Elon Musk has warned that a recession is inevitable in the near future. Meanwhile, Germany appears to be moving closer to rationing natural gas.
In other news, Darrell Brooks Jr., the man accused of mowing down people deliberately with his vehicle in last year’s Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, has pleaded not guilty due to insanity.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, Reader from Chicago, Roger, 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.
Data Shows the Polish Consumer is Under Pressure
Retail sales increased by 8.2 percent in May compared to last year, whereas April of this year saw year-over-year growth of 19 percent, indicating slowing retail sales, according to data released by the Polish central statistics office (GUS).
Experts had anticipated retail sales growth of 8.8 percent in May. However, inflation and poor consumer sentiment may have taken their toll.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk: ‘A Recession is Inevitable’ in Near Future
Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and the world’s richest man, is in total opposition to the Biden administration’s assessment of the economy. On Tuesday, Musk bluntly asserted his position that “a recession is inevitable at some point.”
Splitting from Joe Biden’s assessment that a recession was “not inevitable,” Musk told his audience at the Qatar Economic Forum that a recession in the near-term is “more likely than not.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany will face “three to five very difficult years” that will call in question the country’s “prosperity paradigm,” former Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück warned on Wednesday.
During an appearance on the Maischberger talk show, the Social Democrat (SPD) politician said that Germany will not see any growth and in turn this could hurt the country’s social welfare distribution model. His successor Christian Lindner (FDP) already made a similar statement on Tuesday.
Unemployment is also likely to rise, warned Steinbrück, who stressed that the gravitas of the situation had not yet reached the German populace.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany has moved one step closer to rationing gas after the country triggered its second tranche of emergency powers over the ongoing crisis.
The energy crisis appears to only be going from bad to worse in Germany, with the country announcing that it was triggering the second level of its three-tier gas emergency plan, with the last and final level being available to the state allowing authorities to begin rationing supply.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
1 Person Killed in Quadruple Shooting in South Philly
The gunfire erupted just before 8:45 p.m. on the 1200 block of Bucknell Street, police said.
One person was fatally wounded in a quadruple shooting Thursday night in South Philadelphia, police said.
The shooting occurred just before 8:45 p.m. on the 1200 block of Bucknell Street, police said. The four male victims were transported by police to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. One victim was pronounced dead at 9:13 p.m. Another was listed in critical condition.
Police said a gun, possibly dropped by one of the victims, was found at the scene.
The suspects were described as two males who ran off and then got into a car to flee, police said.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s FDA Orders Juul to Stop Selling Vape Products in the US
Juul e-cigarettes are to be pulled from the shelves after a June 23 order from the Food and Drug Administration.
According to a press release from the FDA, the company Juul “must stop selling and distributing these products. In addition, those currently on the U.S. market must be removed, or risk enforcement action.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brave Search Announces Record Growth, New Features
Privacy-friendly Brave browser’s search engine has announced that a year after development started, it is exiting the beta phase and introducing a new tool that allows users to “de-Google” their search results.
The “Googled” results are carefully curated by Google, and almost every other search engine, which these days give prominence to ads over information, and then further algorithmically promote or downrank sites based on a variety of criteria, some of them highly controversial.
Brave looks to fix this problem by allowing users to curate their own search results, instead of allowing the Big Tech behemoth and others to do it for them.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The latest search warrant executed by the FBI against a Trump official, stemming from unknown probable cause having to do with the 2020 presidential election, was meted out today to Jeffrey Clark in Virginia. “It remained unclear exactly what the investigators may have been looking for,” The New York Times reports.
Sources close to the investigation exclusively tell The Post Millennial that the raid is part of the Biden DOJ’s probe into the “alternate electors” slated by multiple states in the aftermath of the 2020 election. According to the sources, the investigation is being run by US Attorneys out of Main Justice in Washington, DC, and a grand jury has been empaneled.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Suspect in Attempted Assassination of Brett Kavanaugh Pleads Not Guilty
Nicholas John Roske, the 26-year-old suspect in the assassination attempt of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges levied against him, according to the Daily Mail.
The resident of Simi Valley, California was arrested on June 8 outside of the SCOTUS justice’s home in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. after making violent threats towards Kavanaugh’s life.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Supreme Court Strikes Down New York Concealed Carry Restrictions
In the case of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court has ruled that a New York gun-control law that required citizens to show “proper cause” to obtain a concealed carry license is in violation of the Constitution.
