Gates of Vienna News Feed 6/16/2022

The party conference of the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland, Alternative for Germany) in Baden-Württemberg has been cancelled by the venue, due to the threat of extreme left-wing violence. The company that manages the venue said that the cost of security to protect attendees would be prohibitive. The AfD is reportedly planning to take the company to court.

In other news, two men pleaded guilty to planting a pipe bomb which was detonated last February in a hotel in Sand Diego.

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

Thanks to Dean, JAS, JW, LP, Reader from Chicago, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

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

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

Financial Crisis
» European NatGas Soars 70% in Week Amid Freeport Delays and Russian Cuts
» Exxonmobil Hits Back After Biden Threatens Energy Producers
» In Shock Decision, Swiss National Bank Hikes Rates for First Time in 15 Years
» Odds of Recession Soar to 72% Under Biden
» Video: Biden Energy Secretary Tells Americans to Stop Complaining Because Brazilians Have to Pay Same Amount for Gas
» Winter is Coming: German Agency Head Warns of Gas Shortages, Bankruptcies, And Massive Price Hikes That Will Send ‘Shockwaves Throughout the Country’
 
USA
» Breaking: Project Veritas Leaks Video From Twitter’s ‘All Hands’ Meeting With Elon Musk
» CBS Falsely Claims Biden’s Latest Diversity Hire of a ‘Senior Latina’ In the West Wing is a ‘First’
» Cotton: Garland Must Resign Over DOJ Inaction on Jane’s Revenge, More Than 50 Attacks on Pro-Life Groups
» DeSantis is a ‘Very Dangerous Individual’ Because He Has ‘Already Absorbed All the Lessons of Trump’ But Doesn’t Have Any of the Baggage, An Expert on Fascism Argues
» Elon Musk Promotes Free Speech at Twitter All-Hands Meeting, Says the Media ‘Almost Never’ Gets it Right
» Farewell, Internet Explorer
» Florida ‘Affirmatively Against’ COVID Vaccines for Young Children, DeSantis Says
» Fox News Poll: Majority Dislikes Protests Outside Supreme Court Justices’ Homes
» Inmate “Offered Money” To Murder Ghislaine Maxwell: Court Filing
» Liberal Virginia DA Hit With Bar Complaint Following Judge Booting Her Office From Criminal Case
» Los Angeles DA George Gascon Recall Campaign Hits Ballot Signature Requirement, Urges Voters to Stay Focused
» Los Angeles DA Gascon Issued Directive That May Have Helped Man Who Killed 2 Police Officers Avoid Prison
» Michael Avenatti Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Obstruction Charges
» More Than 150 Police Officers Shot So Far This Year, Records Show
» Nigel Farage Goes Off on Potential US Open Ban for Djokovic: ‘This is No Longer About Health’
» Overdose Deaths Rise to Double Gun Deaths in U.S.
» Pennsylvania Legislators Move to Impeach Soros-Funded Philadelphia District Attorney
» State AGs Petition Judge for Injunction Against Biden Administration to Stop Social Media Censorship Pressure
» The Road to Destruction
» Two Men Plead Guilty to Hotel Pipe Bomb Explosion
» Vestavia Hills Police: Multiple People Shot at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church
» Video Platform Rumble Announces “Open-Source” Free Speech Rules
» Virginia Governor Amends Budget to Restore State’s School Choice Program
» Watch: Gavin Newsom Joins Truth Social to Expose ‘Red State Murder Problem’
 
Canada
» BC Healthcare Union to Hold ‘Defund the Police Workshop’ For Members
» Protests Against Remaining COVID-19 Restrictions Are Planned in Ottawa All Summer
» Trudeau’s Online Censorship Bill Charges Ahead
 
Europe and the EU
» French Intellectual Who Coined the Term ‘Replacement Theory’ Interviewed
» Fresh Demand for U.S. And E.U. To Transfer Wealth Through ‘Climate Reparations’
» Germany: Police Fear Left-Wing Violence: AfD Party Conference Cancelled
» Godless Britain: Christian Factory Worker Fired for Wearing Cross Necklace
» Google, Twitter, Meta, TikTok and More Just Signed the EU’s “Anti-Disinformation” Code
» Hungary Considers German-Style Public Transport Discount Ticket
» Hungarian Foreign Minister Calls for a Rethink on a Global Corporate Tax Rate
» Incidents Relating to Islamic Veil in French Schools Multiplying
» Independent German Journalist Labelled Criminal Over Reporting
» Shock Video: Young Boy Beaten by Gang in Sweden
» The Czech Government Presented the Priorities of Its EU Presidency: Refugees, Ukraine, Energy, And Defense
» UK: Open University Anti-Racist Training Course Claims ‘White Superiority’ Is ‘Embedded in English Language’
 
Russia
» Russia-Ukraine War: What Happened Today (June 16)
 
South Asia
» Prophet Mohammed Row: In a Video, Islamic State Threatens of Terror Attacks Against India
 
Far East
» China Thwarts Protest With Digital Health Passport
 
Australia — Pacific
» Doctor Criticized Over Tweets Showing His Baby Wearing Face Mask, Filtration Device on Pram
» Watch: Australian Healthcare Regulator to Permanently Mandate Vaccines
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Nigeria Plots New Internet Regulation
 
Latin America
» Brazil’s Bolsonaro, Woke Hollywood Basher, Gives ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ a ‘10’
 
