Gates of Vienna News Feed 5/6/2022

A massive explosion tore through a five-star hotel in Old Havana, the historic center of the Cuban capital, killing four people and wounding nineteen others. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel ruled out the possibility of terrorism, and said the blast was most likely caused by a gas leak.

In other news, according to data from the World Health Organization, Sweden had a lower incidence of mortality from COVID-19, even though it imposed no lockdowns on its citizens.

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

Thanks to Caroline Glick, Dean, DV, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

Financial Crisis
» Interest Rate Raised to 1% by Bank of England Despite Issuing Warning of Recession
» Poland’s Interest Rates Rise Again
» U.S. Gains 428,000 Jobs in April, And Wages Rise Again — But Labor Force Shrinks
 
USA
» 20 States Threaten Legal Action Over DHS Disinformation Board
» American Bar Association Recommends Dropping Law School Admission Tests
» American Parents Struggling With Severe Baby Formula Shortage
» Appeals Court Puts Election Law Back on Track
» Biden is Sued by State AGs for Colluding With Big Tech on Censorship
» Breaking: President Trump to Speak at TPUSA Student Action Summit
» Breaking: Dr. Oz Underwater in New Polling of GOP Voters
» Caroline Glick: Twitter: The Supreme Court and the Progressive Revolution
» Conflict-of-Interest Concerns Emerge After Revelation That Biden’s New Press Secretary is Married to CNN National Correspondent
» D.C. Elementary School Students Instructed to Identify Racists in Own Families
» Dave Chappelle ‘Upset’ Armed Attacker Isn’t Facing Felony Charge: Lawyer
» Democratic Megadonor Soros Puts $1 Million Into Abrams’ Campaign
» DOJ Creates New ‘Office of Environmental Justice’ To Battle Climate Change
» Elon Musk, Twitter Sued by Shareholder Over $44b Takeover
» Elon Musk Denies Claim Trump ‘Encouraged’ Him to Buy Twitter: ‘This is False’
» FBI Pulls Clearances of Employees at Jan. 6 Rally Before Capitol Riot: Rep. Jordan
» Florida Officials Say Math Textbooks Rife With ‘Woke’ Political Content
» George Soros Funding Radio Ads in Little Rock-Area Prosecutor’s Race
» Harvard University Pledges $100 Million for Slavery Reparations
» How Bad Was Remote Learning for Students During COVID-19? Bad Enough for the New York Times to Notice
» Jason Rantz Warns of Antifa Threat Looming Over Weekend Abortion Protests
» Job Interest in Twitter Skyrocketed More Than 250% Since Elon Musk Moved to Take Over. But Current Employees Are Nervous.
» Judge Approves Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Reelection Qualification
» Missouri Man Charged With Federal Hate Crime and Arson for Burning Down a Church
» NYC Lifts Tot Mask Mandate for All Outdoor Spaces
» Police Arrest Burglar After He Accidentally Shoots Himself in the Head While Fleeing a Break-in
» Rantz: No Jail for Suspect Seen Punching Victim as Seattle’s Shoplifting Surge Continues
» The Night I Met Hunter Biden: Mac Shop Owner John Mac Isaac Recounts Fateful Encounter in Exclusive Excerpt
» Trump’s Lawsuit Over Twitter Ban Dismissed by Federal Judge
 
Canada
» Capital City Bikers’ Church in Ottawa Vandalized Prior to Sunday Service — Don’t Expect an Outcry
» Federal Government Raking in the Cash as Canadians Struggle
» Hell, And the Here and Now: Interview With Rob McKee, Pastor of Ottawa’s Capital City Bikers’ Church
» Poilievre Says He Will Defund CBC, Takes Shots at Canadian ‘Liberal Media’ In Conservative Leadership Debate
» Quebecers Have Had Enough of Mask Mandates
» Saving Canada by Organizing Politically Incorrect Student Walkouts
» Trudeau Liberals Tracked Canadians During Pandemic, Including Trips to Liquor Stores: Report
 
Europe and the EU
» ‘Absolutely Despicable’ EU Votes to Extend COVID Passes Until 2023
» Bulgaria, Czech Republic Join Growing List Pushing for Exemptions on Russian Oil Embargo
» Czechia Fears a Russian Oil Embargo
» Europe’s Russian Oil Embargo Could Lead to Fuel Shortages — Minister Admits
» France: Armed Bandits Raid Paris Luxury Store, Ride Off With Loot Worth Millions
» Germany: From ‘Insulted Liver Sausage’ To Meddling in Energy Deliveries
» Germany Will Help Czechia Replace Heavy Weapons Provided to Ukraine
» Hungary to Care for Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers, Offer €37 Million in Aid
» PM Orban: Banning Russian Energy Would be ‘Historic Failure’
» Shooting on Dutch Care Farm Leaves Two Dead
» Sweden Saw Fewer COVID-19 Deaths Than Majority of Europe
» UK Finally Terminating Domestic COVID Pass System Next Week
» UK: Just Stop Oil: Motorists Could Face Disruption Into the Summer as Climate Activists Say Protests Will Continue
» UK: Local Elections 2022: Tory MPs Assess Fall-Out After Ballot Box Bruising in PM’s First Electoral Test Since Partygate Fine
» Zelensky Critic Arrested in Spain on Orders of Ukrainian Government
 
Balkans
» EU Expansionism: German Chancellor Declares the Western Balkans ‘Belong to’ Europe
 
Russia
» Latest News in the Russia-Ukraine War
 
Far East
» China Building Collapse: Woman Rescued From Rubble After Six Days
» Shanghai’s Supply Chain Standstill, As Seen by Satellites, 477 Ships Stuck There, Many Bound for Australia
 
Latin America
» Breaking: Explosion in Havana, Cuba Destroys Hotel
» Havana Explosion: Four Killed and 19 Injured in Hotel Blast
 
