebral infarction, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, venous thrombosis neonatal, and vertebral artery thrombosis among 1,246 other medical conditions following vaccination.
“This is a bombshell,” said Children’s Health Defense (CHD) president and general counsel Mary Holland. “At least now we know why the FDA and Pfizer wanted to keep this data under wraps for 75 years. These findings should put an immediate end to the Pfizer COVID vaccines. The potential for serious harm is very clear, and those injured by the vaccines are prohibited from suing Pfizer for damages.”…
| — Hat tip: HW | [Return to headlines] |
Former “Star Trek” actor and left-wing activist George Takei received a verbal smackdown from Twitter users after he claimed that Americans could bear the brunt of rising food and gasoline prices in order to stick it to Vladimir Putin.
“Americans: We can endure higher prices for food and gas if it means putting the screws to Putin. Consider it a patriotic donation in the fight for freedom over tyranny,” Takei wrote on Twitter Friday evening.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Efforts to Remove Madison Cawthorn From North Carolina Ballots Blocked by Federal Judge
On Friday, a North Carolina federal judge blocked an effort to keep US Rep. Madison Cawthorn off of ballots in North Carolina this midterm election.
According to WRAL, Chief District Court Judge Richard Myers said that he wouldn’t allow North Carolina’s election board to proceed with an inquiry that would have dove into the US representative’s alleged role in the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol building.
The challenge was filed by attorneys looking to label Cawthorn as an insurrectionist, and have him legally barred from the ballot. Cawthorn spoke at the Save America rally that took place in the hours leading up to, and during, the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
“We are at a moment in which interest in free and fair elections is at its peak,” Myers said, adding that it was his responsibility as a federal judge to protect “the soapbox… the ballot box… and the jury box… And when those fail, that’s when people proceed to the ammunition box.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk said late on Friday that he supports increasing domestic oil and gas drilling to offset energy problems that the U.S. is facing due to policies from the Biden administration and the war in Europe.
“Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures,” Musk tweeted. “Obviously, this would negatively affect Tesla, but sustainable energy solutions simply cannot react instantaneously to make up for Russian oil & gas exports.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Government Spent $2.1 Million to ‘Root’ Out Oppression in Plant Sciences
The federal government allocated $2.14 million to “root” out alleged oppression in… plant sciences.
The National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Biological Sciences recently awarded $2.14 million to the American Society of Plant Biologists for the development of a multi-organization research coordination network called ROOT and SHOOT,” The College Fix reported. “ROOT stands for Rooting Out Oppression Together. And SHOOT? SHaring Our Outcomes Transparently.”
An abstract for the award stated that the “demographic distribution of scientists, especially those in positions of authority, does not reflect that of the US population.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYC Drops Vaccine Passport, K-12 Mask Mandates — But Students Under 5 Still Have to Mask Up
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) officially announced the end of some coronavirus restrictions on Friday after it was reported earlier in the week that he would likely do so.
The vaccine passport system for gyms, restaurants, and entertainment areas will end on Monday, along with K-12 school mask requirements. Adams spoke in Times Square and said New York City is ready to get past COVID-19 rules that have negatively impacted the city’s economy over the past two years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYPD: Couple Faces Charges in Fatal Stabbing of Roommate at Norwood Apartment
Police say a Bronx couple is facing charges after their roommate was stabbed to death inside their Norwood apartment.
The NYPD says 21-year-old John Delgado and his girlfriend, 20-year-old Meanna Torigoe, got into an argument with their roommate over noise.
Police say the couple then stabbed the victim in the neck and chest multiple times. They say when first responders got to the apartment, they found the 29-year-old victim dead at the scene.