The vote broke down on party lines, 6-3. In the 135 page opinion, with the majority opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas. Thomas was joined in the majority by Justices Roberts, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 today that Republican legislators can intervene and defend a North Carolina voter ID law that they claimed the Democrat NC Attorney General wasn’t adequately fighting for.
SCOTUS Blog tweeted that the ruling came down on June 23 and wrote, “The NAACP is challenging the law, and the NC attorney general (a Democrat) is defending it. GOP legislators want to intervene anyway. SCOTUS says they can.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Charged With DUI Causing Injury, May Face Jail Time
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, 82, has been criminally charged and may face jail time over his recent DUI arrest last month in Napa County, California.
Paul Pelosi has been charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Causing Injury, and Driving with .08 percent Blood Alcohol Level or Higher Causing Injury, according to TMZ.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: 10-Year-Old Arrested, Accused of Threatening Mass School Shooting Speaks Out
A 10-year-old boy who was arrested and accused of threatening a mass shooting at his elementary school speaks out to WINK News in an exclusive interview.
After his arrest, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marciano decided to record and release a perp walk of the child which piqued the interest of national and international news organizations…
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Forest Hills Superintendent Candidate Drops Out After ‘Culture of Kindness’ Resolution Passes
A candidate for Forest Hills superintendent withdrew his name Thursday morning after the school board passed a resolution against critical race theory and anti-racism practices being implemented in the district.
Russ Fussnecker is currently the superintendent of Edgewood City Schools in Butler County. He was one of five finalists competing for Scot Prebles’ job. Prebles will leave Forest Hills next month and become superintendent of Bay Village City Schools near Cleveland.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nebraska Wants to Test Body and Facial Scans That Work From a Distance
The state of Nebraska is planning to test whole-body and facial recognition technology from far-off sensors. The project, funded by the Department of Defense, aims to test the accuracy of AI in identifying subjects from images and videos captured by stationary towers and drones positioned far from the subjects.
The project is backed by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) as part of its Biometric Recognition and Identification at Altitude or Range, aka Briar, program. The first phase, dubbed WatchID, of the three-part program will run for 18 months.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The New York Times isn’t happy that Meta and Twitter may be scaling back their censorship of “election misinformation” during the 2022 US midterm elections.
Before the 2020 US presidential election, Big Tech platforms deployed unprecedented levels of censorship by censoring then-President Donald Trump numerous times, banning popular pro-Trump groups, and more. Post-election, this mass censorship continued with President Trump being permanently banned by all the major tech platforms, discussions of “widespread fraud or errors” changing the 2020 US presidential election outcome being banned, free speech platform Parler (which many users had flocked to in an attempt to escape Big Tech’s censorship) being deplatformed by the tech giants, and more.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Private Prison Wants a Judge to Shut Down Criticism on Twitter
CoreCivic, one of the biggest players in the US private prison industry, has gone to court to try and silence a lawyer for the family of an inmate who died in one of CoreCivic prisons and Tennessee’s largest, the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center.
The lawyer, Daniel Horowitz, has been using Twitter to get out some information from the legal case where CoreCivic is sued over the death last year of Terry Childress. Among the tweets were documents that paint a grim picture of the prison where the death occurred.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Psychiatric Patient Fatally Stabs Person and Wounds Another at Las Vegas Hospital, Police Say
A knife-wielding psychiatric patient fatally stabbed one person and wounded another inside a Las Vegas hospital Thursday, according to police. The city’s police department said the stabbings occurred in the psychiatric ward of University Medical Center.
Police said it was an “isolated incident” and the hospital remains open.
Police didn’t immediately identify the suspect except to say he’s in his 40s.
Crime
/ 1:33 PM / CBS/AP
A knife-wielding psychiatric patient fatally stabbed one person and wounded another inside a Las Vegas hospital Thursday, according to police. The city’s police department said the stabbings occurred in the psychiatric ward of University Medical Center.
Police said it was an “isolated incident” and the hospital remains open.
Police didn’t immediately identify the suspect except to say he’s in his 40s.
They said the man left his hospital room and fatally stabbed a male patient in another room for an unknown reason.
The suspect then stabbed another patient in a hallway and was later taken into custody in his room by correctional officers.
Police Lt. Jason Johansson said the suspect was taken into custody without incident, KLAS-TV reports.
One man died from his injuries, police said. The condition of the other victim wasn’t immediately released…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Smollett Says He’d be ‘A Piece of S***’ If He Had Faked Hate Crime
Jussie Smollett described himself as a “piece of s***” if he had perpetrated a fake hate crime on himself, which he again denied during a recent podcast from June 21.