Immigration
» Scotland: Mob Claims Credit for Forcing Home Office to Abandon Immigration Raid
» Trump’s White House Wanted to Send 250,000 Troops to the Border to Stop Migrants Coming in From Mexico, Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper Says in New Book
» Twenty-Four Hours From Calais to the Crowne Plaza: The Mail Tracks a Group of Migrants Ushered to the UK by French and British Ships — Then Put Up in a Four-Star West London Hotel
» UK: Priti Patel’s Plan to Ship Migrants to Rwanda is to Get Underway Within Days — With Single Men Who Crossed the Channel in Small Boats First to be Transported to the African Country
 
Culture Wars
» ‘Alito Doesn’t Give a Damn’ About Popularity, Just the Constitution: Former SCOTUS Clerk
» Disney Funds Gender Identity, LGBTQ Curriculum in Schools — and Has Been for 20 Years
» Disney Adopts Employee Benefits Program That Subsidizes Out-of-State Abortions
» ‘Menstrual Dignity Act’ Requires Menstrual Products in Boys’ Bathrooms
» PR Firm Warns Corporations Not to Speak Out About Abortion — Sort of
» Pro-Choice Abortion Activists Call for Mother’s Day Protests at Churches
 

Interest Rate Raised to 1% by Bank of England Despite Issuing Warning of Recession

The Bank of England has raised the base rate of interest to 1% — the fourth consecutive increase as it continues to move against surging inflation — despite issuing a warning about a recession ahead.

The Bank forecast that the UK economy will shrink later this year in the face of double-digit inflation and an unprecedented squeeze on household incomes.

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

Poland’s Interest Rates Rise Again

Poland’s Monetary Policy Council has agreed to raise interest rates by 0.75 percent, meaning that the central bank’s annual interest rate now stands at 5.25 percent. The interest rate increase will raise borrowing costs for Polish citizens and businesses.

Following the move, the marginal facility rate will now be 5.75 percent, the deposits rate 4.75 percent and the discount rate on debt securities 5.35 percent.

This is the eighth successive rise in interest rates and marks the highest interest rate for the central bank since the financial crisis of 2008. The first increase in the current cycle dates back to October of last year. Since then, interest rates have risen every month.

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

U.S. Gains 428,000 Jobs in April, And Wages Rise Again — But Labor Force Shrinks

The numbers: The U.S. added a solid 428,000 new jobs in April, but an acute labor shortage showed little improvement last month and threatens to add to the highest inflation in 40 years.

Employment has risen by 400,000-plus for 12 straight months and the number of people working is likely to return to pre-Covid levels by July at the current rate of hiring,

The unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.6%, the government said Friday, just a few ticks above a 54-year low.

The size of the labor force, meanwhile, shrank in April for the first time in seven months in a sign of how difficult it is for companies to find workers.

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

20 States Threaten Legal Action Over DHS Disinformation Board

Attorneys General from 20 conservative states are threatening legal action against the Department of Homeland Security’s newly formed Disinformation Governance Board, which they said will have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and described as “un-American.”

Virginia’s AG Jason Miyares and 19 other attorneys general sent a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security Secretary, demanding the dissolution of the Disinformation Governance Board.

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

American Bar Association Recommends Dropping Law School Admission Tests

The American Bar Association (ABA) has formally recommended that their council remove the requirement for “valid and reliable” admission tests for law school.

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

American Parents Struggling With Severe Baby Formula Shortage

American parents are facing a new crisis: the shortage of baby formula.

While the media ramps up its coverage of the war in Ukraine and the leak of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court draft that overturns the landmark legislation, parents across the United States are reporting bare shelves at many major retailers and grocery store chains when seeking to buy baby formula for their children.

As reported by the Daily Wire, popular retailers including Walmart, Target, and others have instated limits on the purchase of baby formula to prevent shoppers from stocking up and hoarding the products. The situation is similar online, with most online retailers completely out of stock of baby formula, which is only available through third-party sellers at marked-up prices.

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

Appeals Court Puts Election Law Back on Track

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) — Calling it flawed, a three-judge appellate panel on Friday put a hold on a federal judge’s ruling that said a 2021 Florida elections law was unconstitutionally intended to discriminate against Black voters.

The 15-page ruling by a panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with attorneys for the state, county elections supervisors and national Republican organizations, who asked for a stay of a March 31 ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker.

Friday’s decision will almost certainly keep in place for this year’s elections the controversial 2021 law that created additional hurdles for voters to cast ballots by mail. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that the law, approved by the Republican-dominated Legislature and championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, was intended to make it harder for Black and Hispanic Floridians to register and vote.

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

Biden is Sued by State AGs for Colluding With Big Tech on Censorship

President Joe Biden and multiple top officials in his administration have been sued by two Republican-led states for pressuring and collusion with Big Tech to suppress free speech. The suit cites the Hunter Biden laptop story, the lab-leak theory, the security of mail-in voting, and the effectiveness of cloth masks.

The lawsuit was filed by Louisiana’s and Missouri’s attorneys general Jeff Landry and Eric Schmitt. They accuse top government officials, including Biden, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and the head of the DHS’ newly formed Disinformation Governance Board Nina Jankowicz, of colluding with Big Tech to suppress free speech and pressuring platforms to censor conservative voices.

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

Breaking: President Trump to Speak at TPUSA Student Action Summit

Former President Donald Trump will be speaking at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit in Tampa, Florida, one of the largest conservative conferences in the United States.

Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA CEO and host of The Charlie Kirk Show, made the announcement that Trump would be speaking at the Friday event on Twitter.

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

Breaking: Dr. Oz Underwater in New Polling of GOP Voters

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the day-time TV show host turned Republican Senate nominee, is currently leading the pack of Republicans for the state, though the margin is slim. He is running against Kathy Barnette, who revealed that her pro-life stance was formed in part from having been conceived when her mother was raped at 11 years old.

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

Caroline Glick: Twitter: The Supreme Court and the Progressive Revolution

America is in the throes of a progressive revolution. As historian Victor Davis Hanson has noted, progressives now control nearly every national institution. They control Wall Street, Silicon Valley, universities, local school boards, the teachers’ unions, the entertainment industry, the vast majority of the media, the Justice Department, the FBI and the U.S. military, and currently, the White House and both houses of Congress.

