A man wearing a gas mask threw a gas canister into a car on the New York subway in Brooklyn and then opened fire on passengers, wounding more than twenty people, ten of whom had gunshot wounds. The suspect, identified as Frank James, is still at large. There are reports that Mr. James had been associated with the Nation of Islam.
In other news, there are reports that Russian forces employed chemical weapons in their attacks on the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, but independent investigators have not yet confirmed the allegations.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, 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.
Japan’s Wholesale Prices Surge 7.3% in FY 2021, Fastest Pace on Record
Japan’s wholesale prices jumped 7.3 percent in the year to March 2022 from a year earlier, the fastest pace on record, driven by surging crude oil and commodity prices amid an economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Bank of Japan data showed Tuesday.
Amplified by a weak yen, the record rise since comparable data became available in 1981 came after a 1.4 percent fall in fiscal 2020. It highlighted the strong impact of fluctuations in commodity prices on Japan, a major energy importer.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Media React to Skyrocketing March Inflation: ‘This is Crippling Politically’
Media personalities reacted to the new March inflation numbers on Tuesday, which saw a 1.2% increase from February.
Inflation rose 8.5% in March from last year, reaching a new 40-year high. The March numbers mark the biggest increase since December 1981, when inflation hit 8.9%.
MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour” host Stephanie Ruhle joined Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough and Willie Geist on “Morning Joe” to break down the latest report.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Economic Growth Forecast Slashed by World Bank as War in Ukraine Hits Home
Poland’s economic growth forecast for 2022 has been slashed from 4.7 percent to 3.9 percent by the World Bank as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to hit the European and Central Asian economies.
In its report titled War in the Region. Spring 2022, the World Bank also raised its estimate for GDP growth in Poland next year by 0.2 percent to 3.6 percent.
Despite the reduced forecast for 2022, the GDP growth in Poland may be still higher than the Central European average.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“S*** Show”: Triggered Twitter Employees Melt Down Over Elon Musk’s Uncertain Intentions
The staff at Twitter are apparently so triggered by Elon Musk’s involvement in the company that they were even stressed on their monthly “day of rest” they get off.
It remains to be seen now that Musk has declined a board seat with the company whether his goals are to be an active or passive investor.
Twitter was so confident that Musk was going to join its Board of Directors, it had listed his name on the company’s IR page, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
But now the lack of clarity surrounding Musk’s involvement has “signaled chaos” for some employees. A Q&A that was set up with Musk after it was expected that he would join the board of directors has been cancelled.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Something is Up”: Rep. Jim Jordan Suggests Hunter Biden Indictment Could be Coming
Top House Republican Jim Jordan said on Sunday he thinks “something is up” with the MSM’s recent flip-flop on the Hunter Biden laptop story — which was originally branded as Russian disinformation right before the 2020 US election, only to be validated as authentic in recent weeks amid a grand jury investigation into the First Son.
According to Jordan, it “sure seems” that Hunter is on his way to being indicted — though he couldn’t say for sure, according to the Washington Examiner. Jordan pointed to the remarkable timing of MSM outlets reporting on Hunter’s laptop in seeming lockstep, which coincides with a flurry of grand jury activity.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
10 Shot in Brooklyn Subway Rush-Hour Attack; Manhunt Ongoing for Gunman in Gas Mask
A sweeping law enforcement investigation is underway after the shooting at the 36th Street station in Sunset Park; 10 people were shot, five of them critically wounded, in the rush-hour attack. Others were hurt in the chaos
At least 10 Brooklyn subway riders were shot Tuesday by a man wearing a gas mask and a green construction vest who tossed a smoke canister in the train car to distract the rush hour crowd before opening fire, officials and law enforcement sources said.
Five of the gunshot victims were said to be critically injured. Details on the nature of their wounds weren’t immediately clear. No fatalities have been reported. It’s not clear what kind of gun was used, nor was it immediately known how many shots were fired.
The smoke canister, and harrowing video from the train, prompted early concerns about possible explosive devices connected to the case, but NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell assured New Yorkers in an early afternoon news conference that there are no known explosive devices on any subway trains in the city at this time.
The shooter remained on the loose more than three hours after he opened fire on the train at the 36th Street and Fourth Avenue station in Sunset Park around 8:30 a.m.
Some of the 10 wounded were in the same train car as the suspect. Others were on the platform, authorities said. The train was still moving when Sewell says he donned a gas mask, threw a smoke canister on the subway car floor and started shooting…
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Claims 2nd Amendment “Didn’t Say You Can Own Any Gun You Want”
Joe Biden claimed Monday that from its very inception the Second Amendment never allowed for Americans to own any firearms they desire, a blatant lie.
Biden made the comments during an announcement of a new regulation that will see background checks and serial numbers required for so called ‘ghost guns’ that were up til now unregulated and untraceable.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Approval Rating Dips to Lowest Point in Latest CBS News Poll
President Biden’s popularity dropped to its lowest point yet in a CBS News/YouGov poll out Sunday — with just 42% of Americans approving of Biden’s performance while 58 percent disapprove.
