Gates of Vienna News Feed 6/2/2022

The gunman who killed three people before committing suicide at a medical building in Tulsa has been identified as a patient named Michael Louis. The murderer was a black man, as was his principal victim, a surgeon named Dr. Preston Phillips. Black lives matter, but they evidently matter less when a black perpetrator is the one doing the killing.

In other news, the Italian city of Turin abandoned its “Miss Sexy Bum” pageant after an outcry on social media.

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

Thanks to Dean, DV, Insubria, 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
» JPMorgan Chase CEO Warns of Impending Economic ‘Hurricane’
 
USA
» 200,000 Seattle Parking Tickets to be Voided, Refunded Due to ‘Bureaucratic Breakdown’
» American Freedom Tour Slams Memphis Democrat Councilmen for Trying to Deny Donald Trump Police Security
» Andy Ngo Hits Back at Blogger From Disgraced SPLC Over Latest Hit Piece Attempt
» Breaking: Biden Calls to Reinstate Assault Weapons Ban, Nationwide Red Flag Laws
» Exclusive: Gov. Ron DeSantis to Veto $35 Million Tampa Bay Rays Facility Amid Polarization of Shootings
» Facebook Says Chuck Schumer’s Media Director is Guilty of Hate Speech
» FBI Maintains Workspace Inside Democrat Law Firm Perkins Coie
» Genetics: Scientists Wanted Friendly Hamsters But Made Them Much More Aggressive
» Google Backtracks on Censorship of Conservative Kid’s Book Ads
» Huh? MSNBC Race Baiter Claims Fears Over Gun Control Are Like Resurgence of KKK
» Lawmakers Want Answers on “Misinformation” Tool Used in Schools
» Michael Avenatti Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
» Multiple People Injured in Shooting at Wisconsin Cemetery During Funeral
» Murder Suspect in Columbus Was Out on Bail— for Murder Charges
» Must Watch: Hero Border Patrol Agent Borrowed Shotgun From Barber to Save Children During Mass Shooting
» New York City Lawmaker Assumes ‘White Supremacy’ Motivated Tulsa Shooter — He Was Black
» Posobiec Slams Biden’s Failed ‘Minister of Truth’ For Suggesting That Disinfo Board Could Have Prevented Uvalde Shooting
» Questions Remain Over ‘Amber Heard’ Op-Ed That Was Ghostwritten by ACLU Staffer
» Sperm Donor Fathers 15 Children Without Disclosing His Genetic Low-IQ Syndrome
» Tulsa Shooting Gunman Targeted Surgeon He Blamed for Pain, Police Say
» Tulsa Hospital Shooter Targeted Doctor Who He Blamed for Back Pain
» Video: Fauci Openly Admits Biden Mask Mandate is About Preserving “Authority”
 
Canada
» Alberta Medical Association Worries About Children’s Mental Health After Supporting Lockdowns
» BC Gun Store Sees a Month’s Worth of Handgun Sales in One Day After Trudeau Announces Freeze
» BC Man Approved for Payout After COVID-19 Vaccine Led to Rare Nerve Disorder
» Breaking: Former Ottawa Police Chief Confirms That No Request Was Made to Invoke Emergencies Act
» Breaking: Pierre Poilievre Proposes Ban on Government’s Vaccine Mandates
» Breaking: Ontario Gives Ford’s PCs a Second Majority Government
» Liberal MP Says Vaccine Mandate ‘Is No Longer Justified’ And Has ‘Exhausted Its Usefulness’
» Many Large Canadian Companies Still Require COVID Vaccines for New Hires
» Ohio Urges US Feds to Place Canada on Religious Freedom Watch List
» Tim Hortons App Tracked Canadians’ Movement Even When Not in Use: Report
» Toronto Police to Lift Vaccine Mandate
» Trudeau Gov’t Funded Report Claims Freedom Convoy Led to ‘Anti-Media Rhetoric’
 
Europe and the EU
» Censorship Regime? German Interior Ministers Call for End of Anonymity on Web, More Surveillance, And New Laws Against Hate Speech
» Czechs Fighting at the Front Face Lack of Water, Low Ammunition, And Constant Shelling
» Fifteen Times Fewer Bicycles Stolen in Switzerland Than in France
» Germans Get ‘Small-Firearm’ Fever, But Left-Wing Parties Like the SPD Are Concerned
» Hungary Has Lowest Utility Bills in Europe
» Italy: League Says Salvini Vindicated Over Drug Pusher Buzzer Stunt
» Italy: ‘Miss Sexy Bum’ Contest Scrapped After Social-Media Outcry
» Polish and Ukrainian Governments Hold ‘Historic’ Joint Meeting in Kyiv
» Switzerland Stops Danish Arms Assistance to Ukraine
» The EU Cannot Guarantee Cheap Energy for the Coming Winter, Says Czech EU Commissioner
» UK: Thousands Line Mall to Cheer Queen Elizabeth II on 70th Anniversary
» UK: Watch: Soldiers March Over Protesters Disrupting Queen’s Jubilee Parade
» Vodafone Plans to Subvert Privacy Protections With New Ad-Tracking Tech
 
Russia
» Russia-Ukraine War Live: Latest News
» Ukraine May Turn Off Russian-Held Nuclear Plant if it Loses Control
 
Immigration
» Sweden, Population 10.3 Million, Has Over 1 Million Migrants Eligible to Vote in 2022 Elections
» Up to 100 More Migrants Arrive in Dover After Being Picked Up in the Channel as Number of Asylum Seekers Reaching UK This Year Edges Closer to 10,000
» What Happened to This Small Village Told to Accept 1500 ‘Refugees’?
 