Immigration
» Belgium: Syrian Migrant Blames Rape of 8-Year-Old Step-Daughter on Alcohol, Claims ‘She’s Older Than That in Her Head’
» Frontex: Balkan Migrant Route Numbers Up 167 Per Cent This Year
» Immigration Detainee Dies at WA Detention Centre
» Italian Parliament Opens Investigation After Hundreds of Migrants Blamed for ‘Unleashing Hell’ At Lakeside Towns With Rioting and Sexual Assaults
» Switzerland: Illegal Immigrant Attacks Massive Church Organ Recently Restored for €530,000 in Neuchatel
 
Culture Wars
» Biden Refers to “L-G-B-T-Q-L” Community in Yet Another Verbal Gaffe
» Biden May Declare Public Health Emergency to Secure Abortion Rights as Roe Decision Looms
» Biden’s Rule Linking School Lunch to ‘Trans Kids’ Policies is Illegal: 26 State Attorneys General
» Drag Storytime at the Toronto Zoo
» Exclusive: The Code Behind Google’s Woke Autocorrect
» Father James Martin: Pride Month ‘Shows Us Whom Jesus Calls Us to Love’
» Michigan Attorney General Wants a “Drag Queen in Every School”
» Only 28% of Americans Support Trans Athletes Being Allowed to Compete in Female Sports
» Sweden: Gender Activists Sound the Alarm: Pregnant Women Less Politically Engaged
» Trans Health Group Says Kids Should Start ‘Gender Transition’ At Age 14
» Vice President Harris to Head New Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse
 

European NatGas Soars 70% in Week Amid Freeport Delays and Russian Cuts

A combination of factors this week and last have put a massive squeeze on crucial natural gas flows to Europe, sending prices sky-high.

Dutch front-month NatGas futures, the European benchmark, jumped as much as 24% Thursday morning, adding to the 46% increase this week and last. Flow reductions began last Wednesday when an explosion rocked the Freeport LNG Terminal in Quintana, Texas. Most LNG exports from that facility end up in Europe as the continent weens off Russian supplies.

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

Exxonmobil Hits Back After Biden Threatens Energy Producers

ExxonMobil fired back at President Biden after he threatened them with “emergency powers” if they don’t boost supply to temper surging gas prices.

In a statement released Wednesday from the company, ExxonMobil said it has been in regular contact with the administration providing updates on how it has been investing “more than any other company to develop U.S. oil and gas supplies.”

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

In Shock Decision, Swiss National Bank Hikes Rates for First Time in 15 Years

In a decision that came as shock to the market, this morning the Swiss National Bank (SNB) raised its policy rate by 50bp to —0.25%, its first rate hike in 15 years, against unanimous consensus of no change, and a dramatic move that sent the franc surging more than 2% against the euro, bringing parity between the two currencies into view.

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

Odds of Recession Soar to 72% Under Biden

The risks of a US recession under President Joe Biden have soared to 72% according to Bloomberg Economics models. This could spell trouble for the White House and Biden’s chances at a second term. Greg Valliere of AGF Investments joins “Bloomberg Markets: European Close.”

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

Video: Biden Energy Secretary Tells Americans to Stop Complaining Because Brazilians Have to Pay Same Amount for Gas

Another day, another example of Biden officials telling Americans to stop complaining about the spiralling costs of energy because other countries are worse off.

This time Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm appeared on CNN and told Americans that they should not be so worried about national average gas prices being over $5 because “If you were in Brazil, you’d be paying the same amount for gas.”

She went on to try to list other countries like Canada and Germany where gas is even more expensive.

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

Winter is Coming: German Agency Head Warns of Gas Shortages, Bankruptcies, And Massive Price Hikes That Will Send ‘Shockwaves Throughout the Country’

A gas shortage and high prices will send “shockwaves through the country,” leading to landlords cutting the heat for tenants and widespread company bankruptcies, warned Klaus Müller, the head of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, which is the regulatory office for electricity, gas, telecommunications, postal services, and railway markets.

Müller paints a bleak picture about the crisis in an interview with German newspaper Rheinische Post, saying it will “send shockwaves throughout the country. Banks will ramp up their business with installment loans, and ailing companies will fall into insolvency.”

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

Breaking: Project Veritas Leaks Video From Twitter’s ‘All Hands’ Meeting With Elon Musk

In footage obtained by Project Veritas of Thursday’s meeting with Twitter employees, Elon Musk stressed the importance of having free speech on the platform he is in the process of purchasing.

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

CBS Falsely Claims Biden’s Latest Diversity Hire of a ‘Senior Latina’ In the West Wing is a ‘First’

Yesterday, CBS Senior White House Correspondent Ed O’Keefe inaccurately reported that new senior adviser and assistant to the president Julie Rodriguez will be the “most senior #Latina to ever serve in a West Wing staff job.”

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

Cotton: Garland Must Resign Over DOJ Inaction on Jane’s Revenge, More Than 50 Attacks on Pro-Life Groups

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, said Thursday that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland should resign over the Biden administration Justice Department’s inaction on more than 50 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and churches in recent weeks purportedly carried out by Jane’s Revenge.

In a letter sent to Garland, Cotton, who is the ranking member for the subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism, the Intelligence Committee, and the Armed Services Committee, also called on the DOJ to investigate Jane’s Revenge as a “domestic terrorist organization.”

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

DeSantis is a ‘Very Dangerous Individual’ Because He Has ‘Already Absorbed All the Lessons of Trump’ But Doesn’t Have Any of the Baggage, An Expert on Fascism Argues

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could be the GOP’s natural successor to former President Donald Trump as a 2024 presidential candidate, and he doesn’t come with Trump’s drama, an expert on authoritarianism told Insider.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a historian at New York University, and the author of the book, “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present.” She has studied the backsliding of democracy, from the US to Russia, and elsewhere.