Biden’s approval rating is low across the board, including among demographic groups that generally support Democrats, including racial minorities and young people.
People under age 30 gave Biden a resounding thumbs-down, with 57 percent saying they disapprove and just 43 percent saying they approve of the president’s performance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Big Cuts Coming for CNN+ After Lackluster Launch
Following the lackluster amount of subscribers to CNN’s new streaming platform CNN+, investments and projections for the platform are expected to be drastically cut.
The news outlet initially planned to invest around $1 billion in the streaming service over the next four years, but according to Axios, this total is expected to now be cut by hundreds of millions of dollars.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bird Poops on Biden as He Claims US is in Dumps Because of Putin
Not even the birds approved of President Biden in Iowa on Tuesday — as a winged spectator defecated on the beleaguered commander-in-chief as he gave a speech inside a barn.
Biden’s blue suit took a direct hit as he began a 25-minute address in which he blamed the US’ 8.5% annual inflation rate on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine rather than his own actions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BLM Defends Purchase of $6m California Home With Donations
Black Lives Matter defended the group’s secretive purchase of a swanky, $5.8 million Southern California home with donated funds, vowing to “increase transparency” — while still providing little detail about the eyebrow-raising acquisition.
“There have been a lot of questions surrounding recent reports about the purchase of Creator’s House in California,” BLM said Monday in its official Twitter account.
“Despite past efforts, BLMGNF recognizes that there is more work to do to increase transparency and ensure transitions in leadership are clear,” added the left-wing social justice group, which turned off replies to its tweets.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brooklyn Subway Shooter Still at Large, NYPD Identifies Suspect From Credit Card at Scene
Update (1821ET): NYPD is searching for Frank James in connection to Tuesday’s Brooklyn subway shooting.
NYPD News tweeted a picture of the suspect.
This is Frank James. He is a person of interest in the shooting that took place on the N train in Brooklyn Tuesday morning. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call @NYPDTips at 1-800-577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/vSYb5UIu2k
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 12, 2022
Police said, “Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 1-800-577-TIPS.”
* * *
Update (1753ET): CNN’s Pervaiz Shallwani said law enforcement officials have identified “the suspect in the Brooklyn subway shooting after finding a credit card at the scene.” He also said the credit card was tied to a rental U-Haul cargo van found this evening.
NYPD found the U-Haul cargo van tied to the suspect.
Here’s a summary of today’s chaotic events at a subway station in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn that began around 0830 ET (courtesy of The Guardian):
- The gunman in today’s attack remains at large, with New York mayor Eric Adams noting that police will likely release a suspect ID during another press briefing later today.
- Joe Biden commented on the Brooklyn subway shooting, saying “we’re not letting up until we find the perpetrator,” and shouting out first responders and civilians who helped the injured this morning.
- More than 20 people were injured during today’s attack, including 10 who were shot and five who are in critical, but stable, condition. Earlier today, the total was reported as 13 people injured with no numbers on how many had sustained gun shot wounds.
- The weapon the suspect used to shoot multiple people on a subway train and platform earlier on Tuesday in Brooklyn may have been recovered at the scene by law enforcement, CNN is reporting.
- New York Police Department police commissioner Keechant Sewell described the suspect as a 5ft 5in-tall Black man with a heavy build, wearing a green construction-type vest and a hooded sweatshirt.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brookline Teacher Arrested for Allegedly Raping Student Over 2 Years
On Monday evening, a former Massachusetts teacher was arrested and charged in connection with multiple sexual assaults against a student over a period of two years.
36-year-old Larry Chen was a teacher in Brookline, in the outskirts of Boston, from 2013 through his resignation in 2018, according to the Brookline Police Department.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Describes Criminals and Felons as ‘Justice Involved Individuals’
Over in California, Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest budget report allocates $10.6 million dollars for “justice involved individuals” to have housing upon their release from jail.
The term appears in the 2022-23 governor’s budget summary, in a section called “Transitional Housing for Justice Involved Individuals.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Disney Whistleblower Claims Company Never Internally Addressed Hiring of Child-Predators
A Disney whistleblower alleged that the children’s entertainment giant has never internally addressed or dealt with the hundreds of employees that have been arrested in child sex trafficking stings throughout the years.
The whistleblower spoke anonymously to Benny Johnson on The Benny Show and explained that the company doesn’t internally address “things that are unpleasant” and employees are told not to bring up issues that would jeopardize the brand.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FBI Memos Suggest Agency Had Moles in Media
Authored by Ken Silva via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Investigator Roger Charles was combing through records of the FBI’s Oklahoma City bombing investigation more than a decade ago, when he discovered a memo suggesting that someone working at ABC News provided a tip to the bureau a day after the deadly April 19, 1995, domestic terrorist attack.
It appeared that a senior ABC News journalist had been doubling as an FBI informant. The memo made a few headlines in 2011, but quickly passed through the news cycle with little impact and hardly any coverage by major outlets.