Progressives use their control over these institutions to change both the character of the United States and the rules of the game in a manner that will enable them to perpetuate their power regardless of the sentiments of the American people.

Progressives are rewriting American history. They are taking aim at God and believers, and at the nuclear family while indoctrinating children against their families and their country. There is no area of human endeavor that progressives have not politicized.

One of the last national institutions where the conservatives hold sway is the Supreme Court. And on Monday, the Supreme Court came under a malicious assault whose clear goal is to subvert its independence…

.

           — Hat tip: Caroline Glick [Return to headlines]
 

Conflict-of-Interest Concerns Emerge After Revelation That Biden’s New Press Secretary is Married to CNN National Correspondent

Concerns have arisen about the impartiality of the White House’s new Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, former Deputy Press Secretary, due to her romantic relationship with a high-profile reporter for CNN.

Jean-Pierre currently lives together with CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux, and the pair are raising a child together.

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

D.C. Elementary School Students Instructed to Identify Racists in Own Families

Students aged between four and eight at the Janney Elementary School in Washington D.C. were treated to an “Anti-Racism Fight Club” and instructed to identify racists in their own families last November.

The Daily Mail reports that a November 30 letter from school principal Danielle Singh asked parents of pre-K through third grade students to follow up on the presentation, which was hosted by speaker Doyin Richards.

Richards, a self-described “anti-racism facilitator,” is a Slate writer, “TEDx speaker,” “liberal,” and “feminist” according to his social media profiles. He leads workshops on social justice.

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

Dave Chappelle ‘Upset’ Armed Attacker Isn’t Facing Felony Charge: Lawyer

Dave Chappelle is “upset” his alleged armed attacker wasn’t hit with a felony charge after attacking him while holding a weapon on-stage at the Hollywood Bowl, his lawyer told The Post on Friday.

“It’s a travesty of justice that DA [George] Gascòn is refusing to prosecute this case as a felony,” the comic’s attorney Gabriel Colwell said. “The City Attorney, who filed the case, is doing his job but DA Gascón should also do his job and charge this as a felony.”

[Comment: District Attorney Gascon is backed by Soros.]

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

Democratic Megadonor Soros Puts $1 Million Into Abrams’ Campaign

Days after Stacey Abrams qualified to run for governor in March, a super PAC funded by billionaire megadonor George Soros put $1 million into her campaign, according to campaign finance reports.

Soros, a common target of criticism from Republicans for his vast spending on Democratic causes over the years, donated the money through the Democracy PAC II to One Georgia.

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

DOJ Creates New ‘Office of Environmental Justice’ To Battle Climate Change

“Environmental Justice” is one of those left-wing concepts invented as just another way to milk corporations and government for cash.

How can anyone resist? Who in America hates the environment? And who hates “justice”? Put the two together, add in a little race-baiting and conspiracy-mongering, and you have a brand-new left-wing cause that radicals can embrace in order to save the planet.

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

Elon Musk, Twitter Sued by Shareholder Over $44b Takeover

Elon Musk and Twitter were sued on Friday by a Florida pension fund seeking to stop Musk from quickly completing his planned $44 billion takeover of the social media company.

In a complaint filed in Delaware Chancery Court, the Orlando Police Pension Fund said that under Delaware law Musk cannot complete the takeover until at least 2025 unless holders of two-thirds of shares not “owned” by him approved.

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

Elon Musk Denies Claim Trump ‘Encouraged’ Him to Buy Twitter: ‘This is False’

Elon Musk sharply denied a claim this week by Truth Social’s boss Devin Nunes that former President Donald Trump had “encouraged” him to acquire Twitter before he reached a buyout deal with the company’s board of directors.

“This is false. I’ve had no communication, directly or indirectly, with Trump, who has publicly stated that he will be exclusively on Truth Social,” Musk tweeted on Friday in response to a story by The Post that detailed Nunes’ claims.

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

FBI Pulls Clearances of Employees at Jan. 6 Rally Before Capitol Riot: Rep. Jordan

WASHINGTON — The FBI is suspending the security clearances of employees who attended the rally before last year’s Capitol riot, according to a prominent Republican congressman.

The alleged punishment is drawing accusations that FBI staffers who aren’t charged with crimes are having their First Amendment rights trampled.

The FBI’s move was described in a Friday letter from the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee.

[Comment: Abolish the FBI.]

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

Florida Officials Say Math Textbooks Rife With ‘Woke’ Political Content

Sine, cosine and a lot of tangents.

Textbook publishers have routinely transmitted political messaging to kids under the cover of objective math instruction, according to a review by Florida officials.

The Sunshine State’s Department of Education vetted all math textbooks submitted by publishers for classroom use beginning in 2021.

The agency rejected 41 percent of the proposed materials for violating policy last month and released 6,000 documents related to its probe this week.

Math textbooks, reviewers found, frequently veered into political subject matter ranging from the racial makeup of the NYPD to climate change and abortion.

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

George Soros Funding Radio Ads in Little Rock-Area Prosecutor’s Race

George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist and Democratic donor, is putting money behind Alicia Walton’s race for prosecuting attorney in the state’s 6th Judicial Circuit, which includes Pulaski and Perry counties.

Walton said it’s news to her.

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

Harvard University Pledges $100 Million for Slavery Reparations

Harvard University released a report last week about the institution’s legacy of slavery and racism and pledged to spend $100 million to fund programs addressing its past wrongs.

The findings come some three years after Harvard President Larry Bacow began the initiative in 2019. On April 26, Bacow announced the findings and provided his recommendations for the university.

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

How Bad Was Remote Learning for Students During COVID-19? Bad Enough for the New York Times to Notice

When COVID-19 first hit, many of our leaders didn’t know how to cope with it. Everybody shut down for “15 days to slow the spread,” including schools. Schools forced students of all ages into remote learning. But as businesses opened back up, many schools didn’t.