Culture Wars
» Amazon Employees Stage a ‘Die-in’ At Pride Event Over ‘Transphobic Books’
» Biden Admin Quietly Links School Lunch Funding to Implementation of ‘Trans Kids’ Agenda
» Biden Issues ‘Proclamation’ For ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, And Intersex’ Pride Month
» Daily Wire Targeted With Ddos Attack After Launch of Matt Walsh’s ‘What is a Woman?’ Documentary
» Democrat-Run Cities in GOP-Led States Refuse to Enforce Pro-Life Laws
» Ireland: Gay Pride Parade Organizers Add Ukraine Colors to LGBTQ Flag
» NFL Unveils Mega-Woke Logo to Celebrate Pride Month
» Poll Finds Most Americans Reject Idea of Kids Choosing ‘Preferred Pronouns’
» U.S. Embassy to Vatican Celebrates: Flies Rainbow Flag for Pride Month
» US Marines Ridiculed Over ‘Gay Bullets’ Tweet
» Watch: Gay Student Asks Charlie Kirk How to Get More LGBTQ People on Board With Gun Rights
» Woke Corporations Signal Devotion to Pride Month Around the World … Except the Middle East
» Woman Raped by Biological Male in California Women’s Prison, Rapist Moved to Lower-Security Prison
 

JPMorgan Chase CEO Warns of Impending Economic ‘Hurricane’

On Wednesday, CEO of JPMorgan Chase Jaime Dimon warned investors of an impending economic “hurricane.”

Dimon pointed to three factors contributing to the upcoming perfect storm: the war in Ukraine, current American inflation, and the Federal Reserve’s upcoming attempts to reduce that inflation. According to Bloomberg, Dimon said “we don’t know if it’s a minor one or Superstorm Sandy. You better brace yourself.”

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

200,000 Seattle Parking Tickets to be Voided, Refunded Due to ‘Bureaucratic Breakdown’

The City of Seattle announced Wednesday that it is voiding and refunding over 200,000 parking tickets because officers did not have the legal authority to write them.

Approximately 100,000 unpaid tickets have been canceled and another 100,000 paid tickets will be refunded, costing the city between $4.5 million and $5 million.

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

American Freedom Tour Slams Memphis Democrat Councilmen for Trying to Deny Donald Trump Police Security

Two Democrat City Councilmen in Memphis want the Memphis Police Department to deny providing security for former President Donald Trump when he will be speaking in the city on June 18. One of those, JB Smiley Jr., is angling to become Tennessee governor. Trump will be speaking as part of the American Freedom Tour.

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

Andy Ngo Hits Back at Blogger From Disgraced SPLC Over Latest Hit Piece Attempt

It has been revealed that a Southern Poverty Law Center blogger by the name of Jason Wilson will be publishing a post on the organization’s Hatewatch blog targeting The Post Millennial’s editor-at-large Andy Ngo, and his relationship with the Patreon alternative SubscribeStar.

On Thursday morning, Ngo posted to Twitter an email that he received from Williams, informing Ngo of the decision to write the story.

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

Breaking: Biden Calls to Reinstate Assault Weapons Ban, Nationwide Red Flag Laws

On Thursday evening, President Biden addressed the nation, calling for a change in gun laws following the mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.

Recalling his recent visit to Uvalde, where 21 people were killed, including 19 children, and his visit to Buffalo earlier this month, where 10 people were killed in a supermarket, Biden said that those communities, and people nationwide have called on him to “do something.”

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

Exclusive: Gov. Ron DeSantis to Veto $35 Million Tampa Bay Rays Facility Amid Polarization of Shootings

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis plans to veto a $35 million legislation for a Pasco County facility that’s earmarked for the Tampa Bay Rays’ spring training, OutKick has learned.

DeSantis’s decision is in response to the Rays politicizing recent shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde ahead of a matchup with the Yankees in May.

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

Facebook Says Chuck Schumer’s Media Director is Guilty of Hate Speech

On Thursday, Facebook flagged an article from the National Pulse regarding homophobic tweets posted by Sen. Chuck Schumer Media Director Caroline Burns, saying that the post went against Community Standards.

In a tweet posted by Natalie Winters, who wrote the National Pulse article “‘Hate This F*g’: Chuck Schumer’s Media Director Has a History of Gay-Bashing Tweets,” she revealed that the social media platform had flagged the article for going against standards on “hate speech and inferiority.”