According to The Daily Wire, Smollett went to Sirius XM’s “Sway’s Universe” Podcast to pontificate on a new reason for why he was innocent: his strength. “If I were to do something,” he said, “it would not be to look like a victim. It would be to look like, if anything, someone strong.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Suspect in Times Square Van Attack Found Not Guilty Due to Mental Illness
The New York man who plowed his car through Times Square in 2017 was found not criminally responsible for killing a tourist due to mental illness.
Richard Rojas, a Navy veteran, told police after the attack that he “wanted to kill”, was found to not be in control of his actions when killing 18-year-old Alyssa Elsman, the jury found.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Twitter Bans Epidemiologist Dr. Andrew Bostom Who Linked to Vaccine-Sperm Study
Dr. Andrew Bostom, an epidemiologist who had over 47,000 followers and who was a significant dissenting figure during the coronavirus pandemic, has been permanently banned from Twitter after posting a peer-reviewed study on Covid vaccination effects.
According to a screenshot posted by free-market policy analyst and political organizer Phil Kerpen, Dr. Bostom was locked out for linking to an Israeli study titled “COVID-19 vaccination BNT162b2 temporarily impairs semen concentration and total motile count among semen donors.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
University of Cincinnati Discriminates Against White and Asian Students in STEM Program
Discrimination against white and Asian students in U.S. colleges continues unabated. The University of Cincinnati has produced a newly-worded “Undergraduates Pursuing Research and Science Program,” which doubles down on its discriminatory policies against white and Asian male students.
Speaking to the College Fix, Mark Perry, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Michigan-Flint asserted that the university responded to a federal inquiry into alleged discrimination against male applicants by making its STEM program outwardly discriminatory against both white and Asian male students.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Uvalde School Police Chief Arredondo Said ‘Tell Them to F***ing Wait’ As Kids Died
Recently released radio logs from May’s Robb Elementary School shooting have reportedly shown that Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo yelled “Tell them to f*cking wait” at the same time dying children were begging to be saved by police.
Radio logs released on June 22 are painting a clearer picture of the Uvalde school shooting timeline, and in one critical moment at 12:16 pm, a child was on an emergency line reporting that several kids were still alive and begged for police to enter. In response to the added pressure to breach the room, Chief Arredondo reportedly said, “Tell them to f*cking wait!” according to a timeline of radio communications posted to Twitter by CNN correspondent Shimon Prokupecz.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Google Engineer Tells Tucker Carlson Why He Believes an AI Has Become Sentient
Google Engineer Blake Lemoine, after testing an advanced artificial intelligence chatbot called Lambda last year, told his employer that the machine showed signs of self-awareness. He joined Tucker Carlson on Fox News Wednesday night to discuss. Lemoine is no longer with Google after releasing this information.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Waukesha Massacre Suspect Pleads ‘Insanity’ Over Christmas Parade Massacre
Darrell Brooks Jr., the man accused of driving his SUV through the Waukesha Christmas parade in 2021, is now claiming insanity as a defence.
According to his attorneys on Monday, Brooks, who previously pleaded not guilty in February, is now changing his plea to not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
Brooks is facing more than 80 charges, including six counts of homicide in connection with the November 21 massacre, which saw Brooks plowing through a massive crowd of children and elderly women who were marching in the town’s annual Christmas celebration. In addition to the deaths, Brooks injured more than 60 people in the vehicular rampage.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Angry Drivers Confront Protesters on Lions Gate Bridge
Drivers blocked by old growth protesters on Lions Gate Bridge Wednesday morning (June 22) got into an ugly altercation with protesters on the bridge deck.
Drivers who had been prevented from crossing the bridge during rush hour around 7:30 a.m. got out of their cars and began giving two protesters who had parked a van across both lanes of traffic a piece of their minds.
One man who said he was an “old growth logger” ripped a protest sign from the side of the van and shoved one of the protesters. “I’ve been in the logging trade all my life. You don’t know how the world works,” he said.
One woman told protesters they weren’t helping win public sympathy with their actions.
“You’re angering people,” she said. “No one’s going to leave here going ‘Let’s support these guys.’ You’re pissing us off.”
Another driver raised his fists above his head while yelling, “Who gives a shit about climate change?” adding, “You’ve made your picture, you’ve made your point. Now get the f*** out of here.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denied putting any undue influence on the RCMP, after allegations that the PMO and the office of then-Public Safety Minister Bill Blair made a promise with RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki that details of the Nova Scotia mass shooting would be made public to sway the public into supporting gun control legislation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CAF Vet Who Marched From Vancouver to Ottawa Meets With MPs
James Topp, the Canadian Armed Forces veteran who marched across Canada from British Columbia to Ottawa in protest of COVID mandates, met with members of Parliament today, after completing his more than 4,000km trek to the nation’s capital.