A friend of mine is a member of our local school board, and I’ll never forget the vitriol he and other school board members received when they proposed that local schools reopen. I remember one mother commenting on Facebook that my friend and the other board member who favored in-person learning wanted to “speak death over our kids.” Ultimately, the board decided to give parents a choice.

But not all school districts were so fortunate. In areas where Democrats dominate and teachers’ unions hold too much sway over school policy, kids stayed in remote learning for far longer than in other areas.

Parents can tell you the effects that remote learning had on their kids. Zoom school classes exposed parents to some of the left-wing indoctrination that their kids were experiencing, which has led to the parental rights revolution we’re seeing not just in states like Virginia, Florida, and Georgia but all over the country.

But what about the subjects our students should have been learning? Turns out that remote learning wasn’t effective at all. It’s bad enough that even the New York Times admits the disaster that was pandemic education.

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

Jason Rantz Warns of Antifa Threat Looming Over Weekend Abortion Protests

KTTH host Jason Rantz warns in a new FOX News editorial that this weekend’s pro-abortion rallies will likely turn violent. Pacific Northwest Antifa already made appearances this weekend and Rantz is seeing online chatter of “direct action” organizing.

“Violent Antifa activists are active again in Portland and Seattle, inspired by a leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision this week reversing Roe v. Wade. Neither city is ready for a repeat of Black Lives Matter-inspired left-wing riots and vandalism. But Antifa is now more dangerous than ever,” Rantz writes.

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

Job Interest in Twitter Skyrocketed More Than 250% Since Elon Musk Moved to Take Over. But Current Employees Are Nervous.

Elon Musk cast Twitter’s future into uncertainty when he made a successful $44 billion bid to acquire the company last month. He will take over as temporary CEO once the deal is complete, CNBC reported Thursday morning.

While countless Musk fans, and a slight majority of Americans—59%—approve of the takeover according to recent data from The Harris Poll, some current Twitter staff worry that it will dramatically change the company’s culture, and overall direction.

It’s still unclear how a Musk-run Twitter might impact the company’s ability to retain current staff and recruit new employees. The company presented the takeover as a potential threat to its staffing abilities in an SEC filing Monday.

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

Judge Approves Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Reelection Qualification

ATLANTA — A judge in Georgia on Friday found that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is qualified to run for reelection, concluding that a group of voters who had challenged her eligibility failed to prove she engaged in insurrection after taking office. But the decision will ultimately be up to Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Before reaching his decision, state Administrative Law Judge Charles Beaudrot held a daylong hearing in April that included arguments from lawyers for the voters and for Greene, as well as extensive questioning of Greene herself. He also received extensive briefing from both sides.

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

Missouri Man Charged With Federal Hate Crime and Arson for Burning Down a Church

The Justice Department announced that Christopher Scott Pritchard, 46, has been charged with hate crime and arson violations for burning down the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri and Acting Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis for the FBI St. Louis Field Office made the announcement.

According to court documents, Pritchard is charged with intentionally obstructing parishioners of the church in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs and using fire to commit a federal felony. If convicted, Pritchard faces up to 20 years in prison for obstructing the parishioners and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, for using fire to commit a federal felony. Pritchard also faces a fine of up to $250,000 with respect to each charge.

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

NYC Lifts Tot Mask Mandate for All Outdoor Spaces

Daycare tots and teachers in the city are now allowed to shed their face masks — outside, at least.

The city Health Department issued the new edict Friday, freeing up the toddlers and staffers who could previously only nix their masks outdoors while off school premises, thus giving a break just to the ones lucky enough to have on-site playgrounds.

The new move now allows for mask removal for all tykes and their teachers in such places as public parks and playgrounds.

The kiddies and staffers still have to wear their COVID-19 masks indoors.

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

Police Arrest Burglar After He Accidentally Shoots Himself in the Head While Fleeing a Break-in

Seattle Police officers arrested a burglar on Wednesday after he accidentally shot himself in the head while fleeing the scene of a break-in.

According to police, The victim heard sounds coming from his home at the 8200 block of Mary Avenue Northwest in North Seattle before 7 AM, and found a burglar had broken into his garage.

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

Rantz: No Jail for Suspect Seen Punching Victim as Seattle’s Shoplifting Surge Continues

Seattle’s violent shoplifting surge continues and judges keep offering little to no consequences for the thieves. Suspects continue to target downtown businesses despite an increased police presence. And the latest suspect won’t likely see any jail time.

Scot Witzel was charged by King County prosecutors for allegedly stealing from Nordstrom Rack in downtown Seattle. The suspect allegedly assaulted an employee who attempted to stop him from leaving with stolen shoes. It was recorded on surveillance footage acquired by the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

But Witzel isn’t likely to see jail time for the alleged assault or shoplifting. A judge placed him in a jail-alternative program.

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

The Night I Met Hunter Biden: Mac Shop Owner John Mac Isaac Recounts Fateful Encounter in Exclusive Excerpt

On a fateful night in April 2019, John Paul Mac Isaac was working at his store, The Mac Shop in Wilmington, Del., when a customer walked in who would upend his life. In his forthcoming book, “American Injustice: My Battle to Expose the Truth,” Isaac will tell his story — and here, in an exclusive first look, he describes the moment he met Hunter Biden.

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

Trump’s Lawsuit Over Twitter Ban Dismissed by Federal Judge

A federal judge in San Francisco has dismissed a lawsuit from former President Trump against Twitter, challenging the social media company for banning himself and others from the platform.

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

Capital City Bikers’ Church in Ottawa Vandalized Prior to Sunday Service — Don’t Expect an Outcry

The last formal event scheduled by the participants taking part in the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally in Ottawa was a church service at the Capital City Bikers’ Church. Alas, attendees were shocked to discover that in the wee hours of the morning, the church had been vandalized. Spray paint adorned the walls of the church, the most egregious message being “No haven for fascism” on the front wall of the church.