Delgado and Torigoe are facing murder, manslaughter and weapons charges.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Majority of Wealthy Americans Want US Military Involvement in European War
Rasmussen Reports, a public opinion polling service, recently released findings detailing the American public’s level of support for US military involvement in a potential “wider” European war. Their findings show that when asked the question, “If a wider war breaks out in Europe, should the U.S. military be involved,” higher-income respondents were more likely to answer “yes.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
States File FOIA Lawsuit Against Biden Admin Demanding Info on Any FBI Surveillance of Parents
A 14-state coalition has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Biden administration demanding the government provide records on any FBI surveillance of parents. The lawsuit comes after the National School Boards Association suggested the Department of Justice treat parents concerned about the direction of schools as potential domestic terrorists.
The Biden administration has failed to respond to FOIA requests filed by Republican Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and other states last fall seeking federal officials’ communications prior to the October 2021 “threats” memo. Rokita is taking the lead on the effort, joined by chief legal advisors in Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Virginia Groups Push Ahead in Effort to Recall Soros-Backed Loudoun Attorney
Two activist groups in Virginia are leading a revised recall effort of Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney Buta Biberaj, who they allege has “neglected her duties” and “demonstrated incompetence.”
Virginians for Safe Communities and Stand up Virginia are collecting signatures at a Loudoun forum tonight hosted by Patriot Pub Alliance. In addition to speakers from the two organizations, former GOP state Sen. Dick Black, as well as Scott Smith, the father of a rape victim at Stone Bridge High School, as reported by The Daily Wire, will talk.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch Live: U.S. Trucker Convoy Arrives in Maryland Day 2
HAGERSTOWN, Maryland — “The People’s Convoy” continues to grow at the Hagerstown Speedway, about 70 miles outside Washington, DC.
The convoy, which started in Adelanto, California, started arriving in Maryland in the afternoon March 4 and is set to add to their ranks. They are protesting the federal coronavirus mandates and seeking the rescission of President Joe Biden’s emergency declaration regarding the pandemic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau provided some insight on Friday as to what he and world leaders would be discussing on his coming trip to Europe. Trudeau will be traveling to meet to visit the leaders of the UK, Latvia, Germany and Poland.
“One of the things that we’ve seen that’s been incredibly strong in the response to the continued Russian aggression in Ukraine, has been, not just the resilience of the Ukrainian people… But the strong, seamless coordinated response by all of our allies,” he said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Budget Watchdog Admits Government Spending Tough to Track
Parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux has said that federal budgeting leaves taxpayers with minimal ability to “follow each and every dollar,” according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
“There are mechanisms to prevent inappropriate expenditures but there is no guarantee all these mechanisms are followed,” said Giroux at the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance on Wednesday. “Once the money is approved it is much more difficult to follow each and every dollar.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dawid Pawlowski Released: Legal Update With Sarah Miller
If Pastor Artur Pawlowski is indeed the most persecuted person in Canada under the COVID-19 restriction regime we have been living through these past two years, his brother Dawid Pawlowski is very likely the runner up in this sad, anti-democratic pageant of political theatre.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Full Compilation: Livestreams of Police Crackdown on Convoy Protesters in Ottawa (Part One)
I had been on the ground covering the trucker’s convoy in Ottawa from January 28 to February 22. Throughout my time speaking with truckers and their supporters, I saw nothing but peaceful Canadians exercising their right to protest and trying to have their voices heard.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gas in Vancouver Tops $2 Per Litre in Historic High
The Metro Vancouver area on Friday has now broken a historic record, as some stations in the major urban centre are now selling gas for more than $2 per litre.
According to CTV News Vancouver, the nuumber is the highest price ever recorded in the Vancouver region, “which regularly sees the highest gas prices in the country and sometimes even on the continent.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Iron Energy Gym Owners Continue Fighting for Freedom After Being Forced to Close Their Doors
When it comes to the fight for freedom in fitness in British Columbia, many have had their eyes set on West Kelowna’s Iron Energy Gym. Despite the gym recently being forced by court order to close its doors, Brian Mark says “we are going to do everything in our power to fight and stay open for everyone.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jordan Peterson Slams Ottawa ‘Journalism Under Siege’ Panel: ‘What a Disgrace’
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson called out Carleton University’s School of Journalism on Friday night for hosting a panel featuring legacy media journalists who claim they have survived the “siege” of Ottawa.