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

Elon Musk Promotes Free Speech at Twitter All-Hands Meeting, Says the Media ‘Almost Never’ Gets it Right

Tesla CEO Elon Musk touted free speech principles during Thursday’s all-hands meeting with Twitter staff as the billionaire continues his acquisition of the tech giant.

“I think it’s essential to have free speech and … be able to communicate freely,” Musk said in an edited video of his remarks released by Project Veritas. “If there are multiple opinions … just make sure that we’re not sort of driving a narrative.”

Musk told staff that in order for the public to “have trust in Twitter,” it’s “extremely important that there’d be transparency” and that the platform can do a better job at “informing people about serious issues.”

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

Farewell, Internet Explorer

Microsoft is shutting off one of the least-beloved titans of the early internet era today — at least for their most recent operating system.

As Statista’s Katharina Buchholz details below, Windows 10 users that try to connect to the Internet Explorer desktop app will from now on be redirected to the company’s new Edge browser. Microsoft had announced the final date of Internet Explorer support in May of last year. Users on older versions of Windows can continue to use the browser and those using Windows 10 can still switch to Internet Explorer mode within Edge if they have to for certain applications (or for nostalgic reasons). The company has said it will provide backwards compatibility in Edge at least until 2029.

The Internet Explorer hit computer screens close to 27 years ago and, according to StatCounter, was a hit initially.

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

Florida ‘Affirmatively Against’ COVID Vaccines for Young Children, DeSantis Says

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his state’s decision on Thursday to forgo preordering doses of pediatric COVID-19 vaccines, making Florida the only U.S. state to do so.

DeSantis strongly disapproves of giving the shots to children, who are less likely than older adults to experience severe COVID-19. He maintained that the shots have not completed enough rigorous testing to be proven safe and effective, adding that the state would not be launching any sort of vaccination campaign for getting shots in children’s arms.

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

Fox News Poll: Majority Dislikes Protests Outside Supreme Court Justices’ Homes

A majority of registered voters think it’s inappropriate to protest outside the homes of Supreme Court justices.

A new Fox News survey finds 55% say the protests are inappropriate, including majorities of Republicans (70%) and independents (62%). Democrats see it the other way, with a majority of 58% saying it’s okay.

Overall, 37% think the protests are appropriate.

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

Inmate “Offered Money” To Murder Ghislaine Maxwell: Court Filing

Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell claim that the former Jeffrey Epstein ‘madam’ should receive well below the recommended 20 year sentence because another inmate was allegedly offered money to strangle her in her sleep, according to the New York Times.

“One of the female inmates in Ms. Maxwell’s housing unit told at least three other inmates that she had been offered money to murder Ms. Maxwell and that she planned to strangle her in her sleep,” wrote Maxwell’s legal team, adding that the inmate wasn’t worried about legal repercussions since “an additional 20 years’ incarceration would be worth the money she’d receive for murdering Ms. Maxwell.”

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

Liberal Virginia DA Hit With Bar Complaint Following Judge Booting Her Office From Criminal Case

The top prosecutor in Loudoun County, Virginia, was hit with a bar complaint on Thursday following a circuit court judge booting her office from a criminal case for “deliberately misleading the Court and the public.”

“Ms. Biberaj’s conduct is completely unbecoming of both a prosecutor and an officer of the Court. Judge Plowman’s order is a damning indictment of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s ethics and her low regard for the integrity of the justice system. We hope that the Virginia Bar recognizes the severity of this misconduct and Buta Biberaj is disbarred and removed from office immediately,” Sean Kennedy, the president of Virginians for Safe Communities, said in the nonprofit’s press release Thursday.

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

Los Angeles DA George Gascon Recall Campaign Hits Ballot Signature Requirement, Urges Voters to Stay Focused

Recall Gascon Campaign co-chair Kathy Cady said on Thursday she is confident that the effort to oust Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon will happen after hitting a signature milestone.

The campaign told Fox News it received over 30,000 petitions over the past few days in an effort to gather the 567,857 needed by July 6. The group said it hit the target Wednesday but is working toward collecting 650,000 signatures as some will likely be deemed invalid by Los Angeles County officials.

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

Los Angeles DA Gascon Issued Directive That May Have Helped Man Who Killed 2 Police Officers Avoid Prison

A California man accused of killing two police officers may have avoided additional prison time for previous charges because of a directive issued by Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon upon taking office.

Justin William Flores is accused of killing El Monte police officers Michael Parades and Joseph Santana in a shootout on Tuesday. He was shot and killed in the shootout.

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

Michael Avenatti Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Obstruction Charges

Michael Avenatti, the former lawyer for porn star Stormy Daniels, pleaded guilty to five felony offenses related to alleged financial crimes in federal court Thursday.

Representing himself in court, Avenatti, 51, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud and one count of endeavoring to obstruct the administration of the Internal Revenue Code. He faces a maximum of 83 years behind bars as a result of the guilty pleas. Earlier in the week, Avenatti expressed his intent to change his plea to guilty despite failing to reach a deal with prosecutors, stressing that the wanted to accept responsibility.

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

More Than 150 Police Officers Shot So Far This Year, Records Show

More than 150 American police officers have been shot this year, at least 24 of them killed in the line of duty, statistics compiled by Fox News Digital show.