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

FBI Maintains Workspace Inside Democrat Law Firm Perkins Coie

Authored by Sundance via The Conservative Treehouse

There is very little that surprises me, but this is completely stunning. An FBI whistleblower came forth to inform Rep Jim Jordan and Rep Matt Gaetz that the FBI maintains a workspace inside the law firm of Perkins Coie. Direct Rumble Link

In response to a letter sent by Rep. Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan, Perkins Coie, the legal arm of the DNC and Hillary Clinton, admitted they have been operating an FBI workspace in their Washington D.C. office since 2012. Pay attention to that date, it matters.

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

Genetics: Scientists Wanted Friendly Hamsters But Made Them Much More Aggressive

Geneticists admitted that they had been “really surprised” after a gene-editing experiment with the CRISPR/Cas9 technique went horribly wrong. They had instead turned the hamsters they had been injecting with their potion into hyper-aggressive monsters.

CRISPR/Cas9 edits genes by precisely cutting DNA and then letting natural DNA repair processes take over. The system consists of two parts: the Cas9 enzyme and a guide RNA which is supposed to enable “transformative therapies”. It is supposed to be “a simple two-component system” used for “effective” targeted gene editing. Clearly, this definition does not apply in many cases as this outcome revealed.

The “counterintuitive results” show that the scientists “ don’t understand this system as well as we thought,” the lead researcher admitted.

By eliminating vasopressin activity the researchers had hoped it would make hamsters behave more peacefully. According to a statement from Georgia State University (GSU), a team of neuroscience researchers were however “really surprised” by the results of a gene-editing experiment that unexpectedly created hyper-aggressive hamsters.

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

Google Backtracks on Censorship of Conservative Kid’s Book Ads

The Google Ads platform suspended the account of BRAVE Books, a publisher for kids’ books, after the release of “Plot Against the King,” a pictorial book that debunks the Trump-Russia collusion conspiracy. The account was reinstated after Fox News covered the story.

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

Huh? MSNBC Race Baiter Claims Fears Over Gun Control Are Like Resurgence of KKK

MSNBC’s Joy Reid, who analyses literally everything through her race tinted glasses, claimed Wednesday that conservatives fearing more gun control in the wake of mass shootings are akin to racists joining the KKK in the early 20th century because they feared a “black menace”.

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

Lawmakers Want Answers on “Misinformation” Tool Used in Schools

Republicans in the House Education Committee sent letters to misinformation rating tool NewsGuard and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), demanding answers about their partnership to protect American children from “misinformation.”

The partnership between AFT and NewsGuard was announced earlier this year through a press release that said “the AFT’s 1.7 million members, tens of millions of kids they teach, and their families, can now receive free, real-time ‘traffic light’ news ratings and detailed ‘Nutrition Label’ reviews, via a licensed copy of NewsGuard’s browser extension, whenever they search the web for news and information.”

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

Michael Avenatti Sentenced to Four Years in Prison

From Democratic media-endorsed potential Presidential candidate to four years in prison…there’s no doubt the Michael Avenatti story has taken a full 180 since his days of “taking on” then-President Donald Trump.

Today Avenatti was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing nearly $300,000 from the porn star he once represented, Stormy Daniels.

Avenatti reportedly expressed remorse in the courtroom Thursday, but that didn’t sway a federal judge, who sentenced him to 3 additional years to a prison sentence he has been serving since last summer, according to Courthouse News Service.

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

Multiple People Injured in Shooting at Wisconsin Cemetery During Funeral

Multiple people were shot during a funeral in southeast Wisconsin on Thursday, police said, as loved ones were paying their final respects to a 37-year-old man.

Racine police told residents to stay away from Graceland Cemetery because of “multiple shots fired” there at 2:26 p.m. CT.

“There are victims but unknown how many at this time,” police said in a statement. “The scene is still active and being investigated…

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

Murder Suspect in Columbus Was Out on Bail— for Murder Charges

A man who was indicted for murder in a Pickerington, Ohio case was charged with an additional murder while he was out on bond for the first charge.

According to local news, Avonte Sanford of Columbus, Ohio was charged with fatally shooting 19 year old Antohn Saunders in December 2021. He was arrested and released on bond. In January, he was arrested on charged of fatally shooting James Palmer III.

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

Must Watch: Hero Border Patrol Agent Borrowed Shotgun From Barber to Save Children During Mass Shooting

Fox’s Laura Ingraham spoke with Jacob Albarado, one of the heroes of the day during the mass school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Texas.

“Photo of off-duty Border Patrol agent Jacob Albarado who borrowed a shotgun from his barber in the middle of a haircut and ran into the school in Uvalde with his wife and daughter inside,” tweeted journalist Jack Posobiec on the occasion

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

New York City Lawmaker Assumes ‘White Supremacy’ Motivated Tulsa Shooter — He Was Black

A New York City Councilwoman assumed that “white supremacy” was to blame for the mass shooting that took place at a hospital on Wednesday in Tulsa, Okla. Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, who represents neighborhoods in Brooklyn, linked the shooting to “white supremacy,” despite the shooter being black.