However, Charles’s discovery stoked the curiosity of his friend, attorney Jesse Trentadue. The Utah resident was suing the FBI for records related to his brother’s murder, and began filing requests in 2012 to see if the bureau had other informants in the media, as well as places such as congressional offices, courts, churches, other government agencies, and the White House.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kemp Signs Constitutional Carry Bill Into Law for Georgia
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 319, a “constitutional carry” measure allowing Georgians to carry guns without the need for a state-issued license.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lawmakers Reject Amendment to Prevent Monitoring of Unvaccinated
All Democrats in the House Judiciary Committee voted against an amendment that could have protected the unvaccinated from being tracked.
The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021 gives federal agencies like the FBI, DOJ, and DHS the authority to “analyze and monitor” activities of domestic terrorism and “take steps to prevent domestic terrorism.”
The current administration’s program for tackling domestic terrorism includes monitoring the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories online.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Less Than 10 Percent of Americans Say COVID Still a ‘Serious Crisis: ‘ Poll
More than two years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, fewer than one in 10 Americans view the virus as a “serious crisis,” according to a new poll.
The Axios/Ipsos survey published Tuesday found that nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) said the pandemic was “a problem, but manageable.” Another 17% said it was “not a problem at all,” while just 9% called it a “crisis.”
There was a clear partisan split in the responses, with Democrats five times more likely than Republicans to describe COVID-19 as a “crisis” — 16% to 3% — while Republicans were 10 times more likely than Democrats (31% to 3%) to say COVID-19 was “not a problem at all.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS
Defendant Sought to Join the Islamic State in Libya and Testified at Trial that He Would Again Seek to Join ISIS if Acquitted
A California man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, aka ISIS.
Bernard Raymond Augustine, 25, of Keyes, was convicted by a federal jury after a one-week trial in August 2021.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in February 2016, Augustine traveled from San Francisco to Northern Africa with the goal of joining ISIS. After arriving in Tunisia, Augustine was detained by local authorities before he could make it to ISIS-controlled territory across the border in Libya. He was returned to the United States in 2018 and prosecuted in the Eastern District of New York.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York Lt. Governor Resigns Following Campaign Finance Indictment
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s #2, Brian A. Benjamin, resigned on Tuesday as Lt. Gov. just hours after he was indicted over an alleged scheme to funnel illegal donations to his past political campaigns and then cover it up.
“While the legal process plays out, it is clear to both of us that he cannot continue to serve as lieutenant governor,” wrote Hochul in a statement. “New Yorkers deserve absolute confidence in their government, and I will continue working every day to deliver for them.”
In a five-count indictment that was unsealed on Tuesday, Benjamin is accused of conspiring to direct $50,000 in state funds to a charity run by a Harlem real estate developer while Benjamin was a state senator. The developer, in return, orchestrated thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions for his 2021 bid for NYC comptroller as well as his Senate campaign.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Something That’s Frightening’: Robert Epstein Warns Against Big Tech Manipulation
Authored by Masooma Haq and Jan Jekielek via The Epoch Times
A senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, in California, Robert Epstein has been researching and looking at how the biggest tech companies influence human behavior, and conducting extensive monitoring projects of bias in these companies’ products, with a particular focus on Google.
Epstein called his findings “frightening” because of the tech companies’ ability to manipulate and change people’s behavior on a global scale.
“Now, put that all together, you’ve got something that’s frightening, because you have sources of influence, controlled by really a handful of executives who are not accountable to any public, not the American public, not any public anywhere. They’re only accountable to their shareholders,” Epstein told “American Thought Leaders” host Jan Jekielek during a recent interview.
“And yet, they hold in their hands, the power to change thinking behavior on a massive scale, the power in close elections anyway, to pick the winner in the country after country after country.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Soros-Funded Prosecutor in St. Louis Admits to Wrongdoing in Greitens Case
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner on Monday admitted to wrongdoing before a state legal board in a case she prosecuted against former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and will accept a reprimand, according to news reports.
Gardner appeared before the Missouri Office of Disciplinary Counsel in a St. Louis County courthouse for claims of prosecutorial misconduct. Both sides agreed to a reprimand, but the Missouri Supreme Court will decide disciplinary actions, according to KMOV TV.
Gardner, who has had financial campaign support from liberal megadonor George Soros, was accused in a 73-page report of failing to disclose evidence to Greitens’ lawyers, misrepresenting evidence and other ethical violations, the CBS-TV affiliate also reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Schools Are Using Smart Cameras to Target Students Without Face Masks
A US school district with 95,000 students switched during the pandemic to using its “swarm” of automated surveillance tech to identify children who showed up at school without wearing a mask.
The “smart cameras,” produced by Motorola’s Avigilon and capable of facial recognition and gun detection, were catching even those students who were wearing their masks pulled under the nose.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Most of the major US federal government websites and numerous state and local government websites are sending real-time surveillance data back to Google as users browse their websites. Even websites where users are submitting sensitive or personal information, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) tips page and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website, contain tracking code that sends real-time visitor data back to Google.
Most of these government websites contain tracking code from the web traffic analytics tool Google Analytics. This code collects detailed user data which is sent to Google’s servers, analyzed, and presented to website owners via an online dashboard.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
YouTube CEO Tries to Defend Hiding “Dislikes”
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has explained the platform’s decision to remove the dislike button. The controversial move, which was made late last year, has been criticized by some of the most popular content creators.