“If they were real journalists, they’d be ashamed to claim under-siege status. What a disgrace,” Peterson tweeted. He replied to a piece by True North, which discusses the panel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
More Than 50,000 Signatures on Petition to Defund CBC
A petition to defund CBC has had quicker uptake than any previous Canadian Taxpayers Federation petitions, according to CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano. He joined The Andrew Lawton Show to explain why Canadian taxpayers should be off the hook for the $1.4 billion the state broadcaster receives each year.
[Comment: Ending state support of the media should be one of the top priorities of a right-of-center government.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Toronto Restaurants to Serve ‘Kyiv Mules’ Instead of Moscow Mules
Patrons looking to order a Moscow mule may soon be out of luck, especially if they attend any one of the 12 Gabby’s locations in Toronto, Canada. According to BlogTO, the popular chain will stop serving Moscow mules and stop ordering Russian products. Instead, they will serve “Kyiv mules.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: Hungary ‘Blocking Cooperation With Ukraine’ In EU, NATO
Hungary is welcoming Ukrainian refugees but “blocking cooperation” with Kyiv’s govt at the EU and NATO over its treatment of ethnic Hungarians
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
France: Le Pen Niece Marion Maréchal Expected to Join Zemmour Presidential Campaign
Marion Maréchal, former French MP and niece of Marine Le Pen, is expected to join the presidential campaign of the conservative writer and pundit Eric Zemmour and appear at a rally this weekend in Toulon.
Marion Maréchal, who was formerly a member of the French parliament for the Front National (FN), now National Rally (RN), under her aunt Marine Le Pen, is expected to announce her formal support for Zemmour on Sunday, with the entourage of the rival populist confirming this week that she will be attending the rally.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lugano, Switzerland Will Make Bitcoin Legal Tender
The city of Lugano, Switzerland, will make bitcoin legal tender and allow citizens to pay for public service fees or taxes in bitcoin, city director Pietro Poretti co-announced in an event livestreamed on Thursday alongside mayor Michele Foletti and CTO of Tether Paolo Ardoino. The city has already worked with over 200 merchants to propel the adoption of bitcoin and Lightning payments.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden to End Pandemic Measures, Stop Classifying COVID as ‘Generally and Socially Dangerous’
The Swedish government is set to repeal its Pandemic Act by the end of the month and starting in April, the country will no longer classify the Wuhan virus as a “generally and socially dangerous” disease.
Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren announced that the government will be repealing the Pandemic Act by submitting a motion to end measures to the Swedish parliament — something the legislature, known as the Riksdag, had already asked the government to do.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Russia Blacklists Facebook, Twitter
The Russian government has reportedly blocked access to Facebook and Twitter completely in the country in response to the social media Masters of the Universe placing restrictions on Russian state media.
The Guardian reports that Russia has blocked access to Facebook and Twitter in retaliation for the platforms placing restrictions on Russian-state media such as Russia Today and Sputnik. Breitbart News previously reported that Facebook (including Instagram), YouTube, and TikTok have completely banned Russian media outlets like Russia Today and Sputnik throughout the European Union.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Besieged Ukrainian City Cancels Evacuations, Accuses Russia of Breaking Cease-Fire
Russian President Vladimir Putin likened Western sanctions to a declaration of war Saturday and warned that any move to create a no-fly zone above Ukraine would be viewed as “participation” in the conflict.
Putin’s latest rhetorical escalation of tensions came hours after an effort to evacuate civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol was suspended when Ukraine said Russian forces violated a temporary cease-fire with an ongoing barrage of shelling.
The apparent collapse of the first agreement to create humanitarian corridors in the country underscored the perilous existence of civilians facing a Russian assault that has brought death and destruction to its democratic neighbor.