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

Posobiec Slams Biden’s Failed ‘Minister of Truth’ For Suggesting That Disinfo Board Could Have Prevented Uvalde Shooting

Human Events Daily host Jack Posobiec slammed failed Ministry of Truth czar Nina Jankowicz during the latest instalment of his show, after she suggested that the Uvalde shooter, Salvadaor Ramos, may have been radicalized by online content and that an online disinformation board could have helped prevent the massacre that took place at Robb Elementary on May 24.

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

Questions Remain Over ‘Amber Heard’ Op-Ed That Was Ghostwritten by ACLU Staffer

After actor Johnny Depp emerged successful from his defamation trial with Amber Heard, questions remained about the Washington Post op-ed that triggered the lawsuit given that it was ghostwritten by an ACLU staffer.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star was vindicated after a jury found that Heard, his former spouse, had defamed Depp in a 2018 op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post in which Heard maliciously lied about Depp’s supposedly “abusive” behavior.

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

Sperm Donor Fathers 15 Children Without Disclosing His Genetic Low-IQ Syndrome

A UK sperm donor that used Facebook to advertise his product fathered 15 children, but never disclosed to the mothers that he has an inheritable genetic condition that causes learning disabilities.

According to the New York Post, 37-year-old James MacDougall fathered these children with lesbian women through his private “donations,” which he advertised on Facebook.

[Comment: That’s just lovely. Onward to a society of imbeciles.]

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

Tulsa Shooting Gunman Targeted Surgeon He Blamed for Pain, Police Say

A man who blamed his surgeon for ongoing pain after a recent back surgery bought an AR-style rifle hours before carrying out a shooting at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, medical office, killing the surgeon and three other people before fatally shooting himself, police said Thursday. Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin said the gunman had recently undergone back surgery and had called a clinic repeatedly complaining of pain.

Franklin said the doctor who performed the surgery, Dr. Preston Phillips, was killed Wednesday, along with another doctor, a receptionist and a patient.

“We have also found a letter on the suspect which made it clear that he came in with the intent to kill Dr. Phillips and anyone who got in his way,” Franklin said. “He blamed Dr. Phillips for the ongoing pain following the surgery.”

Dr. Cliff Robertson, president and CEO of Saint Francis Health System, called Phillips “the consummate gentleman” and “a man that we should all strive to emulate.” He said the three employees who were killed were “the three best people in the entire world” and that they “didn’t deserve to die this way.”

Authorities said the gunman, identified as Michael Louis, carried a rifle and handgun during the shooting on the hospital campus, the latest in a series of deadly mass shootings across the country in recent weeks…

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Tulsa Hospital Shooter Targeted Doctor Who He Blamed for Back Pain

The person responsible for killing five people, including himself, at an Oklahoma hospital on Wednesday night has been identified.

The suspect left a note saying he was intentionally targeting a surgeon who he saw there. That doctor was murdered by the shooter, alongside other victims who got “in the way” of the rampage.

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

Video: Fauci Openly Admits Biden Mask Mandate is About Preserving “Authority”

Appearing on Fox News Wednesday, Anthony Fauci appeared to admit that the Biden administration’s efforts to reinstate mask mandates on planes and trains is about preserving “authority” over public health decisions, not about keeping people safe.

Earlier in the week, the Justice Department asked an appeals court to overturn a federal judge’s order that mask mandates were unlawful.

As we noted in April, Joe Biden’s CDC extended mask mandates for Americans on planes and public transport, while the administration sought to simultaneously end all COVID restrictions for migrants crossing illegally into the United States.

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

Alberta Medical Association Worries About Children’s Mental Health After Supporting Lockdowns

After calling for lockdowns as recently as September, the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) is now sharing concerns about the impact pandemic restrictions have had on the mental health of the province’s children and youth.

A survey by the AMA saw 77% of Alberta parents of teens 15 and older say that their children’ mental health had worsened during the pandemic.

The survey also saw 70% of parents of children six to 14 — and half of parents of children under six — say that their kids now have worse mental health.

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

BC Gun Store Sees a Month’s Worth of Handgun Sales in One Day After Trudeau Announces Freeze

A British Columbia gun and ammunition store says that sales for handguns have gown through the roof after the Trudeau Liberals made the announcement that there would be a nationwide freeze on the buying, selling, or transfer of handguns.

Global News spoke to Scott Carpenter of the International Shooting Supplies store in Surrey, saying that he sold a month’s worth of handguns in one day.

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

BC Man Approved for Payout After COVID-19 Vaccine Led to Rare Nerve Disorder

A BC man is among the first in Canada to receive a payout from the Vaccine Injury Support Program after developing Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Shortly after receiving his first dose of the Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Ross Wightman was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare condition that can cause muscle weakness, paralysis, and even death via its assault on the body’s nervous system.

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

Breaking: Former Ottawa Police Chief Confirms That No Request Was Made to Invoke Emergencies Act

Former Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly testified on Thursday that no request was made to invoke the Emergencies Act by the police to the Trudeau Liberals, contradicting claims made by Trudeau’s public safety minister.

“I did not make that request and I’m not aware of anyone else in the Ottawa Police Service who did,” said Sloly when asked.

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

Breaking: Pierre Poilievre Proposes Ban on Government’s Vaccine Mandates

Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre proposed a motion today to “prevent government imposed vaccination.”