“Criminals feel free to engage in crime,” said Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association and a retired officer with nearly three decades of experience. “You see videos all over TikTok and Instagram, where criminals are doing things, and they appear to have no fear of the police, of a security guard, of a store manager, none of that.”

In all, at least 156 officers have been shot around the country in 2022 as of Tuesday, according to Fraternal Order of Police data combined with additional information from the Gun Violence Archive.

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

Nigel Farage Goes Off on Potential US Open Ban for Djokovic: ‘This is No Longer About Health’

Former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage blasted the U.S. Open tennis tournament for its COVID policy that prevents Novak Djokovic from playing in the summer event because he has not been vaccinated. Farage told “Fox & Friends First” Thursday COVID restrictions are “no longer about” public health.

NIGEL FARAGE: This is no longer about health. It’s about control. It’s about government deciding how you should live your life, what you should and should not do. … We all know when this virus first came into view two years ago, it was a frightening thing. We’ve now learned how to deal with it. We’ve got drugs to deal with it. And it doesn’t matter how many times you are vaccinated, you can still catch COVID. As, of course, the Fauci case this morning proves. So it’s about control. It’s about the big state. And we really must fight back much harder against this.

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

Overdose Deaths Rise to Double Gun Deaths in U.S.

The CDC released data detailing drug-related deaths within the U.S., and what they found is that over 100,000 Americans have died from drugs — twice the number of those who have died from firearms.

This number is up 15 percent from the previous year, and increased by around 40,000 since 2019.

           — Hat tip: JAS [Return to headlines]
 

Pennsylvania Legislators Move to Impeach Soros-Funded Philadelphia District Attorney

After San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin was recalled last week, another George Soros-funded district attorney could be out of a job if Pennsylvania state legislators have anything to say about it. Republican state Reps. Torren Ecker, Tim O’Neal, and Josh Kail initiated the process to impeach radical left-wing Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. Philadelphia’s record-setting homicide total during Krasner’s tenure is the impetus for their impeachment call.

Krasner was elected as Philadelphia’s 26th district attorney in 2017, and the homicide rate has exploded ever since. Much of this increase is attributed to Krasner’s radical left-wing criminal justice reform policies. Numerous examples of murderers being previously arrested but not being incarcerated have plagued his time in office. Inexplicably, he won reelection in a landslide last year — the year in which the city set a record for homicides.

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

State AGs Petition Judge for Injunction Against Biden Administration to Stop Social Media Censorship Pressure

The attorneys general of both Louisiana and Missouri have filed for an injunction in their lawsuit against the Biden administration.

Attorneys General Jeff Landry of Louisiana and Eric Schmitt of Missouri have requested a federal judge sign an order that prevents the Biden administration officials, or those working on behalf of the administration, from pressuring social media platforms to curb online speech.

The lawsuit alleges that the Biden administration has colluded with Big Tech companies to suppress speech.

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

The Road to Destruction

If it weren’t for the US arms shipments to the Ukraine, Russia and the Ukraine would quickly arrange a settlement that would protect Russia’s security interests. Those in control know this…

Is there anything we can do to de-escalate the situation? … [Former U.S. Congressman] Dr. Ron Paul, whom we are here today to honor, has the answer. America should end its encirclement of Russia and disband NATO. Let’s look at his vital message to us: “When the Bush Administration announced in 2008 that Ukraine and Georgia would be eligible for NATO membership, I knew it was a terrible idea. Nearly two decades after the end of both the Warsaw Pact and the Cold War, expanding NATO made no sense. NATO itself made no sense.”

The saddest part of this whole manufactured crisis is that it should make absolutely no difference to us whether Russia controls Ukraine. How is that a threat to the United States? Whatever Biden and his neocon advisers say, America should stay out of conflicts that are none of our business. As usual, Murray Rothbard put it best. In the context of the 1980 Afghan war, he quoted Canon Sydney Smith — a great classical liberal in early 19th century England who wrote to his warmongering Prime Minister, thus:

“For God’s sake, do not drag me into another war!

I am worn down, and worn out, with crusading and defending Europe, and protecting mankind… Baghdad is oppressed, I do not like the present state of the Delta; Tibet is not comfortable. Am I to fight for all these people?”

           — Hat tip: JAS [Return to headlines]
 

Two Men Plead Guilty to Hotel Pipe Bomb Explosion

SAN DIEGO (CNS) — Two men who planted a pipe bomb that detonated at a Kearny Mesa hotel, but caused no injuries, pleaded guilty Thursday to felony charges.

Grover Preston Everett, 39, and Hans Jurgen Sarda, 30, pleaded guilty to charges of recklessly or maliciously possessing a destructive device. The men are expected to be sentenced next month to two years in custody, which will be served in county jail.

The device was set off on the morning of Feb. 24 on the second floor of the Four Points by Sheraton on Aero Drive, according to the San Diego Police Department.

Police and prosecutors have not disclosed a suspected motive for the bombing…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Vestavia Hills Police: Multiple People Shot at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church

VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (WBRC) — Vestavia Hills Police confirmed there was a shooting at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church.

Multiple people were shot. The suspect is in custody, according to officers.

Officers said they are still “actively” clearing the building…

           — Hat tip: JW [Return to headlines]
 

Video Platform Rumble Announces “Open-Source” Free Speech Rules

Rapidly growing video sharing platform Rumble has announced a new set of content moderation rules that are designed to protect free speech. The rules were created to cement a content moderation policy that respects free expression and to avoid the ever-changing goal posts of speech restrictions that are employed by Big Tech giants and that are increasingly updated to justify new forms of content censorship.

Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski used the opportunity of appearing on the Timcast IRL podcast to announce the new guidelines that are set to be enshrined in the company’s ethos and to ensure continued consistent commitments to free speech.

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

Virginia Governor Amends Budget to Restore State’s School Choice Program

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin made a significant move to bolster the state’s school choice efforts, releasing a statement on Wednesday that he sent “thirty-eight budget amendments” to two budget bills, which included “expanding opportunities for education.”

“We’re … restoring educational freedom by protecting the education scholarship tax credits which expand parental choice.”

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

Watch: Gavin Newsom Joins Truth Social to Expose ‘Red State Murder Problem’

Gov. Gavin Newsom (R-CA) joined former President Donald Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, posting his first “truth” on Wednesday evening.

“Here’s the truth,” he wrote, attaching a video in which he discussed the “red state murder problem.”

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

BC Healthcare Union to Hold ‘Defund the Police Workshop’ For Members

The Health Sciences Association (HSA), a British Columbia union representing more than 20,000 professionals, including registered psychiatric nurses, is holding a “Defund the Police Workshop” for its members this fall. A union member leaked an HSA email about the event to The Post Millennial.

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

Protests Against Remaining COVID-19 Restrictions Are Planned in Ottawa All Summer

Events are set to take place in Ottawa in late June through Canada Day and the rest of the summer for what organizers say are to protest remaining COVID-19 pandemic-era restrictions.

Andrew MacGillivray, steering committee member for Veterans for Freedom, said in an interview posted on YouTube that it will hold a three-day conference in Ottawa next week, from Wednesday to Friday.

Veterans for Freedom describes itself on its website as a group made up of Canadian veterans working to “restore fundamental freedoms for all Canadians” and “uphold Canadian laws.”

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

Trudeau’s Online Censorship Bill Charges Ahead

This week, the Trudeau government quietly passed its controversial online censorship bill without any discussion or debate through committee.

C-11 seeks to expand federal regulatory powers to the online realm and would expand government regulation to user-generated content. Critics of the bill have called the law an overreach and violation of Canadians’ right to freedom of expression.

As Anthony Furey explains, C-11 will likely pass the House of Commons with the support of the NDP and it will be up to the Senate to put a stop to this radical piece of legislation.

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

French Intellectual Who Coined the Term ‘Replacement Theory’ Interviewed

Renaud Camus is a French writer, political theorist, and intellectual known for coining the term “The Great Replacement.”

The term originates from his 2011 work Le Grand Remplacement, which was never translated into English, but yet has become the subject of intense controversy in Western media.

In an attempt to get a better understanding of Mr. Camus’ work, one outlet reached out, asking him what he thought about the controversy surrounding the term:

“The Great Replacement is not a theory at all, but just a sad fact,” Camus said…

“I do not care much for the future of the Right, which has betrayed the country and the people just as much as the Left and the present center,” Camus responded.

“When a country is handed over to foreign peoples and foreign forces, occupied, colonized, daily humiliated in every way and its indigenous people daily attacked, robbed, raped, slaughtered, Left vs. Right are not the most urgent of issues. Resistance is.” …

More than 60 percent of Americans who voted for former President Trump agree with the core tenet of the “great replacement theory,” according to a recent Yahoo News-YouGov poll… According to the poll, only 22 percent of Trump voters don’t agree it is happening.

           — Hat tip: JAS [Return to headlines]
 

Fresh Demand for U.S. And E.U. To Transfer Wealth Through ‘Climate Reparations’

A call for a host of taxes on the U.S. and European nations designed to transfer wealth to economies confronting “the cost of drought, floods and superstorms made worse by rising temperatures” was renewed Wednesday at a U.N. climate conference in Germany.

If heeded, the so-called “loss and damage” demand will see prosperous, successful countries on the hook for billions of dollars for decades or even centuries to come.

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

Germany: Police Fear Left-Wing Violence: AfD Party Conference Cancelled

Leftwing violence in Germany is on the rise. The operator of the Carl Benz Arena in Stuttgart has terminated the contract for the state party conference on July 2 and 3 with the AfD Baden-Württemberg, as dpa reported. They said that several hundred officials and water cannons would be needed to secure the party congress.

The AfD state association, which is led by the chairwoman of the parliamentary group, Alice Weidel, now wants to go to court.

The police expect that the left-wing scene from the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart plan to disrupt the party congress. “We cannot be held responsible for personal injury and damage to property,” said a police spokesperson.

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

Godless Britain: Christian Factory Worker Fired for Wearing Cross Necklace

A Christian factory worker in the UK has won £22,000 in compensation after being fired for wearing a cross necklace at work.

Jevgenijs Kovalkovs, who previously served as an employee at a factory for 2 Sisters Food Group Limited in Coupar Angus, Scotland, successfully sued his former employer for discrimination after being fired for wearing a crucifix at work.

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

Google, Twitter, Meta, TikTok and More Just Signed the EU’s “Anti-Disinformation” Code

Big Tech companies have signed a new version of the European Union’s “anti-disinformation” code. Some of the companies that signed include Google, Twitter, Meta, TikTok, and Twitch — but also smaller players such as Vimeo and Clubhouse.

There are 34 signatories in total.

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

Hungary Considers German-Style Public Transport Discount Ticket

The Hungarian government is examining the possibility of a discounted monthly transportation ticket, which is the same policy recently introduced for local and regional public transport in Germany, Minister for Technology and Industry Laszló Palkovics said in Berlin on Wednesday.