Technically, the dislike button is still there. However, the number of dislikes on a video is not displayed to the public.
In an interview with gaming streamer Ludwig Ahgren, YouTube CEO explained why the platform no longer displays the number of dislikes. She insisted that displaying the number of dislikes can harm small content creators.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Bill Gates, you’re not welcome here!”
That was the “Super Protest” slogan that attracted around 600 people to the Vancouver Convention Centre this past Sunday, where day one of the 2022 TED Conference is taking place.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Calgarians Continue Rallying for Freedom Despite City Injunction’s Fourth Week
Despite a City of Calgary injunction designed to significantly curb anti-vaccine mandate demonstrators’ capacity to protest remaining in place for the fourth consecutive week, people were once again out in the hundreds at Calgary City Hall, demanding that the Charter-enshrined rights and freedoms of all Canadians be respected.
Police presence was still noticeable, but it was significantly lessened compared to the prior weekends’ rallies. We did notice some peace officers noting the licence plates of people driving near the protest and laying on the horn, but unlike the three previous protests that took place since the onset of the injunction, we didn’t see anyone getting pulled over and ticketed for daring to honk.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Deena Hinshaw Says Alberta Churches Were Never Forced to Close — So What About Edmonton’s GraceLife?
Following repeated delays, lawyers for the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) had the chance in court to cross-examine Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, regarding the constitutionality of her province-wide health orders.
On yesterday’s Rebel News DAILY Livestream, Sheila Gunn Reid and Adam Soos discussed how Dr. Hinshaw said that Alberta churches were never forced to close — despite the government seizing Edmonton’s GraceLife church and jailing its pastor.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Feds Report Thirty-One Criminal Gangs Have Staff in City Halls
A new federal intelligence report has revealed that criminal gangs have infiltrated municipal governments and are using public-sector benefits to fund their crimes.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) found 31 gangs and other organized crime groups including motorcycle and street gangs had associates working at the city level.
“Thirty-one assessed organized crime groups have access via employment within Canadian public sector agencies or departments,” read a Public Report On Organized Crime In Canada. “Of these 26 percent are mafia groups, ten percent are outlaw motorcycle gangs and six percent are street gangs.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Justin Trudeau Claims to Support the Right to Protest
Less than two months after invoking the Emergencies Act to end the peaceful trucker convoy protest in Ottawa, Justin Trudeau says he has always supported the right to protest.
Meanwhile, Ontario is threatening to reimpose a mask mandate in the winter, and some politicians are trying to re-mask kids in school. True North’s Andrew Lawton talks about this and more in another live edition of The Andrew Lawton Show.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Quebec University Denounced for Excluding White Men in Job Posting
A job posting at Quebec City’s Laval University closed to able-bodied white men has been denounced by politicians across the political spectrum.
According to the Canadian Press, the controversial job post for a Canada Research Chair in the university’s biology department was put out back in September.
Laval University stated that it had “defined its equity, diversity and inclusion action plan to increase the representation of women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and visible minorities in the positions of Canada Research Chair (CRC) holders.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
RCMP Billed Taxpayers Nearly $250k for Buffets During Freedom Convoy Crackdown
The RCMP billed taxpayers nearly a quarter-million dollars for buffets at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier while officers cracked down on Freedom Convoy protesters in Ottawa this February.
An Access to Information and Privacy request obtained by True North reveals that the total costs for breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets in the luxury hotel’s Canadian Room was $234,995.79.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
University of Waterloo Bars Unvaxxed High School Students From Tournament
Two Ontario high school students who have chosen not to get COVID shots have been banned from competing at a tournament hosted by the University of Waterloo, with two vaccinated students set to take their place.
In an interview with True North, Josiah and Chloe-Ann Kranenburg said they were informed they would be unable to compete in their school regional tournament on Apr. 20 because the university is sticking to its vaccination policy despite the government lifting vaccine passports on Mar. 1.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
What’s the Deal With the Liquor Control Board of Ontario And… Islam?
The latest issue of the LCBO’s vapid and vacuous Food & Drink magazine is out. The prime directive of this putrid periodical is to suggest pairings of food and drink — hence the magazine’s name. And that drink, of course, is alcohol. That’s the LCBO’s bailiwick, after all, being a “liquor control” board.
However, because Food & Drink magazine is government owned and operated, it is also painfully politically correct. And wearily woke.
But isn’t it fabulous to see government woke-folk paint themselves into a corner thanks to their insatiable lust of striving for diversity and inclusion? In that regard, check out the spring issue of Food & Drink, which is creatively entitled… “The Spring Issue.” Namely, on page 24 there’s an article about the Islamic holiday of Ramadan, which kicked off earlier this month.
Um, right off the bat, does anyone see an issue here?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Apple Faces New EU Antitrust Charge Over Music Streaming
Apple is facing an extra antitrust charge in the EU in the investigation triggered by a complaint filed by music streaming giant Spotify, according to a report by Reuters. The company is facing several antitrust investigations and lawsuits in the EU, UK, and US.