The act is called “An Act to prevent the imposition by the federal government of vaccination mandates for employment and travel,” and is listed as bill C-278. He tabled the motion during a morning session in parliament on Thursday.

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

Breaking: Ontario Gives Ford’s PCs a Second Majority Government

Ontario voters have given Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives (PCs) a second term, with another majority government.

The election was called only 10 minutes after polls closed at 9:10pm ET.

The victory means that Ford will likely be in charge of Ontario until the next provincial election in 2026.

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

Liberal MP Says Vaccine Mandate ‘Is No Longer Justified’ And Has ‘Exhausted Its Usefulness’

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith said that, while he did not support the motion to revert to pre-pandemic travel measures, he believes that the government’s two-dose vaccine mandate “without accommodation is no longer justified.”

Erskine-Smith he abstained from the vote because he believes it’s too soon to drop masks.

[Comment: Whatever, dude.]

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

Many Large Canadian Companies Still Require COVID Vaccines for New Hires

A series of job postings show major companies in Canada are still advertising that only the “fully vaccinated” will be hired.

A recent catalog of job postings from Canada was posted to social media to show that while provincial governments may have axed vaccine passports, many large corporations still insist that all new employees be vaccinated against the highly survivable COVID-19 virus.

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

Ohio Urges US Feds to Place Canada on Religious Freedom Watch List

Ohio is calling on the US government to add Canada to a Special Watch List for countries that violate the rights of their citizens.

The state’s legislature adopted a bill on Wednesday requesting the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recognize its northern neighbour as a country that abuses religious liberty.

The resolution — titled “Urge addition of Canada to religious freedom Special Watch List” — had as its main sponsors Republican state representatives Reggie Stoltzfus and Timothy E. Ginter.

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

Tim Hortons App Tracked Canadians’ Movement Even When Not in Use: Report

A new report from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner revealed that the Tim Hortons app was tracking Canadians, even when the app was not in use.

Tim Hortons is one of Canada’s most beloved culinary institutions, serving Double-Doubles, TimBits, and freshly toasted bagels to millions across the nation.

What Canadians were not expecting was that the chain’s app would be tracking their every move, but that’s exactly what a new report from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner has revealed.

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

Toronto Police to Lift Vaccine Mandate

Toronto police will lift its COVID-19 vaccine mandate on June 21, according to the Toronto Sun’s Joe Warmington.

A tweet posted by Warmington reads, “Toronto Police have told its rank and file members that COVID-19 vaccine mandates — that saw hundreds suspended without pay for non compliance — will be withdrawn as of June 21st. Police and civilians will be going back to work . . . More to come.”

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

Trudeau Gov’t Funded Report Claims Freedom Convoy Led to ‘Anti-Media Rhetoric’

Some Canadian legacy media outlets have claimed the trucker Freedom Convoy was the catalyst for growing “anti-media rhetoric,” including an increase in “online” abuse via social media from those who supported the protesters.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, a Trudeau government-funded report released last week cites members of Canada’s mainstream media saying there is a rise in “social media trolling.”

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

Censorship Regime? German Interior Ministers Call for End of Anonymity on Web, More Surveillance, And New Laws Against Hate Speech

More surveillance, more resources against “disinformation” and less free speech were the themes of the Wednesday conference of interior ministers from Germany’s federal and state governments.

“We need more measures against misleading and demonstrably false information,” said Bavarian Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann, of the Christian Socialist Union, who is taking over the presidency.

Herrmann demanded that users should only be allowed to use their real names on social networks, effectively ending anonymity. He demanded that social media and web providers should be forced to verify the authenticity of the identity of their users. In addition, a paper produced by the interior ministers requires them to provide a “decrypted dump” of content in the event of an investigation against subjects.

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

Czechs Fighting at the Front Face Lack of Water, Low Ammunition, And Constant Shelling

Czech volunteer fighters remain approximately 800 to 1,000 meters from Russian forces in the region of Kharkiv, and face constant shelling from the enemy. Jan Husar, a correspondent for Novinky.cz news outlet in Ukraine, visited them and reported on the situation they face. Their exact position and names cannot be stated for security reasons.

His report detailed how the ongoing conflict had cruelly affected the village where many Czechs are located, just like many others in eastern Ukraine. There are few civilians left, and most human activity takes place in the damp basements located in the area. The advanced operational base was established there by the volunteer battalion, Karpatska Sic, in whose ranks a group of ten Czechs is also fighting.

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

Fifteen Times Fewer Bicycles Stolen in Switzerland Than in France

Their French neighbours are much more likely to have their bicycles stolen, according to a study. Bicycle sales have moreover increased considerably in Switzerland: +33,7 percent between 2019 and 2021, reaching 5666 bicycles sold per 100 000 inhabitants in 2021.

During the pandemic, despite the rise in cyclists, bicycle theft decreased significantly in Switzerland and Belgium. Against all expectations, it increased in France.

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

Germans Get ‘Small-Firearm’ Fever, But Left-Wing Parties Like the SPD Are Concerned

More than 750,000 people have joined the national gun registry and have obtained a so-called “small firearm license,” in Germany, as ownership of firearms becomes ever more popular in the country.