After a meeting with the German federal minister for transport and digital infrastructure, Volker Wissing, Palkovics said that energy prices have risen, and the German government has made a “wise decision” by introducing a “9-euro ticket,” which has been a huge success so far; it has also helped encourage many people looking to switch from using a car to public transport.

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

Hungarian Foreign Minister Calls for a Rethink on a Global Corporate Tax Rate

Although a signatory of the agreement, Hungary remains skeptical about the benefits of a global minimum corporate tax rate, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó told his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken in a phone call on Wednesday.

“We are not at all enthusiastic about this idea, especially not in its current form, especially not in the current circumstances,” Szijjartó said about the discussion in a Facebook post.

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

Incidents Relating to Islamic Veil in French Schools Multiplying

At least 144 violations of France’s secularism law were reported in the second quarter of this year in French schools regarding the Islamic veil and other traditional Islamic clothing, a trend that is increasing.

France’s Central Territorial Intelligence Service (SCRT), a police division tasked with monitoring communitarianism and sectarianism, published a confidential note earlier this month regarding violations of the 2004 secularism law in French schools, claiming there has been a surge of incidents of Muslim girls refusing to remove Islamic veils in schools.

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Independent German Journalist Labelled Criminal Over Reporting

Alina Lipp claims the German government has opened a criminal case against her and frozen her and her father’s bank accounts pending a trial that she is forbidden to appear at over her honest reporting of Russia’s military operation in the Donbas region…

“First, they deleted my material on the internet, then they blocked my bank account, blocked the bank account of my father, and yesterday I got this letter from German authorities that they opened now a criminal case against me.”

           — Hat tip: JAS [Return to headlines]
 

Shock Video: Young Boy Beaten by Gang in Sweden

A young boy was viciously attacked by a ‘gang’ in Sweden who also threatened his family this week, according to reports.

The disturbing incident unfolded on Tuesday in Bromölla, a municipality in Skåne County.

The victim was surrounded on a footpath by a group of at least five thugs who filmed part of the assault and posted it on TikTok, Samnytt reports.

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The Czech Government Presented the Priorities of Its EU Presidency: Refugees, Ukraine, Energy, And Defense

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Minister for European Affairs Mikulas Bek announced at a press conference on Wednesday what they intend to focus on during Chechia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, which begins next month. Their priorities will be coping with the refugee crisis and Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction, energy security, the strengthening of defense capabilities, and cybersecurity.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine significantly influenced the priorities of the Czech presidency. After taking office last December, Bek spoke about dealing with the consequences of the coronavirus crisis, climate change policies, and addressing migration and security.

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UK: Open University Anti-Racist Training Course Claims ‘White Superiority’ Is ‘Embedded in English Language’

The programme has seen an investment of £500,000 from Santander and looks to explore “Britain’s black cultures and steps to anti-racism”

An Open University training course has told academics that the English language is “embedded with white superiority”.

The programme, Union Black, which has seen an investment of £500,000 from Santander, has been described as “Britain’s black cultures and steps to anti-racism, a new six-hour online learning course”.

It claims to “challenge racial myths and biases in Britain through the lens of Black cultures, then develop your commitment to lasting change”.

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Russia-Ukraine War: What Happened Today (June 16)

As Thursday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, showing support for Ukraine in fending off the Russian invasion and for its path toward European Union membership. Zelenskyy had accused France, Germany and Italy of not doing enough to help defend his country. Among new promised aid packages, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to send more truck-mounted artillery guns to the country. The EU leaders arrived by train in Kyiv to air raid sirens. They also visited Irpin, northeast of the capital, where Macron said there were signs of massacres.

Russia’s central bank head warned that the country’s economy is unlikely to bounce back anytime soon to prewar conditions. Russia’s economic development minister said the gross domestic product will fall by 7.8% this year, as international sanctions and business pullouts take a toll.

NATO allies want to beef up deterrence along its eastern flank so Russia doesn’t plan further aggression in the region. Meeting with member countries’ defense chiefs in Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called for more air, sea and cyber defenses, plus prepositioned equipment and weapons. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. and its allies would place more equipment in Eastern Europe and put troops on higher alert. Baltic countries urged for more troops to be stationed there, too.

The U.S. State Department said it’s in touch with families of three U.S. citizens reported missing in Ukraine. This could be the first time Americans have been captured by Russian forces during the war. Earlier, a court in a Russian-controlled region of Ukraine charged two captured British fighters and one Moroccan man as mercenaries and sentenced them to death. They were among the thousands of foreigners who have joined the fight in Ukraine. The State Department has encouraged Americans not to travel to the country.

In a new round of sanctions, the United Kingdom targeted the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, for supporting the war in Ukraine. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Kirill “repeatedly abused his position to justify the war.” The new sanctions also include Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova “for her alleged involvement in the forced transfer and adoption of Ukrainian children.” She is accused of facilitating the forced adoption of 2,000 Ukrainian children sent to Russia.

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Prophet Mohammed Row: In a Video, Islamic State Threatens of Terror Attacks Against India

New Delhi: Amid an ongoing row over the allegedly derogatory remarks made by now-expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma against Prophet Mohammed, the Islamic State Khorasan Province, an affiliate of the terror outfit Islamic State has now threatened terror attack against India. In a video, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has warned that attacks will be launched on Hindus to avenge the insult of Prophet Mohammed.