Since Putin launched the invasion nine days ago, he has seen his military struggle against staunch Ukrainian resistance and his country subject to global condemnation, isolation and crippling economic sanctions.
On Saturday, Putin described those sanctions as “methods of fighting against Russia.”
These sanctions that you can see here are the equivalent of war, but thankfully it has not come to an actual war,” he said during a visit to a training center for Russian airline Aeroflot…
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk announced late on Friday night that the Starlink terminals he sent to Ukraine will not censor Russian media organizations, despite pressure from some governments.
“Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources,” Musk tweeted. “We will not do so unless at gunpoint. Sorry to be a free speech absolutist.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
High Fertilizer Prices Now Far Worse After Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The cost of fertilizer was already at crisis levels before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but industry leaders say it’s now about to get much worse.
The stock price of the world’s largest fertilizer producer, Saskatoon-based Nutrien Ltd., saw a 24% increase over the last month, reaching a high of $113 CAD on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the cost of grain reached a 14-year record after it jumped to $10 per bushel.
While shareholders and investors might be happy with the market, farmers are increasingly expressing concerns about the high costs and how it will impact their yields.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Islamic State Celebrates Ukraine War as ‘Divine Punishment Against Infidels’
Members of the Islamic State terrorist group have celebrated the ongoing conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, expressing hope the war will spread to other European countries.
The Islamic State magazine Al Naba is said to have published an editorial regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, labelling the conflict a “divine punishment” and going on to state that it “will have significant consequences that will change many of the laws of peace and war between those countries.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nearly 1 Million Ukrainians Have Fled. More Than 40 Million Have Stayed — for Now
Before the Russian military invaded Ukraine, 20-year-old Rehina Solodovnik described her life in the river city of Dnipro as idyllic.
“Before everything happened, I believe I had the best life possible. I have a loving family — my grandma, my aunt, my parents, my baby brother was born last year,” she said. “I have a part-time job as an English tutor.”
Some of those she tutored were Russians, who connected with her online, from across the border. When the war broke out, her teaching stopped. But she’s still getting text messages from the Russians.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PayPal Suspends Services in Russia Over Ukraine Invasion
Russians increasingly find themselves pinned between a growing list of services they cannot use and a shrinking number of ways to access markets that are still open to them. PayPal, the US-based payment exchange app, became the most recent company to suspend its services in Russia in opposition to Russian hostilities in Ukraine. PayPal joins a handful of companies such as Apple, Samsung, Warner Brothers, Exon, Shell, IKEA, Nike, among others.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Putin Calls Sanctions a Declaration of War as Zelenskyy Pleads for More Aid
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the financial penalties imposed on his country by the West amount to a declaration of war as Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine.
“These sanctions that are being imposed, they are akin to declaring war,” Putin told a group of flight attendants near Moscow on Saturday, according to The Associated Press. “But thank God, we haven’t got there yet.”
In response to Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, Western countries have put severe restrictions on Russia’s central bank, barred companies from doing business in Russia, and have begun seizing oligarchs’ yachts and luxury properties abroad.
Putin also said that any attempt to install a no-fly zone in Ukraine would cause catastrophic consequences for Europe and the world.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Putin Says Sanctions Over Ukraine Are Like a Declaration of War
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described sanctions imposed by Western nations over his invasion of Ukraine as “akin to a declaration of war”.
“But thank God it has not come to that,” he added.
Mr Putin also warned that any attempt to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be seen as participation in the armed conflict.
And he rejected suggestions that he would introduce a state of emergency or martial law in Russia.
Mr Putin made the remarks while speaking to a group of women flight attendants at an Aeroflot training centre near Moscow.
Since the start of Russia’s invasion 10 days ago, the West has imposed a raft of sanctions on Russia, including the freezing of Mr Putin’s foreign assets and the exclusion of a number of Russian banks from the Swift international payments system.