Dressed in a suit instead of his marching attire, or the CAF uniform which first landed his name in news stories, Topp met with MPs and the media in Ottawa.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
China Discouraged Canadians From Voting for Conservatives in 2021 Federal Election: Report
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may have discouraged Canadians of Chinese heritage from voting for the Conservatives in the 2021 federal election, a federal research unit has found.
According to analysis by the Rapid Response Mechanism Canada group, which tracks foreign interference, the CCP may have used accounts across Chinese social media to share the narrative that the Tories would severely damage relations with Beijing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Debunking Mainstream Lies About the ‘Trucker Rebellion’ With Kian Simone
On last night’s episode of The Ezra Levant Show, we were joined by Kian Simone (follow @KianSimone44 on Twitter) to talk about the smashing success of his newly-produced documentary, Trucker Rebellion: The Story of the Coutts Blockade.
Kian and his Rebel News colleague Syd Fizzard were embedded with the truckers throughout the Coutts blockade and captured not only unique footage, but unique perspectives from the truckers themselves.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Freedom Actress to Run for Quebec Conservatives in Upcoming Provincial Election
Quebec actress Anne Casabonne will be a candidate for the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) in the upcoming provincial election.
Casabonne will run in Iberville, located in Quebec’s Monteregie region. The riding is currently represented by the Conservative Party’s only MNA Claire Samson, who is not seeking re-election.
“The riding of Iberville will not be left behind,” said Conservative leader Eric Duhaime while announcing Casabonne’s candidacy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
RCMP Veterans Rally Behind Source of Brenda Lucki Political Interference Allegations
One of RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki’s predecessors is standing by Supt. Darren Campbell after he claimed that his superior allegedly interfered in the Nova Scotia mass shooting to help the Liberals pass gun control legislation.
Former commissioner Bob Paulson and a number of other force veterans are standing in solidarity with Campbell after the Liberal government attempted to cast shade on the integrity of his allegations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Edmonton area pastor and her church are facing $120,000 in fines for three convictions of obstructing a public health officer who attempted, along with police from a special COVID task force, to enter the sanctuary of the church as services were ongoing. On at least one occasion, the public health officer testified that Tracy’s husband, Pastor Rodney Fortin, was at the pulpit giving a sermon.
The Fortins and the Church in the Vine are featured on a new billboard just south of Leduc, Alberta where the 47 linear feet image will receive 1.7 million monthly impressions as Albertans take to the open road for summer.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Announces $250 Million to UN to Counter ‘Global Food Crisis’
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $250 million in food aid on Thursday during a press conference from Kigali, Rwanda.
“Since the beginning of the year, Canada’s invested half a billion dollars in aid for the world food program, for UNICEF, for other UN agencies to try and counter this food crisis that is entirely caused by Russia’s illegal and illegitimate actions, and I’m happy to announce an additional $250 million that Canada’s going to be putting forward towards the UN, towards the world food program to help immediately do more on this crisis,” said Trudeau.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Jagmeet Singh Says Freedom Convoy’s Goal Was to ‘Overthrow Democratically Elected Parliament’
New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh prated on at a press conference on Thursday, where he condemned Conservative politicians for meeting with members of the Freedom Convoy.
During his comments, Singh said that the goal of the Freedom Convoy was to “overthrow” the Trudeau government.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: University of Winnipeg Extends Mask Mandate But Province Doesn’t — Whose Science is Right?
Even though most of the world has moved on from COVID-19 restrictions, Canada remains a bastion of hope for those who like enforcing punitive rules. Example being, the University of Winnipeg recently extended their indoor mask mandate even though the province has now stated that the science indicates it is no longer necessary.
First, they extended this mandate until June 30th, then a day after I emailed them my questions in relation to their mandate extension, they extended the mandate again until August 16.
We spoke to a student at the university who recently voiced his concerns with the decision to extend mask mandates beyond provincial guidelines. In speaking to faculty, he was quickly dismissed, refused from class unless masked, and told to leave until his morals were in line with the political talking points of the university — not actually, but basically.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
YouTubers Pledge to Leave Canada if Bill C-11 Passes
YouTubers and other influencers are taking to social media to express their dismay over the Liberal government passing its online censorship law, Bill C-11.