Following Spotify’s complaints, the European Commission accused Apple of anti-competitive practices in the music streaming industry through its App Store policies that force app developers to exclusively use its in-app payment systems, preventing users from using alternative payment options.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Facebook Backtracks After Censoring Anti-War Socialist Video
Facebook caved to pressure from users and restored an anti-war and pro-socialism video posted by the German Socialist Equality Party (SGP).
SGP posted the video titled “No Third World War! Against the Ukraine war, NATO aggression and German rearmament!” on March 26.
According to the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS), the video condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine and how the war was incited by disagreements between NATO members and Russia. More importantly, the video did not violate any of Facebook’s community guidelines or any laws.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former Czech PM Wants a Referendum on Proposals for a US Military Base in Czechia
Former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis is skeptical of proposals to establish a U.S. military base in the country, and has called for a public vote on the matter.
“We do not support it. I find it unnecessary,” Babis told his social media followers. “I assume that this is a delicate topic, and it would be best to hold a referendum on it.”
Communists, members of the Freedom and Direct Democracy, and the Tricolor Citizens’ Movement are also against the proposal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German and Austrian Mayors Are Dropping Dead ‘Unexpectedly’
Did middle-aged men, previously described as fit and healthy, drop dead in large numbers before 2020? Since December 2020, many sudden and unexpected deaths of German and Austrian mayors under 60 years old have been noted.
Why are these elected officials dying? The RAIR Foundation listed a few of the casualties, citing the Freie Bremer channel on Telegram. At least 15 known deaths in Germany and Austria were registered over two years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Farmers Face Crisis as Ukraine War Sees Animal Feed, Fuel, Fertiliser Prices Surge
Italian dairy farmers are the latest in the European agri-sector to report an impending crisis as the costs of energy, animal feed and other necessities are slashing margins and profits, and may force some farmers out of business entirely.
The renewed invasion of Ukraine by Russia has led to a surge in prices for many key products in Italy. Prominent among them is energy; Italy relies on around half of its imported gas from Russia and the effect of high prices are having a pronounced influence on Italian businesses.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story Review — a Welter of Devastating Detail
‘If this guy was walking down the street, you wouldn’t want to talk to him,” says Selina Scott, watching footage of herself in her 80s-presenting heyday interviewing Jimmy Savile in his “flirtatious” mode. Young Selina masks her discomfort with a professional charm and veneer of bonhomie (“The camera lies,” she notes now) as Savile skates ever closer to the boundary between what was then acceptable banter from a celebrity in the company of a hot blonde — an already generously allotted area — and outright creepiness. He is, as the two-part Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story shows time and again, the very definition of a predator hiding in plain sight.
A decade on from his death and the investigation — which alas succeeded rather than preceded the passing — into what turned out to be crimes extending over half a century and more than 50 children’s homes, schools and hospitals around Britain, the story is no less shocking or confounding. Somehow, the meticulous piecing together of the Savile phenomenon by the documentary makers only makes it more so.
[Comment: I know that the review appears in The Guardian, but it is a highly positive review of a documentary about Jimmy Savile.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Ruling Party Says 2010 Smolensk Air Crash Was an Assassination
The sub-committee appointed to investigate the Smolensk plane crash in 2010 has determined that the crash was caused by an explosion on the left side of the presidential plane, Antoni Macierewicz, Poland’s former defense minister and deputy head of Law and Justice (PiS) has revealed.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Macierewicz explained the sub-committee had analyzed the history of the Smolensk flight through detailed simulations to understand just how it hit the ground. They also studied the way the wreckage and bodies were strewn around the site of the crash.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: BBC Guide Tells Parents to “Examine Their Biases” if Their Toddler Only Has White Friends
A BBC guide for parents written by a far-left Black Lives Matter activist tells parents to “examine their biases” and educate their toddler about racism if they only have black friends.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: BoJo, Sunak & Carrie Johnson Issued Fines by ‘Partygate’ Investigators
‘Partygate’ — arguably the biggest political scandal in the UK since the Murdoch phone-tapping cases — started with a bang (it nearly derailed Boris Johnson’s government). And now, it’s ending with a whimper.
After the Metropolitan Police doled out dozens of tickets and fines to confirmed attendees to the series of lockdown-refuting gatherings, the authorities have finally confirmed that Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and chancellor Rishi Sunak had been issued fines.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Durham University Seeks to ‘Decolonize’ Their Math Curriculum
Durham University has introduced a new “ethnomathematics” agenda that argues in favor of a link between “mathematics and culture.” What that means in practice is that the school curriculum will be more focused on racial politics going forward.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Britain’s left-wing Labour Party has come out against blockades of oil depots by eco-warriors amid a growing cost of living crisis and widespread reports of fuel shortages across the country.
The energy crisis in the UK, spurred on by a combination of the war in Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, two years of coronavirus lockdowns, and the government’s green agenda failures have seen widespread reports of petrol stations throughout the country running dry.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: News Broadcast Admits it’s Propaganda
A news broadcast in the UK announced they were “doing something different tonight,” before going on to do something that fits the literal definition of propaganda.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Americans Are “In Charge” of the War Says French Journalist Who Returned From Ukraine
A French journalist who returned from Ukraine after arriving with volunteer fighters told broadcaster CNews that Americans are directly “in charge” of the war on the ground.