In addition, many multinational firms have ceased operations in Russia, On Saturday, Zara, Paypal and Samsung became the latest global brands to suspend trading there…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Rumble Maintains Commitment to Free Speech in Light of Bans on RT
Amidst the ousting of the Russian-backed Russia Today (RT) news channel from television and social media platforms, the video streaming platform Rumble issued a statement on Thursday clarifying that RT is just another user on their free speech-based platform.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia-Ukraine War: What Happened Today (March 5)
As Saturday comes to a close in Kyiv and Moscow, here is a look at the key developments of the day:
As Saturday comes to a close in Kyiv and Moscow, here is a look at the key developments of the day:
Ukraine is asking for more military aid from the U.S. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the plea during a Zoom call Saturday morning with more than 280 members of Congress. Both Democrats and Republicans have signaled their support. Zelenskyy also asked the U.S. to institute a ban on Russian imports, including oil and gas.
A cease-fire failed in less than three hours. Russia agreed to a cease-fire early on Saturday to allow civilians to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha, two cities undergoing heavy shelling. But Ukrainian officials said shelling quickly resumed.
As Saturday comes to a close in Kyiv and Moscow, here is a look at the key developments of the day:
Ukraine is asking for more military aid from the U.S. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the plea during a Zoom call Saturday morning with more than 280 members of Congress. Both Democrats and Republicans have signaled their support. Zelenskyy also asked the U.S. to institute a ban on Russian imports, including oil and gas.
A cease-fire failed in less than three hours. Russia agreed to a cease-fire early on Saturday to allow civilians to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha, two cities undergoing heavy shelling. But Ukrainian officials said shelling quickly resumed
Athletes continue to be impacted. Russian gymnasts and officials have been banned from international competitions by the International Gymnastics Federation. This comes after Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from the Beijing Paralympics that started on Friday. Other global sports organizations are distancing themselves from Russia.
In-depth
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is being covered heavily by Western media. But not every war gets the same coverage.
Past U.S. policy toward Russia has done little to change Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions. Those decades of decisions from previous administrations are part of the calculus in how President Biden is confronting Putin today.
Airbnb reservations are helping get money to Ukrainians. People around the world are booking Airbnbs in Ukraine with no intention of visiting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is Tied to Klaus Schwab, Justin Trudeau, And Other Global Elites
(LifeSiteNews) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was one of the reasons he got into politics.
After leaving his career as a comedian and entertainer and becoming Ukraine’s president in April 2019, Zelenskyy hailed Trudeau as “one of those leaders who inspired” him “to join politics,” when he became Ukraine’s president in 2019.
While Zelenskyy has shot to stardom from relative obscurity from the perspective of the West since the Russo-Ukrainian conflict became international news last week, his admiration for Trudeau comes as less of a surprise when looking into his background.
Like Trudeau, Zelenskyy is an acolyte of Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum, the globalist organization behind the now-infamous “Great Reset” agenda, which tells the world that by the year 2030, “You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine’s Zelensky Blasts ‘Weak’ NATO for Refusing to Start Air War With Russia
President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed NATO as “weak” for refusing to enforce a no-fly zone in Ukraine, saying it will bear responsibility for future Ukrainian deaths.
Speaking at a public press conference, the Ukrainian president branded a recent NATO summit on the war in Ukraine “weak” and “confused” and evidence that “not everyone considers the struggle for freedom to be Europe’s number one goal.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Visa and MasterCard Spark Debate With Latest Crackdown on Russia
On Saturday, The Daily Wire reported that financial giants Mastercard and Visa have announced they will be suspending all operations in Russia due to the nation’s military invasion of its neighbor Ukraine. The move could have enormous economic consequences for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the two firms comprise roughly 74% of all transactions in Russia.