However, it is important to note that gun restrictions remain stringent in Germany, and a “small firearm license” does not allow individuals to buy a pistol or sidearm that can shoot real bullets. Instead, individuals with this specific license can carry gas pistols that can shoot blanks or irritants as well as flare guns.

As of April 30, 756,619 people were registered to own a small firearm, with 16,581 people having already joined this year alone, according to Zeit Online. Last year, this number already increased by 34,532.

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

Hungary Has Lowest Utility Bills in Europe

Hungarian consumers continue to pay the lowest utility prices in Europe, according to the latest international price comparison by the Hungarian Energy and Utilities Regulatory Authority (MEKH). Conducted in May, this is the latest evidence that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s energy policy is paying off.

The average price of natural gas for residential consumers is the lowest in Hungary, even measured in purchasing power parity.

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

Italy: League Says Salvini Vindicated Over Drug Pusher Buzzer Stunt

Critics of regional electoral campaign action ‘should apologise’

(ANSA) — ROME, MAY 26 — The rightwing League party said Thursday its leader Matteo Salvini had been vindicated over an electoral stunt in Bologna in January 2020 when he buzzed a working-class family’s intercom asking if a drug pusher lived there, after the family in question was implicated in a drugs sweep in the Emiilian capital.

“Time is a gentleman,” said Andrea Ostellari, Senate justice committee chair and the League’s commissioner for Emilia-Romagna.

“Some people should apologise to the League and the people of the Pilastro quarter,” he said.

Salvini was cleared in the case by a court that upheld a defence contention that the League leader’s action was justified politically in the run-up to regional elections, which the League went on to lose.

In January 2021 Salvini himself said he had been vindicated after the parents of the boy whose intercom he buzzed in what was decried as a dubious electoral stunt were arrested on suspicion of pushing drugs in the Emilian capital.

Surrounded by a film crew and a crowd of supporters for his campaign in the Emilia Romagna elections, the nationalist leader buzzed the intercom of the 17-year-old Tunisian boy in the Pilastro working-class district in January 2020 and asked if a pusher was living there.

A police officer reportedly put Salvini in touch with a woman in the Pilastro district whose son had died of drugs and who led the former hardline anti-migrant interior minister to the boy’s home.

The boy sued the then opposition leader, who went on to narrowly lose the regional elections.

Salvini’s opponents decried the stunt while the Tunisian ambassador called it an unacceptable breach of privacy.

Facebook took down a video Salvini had posted of the “raid”, which had enthused his supporters.

On January 27 2021 the boy’s parents, a 59-year-old Tunisian man and a 58-year-old Swiss national, both naturalised Italians, were arrested on suspicion of distributing and possessing drugs with the intent to distribute, as well as possessing counterfeit money and weapons.

Salvini said he had been vindicated, tweeting: “Anti-drugs raid in Bologna. Time is a gentleman. Drugs are bad for you”.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: ‘Miss Sexy Bum’ Contest Scrapped After Social-Media Outcry

Replaced by Miss Smile competition after ‘objectification’ row

(ANSA) — ROME, MAY 26 — A ‘Miss Sexy Bum’ contest has been scrapped near Turin after an outcry against alleged sexism and objectification on social media.

The competition for best female rear of the year was set up by the municipal culture body in Bollengo, a small town in the Turin metropolitan area.

The committee has now replaced the Sexy Bum contest with the Miss Smile competition, replacing all the posters for the event.

The association apologised to everyone who had felt offended saying “it was not our intention to objectify women”.

There are many similar events around the world, the most famous perhaps being Brazil’s Miss Bum Bum contest.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Polish and Ukrainian Governments Hold ‘Historic’ Joint Meeting in Kyiv

The Polish and Ukrainian governments took part in joint consultations in Kyiv, in a meeting which has been called “historic” by the leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski

The Polish cabinet led by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is the first government to meet its Ukrainian counterparts in this format since the beginning of the war in February. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the occasion to provide Ukrainian state awards to both Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Mateusz Morawiecki.

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

Switzerland Stops Danish Arms Assistance to Ukraine

The Swiss authorities have confirmed that they rejected a request from Denmark to supply armoured personnel carriers of type Piranha III to Ukraine.

According to Danish Radio, some 20 armoured personnel carriers have been purchased from Switzerland on the condition that they may only be passed on if Bern allows it. The Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said it had previously received similar requests from Germany to send tanks and ammunition. Ultimately, all the requests were rejected on the grounds that Switzerland is neutral.

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

The EU Cannot Guarantee Cheap Energy for the Coming Winter, Says Czech EU Commissioner

The European Union does not want to act unrealistic, so it cannot guarantee cheap energy for the coming winter. However, people will have enough fuel and food, said European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova in an interview with German media group RND.

Jourova sharply criticized not only the Russian invasion of Ukraine but also Russian propaganda, which she said had turned the truth upside down. In the fight against propaganda, the representative of the EU executive branch promised vigorous action, but at the same time she said that the union does not intend to establish any censorship office or ministry of truth because it does not want to lower itself to the Russian level.