The assertion was made by Le Figaro senior international correspondent Georges Malbrunot.
Malbrunot said he had accompanied French volunteer fighters, two of whom had previously fought against ISIS.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belarusian Forces Attack Polish Patrols on the Border
Two Polish patrol guards were attacked by Belarusian soldiers on Sunday who launched stones and other articles at the units, the Polish Border Guard has revealed.
One Border Guard officer and a serviceman of the Polish army were harmed in the attack, and a Border Guard vehicle was damaged.
Major Katarzyna Zdanowicz, the spokeswoman of the Podlaski Border Guard Regional Unit, told how the Border Guard officer was hit in the arm, and the soldier in his knee whilst the vehicle’s bodywork was damaged and some windows were broken.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bizarre ISIS-Style Propaganda Video Shows Ukrainian Woman Mock-Executing Russian Soldier
A bizarre video posted to social media shows a woman who is meant to represent Ukraine mock-executing a Russian soldier on camera as she performs an ISIS-style rant about “reaping a bloody harvest.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Did Russia Really Use Chemical Weapons in Ukraine? Experts Remain Sceptical
Analysis: Little evidence thus far that civilians in Mariupol had fallen ill because of chemical attack
An initial report circulating on Monday night from Ukraine said Russian forces had used “a poisonous substance of unknown origin” against Ukrainian civilians and military holed up in the besieged city of Mariupol.
The victims were described as having “respiratory failure” and a rather specific diagnosis of “vestibulo-atactic syndrome”, nominally inner ear problems leading to dizziness and perhaps vomiting, eye twitching and loss of balance.
There was immediate speculation that the events described were a chemical weapons attack. Liz Truss, the British foreign secretary, said the UK was urgently investigating while a Pentagon spokesperson said the reports “if true, are deeply concerning”.
But some observers have expressed scepticism that the available evidence points towards a chemical weapons attack…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Donbas: Battle in East Ukraine Expected to be Bloody and Decisive
People in eastern Ukraine know the Russians are about to step up their offensive here. Even the dogs on the streets seem to know, and can be heard barking whenever there’s a heavy thump of artillery in the distance.
Hundreds of thousands of people have already fled to the relative safety of western Ukraine. Once again large columns of Russian vehicles have been spotted by satellite — this time heading towards the east.
Here in the Donbas we’ve also seen signs of Ukraine bringing in more military equipment, including armoured vehicles and longer range air defence systems. But not in the volume of Russia’s reinforcements.
Ukraine may be being more tactically astute about their movements, or simply have less. Both are probably true.
Many believe this next phase of the war in the east could decide the outcome of this conflict. Many also expect it to be bloody…
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
As the entire world edges toward a period of serious food instability, Russian armed forces have been actively targetting wheat stocks in Ukraine for destruction, an EU official has claimed.
Russian military assets have been actively targeting and destroying stocks of wheat in Ukraine — one of the world’s largest producers of grains — during a period when the world needs it most, an EU official has claimed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Works With Gazprom on Finding Ruble Payment for Gas
There is a solution on how to pay in rubles for Russian gas without violating any EU sanctions and ensuring the country’s natural gas supply, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó said in a video posted on Facebook on Monday.
According to the minister, the details are now being worked out by MVM’s subsidiary CEEnergy and Gazprom’s subsidiary Gazprom Export.
The country’s next payments for imported Russian gas are due in May.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Latest News in the Russia-Ukraine War
Ukraine: Authorities in Bucha said they have now found more than 400 bodies in the town outside Kyiv, following the retreat of Russian forces. War-crimes investigations continued, as did Russian denials. Russia carried out missile and artillery strikes, while Ukraine said it had repulsed attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the focus of a new Russian offensive. Ukraine said it had detained Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian ally of the Russian president.
Authorities said they were investigating a claim by troops in the besieged port of Mariupol of a Russian chemical-weapons attack Monday. No independent evidence has emerged. The White House said the report was in line with credible information the U.S. has about the kind of riot-control agents Russian forces might use.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin said peace talks with Kyiv had reached a “dead end,” accusing Ukraine of false and provocative claims of Russian atrocities in Bucha. Mr. Putin said Russian forces would continue their offensive, which he said was going according to plan.
Refugees: More than 4.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the start of the war, and another seven million people are internally displaced, the United Nations said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russian Court Sentences Journalists to Corrective Labour for Protest Violations
(Reuters) — Four journalists who worked for a Moscow student magazine were sentenced to two years of corrective labour by a Russian court on Tuesday for encouraging minors to take part in anti-Kremlin protests, Interfax news agency reported.
The independent DOXA outlet was set up by students and university graduates at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics in 2017, covering student life, higher education, politics and science.
Police detained the four journalists in April 2021 after raiding the magazine’s editorial office.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Unfriendly Visit’: Austrian Chancellor is First EU Leader to Meet With Putin Since War Began
On Monday Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer became the first EU leader to meet face-to-face with Vladimir Putin since the war began on Feb.24. He said that talks were “open and tough” but that it was “not a friendly visit.”