As well, tacks were scattered everywhere; presumably, the vandals hoped to flatten the motorcycle and car tires of those visiting this place of worship.

In the aftermath, Ottawa Police stated that its Hate and Bias Crime Unit is investigating. To his credit, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said the vandalism endured by the church was “not acceptable.”

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

Federal Government Raking in the Cash as Canadians Struggle

On last night’s episode of the Ezra Levant Show, guest host Sheila Gunn Reid was joined by Franco Terrazzano, the Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, to discuss members of Parliament, senators, and even Justin Trudeau taking significant pay raises while Canadians struggled through the pandemic.

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

Hell, And the Here and Now: Interview With Rob McKee, Pastor of Ottawa’s Capital City Bikers’ Church

It was a disturbing and downright disgusting sight that greeted the eyes of Rolling Thunder participants who visited the Capital City Bikers’ Church in Ottawa last Sunday.

Shockingly, the church had been vandalized in the wee hours of the morning. Spray paint adorned the walls of the church, the most ludicrous and egregious message being, “No haven for fascism” splattered upon the front wall. Tacks were scattered everywhere; the vandals, no doubt, hoped to flatten the tires of motorcycles and other vehicles.

And it makes one ponder: just who exactly are the fascists residing in Ottawa these days?

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

Poilievre Says He Will Defund CBC, Takes Shots at Canadian ‘Liberal Media’ In Conservative Leadership Debate

During the Conservative leadership debate on Thursday night, perceived frontrunner MP Pierre Poilievre took several shots at state-funded CBC and explained why he’d defund them.

He also explained how he gains the attention of hundreds of thousands—not through coverage from liberal media outlets, but through his social media presence.

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

Quebecers Have Had Enough of Mask Mandates

On May 1, 2021, a massive protest took place in Montreal. One year later, the events continue and another demonstration took place at the same place, the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

The event, organized by Daniel Pilon, was held in honour of the lifting of mask mandates, which in the meantime has unfortunately been pushed back to May 14. Nevertheless, the event was maintained.

Many demonstrators, a number of which took part in the Rolling Thunder event in Ottawa the previous day, also came to this demonstration in support of the province of Quebec, which remains the only place in North America that still requires to wear masks in public places.

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

Saving Canada by Organizing Politically Incorrect Student Walkouts

We bumped into two young Save Canada members at Ottawa’s National War Memorial last weekend during the Rolling Thunder celebration, the latest freedom rally that was vilified by government, law enforcement, and mainstream media types.

As it turns out, Josh and Monte are hoping to save our Dominion from the seemingly relentless attacks — mostly by government — on our Charter rights and freedoms. And they have borrowed a strategy from the leftists: namely, staging walkouts at schools across the country in the name of freedom.

Alas, these young men have discovered that when it comes to the left these days, “freedom” is the new F word. Which is to say, organizing a walkout of students in the name of, say, Black Lives Matter or Greta Thunberg would not only be lauded by the members of the faculty, but the teachers and principal would likely take part in such demonstrations.

Alas, such is not the case when it’s a freedom rally. Staging one of those means getting disciplined.

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

Trudeau Liberals Tracked Canadians During Pandemic, Including Trips to Liquor Stores: Report

Canadians were being tracked via their smart phones without their consent, a report sent to a parliamentary committee shows.

Canadians’ movements, including trips to the pharmacy and even the liquor store, were tracked via their cell phones, according to the report by outbreak intelligence analysts BlueDot, which prepared it using anonymized data for the Public Health Agency of Canada to help “understand travel patterns during the pandemic,” reports the Canadian Press.

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

‘Absolutely Despicable’ EU Votes to Extend COVID Passes Until 2023

The European Union’s parliament has voted to extend the bloc’s regime of COVID passes until 2023 despite harsh criticism from some elected representatives.

It appears that COVID-19 is far from over, at least for European citizens anyway, with the parliament of the transnational bloc voting to extend the use of COVID passes until 2023 at the soonest, in a move that has been described as “absolutely despicable” by one critic.

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

Bulgaria, Czech Republic Join Growing List Pushing for Exemptions on Russian Oil Embargo

It’s clear at this point that to push through its Russian oil embargo, the European Commission will have to provide exemptions to Hungary and Slovakia.

But the hoped-for effectiveness Brussels wants achieve by what would be a necessary generally unified EU front appears to be on shakier and shakier grounds, given the growing number of central and eastern European countries demanding to still be allowed to buy Russian oil under the “ban”.

After Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Bulgaria is now the latest to jump on the exemptions bandwagon. Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Assen Vassilev first announced on Wednesday his country’s intent to do so, as he stressed concern over rising fuel prices for the population.

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

Czechia Fears a Russian Oil Embargo

Just when it seemed like that the Hungarian government of Viktor Orban was yet again going alone against the EU’s proposed plan to introduce an embargo on Russian oil, other countries have started to signal their objections against the proposal. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, despite his government’s hardline stance against Russia, seems to be one of those injecting a dose of realism into the European’s headlong rush towards energy sanctions. In Fiala’s view, the EU’s proposal provides no time for countries highly dependent on Russian energy resources to seek alternative replacements, and would cause enormous economic damage to these countries.

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

Europe’s Russian Oil Embargo Could Lead to Fuel Shortages — Minister Admits

An EU wide embargo on Russian oil could lead to serious fuel shortages in many parts of Germany, one of the country’s ministers has admitted.

Robert Habeck, Germany’s tsar for the economy and climate action, has admitted that a forthcoming EU embargo of Russian oil could lead to his nation experiencing serious fuel shortages in many areas.

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

France: Armed Bandits Raid Paris Luxury Store, Ride Off With Loot Worth Millions

A high-end fashion store in France was robbed by armed thieves who rode off with over $2 million in stolen goods this week, according to reports.

The incident unfolded at around 3 p.m. on Thursday on rue de la Paix in Paris.

The brazen heist was carried out in broad daylight in full view of many witnesses, France Bleu reports.

Video footage of the raid was shared on social media.