While many praised the move in hopes that it will cripple Russia’s spirit and dwindle their military morale, ultimately leading to a free Ukraine, others saw the move as a net-negative because of the potential global implications for future events.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In its most recent Democracy assessment, the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute ranked India in the top ten autocratic countries in the world. Continuing with baseless anti-India propaganda by western organisations, they have also stated that the country’s democratic orientation will deteriorate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Peace of Religion Follower’ Hyderabad man sentenced to 16 years in prison on terror charges relating to plan of serial blasts in Hindu festivals.
B Upendran | HENB | Hyderabad | March 5, 2022:: The VII Additional Metropolitan Sessions Court at Nampally sentenced a terror operative Abdul Aziz alias Gidda Aziz to 16 years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 26,000. However, the accused tried to deny all the charges framed against him and posed as a devout follower of the ‘Religion of Peace’. But, His associate Abdul Hadi was acquitted by the court.
Aziz was accused of a series of charges including planning to cause explosions in Hyderabad during 2001 Ganesh Chaturthi, a very crowded Hindu festival in the city and another one on conspiracy to cause an explosion at Ganesh temple in Secunderabad in 2004.
After he was arrested by the police from Lucknow airport in early 2016, a local court in Hyderabad granted him conditional bail.
Aziz however jumped bail and fled to Gulf, from where he was deported a few years ago and put to trial, leading to the conviction.
His other associate Mohd Nisar was earlier convicted and sentenced to 16 years imprisonment…
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
The Kerala Police on Thursday arrested Maulvi Sharaafuddin for raping a 13-year-old girl inside a Madarsa. The Muslim cleric had raped the minor several times and threatened her to keep her mouth shut.
The incident came to light when the girl complained of severe stomach ache on February 25. She was immediately taken to the hospital where the doctors declared that she was pregnant. The girl had kept quiet as the Maulvi had threatened her that he would harm her family if she tells the truth.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
(LifeSiteNews) — Due to Western Australia’s new so-called COVID measures, a terminally ill 47-year-old mother of five was informed that her children are not allowed to visit her in the hospital.
Despite her entire family being vaccinated against COVID-19, Jo Gittos was told that due to the state of Western Australia’s “red alert” restrictions for hospitals, her children and her mother will not be allowed to visit during what are likely her final weeks to live.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
El Salvador Records Double-Digit Growth in GDP, Was Bitcoin Behind It?
El Salvador has been making headlines around the globe for months now thanks to its decision to adopt bitcoin as an official legal tender. But after the implementation, what next? There have been numerous calls for the country and its President, Nayib Bukele, to review and repeal this decision as it had the potential to adversely harm the nation’s economy.
Calls came from the IMF and Bank of England to remove the digital currency as legal tender to prevent devastating effects on the county’s economy. However, the numbers for 2021 are in showing record growth in El Salvador’s GDP. But did Bitcoin have anything to do with this growth?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez is a Salvadoran politician and businessman who is the 43rd president of El Salvador since 1 June 2019 after winning the 2019 election. He ran as the candidate of the center-right Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) party and became the first president since José Napoleón Duarte (1984—1989) not to have been elected as the candidate of one of the country’s two major political parties: the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) and the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA). He is also the founder of the political party Nuevas Ideas (NI).
Bukele was previously elected mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlan on 11 March 2012. He was also elected mayor of San Salvador on 1 March 2015, and took office on 1 May 2015. He contested and won the elections to both public offices under the banner of the left-wing Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front.
El Salvador’s murder rate decreased to historic lows during Bukele’s tenure, falling by over 50 percent during his first year in office. Although Bukele attributed the decrease in murders to his deployment of thousands of police and soldiers to gang strongholds and an increase in prison security, his government has been accused by the United States of secretly negotiating with Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) to reduce the number of murders.
A right-wing populist, Bukele has consistently maintained high approval ratings among Salvadorans throughout his tenure.
[Comment: President Bukele also supports the Freedom Convoy in Canada.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Opens Border After South Africa Complains About Their Treatment of Blacks
There is a very diverse crowd on the German-Polish border currently trying to take advantage of the war situation. Do they really all come from Ukraine?