Following the meeting which was at Putin’s Novo-Ogaryovo residence just outside Moscow, the Austrian leader’s office issued a statement saying, “This is not a friendly visit. I have just come from Ukraine and have seen with my own eyes the immeasurable suffering caused by the Russian war of aggression.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
India: Hindutva Group Demands Ban on Illegal Use of the Mosque Loudspeakers for ‘Azan’ In Goa
A delegation of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) on Tuesday met North Goa district collector Mamu Hage and submitted a memorandum.
PTI | Panaji | April 12, 2022:: A Goa-based right-wing group on Tuesday demanded the implementation of an administrative order to stop the illegal use of loudspeakers in mosques for ‘Azan’ or the Islamic prayer call.
A delegation of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) on Tuesday met North Goa district collector Mamu Hage and submitted a memorandum. HJS’ Goa convenor Manoj Solanki said the additional collector of North Goa issued orders banning the illegal use of loudspeakers for ‘Azan’ after the Goa bench of the high court directed the administration to take cognisance of a petition filed by one Varun Priolkar in March 2021.
He said the high court had directed the additional collector of North Goa to address the complaint of Priolkar. The additional district magistrate, after listening to the complaint of Priolkar and seeking a response from the mosques, had passed the order directing mosques not to use loudspeakers/public address systems or any other sound-producing instruments without prior permission from the concerned authority, the memorandum said.
Police have also been directed to keep a regular watch on the said mosques and ensure that they comply with the said order. The HJS claimed that despite these directions, it is seen that the noise problem from the mosques in Goa continues with the use of loudspeakers for the Azan.
“Due to the loud noise of Azan from the mosques, everyone is forced to hear the loud prayers irrespective of their religion. This is not the freedom of religion. Using the same principles, if all the other religions start putting up loudspeakers in their religious places, it will be a big problem,” the HJS said.
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ Gay Dialogue Removed in China, Warner Bros. Says ‘Spirit of the Film Remains’
References to a gay relationship in “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” were edited out of the movie by Warner Bros. for the film’s release in China. Only six seconds of the movie’s 142-minute runtime were removed. Dialogue that was edited out alluded to the romantic past between male characters Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen). “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling revealed Dumbledore was gay in 2009, but the movies had never explicitly referenced the character’s sexuality until this third “Fantastic Beasts” entry.
Warner Bros. accepted China’s request to remove six seconds from the movie. The dialogue lines “because I was in love with you” and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love” were cut from “The Secrets of Dumbledore” release (via News.com.au). The rest of the film remained intact, including an understanding that Dumbledore and Grindelwald share an intimate bond.
“As a studio, we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release, and that extends to circumstances that necessitate making nuanced cuts in order to respond sensitively to a variety of in-market factors,” Warner Bros. said in a statement to Variety. “Our hope is to release our features worldwide as released by their creators but historically we have faced small edits made in local markets.”
“In the case of ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,’ a six-second cut was requested and Warner Bros. accepted those changes to comply with local requirements but the spirit of the film remains intact,” the statement added. “We want audiences everywhere in the world to see and enjoy this film, and it’s important to us that Chinese audiences have the opportunity to experience it as well, even with these minor edits.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US State Department Orders Personnel to Leave Shanghai in Response to Brutal Lockdown Restrictions
The US State Department has ordered government employees, as well as their family members, to leave Shanghai, not in response to the city’s COVID outbreak, but in response to the draconian lockdown restriction being imposed by authorities.
The order specifically mentioned Beijing’s “response” to the outbreak, not the increase in cases, while also advising against travel to the region.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Tucker Carlson Warns Shanghai’s Brutal Lockdown is Coming to America
Fox News host Tucker Carlson warned Monday that China’s brutal new lockdown on the residents of Shanghai is providing leaders in the West a blueprint for how to control people in the future.
As we have highlighted, the latest restrictions have left the city on the brink of massive civil unrest. Children are being separated from their parents inside quarantine camps as others struggle to buy food while the severely ill are being denied urgent medical care.
Citizens aren’t even allowed to leave their homes for exercise or to walk their dogs, while pet owners infected with COVID-19 are also having their animals murdered by local authorities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NZ Court Bans Unvaxxed Dad From Seeing His Own Kids
A New Zealand Family Court judge has ordered three young children be vaccinated and banned their unvaccinated father from having contact with them until he submits to vaccination.
The siblings belong to separated parents who had a disagreement about Covid vaccines.
The father did not wish his children to be vaccinated while the mother, a healthcare professional, insisted that they do. Their middle child has a condition that may make him more vulnerable to Covid.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Islamists ‘Mercilessly Killing Christians’ In Democratic Republic of the Congo
Islamic extremists raided the village of Masambo in the northeastern province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on April 3, the Barnabas Fund reported Thursday.