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

Germany: From ‘Insulted Liver Sausage’ To Meddling in Energy Deliveries

The oil and chemical tanker Advantage Point is moored in Rostock harbour. It comes from the Russian oil loading port of Primorsk and transports petroleum distillates.

“I call on the traffic light coalition government, all state governments and all German ports to boycott all Russian ships or ships with Russian cargo — especially oil tankers,” Melnyk told Der Spiegel. “I would like to make a special appeal to the dock workers in Rostock and other German ports to block the unloading of Russian goods. These measures should lead to hitting the Russian war machine in the heart and stop the war of extermination against Ukraine faster.”

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

Germany Will Help Czechia Replace Heavy Weapons Provided to Ukraine

Germany will help replace the heavy weapons equipment the Czech Republic provides to Ukraine during its war effort with Russia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has confirmed during a joint press conference in Berlin with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

The German leader did not wish to disclose specific details, but according to Fiala, the agreement concerns heavy weapons.

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

Hungary to Care for Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers, Offer €37 Million in Aid

Hungary will offer Ukraine a €37 million aid package in the coming days and unlimited care to wounded Ukrainian soldiers within Hungarian territory, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó told a donor conference organized by Poland and Sweden in Warsaw on Thursday.

In his speech, the foreign affairs minister emphasized that Hungary does not want the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and wants peace to return to the region as soon as possible. Hungary is in favor of Ukraine and supports the country’s sovereignty, Szijjartó confirmed.

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

PM Orban: Banning Russian Energy Would be ‘Historic Failure’

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sent a letter to the president of the European Commission on Thursday afternoon, calling the possible adoption of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia a historic failure, with the details of the letter published in the Financial Times.

According to the Hungarian prime minister, the planned package would result in further increases in the burden on the most vulnerable without the EU making any substantial efforts to mitigate the effects.

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

Shooting on Dutch Care Farm Leaves Two Dead

Two people have been shot dead and two others wounded on a Dutch care farm that provides therapy for people with disabilities or mental health issues.

A 16-year-old girl and a woman aged 34 were killed in the shooting at the Tro Tardi farm in Alblasserdam, to the east of Rotterdam.

Dutch police later arrested an armed suspect in a nearby park.

A 13-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman were seriously wounded, while a fifth person was slightly hurt.

Two air ambulances landed at the scene and numerous emergency vehicles were stationed outside the farm, Dutch radio said.

“The suspect has been arrested and the firearm has been seized. The witnesses are being looked after and help is being arranged for them.” Rotterdam police said on Twitter. They later revealed that the man in custody had been on the run since Thursday evening and he was wanted over the death of a 60-year-old man in a shop in Vlissingen, south-west of Rotterdam.

Police said there was no clear motive for Friday’s attack. They identified the suspect as a 38-year-old man from Oud-Alblas, a village a few kilometres away from the shooting. Dutch media said he was known to police as “confused and a nuisance”…

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Sweden Saw Fewer COVID-19 Deaths Than Majority of Europe

Sweden saw a lower overall mortality rate than most European countries, according to data from the World Health Organization.

The Scandinavian country — home to over 10 million people — famously snubbed the strict lockdowns that brought much of the global economy to a standstill.

WHO’s report of excess deaths — people who died directly and indirectly from COVID-19 — shows a whopping 14.9 million fatalities worldwide.

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

UK Finally Terminating Domestic COVID Pass System Next Week

The UK government has announced it will be discontinuing the domestic vaccination passports that allowed businesses to discriminate against would-be customers based on medical status from next week.

The UK’s ‘NHS COVID Pass’, a digital document used to prove vaccination status in order to gain admittance to public venues, businesses, and the like will no longer be available from the 12th of May, the government has said.

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

UK: Just Stop Oil: Motorists Could Face Disruption Into the Summer as Climate Activists Say Protests Will Continue

Motorists could face continued disruption on the roads because of environmental protests this summer, activists have warned.

A fresh wave of Just Stop Oil protests began last week at petrol stations and oil terminals in the Midlands and south of England following a week-long suspension of action by the group.

With a blockade planned at a Scottish oil depot tomorrow, climate crisis campaigners say their “resistance to Government policy” will be sustained.

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

UK: Local Elections 2022: Tory MPs Assess Fall-Out After Ballot Box Bruising in PM’s First Electoral Test Since Partygate Fine

Tory MPs are assessing the fall-out after a “tough night” for Boris Johnson in his first test at the ballot box since being fined for breaking lockdown rules.

The Conservatives lost nearly 500 seats in England, Wales, and Scotland in Thursday’s council elections, with partygate and the cost of living crisis cited by local leaders as key issues on the doorstep.

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

Zelensky Critic Arrested in Spain on Orders of Ukrainian Government

A popular YouTuber and critic of President Zelensky was arrested in Spain at the behest of the Ukrainian government on charges of treason and faces extradition, despite publicly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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

EU Expansionism: German Chancellor Declares the Western Balkans ‘Belong to’ Europe

The expansionist European Union project has the Western Balkans in its sights according to leftist German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has declared that the region “belongs” to the bloc.

Following separate meetings with the leaders Serbia and Kosovo on Wednesday in Berlin, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany would back the accession of both Serbia and Kosovo into the European Union, should they take the reforms needed to fall in line with EU requirements.

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

Latest News in the Russia-Ukraine War

Ukraine: Evacuations continued from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol as Ukraine’s military counterattacked against Russian forces in the east. An adviser to the Ukrainian president said Moscow seeks to seize the last part of Mariupol by Monday, Russia’s annual Victory Day. Civilians who managed to escape the plant described their long ordeal.

Ukraine’s capture of some villages in the east around Kharkiv and the south around Kherson, which is occupied by Russia, could lead to a broader counteroffensive, the Ukrainian presidential adviser said. Residents are trickling back to villages near Kharkiv, finding destruction, litter and explosives left behind by retreating Russian troops.

A study of images of mass graves in Ukraine offers a glimpse into the human toll of the Russian invasion.