At the end of February, Polish border guards faced accusations of racially discriminating against people of African origin at their country’s border with Ukraine.
But anyone who wants to enter Poland has to prove their identity by presenting valid identification papers. This applies to everyone, regardless of the color of their skin.
At the Polish-Ukrainian border some people of African origin who did not have a valid passport were turned away, and the Polish customs are now confronted with accusations of racism even though they had turned away whites as well.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Any Ukrainians? Border Force Help Import Another 99 Boat Migrants on Friday
Ninety-nine illegal migrants were ferried to the British port of Dover on Friday after being picked up in the English Channel by the UK Border Force and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
British authorities met three boats in the English Channel making the illegal crossing on Friday, and instead of ordering them to return to France — a safe, first-world EU member-state — they picked them up, gave them blankets, and brought them onto British soil, according to GB News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austrian Bishop Hangs Banner of Nude Trans Activist Over Main Altar for Lent
(LifeSiteNews) — The Catholic bishop of Innsbruck, Austria, inaugurated a “Lenten” decoration of the main altar of the historic University church of Saint John Nepomuk, a baroque jewel from the early 18th century. The “decoration” shows an enlarged partial inverted photograph of a naked young man with scars and tattoos lying on a bed and has been placed as an altarpiece above the tabernacle of the former main altar of the church. The piece of contemporary art by Carmen Brucic was specially chosen by Bishop Hermann Glettler, and bears the title: “Tired.”
Bishop Glettler has campaigned for the blessing of same-sex couples in the past (more on that later).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DeSantis: Media is Purposefully Spinning Frenzy Over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis hit back Friday against misrepresentations of the state’s new bill prohibiting instruction on LGBTQ topics to young children.
Critics have labeled HB 1557 the “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” accusing Republicans of endangering LGBTQ youth by outing them to their parents or preventing them from learning about their sexuality. DeSantis pushed back on this framing during a press briefing on Friday.
“You actually look at the bill, and it says, ‘no sexual instruction in grades Pre-K through 3,’“ he explained. “And so, how many parents want their kindergarteners to have transgenderism or something injected into classroom instruction? And so, I think those are very young kids. I think the legislature is basically trying to give parents assurance that they’re gonna be able to go, and this stuff’s not gonna be there.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Passes 15-Week Abortion Ban
On Thursday night, lawmakers in Florida voted to prohibit most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
According to Politico, “The measure prohibits women from receiving abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. It provides no exceptions for victims of rape, incest or human trafficking. Existing Florida law restricts abortions after 24 weeks.”
The legislation is headed to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’s desk, who is expected to sign it into law. It is anticipated to take effect on July 1.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Colorado Case Over LGBT Discrimination and Freedom of Speech
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case relating to free speech in art. The case involves a Denver-based web designer who has challenged a state law that forbids her from openly stating on her website that she can only create wedding pages for heterosexual couples due to her religious convictions
Once again, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act is at issue. This time, it’s not a Colorado baker, who was involved in a famous case a few years ago, but rather a web designer.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Islamic State Celebrates Ukraine War as ‘Divine Punishment Against Infidels’
The article refers to the distribution of weapons to the population.
Yes, it’s true – there is a massive distribution of weapons to everyone. Among Ukrainians (as well as Russians) there are not very civilized people. Lots of looting reportedly, lots of innocent victims.
I thoroughly confused. Some say the Ukraine is the problem and some say that Russia is the problem.
I see that all the liberals in America and the celebrities and fake news sources are praising the Ukraine. I don’t trust anything that they say.
I just wish I knew the truth about both of them.
This is a dirty, very dirty game, started on the eve of the collapse of the USSR. Now something happened that has matured all these years. The victim is the people of Russia and Ukraine.
I have stopped watching the news. Nerves can’t take it.
Are you safe, Elena, from the fighting?
consider reading Martin Armstrong over at armstrongeconomics,com , deep data driven assessments