Bill C-11 would revamp Canada’s Broadcasting Act and give the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission the ability to regulate content posted online — including user-generated content.
Critics of the legislation have accused the government of attempting to control the information people see online and potentially using regulatory powers to bury dissident or independent creators.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
20% of All Babies Born in France Given Muslim First Names in 2021
Twenty percent of babies born in France during 2021 were given a Muslim name, according to a new analysis of data released from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.
The French civil registry, a list published since 1900 of all the first names of children born in France, is reviewed by the Fdesouche news outlet every year.
The percentage of Muslim names for 2021 is actually the first decrease seen since 1996, with a loss of 0.30 points compared to 2020. Since 2000, the number of Muslim names given to newborns has grown an average of 0.7 percentage points per year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Concern in Sweden That Child and Forced Marriages Will Rise Over Summer Holidays
As children are out of school for the summer holidays, concerns have grown over the possibility of children being sent abroad and placed into forced marriages as tens of thousands of children in Sweden risk being married against their will.
A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that as many as 70,000 children and young people were at risk of forced marriages in Sweden, a figure that is believed to be even higher today, though exact numbers are hard to gauge as forced marriages are illegal in Sweden and are often performed overseas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has reiterated his government’s top priority to rid Czechia of its dependence on Russian gas and oil, outlining the steps he intends to take to achieve this goal in a speech to the nation on Wednesday.
During the address, Fiala accused Russia of waging two wars: first, a military war in Ukraine, and secondly a moral-economic war aimed at the countries of the Western world.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Discusses Whether to Make Ukraine Official Candidate for Joining Bloc
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders on Thursday are set to make Ukraine a candidate for joining the 27-nation bloc, a first step in a long and unpredictable journey toward full membership that could take many years to navigate.
Making Ukraine a contender now seems to be a done deal after national leaders were initially divided on how quickly to embrace the war-torn country’s request to become an EU member, which the Ukrainian government submitted only a few days after Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Even Meta Pushes Back Against the UK’s Online Surveillance and Censorship Bill
In a submission published Wednesday, Facebook, and WhatsApp owner Meta warned that the UK Online Safety Bill “risks people’s private messages being constantly surveilled and censored.”
Meta noted that the draft bill proposes that social media companies and search engines should shield users from “legal but harmful content” on their user-to-user services. The Big Tech company argued that the definition does not differentiate platforms from messaging services, and would mean “scanning all private messaging.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Recent violence in German outdoor swimming pools has alarmed the Federal Association of German Swimming Champions (BDS) to such an extent its president Peter Harzheim has said he can no longer recommend that families visit such facilities on weekends.
While speaking to Bild TV., Harzheim claimed he would be “acting irresponsibly” if he attended an outdoor pool with his own three grandchildren
The warning comes after a mass brawl over the weekend in a Berlin swimming pool involving approximately 100 migrants, in which a number of children were punched and kicked, including a 10-year-old who suffered a blow to his head during the melee. The incident was caught on video and widely reported on in the German media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Macron Faction Ready to Hold Talks With Le Pen and Her Party to Pass Legislation
Members of President Emmanuel Macron’s party La Republique en Marche! (LREM) have expressed interest in negotiating with Marine Le Pen and the National Rally in the French parliament to form majorities to pass legislation.
Several LREM MPs have expressed interest in negotiating with Le Pen and the National Rally (RN), which won 89 seats in last weekend’s election and has become the main opposition bloc to President Macron’s faction, which failed to win a majority in the French parliament.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Munich Flirts With Illegal Property Confiscation
The German sanctions against Russia are becoming increasingly absurd. In the process, the authorities are also openly accepting illegal behaviour.
In Munich, the public prosecutor’s office has now had three flats and the bank account of a Russian owner seized. It is the first case involving not only assets but also real estate.
No rental disputes are pending in the process. According to the prosecution, the seizures are possible because the defendant — who is not guilty of anything — is a member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and in this capacity voted in favour of Russian military intervention in Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Will Not Reintroduce Military Draft Despite Ramping Up Defense Spending
Hungary will not return to military conscription despite the rising tensions across Europe in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the country’s new defense minister, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovinczky, confirmed on Thursday.
“In peacetime, the Hungarian army is organized on a voluntary basis,” Szalay-Bobrovniczky said, unequivocally ruling out reintroducing military draft in the country. After 136 years, Hungary ended conscription back in 2004.