According to Khorasan Diary, an independent news portal, the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) published a 55-page pamphlet ‘asking Muslims across India to join hands with them, and urging Islamic State in Hind Province (ISHP) to break silence and gear up’.

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China Thwarts Protest With Digital Health Passport

A protest planned in Henan by hundreds of bank depositors in central China seeking access to their frozen funds has been thwarted because the authorities have turned their health code apps red, several depositors told Reuters…

Without a green code on their smartphone app, citizens lose access to public transport and spaces such as restaurants and malls, as well as the right to travel across the country…

Anyone with a red code immediately becomes persona non grata. They are banned from all public venues and transport and are often subject to weeks of government quarantine.

One would-be protester said his child can’t go to school unless the card turns back to green. Usually, code red is assigned to people infected with Covid or deemed by authorities to be at high risk. How quickly, it was used for control.

           — Hat tip: JAS [Return to headlines]
 

Doctor Criticized Over Tweets Showing His Baby Wearing Face Mask, Filtration Device on Pram

A pediatrician has attracted controversy for Twitter posts in which he reveals how he makes his baby wear face masks and uses an air filter contraption attached to a pram to ‘protect’ against COVID-19.

Dr. Greg Kelly, who has over 22,000 followers and includes his pronouns in his bio, is an ICU specialist based in Australia who is still arguing for vehement COVID restrictions to remain in place despite the fact that the pandemic appears to be coming to an end.

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Watch: Australian Healthcare Regulator to Permanently Mandate Vaccines

A medical practitioner is speaking out after the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) updated the entire industry’s code of conduct to mandate vaccines permanently.

“It’s a sneaky way to have an ongoing mandate for all Allied Health Professionals”, she said.

Previously the code of conduct stated health practitioners must ‘understand the principles of immunisation against communicable diseases’.

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Nigeria Plots New Internet Regulation

Nigeria has announced a draft legislation to regulate social media companies, including Meta Platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram), TikTok, Twitter, and Google.

The draft legislation was prepared and released by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and comes six months after Nigeria lifted the 6-month long Twitter ban.

The Twitter ban was lifted on three conditions; Twitter should have legal representation in the country, pay local taxes, and cooperate with takedown requests from the government. The draft legislation by NITDA has similar requirements and more.

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro, Woke Hollywood Basher, Gives ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ a ‘10’

Tom Cruise’s latest blockbuster, Top Gun: Maverick has been given a thumb’s up and a solid ‘10’ from an unlikely source after President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro took to social media early Thursday to offer his applause for the box office blockbuster.

The Brazilian leader then followed it up with another reference by likening pilots in the country’s national air force to those seen in the movie. He wrote: “Real-life Top Guns from our glorious Brazilian Air Force, under the command of Brigadier@CBaptistaJr, always ready to protect our airspace and our Brazil. join the@fab_oficial!”

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Belgium: Syrian Migrant Blames Rape of 8-Year-Old Step-Daughter on Alcohol, Claims ‘She’s Older Than That in Her Head’

A Syrian migrant on trial in Belgium for the rape of his 8-year-old stepdaughter has offered in mitigation the defense that it was the first time he had ever consumed alcohol and that he had been seduced by the girl who he claimed is “older than that in her head.”

The Dinant criminal court heard how the accused, who had arrived in Belgium from Syria back in 2019, had allegedly raped his stepdaughter between January and March 2021 at their family home in the municipality of Doische.

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Frontex: Balkan Migrant Route Numbers Up 167 Per Cent This Year

The European Union border agency Frontex has reported that illegal immigrant activity in the western Balkan region has surged by 167 per cent in the first five months of 2022 compared to the same period last year.

Frontex has reported that from January until May of this year, the activity on the Balkan route has more than doubled compared to the same time last year and now accounts for the largest total number of illegal crossings of any of the major European migrant routes.

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Immigration Detainee Dies at WA Detention Centre

Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a man in his 30s who was reportedly stabbed overnight at the Yongah Hill immigration detention centre near Perth, with two other detainees being questioned.

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

Italian Parliament Opens Investigation After Hundreds of Migrants Blamed for ‘Unleashing Hell’ At Lakeside Towns With Rioting and Sexual Assaults

After last week saw widespread chaos breakout at parties in Italian lakeside towns near Lake Garda involving up to 2,000 migrants, the Italian public prosecutor’s office and the Italian Parliament have opened a number of investigations, including into one case where 30 migrant men allegedly sexually assaulted six teen girls on a train from Lake Garda to Milan.

The investigation also deals with violent incidents committed by some participants in a previous event in the town of Peschiera, a popular tourist destination. The Italian parliament will also be concurrently investigating the case and debating the incident that sparked national headlines in Italy.

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Switzerland: Illegal Immigrant Attacks Massive Church Organ Recently Restored for €530,000 in Neuchatel

Police say an illegal immigrant caused tens of thousands of euros worth of damage to a recently restored church organ inside the Collegiate Church of Neuchtel in Switzerland.

On Tuesday, the man broke into the church with the intention of spending the night inside. While on the premises, the man committed “significant” damage to the church organ, which had recently been restored for 550,000 Swiss francs (€530,000). He was immediately arrested on scene.

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Biden Refers to “L-G-B-T-Q-L” Community in Yet Another Verbal Gaffe

Joe Biden fell prey to yet another verbal gaffe during a speech yesterday when he made reference to the “L-G-B-T-Q-L” community.

Biden was delivering a speech in celebration of ‘pride month’ at the White House when he embarrassed himself once again.