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

UK: Thousands Line Mall to Cheer Queen Elizabeth II on 70th Anniversary

Queen Elizabeth II was joined on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with the ‘working’ members of the Royal Family Thursday afternoon as thousands gathered on Pall Mall to wish the Queen well on the 70th year of her reign.

London bore witness to some of the most spectacular ceremonial and pageantry on earth on Thursday with the Trooping of the Colour, a normally impressive official celebration of the Queen’s birthday lent extra weight this year by it also marking 70 years of the Queen’s reign, called the Platinum Jubilee.

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

UK: Watch: Soldiers March Over Protesters Disrupting Queen’s Jubilee Parade

Soldiers participating in the traditional Trooping of the Colour for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee refused to break their gait after protesters rushed into the street, eventually being dragged away by police.

Soldiers in full military dress were confronted by a small number of demonstrators sprawling out in front of them in the road as they kicked off a four-day celebration of the 96-year-old Queen’s seven decades on the throne but, as is their custom, they marched on heedless of their presence, continuing to play their brass instruments.

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

Vodafone Plans to Subvert Privacy Protections With New Ad-Tracking Tech

The powerful online advertising industry must be protected basically at all costs — that is the message arriving from Germany, where Vodafone is testing a new system that will track users at ISP level in order to deliver targeted ads.

The writing’s been on the wall for a while that all sorts of nefariousness for user privacy, safety and freedom practices — like tracking and censorship — have been slowly moving towards “contaminating” deeper levels of internet’s architecture, rather than simply web platforms and services.

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

Russia-Ukraine War Live: Latest News

Ukraine: Ukrainians fled front-line towns in eastern Ukraine as Russian forces pressed on with their effort to take more territory in the Donbas region. Moscow’s advantage in artillery is enabling gradual advances in fighting that is inflicting heavy casualties on both sides. Ukrainian troops pressed Russian defenses in areas of the country where occupying forces are stretched thin.

Security services in Ukraine are hunting down citizens they view as abetting Russia in a region where some still side with Moscow.

Europe: The European Union approved a new sanctions package that includes a phased-in embargo on most Russian oil, with measures set to take force on Friday, diplomats said. OPEC and its allies agreed to a bigger-than-expected oil-production increase, paving the way for a potential security deal between Saudi Arabia and the U.S.

Russia: Russians are paying higher prices and seeking substitutes for certain goods to cope with the impact of international sanctions. Russian factories saw output and new orders fall again in May, leading to some job losses, according to a survey of purchasing managers.

Patriarch Kirill, a leading supporter of President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, escaped the latest round of EU sanctions, thanks to Hungary’s opposition to punishing the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church.

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

Ukraine May Turn Off Russian-Held Nuclear Plant if it Loses Control

Ukraine would consider switching off its Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that lies in Russian-occupied territory if Kyiv loses control of operations at the site, Interfax news agency cited an aide to the prime minister as saying on Thursday. (Reuters)

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Sweden, Population 10.3 Million, Has Over 1 Million Migrants Eligible to Vote in 2022 Elections

Out of a total population of just over ten million people, an estimated one million foreign-born residents of Sweden will be eligible to vote in the coming national elections to be held later this year.

Around 1.2 million foreign-born residents of Sweden will be eligible to vote later this year for the first time ever, with some noting that foreign-born Swedes tend to vote mainly for a specific party, namely the ruling Social Democrats.

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

Up to 100 More Migrants Arrive in Dover After Being Picked Up in the Channel as Number of Asylum Seekers Reaching UK This Year Edges Closer to 10,000

Dozens of migrants were rescued in small boats in the English Channel today with the number of people making the treacherous crossing to the UK nearing 10,000 people so far this year.

As the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday celebrations began, it is understood up to 100 people were brought into the harbour at Dover throughout the morning although official figures are yet to be confirmed.

Around 40 were seen being brought ashore on the Border Force vessel Typhoon, the group were mainly men — some elderly.

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

What Happened to This Small Village Told to Accept 1500 ‘Refugees’?

Imagine you lived in a quaint, quiet village comprising of about 700 residents.

Then imagine the government announced it was about to house 1500 Middle Eastern and North African migrants right on your doorstep.

Oh s***!

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

Amazon Employees Stage a ‘Die-in’ At Pride Event Over ‘Transphobic Books’

Amazon employees staged a “die-in” protest on Wednesday to protest the sale of what they describe as “transphobic books.”

Around 30 workers affiliated with the group No Hate At Amazon staged the event during Amazon’s annual “Glamazon Pride 2022 event” held at the company’s South Lake Union campus in Seattle. The group said in their speech “our anger is with Amazon using the raising of the Pride flag as a PR stunt.”

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

Biden Admin Quietly Links School Lunch Funding to Implementation of ‘Trans Kids’ Agenda

The US Department of Agriculture, which provides school lunches, has decided that in order to abide by an executive order signed by Joe Biden on his first day in office, they will link that funding to gender-affirming educational policy.

The USDA announced that “state and local agencies, program operators and sponsors that receive funds from FNS must investigate allegations of discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Those organizations must also update their non-discrimination policies and signage to include prohibitions against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.”