Russia continued to claim successes with strikes from air-based missiles at military targets.

Western Aid: The U.S. provided intelligence that enabled Ukraine to identify and sink the missile cruiser Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, U.S. officials said. An international donor conference in Warsaw drew pledges for Ukraine relief equivalent to more than $6.3 billion.

Talks are under way to export Ukraine’s summer grain harvest through Polish and Lithuanian ports to get around a Russian naval blockade and help alleviate food shortages rippling out from Ukraine.

Resistance from Hungary is complicating the European Union’s effort to settle on the terms of a Russian oil embargo.

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

China Building Collapse: Woman Rescued From Rubble After Six Days

Rescuers in the central Chinese city of Changsha pulled a woman alive from the rubble of a six-storey building six days after it collapsed.

She was conscious during her extraction just after midnight Thursday (16:00 GMT Wednesday) and advised rescuers how to bring her out safely, state media say.

Rescue efforts have concluded — while 10 people survived, 53 others died in the accident, officials said.

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

Shanghai’s Supply Chain Standstill, As Seen by Satellites, 477 Ships Stuck There, Many Bound for Australia

China’s lockdown of Shanghai is causing massive back-ups at the world’s largest container port. Hundreds of ships are now waiting at sea.

Read More Here:

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Breaking: Explosion in Havana, Cuba Destroys Hotel

A hotel explosion in Havana, Cuba on Friday morning has police and fire departments on the scene looking for survivors. It is not known how many people were injured or killed at this time.

The cause of the explosion at the Hotel Saratoga in the city centre is not clear, though witnesses describe the incident as a “massive blast” that destroyed nearby vehicles, reports CNN.

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

Havana Explosion: Four Killed and 19 Injured in Hotel Blast

Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel says initial investigations suggest explosion at Hotel Saratoga was caused by a gas leak

Four people have been killed and 19 injured when a powerful explosion tore through a hotel in the Cuban capital, sending plumes of dust into the air and leaving rubble strewn across the street in the historic centre of Havana.

Speaking at the scene soon afterwards, the Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, ruled out a bomb and said that initial investigations suggested that the blast at the Hotel Saratoga was caused by a gas leak.

At least 13 people were missing after the explosion, according to Cuban officials.

The five-star hotel in Old Havana has 96 rooms but is believed to have been closed at the time of the blast. The building sits next to a school, however, and a short distance from the historic Capitolio building…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Scotland: Mob Claims Credit for Forcing Home Office to Abandon Immigration Raid

Anti-borders activists have claimed victory over Immigration Enforcement officers in Edinburgh, Scotland, after surrounding the site of a reported raid.

The Home Office law enforcement agency was reportedly attempting to detain people at a restaurant named Beirut, but a crowd of activists assembled with some rapidity, forcing bus routes to be diverted and the police force to attend.

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

Trump’s White House Wanted to Send 250,000 Troops to the Border to Stop Migrants Coming in From Mexico, Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper Says in New Book

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he was ‘flabbergasted’ but a proposal to send 250,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border while he was serving in former President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

In a sit-down with 60 Minutes set to air Sunday, Esper revealed that it was Trump adviser Stephen Miller — an anti-immigration hardliner — who floated the plan, claiming that a large caravan of migrants was en route.

‘I think he’s joking,’ Esper told CBS’ Norah O’Donnell. ‘And then I turn around and I look at him in these deadpan eyes. It’s clear that he is not joking. And I say something like, “Well, look, DHS can handle whatever caravans are coming up. They’ve done so in the past.”‘

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

Twenty-Four Hours From Calais to the Crowne Plaza: The Mail Tracks a Group of Migrants Ushered to the UK by French and British Ships — Then Put Up in a Four-Star West London Hotel

Before dawn on Thursday this week, a group of migrants launched a rickety rubber dinghy off the shore near Calais to cross the English Channel.

By nightfall that evening — and thanks to some help from the French authorities — they were relaxing in warm beds in a comfortable West London hotel, their bellies full thanks to the generosity of the British taxpayer.

Door to door, the migrants’ journey from a beach in northern France to a £100-a-night four-star hotel took less than 24 hours. And the Mail tracked them every step of the way.

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

UK: Priti Patel’s Plan to Ship Migrants to Rwanda is to Get Underway Within Days — With Single Men Who Crossed the Channel in Small Boats First to be Transported to the African Country

Priti Patel’s new scheme for sending failed asylum seekers to Rwanda will start next week, it has been reported.

The first migrants to be sent to the central African nation will be single men and it is expected that they will be notified by Home Office lawyers in the next few days, according to The Sun.

However, the flagship plan may not start for months in the face of legal action by human rights groups.

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

‘Alito Doesn’t Give a Damn’ About Popularity, Just the Constitution: Former SCOTUS Clerk

What did Justice Samuel Alito think when his draft abortion decision leaked to the press this week? If you got a chance to ask him, he would likely admit to being angry that someone close to a justice broke the inviolate confidentiality rules of the court. But a former Supreme Court clerk has an additional suggestion for how Justice Alito is feeling right now.

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

Disney Funds Gender Identity, LGBTQ Curriculum in Schools — and Has Been for 20 Years

Disney announced with pride their plans to fund 10 organizations that are based in advocacy and education around LGBTQ issues, specifically for children and teens. Among these groups receiving funding is GLSEN, which pushes gender identity and LGBTQ curriculum to schools in the US.

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

Disney Adopts Employee Benefits Program That Subsidizes Out-of-State Abortions

Disney has reportedly adopted a benefits program for its employees that financially supports those traveling out-of-state to get abortions.

In a tweet posted by journalist Christopher Rufo, he said: “Disney—the world’s largest children’s entertainment company—has adopted a benefits program that will subsidize out-of-state abortions for employees and support sex change operations for their minor children.”

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

‘Menstrual Dignity Act’ Requires Menstrual Products in Boys’ Bathrooms

Conservatives are seeing red over a new Oregon law that requires menstrual products to also be offered inside boys’ bathrooms in the state’s public schools.