“I’m also proud to have signed an executive order on my first day in office to combat discrimination against L-G-B-T-Q-L — I, excuse me — plus Americans,” Biden stammered.

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Biden May Declare Public Health Emergency to Secure Abortion Rights as Roe Decision Looms

President Joe Biden and his administration is reportedly weighing the option of taking executive action regarding abortion if a Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health, regarding a Mississippi abortion clinic ultimately ends up overturning Roe v Wade in the coming weeks.

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Biden’s Rule Linking School Lunch to ‘Trans Kids’ Policies is Illegal: 26 State Attorneys General

26 state Attorneys General have come out against the Biden administration’s guidance linking school lunch funding with “trans kids” policies, calling it “unlawful.”

Led by Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter Herbert H. Slatery III, the group penned a letter to the president on Tuesday asking that he request the USDA to rescind the guidance.

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Drag Storytime at the Toronto Zoo

On Saturday June 11, the Toronto Zoo held an event called ‘Drag Queen Storytime’ and it was hosted by two drag queens, Tiffany Boxx and Erin Brockobic.

The event was an hour long, where Tiffany and Erin each read animal themed children’s stories with the goal of teaching ‘inclusion, diversity, self-love and respect for others.’

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Exclusive: The Code Behind Google’s Woke Autocorrect

Leaked material from Google provided exclusively to Breitbart News give a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a feature rolled out to business and enterprise users of Google Docs that suggests woke-approved replacements for words like “man,” “woman,” “white,” and “master” as users type.

In the examples below, Google’s curated list of non-woke words and their woke replacements can be seen, such as replacing “manhole” with “maintenance hole” and “whitepaper” with “report.”

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

Father James Martin: Pride Month ‘Shows Us Whom Jesus Calls Us to Love’

ROME — Jesuit Father James Martin declared this week that Gay Pride celebrations show us “whom Jesus calls us to love” and therefore are “deeply complementary” with devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Pride month and devotion to the Sacred Heart “are not contradictory but complementary,” Father Martin writes. “Because each tells us something about how Jesus loves. And it is providential that both are marked in June.”

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Michigan Attorney General Wants a “Drag Queen in Every School”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has called for there to be a “drag queen in every school.”

Yes, really.

Nessel made the comments during a civil rights conference in Lansing after she has falsely claimed that critical race theory being taught in schools is a hoax.

“You know what’s not a problem for kids who are seeking a good education? Drag queens,” said Nessel.

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Only 28% of Americans Support Trans Athletes Being Allowed to Compete in Female Sports

A new poll has found that only 28 per cent of Americans support transgender athletes being allowed to compete in female sports tournaments.

The survey, conducted jointly by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland, asked participants whether “transgender women should not be allowed to compete with other women and girls” either in college or professional sports.

Only 28 per cent of respondents think biological males should be free to compete against women, while 58 per cent said they should be banned from taking part.

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Sweden: Gender Activists Sound the Alarm: Pregnant Women Less Politically Engaged

Children are more important than politics for parents of young children — a problem for gender advocates, who note that mothers’ political interest in particular declines during pregnancy and the first years of childhood.

The interest of first-time parents and especially mothers in politics decreases with pregnancy and subsequent parenthood. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered this. For most people, it is probably not very surprising, but according to researchers, it is a problem.

It is claimed that this fact contributed to “cementing gender differences” between men’s and women’s political involvement. However, the researchers do not present an answer as to what to do about parents’ care of young children taking up time from politics and community involvement.

In a study at the University of Gothenburg, a group of researchers led by political scientist Elin Naurin followed over 2 000 first-time parents using a web panel, with which they measured the first-time parents’ political commitment and interest beginning before pregnancy, then through pregnancy to continue following the subjects until the children reach the age of four.

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Trans Health Group Says Kids Should Start ‘Gender Transition’ At Age 14

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health will be lowering the recommended minimum age for gender transition surgeries, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press.

The health association will start recommending hormones to be taken at 14 years of age, lowering the current age recommendation by two years. They will also start recommending that some gender transition surgeries start at age 15, lowering the current age recommendation by one year, the outlet reports.

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Vice President Harris to Head New Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse

Today, Vice President Kamala Harris will convene the first meeting of a new federal task force called the “White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse.”

According to an official White House “fact sheet,” the task force will respond “to the need for government leadership to address online harms, which disproportionately affect women, girls, people of color, and LGBTQI+ individuals.”

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3 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 6/16/2022

  1. “DeSantis is a ‘Very Dangerous Individual’ Because He Has ‘Already Absorbed All the Lessons of Trump’ But Doesn’t Have Any of the Baggage, An Expert on Fascism Argues

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could be the GOP’s natural successor to former President Donald Trump as a 2024 presidential candidate, and he doesn’t come with Trump’s drama, an expert on authoritarianism told Insider.

    Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a historian at New York University, and the author of the book, “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present.” She has studied the backsliding of democracy, from the US to Russia, and elsewhere.”

    If she really did study that, then she should know democracy is “backsliding” heavily right now under Biden, right? Not a few years back under president Trump’s administration.

  2. Yes, with its beaches the city can be called Sand Diego, but given how and where breakfast is served at the Del Coronado Hotel, the city is better called Sandy Eggo.

  3. re : BC Healthcare Union to Hold ‘Defund the Police Workshop’ For Members

    I’d love to see the police union hold a workshop about defunding the health care workers.
    Let’s have a pi*sing contest about who is or isn’t an “essential worker”.

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