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

Biden Issues ‘Proclamation’ For ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, And Intersex’ Pride Month

The Biden administration marked the start of June by saying their progressive White House stands firm against “anti-LGBTQI+ legislation” being passed by other states. These include laws prohibiting the medicalized gender transition of minors, the application of prostate cancer drugs to halt the puberty of healthy children, and the breast removals of pubescent girls.

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

Daily Wire Targeted With Ddos Attack After Launch of Matt Walsh’s ‘What is a Woman?’ Documentary

The Daily Wire has reported that they are fighting off “a sustained DDoS attack,” which appears to have been timed in an attempt to disrupt the premiere of their new film, “What is a Woman?”

The malicious cyber attacks apparently started shortly before the actual movie aired, while the live streaming platform was still showing the outlet’s “Backstage” program, “which preceded the premiere and featured Daily Wire hosts discussing the making and meaning of the film.”

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

Democrat-Run Cities in GOP-Led States Refuse to Enforce Pro-Life Laws

Democratic city officials within Republican led states have gone on record stating they will not enforce pro life laws if and Roe v Wade is overturned.

District Attorneys have come forward from Nashville, Tenn., Durham, NC, and DeKalb County in Georgia to publicly announce they will not enforce state legislated abortion restrictions.

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

Ireland: Gay Pride Parade Organizers Add Ukraine Colors to LGBTQ Flag

One of the principal organizers of Dublin’s gay pride parade has decided to add the colors of Ukraine to the LGBTQ rainbow flag, presumably to ensure support for all ‘current things’ are covered.

The result is yet another migraine-inducing virtue-signaling vomit of colors.

“Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride, one of the principal organisers of the annual gay pride parade in Ireland’s capital city, has seemingly decided to add the colours of the Ukrainian flag to the ever-evolving rainbow flag,” reports Breitbart.

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

NFL Unveils Mega-Woke Logo to Celebrate Pride Month

The NFL unveiled an updated version of its pride shield logo, which now includes the colors of the trans flag and the intersectional queer black and brown community.

America’s largest sports league posted graphics across social media on Wednesday, where they went into detail on what their new flag represents.

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

Poll Finds Most Americans Reject Idea of Kids Choosing ‘Preferred Pronouns’

A Harvard-Harris poll has revealed that close to two thirds of Americans reject the idea that children should be led to believe they are free to choose what gender pronouns they use.

The survey found that 59 percent of Americans are of the opinion that biological sex should be the determining factor of what pronoun kids are referred to as, with 60 percent saying ‘preferred pronouns’ are an “excessive measure that does more to confuse kids about their sex.”

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

U.S. Embassy to Vatican Celebrates: Flies Rainbow Flag for Pride Month

ROME — The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See began flying the LGBT rainbow flag Wednesday and tweeted in celebration of Pride Month, an innovation of the Biden administration.

This is the second year running in which the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See celebrates Pride Month, after Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a blanket authorization for U.S. diplomatic outposts around the globe to fly the rainbow flag on the same flagpole as the U.S. flag, underscoring support for LGBT rights.

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

US Marines Ridiculed Over ‘Gay Bullets’ Tweet

Twitter users reacted with a mixture of head-shaking and ridicule after the official US Marines account tweeted an image of LGBT flag colored bullets, with some pointing out that they had literally fulfilled a satirical meme.

In a tweet to mark the start of Gay Pride Month, the US Marines account tweeted, “Throughout June, the USMC takes #Pride in recognizing and honoring the contributions of our LGBTQ service members. We remain committed to fostering an environment free from discrimination, and defend the values of treating all equally, with dignity and respect.”

The image accompanying the tweet featured 6 bullets in LGBT rainbow colors secured in a military helmet with the words “ready to serve written on it.”

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

Watch: Gay Student Asks Charlie Kirk How to Get More LGBTQ People on Board With Gun Rights

Charlie Kirk was at the University of Berkeley, Calif. taking questions from the public when an unnamed student who self-identified as gay and revealed he had been mugged asked him a poignant question

“What can we do from a Second Amendment perspective to help bring more gay people, LGBT people, into the whole [pro-]gun position, for self-protection?” the student asked Kirk.

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

Woke Corporations Signal Devotion to Pride Month Around the World … Except the Middle East

As happens every year with the arrival of June’s “Pride Month,” major corporations are signaling their fealty to the LGBT cause by adopting rainbow variants of their logos all over the world … with one conspicuous exception.

Across Twitter, various users have collected examples of companies across a variety of fields rebranding their social media accounts with unmistakable “pride” color schemes for western audiences, but not for their accounts targeting customers in the Middle East.

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

Woman Raped by Biological Male in California Women’s Prison, Rapist Moved to Lower-Security Prison

A female inmate in the Central California Facility for Women was recently raped by a biological male that was housed within the facility because this inmate identified as female.

Mimi Le, an inmate at the facility, provided eyewitness testimony regarding the attack to lawyers with the Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF), which will be included in their case against the State of California regarding SB-132, which allows prisoners to be housed in a facility that matches their personally attested gender identity.

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

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