In July 2021, Democratic Gov. Kate Brown signed the controversial “Menstrual Dignity Act,” which requires all K-12 schools to provide free sanitary products to students — along with instructions on their use, Fox News reported.

“Starting next year (2022-2023), products will be available in all restrooms (male, female and all-gender) in every PPS building where education occurs,” the Portland school district said in a 2021 statement.

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

PR Firm Warns Corporations Not to Speak Out About Abortion — Sort of

It looks like the corporate world might be learning a lesson or two from Disney’s mistake of weighing in on the side of wokeness. Someone in our company discussion board here at PJ Media dubbed it “the DeSantis Effect.”

The latest battleground that could potentially tempt woke CEOs is the forthcoming Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, the urgency of which has been exacerbated by the leak of a draft decision that Justice Samuel Alito wrote.

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

Pro-Choice Abortion Activists Call for Mother’s Day Protests at Churches

Pro-choice abortion activists are calling on Americans to storm Catholic churches on Mother’s Day to protest the potential overturning of landmark abortion decision Roe v. Wade.

A pro-choice group called Ruth Sent Us, named after late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is urging followers on Twitter to “rise up against a corrupt and illegitimate” Supreme Court in the wake of Monday’s bombshell leak of a draft opinion that could end nationwide abortion rights.

“Whether you’re a ‘Catholic for Choice,’ ex-Catholic, of other or no faith, recognize that six extremist Catholics set out to overturn Roe,” the group tweeted Tuesday. “Stand at or in a local Catholic Church Sun May 8. #WarOnWomen #MothersDayStrike.”

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

7 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 5/6/2022

  1. A million SorosBucks into Abrams account?

    That ought to keep her in Twinkies, Ho Hos, and Woka Kola for about two weeks.

  2. The real state of affairs with Orthodoxy in Russia.
    http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2022/05/moscow-stops-publishing-yet-another.html

    And statistics continue to attribute to Christians more than 70% of the population of Russia on average
    Inside the article there is a link to a Russian resource and data by region are presented there.
    Including there is the region of my residence, which belongs to the “traditionally Russian”. This means that the number of those who are churched should be much more than 70%, following the logic. However, only 4% attended Easter services.
    By the way, many of my acquaintances who previously identified themselves as “Orthodox” stopped going to church. The ROC has discredited itself by turning into a structure serving the interests of the state.

    Many controversial statements have recently been made on behalf of ayatollah-style church hierarchs and religious leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
    Once one odious priest said that girls should not go to school, another priest said that a woman should not undress in front of a male doctor. And the other day, Patriarch Kirill made a statement that one can live without science and art, the main thing is faith in God.

    And then you ask: why in Russia, once every 100 years, priests fly from the tops of the bell towers?

  3. re : “Pro-Choice Abortion Activists Call for Mother’s Day Protests at Churches,” (in Culture Wars) :

    Why?

    I’ve been attending Catholic Churches for almost 70 years and, sad as it makes me to say it, I’ve rarely, if ever, heard an anti-abortion sermon. (Certainly not since the late ‘Seventies or ‘Eighties … and before Roe the issue wasn’t on the radar.)

    Since Roe, priests who had the courage (temerity?) to preach against abortion often found themselves silenced on the subject … by their bishops !

    Anti-abortion activism amongst Catholics has been mainly by the laity (encouraged and supported – privately – by their priests), and in fellowship with other Christians.

    Pro-aborts could just as well go protest at mosques … but of course there are no Muslims on the Supreme Court (and it wouldn’t be p.c. to disrupt mosques. And there might be blowback.)

  4. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala – would probably love to embargo Russian oil and gas as much as he could, but since he overshot his shots and got the nickname “The Ukrainian Prime Minister of the Czech Republic” – he probably had to pull back a little bit not to make it too obvious that he does not care for the well being of the Czech Republic at all.

  5. The Office of Environmental Justice: Protecting oppressed trees, shrubs and house plants.

  6. https://samnytt.se/m-politiker-paludan-fortjanar-att-do-som-lars-vilks/

    M-politician: Paludan deserves to die like Lars Vilks

    Criticism of Islam should be “severely punished”. Understands Muslims who try to murder police officers with stones

    A Moderate municipal politician with an immigrant background from Turkey is bothered by the fact that a “Danish bastard comes to Sweden and burns the Koran”. He says politician Rasmus Paludan deserves to be punished with death by being burned to death like “dirty fascist and Islamophobe” Lars Vilks.

    It is 64-year-old M-politician Cemil Aygan from Turkey who cannot accept constitutionally protected rights in Sweden and has therefore taken to social media to vent his frustration.

    “No Western society has succeeded in integrating Muslims”

    Aygan has written two Facebook posts describing Rasmus Paludan as “a Danish bastard coming to Sweden”. This despite the fact that Paludan holds both Danish and Swedish citizenship as his mother is Danish and his father is Swedish.

    In the posts, Aygan writes that he hopes Paludan dies in the same way as the artist Lars Vilks “found his punishment in a traffic accident and died of burning”, which SR Kronoberg was the first to draw attention to.

    Facsimile SR
    Understands stone-throwing Muslims
    Aygan calls for those who burn holy books in front of people to be “severely punished”. Furthermore, Aygan expresses understanding for all individuals who have subjected police officers to attempted murder by stone throwing during the Koran riots. “Of course Muslim youths stone,” the politician clarifies.

    Facsimile SR
    M: “It got a bit too rough and all that”
    Tingsryd Moderates chairman Åke Nyberg commented on the hate attack against Paludan by echoing Aygan’s defense that he expressed himself “in the heat of the moment it became a little too rough and so”.

    – It is sad both for us and for Cemil, Nyberg told SR Kronoberg.

    The Moderates have now expelled Aygan from running in the election campaign, but the politician continues as a savage in the municipality. Aygan maintains that he “hates all provocateurs who fix problems for Sweden and immigrants”.

    • No such bloody thing as a moderate muzzy, provoke them just a little bit and the savages always shows their true colors.

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