The raid by jihadists from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group allied to the Islamic State, is just one episode in a flood of Islamist violence across North Kivu and its neighboring province of Ituri, Barnabas noted in an email Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Border Patrol Agents Accused of ‘Whipping’ Migrants in Legal Clear, Could Still Lose Jobs
The Border Patrol agents accused of “whipping” Haitian migrants last September have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing — but remain under an administrative investigation that could cost them their jobs six months after the initial probe began, The Post learned Tuesday.
The administrative investigation is being conducted by Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Personal Responsibility (ORP), according to Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Gov. DeSantis Says Funds Are in Place to Bus Illegal Migrants Out of His State
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis remains adamant that he will transport illegal immigrants placed in Florida elsewhere, despite the White House recently dismissing a similar proposal from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as a “publicity stunt.”
A spokesperson for DeSantis’ office clarified to Fox News Digital that the transport of illegal immigrants out of Florida was included in the governor’s recent budget recommendations. The budget proposed by the State Legislature includes $12 million for the Florida Department of Transportation to remove illegal immigrants from Florida and relocating them.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: North Africans Indicted in Arson That Killed Eight Including Two Infants
French prosecutors have indicted three North African migrant men in connection to an alleged insurance fraud arson that led to the deaths of eight people, including two infants.
The three men, a 27-year-old Algerian and two Tunisians aged 40 and 43 were indicted on the weekend over an alleged arson that took place in February of this year in the commune of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, near the city of Perpignan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Greece Smashes Migrant Smuggling Network
Greek authorities busted a group of foreign suspects believed to have smuggled migrants into the country, according to reports.
Four people were arrested on the island of Rhodes and another three were apprehended in Athens, police announced on Monday.
The suspects were identified as citizens of Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Palestine.
One of the suspects was previously arrested in October of 2021 under similar charges.
Police believe the alleged smugglers worked in cooperation with traffickers in Turkey.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Sudanese asylum seeker who stabbed six people before he was shot dead by police during a rampage in Glasgow called the Home Office and various migrant support groups about his mental health more than 70 times before his attack, reports claim.
Badreddin Abadlla Adam was one of hundreds of asylum seekers moved into hotels in the Scottish city at the start of the first Covid lockdown.
The 28-year-old attacked six people in the Park Inn hotel, including three other asylum seekers, Police Constable David Whyte and two members of hotel staff during the frenzied rampage in June 2020.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Washington Post Writer: Solve Inflation With More Immigration
A Washington Post columnist suggested Monday that the magic solution to rampant inflation and supply chain impediments would be to allow more illegal immigrants into the country.
Catherine Rampell wrote a piece titled that “Democrats are missing the bigger immigration issue,” noting that “Democrats are terrified that a coming border surge might tank their midterm chances.”
She then went on to suggest that problems will occur not with “too many immigrants” but rather “too few.”
Rampell claims, without any evidence or authority, that inflation will start to recede if there are more migrants “who can fill critical labor-market shortages.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Aussie PM Backs Campaign to Ban Trans Women From Female Sports
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has thrown his support behind biological women in sport at the expense of trans women (biological men) competing against them.
At a campaign event in the seat of Gilmore, Morrison acknowledged that he agreed with the views of the Tasmanian Liberal Senator Claire Chandler. Chandler has a private member’s Bill (known as ‘Save Women’s Sport’) to amend the Sex Discrimination Act with the intent of protecting biological women in sport. The amendment would clarify that discriminating based on biological sex within sport is not discrimination.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
London Art Gallery Goes Woke, Adds Social Justice Interpretations of Impressionist Paintings
The Courtauld Gallery in London has added a woke warning to a painting depicting the so-called “male gaze” of a man toward a woman in Édouard Manet’s 1882 work “A Bar at the Folies-Bergère.”
The gallery, which hosts Impressionist paintings, has added warnings about misogyny as part of its refurbishment, the Daily Mail reported.
The London gallery added the warning to Manet’s iconic painting, which depicts a barmaid staring at the viewer and a male customer seen in a mirror.
The information panel, which was added to warn viewers, reads, “Her enigmatic expression is unsettling, especially as she appears to be interacting with a male customer who is shown in the mirror. Ignoring normal perspective, Manet has shifted their reflection to the right.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
What? An Islamist conducting his Holy Jihad? Oh sorry, a lone wolf with mental illness. Nothing to do with Islam…….LOOK! A squirrel!
“There are reports that Mr. James had been associated with the Nation of Islam.”
A lone Islamic wolf?
PEGIDA. I really want to hear about pegida are they still alive trying to save Germany and humanity from the dark fate awaiting them
There is information on the internet. You can google their name.
I live on that subway line. These are, Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, far flung neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Not hip. Sunset Park is populated by mostly Asians and Hispanics and a few left over Irish. Working class.
Bay Ridge is working/middle class with wealth by Shore Road…but still working folks, doctors, lawyers, etc.
Cops, FDNY, teachers…Irish, Italian, Greek, Arab, mom and pop stores, nothing glamorous but just a nice community.
How this guy chose the N train at 59th Street is beyond me.
In any event, I do think he was a lone wolf. Someone very mentally deranged.
He wasn’t mentally deranged, he acted exactly like the 3rd worlder he is. What do you expect of a people who have a 70 IQ?