Asked about the continued fast development of the armed forces during a time of economic crisis, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said “the two things are not contradictory. Quite the opposite, peace requires strength.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Majority of Europeans Want Peace
Even if it is at the expense of Ukraine, 35 percent of Europeans prefer peace with Russia and only 22 percent support a continuation of the war until a Russian defeat. Beyond that, divisions are widening in the EU, threatening unity.
Countries were interviewed for the survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations, including Great Britain, Finland, France, Poland, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden.
With the exception of Poland, the majority of respondents in all countries wanted peace, even if this meant territorial concessions from Ukraine. Italians are most interested in peace, with an absolute majority of 52 percent wanting an end to the conflict. In Germany, 49 percent of respondents wanted peace, while only 16 percent were in favor of continuing the war.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Ruling Conservative Part Tightens Its Grip on Power
Wednesday saw the strengthening of the majority held by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party when it announced that Deputy Agnieszka Scigaj would be joining the government as minister for social integration, mainly dealing with the Ukrainian refugees issue. The parliamentary group she leads, “Polish Matters,” has come to an agreement with the ruling party to support the government. The group is made up of four deputies, one of whom has now resigned from the group in protest at the decision taken by his colleagues.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Six Years After Britain Voted for Brexit the Job is Still Not Done, Says Farage
Six years to the day after Britain voted to leave the European Union the Brexit process is, at best, a work in progress and the risk remains of the UK drifting back into the EU’s orbit if action is not taken, Nigel Farage has warned.
Britain’s establishment has refused to let the people of the United Kingdom enjoy any possible benefits of Brexit and there are several steps that must be taken to truly realise Britain’s departure from the European Union, ‘Mr Brexit’ Nigel Farage said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The UK’s Shadowy “Counter-Disinformation Unit” Has Shifted From COVID to War
One of the unwanted “gifts” that the pandemic has left the UK is something called “the counter-disinformation unit,” set up by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport.
The task of this unit, according to the country’s lawmakers, is to identify “misinformation” and then “work” with social media companies to make sure this content is removed.
The unit has existed for two years, at first focused on monitoring and taking down Covid-related information it disapproved of, but with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine (and the waning interest in Covid), that conflict is now the group’s focus.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Assange Strip Searched and Moved to a Bare Cell Following Extradition Announcement
JULIAN ASSANGE was strip searched and moved to a bare cell on the day the Home Secretary green-lit his extradition to the United States, his wife said today.
Stella Assange said the WikiLeaks founder was told he was being moved “for his own protection” and had no visits over the weekend following the announcement last Friday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Leftist Newspaper Encourages Readers to Save Their Pee to “Humiliate Putin”
Left-wing newspaper the Guardian is encouraging its readers to save their urine in order to “humiliate Putin” and help the fight against climate change.
Yes, really.
The paper published an article calling on people to preserve their pee to help make up for the impact of sanctions on Russia which have caused fertilizer shortages.
“Russia and Ukraine, together, are responsible for exporting 28% of the world’s fertilizers made from nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, per NBC. The three fertilizer creating substances are rich in urine,” writes Tom Pappert.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: No Accountability: Rotherham Grooming Gang Review Ends With Zero Police Officers Punished
An eight-year, £6m investigation into the Rotherham grooming gang scandal has been accused of providing zero accountability after no officers were held responsible for the numerous failings during a time in which over 1,400 girls were sexually abused in the northern English city.
On Wednesday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published what it described as an “uncomfortable to read” report on the police response to the child sexual abuse carried out by mostly Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs between 1997 and 2013 in Rotherham.
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Russians Advance on War’s Front Line in Eastern Ukraine
Ukraine says Russia’s military has captured two villages in eastern Ukraine and is vying for control of a key highway as it seeks to cut supply lines and encircle frontline Ukrainian troops
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Russian military extended its grip on territory in eastern Ukraine as it seeks to cut supply lines and encircle frontline Ukrainian forces, while the Ukrainian military announced Thursday the arrival of powerful U.S. multiple-launch rocket systems it hopes will offer a battlefield advantage.
Ukrainian forces withdrew from some areas near the city of Lysychansk to avoid being surrounded as Russians sent in reinforcements and concentrated their firepower in the area, Britain’s Defense Ministry said. The city is located in Luhansk province, a major battlefield in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Ukraine’s General Staff said Russian forces took control of the villages of Loskutivka and Rai-Oleksandrivka, and were trying to capture Syrotyne, a settlement outside the province’s administrative center, Sievierodonetsk. Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai told The Associated Press that the Russians were “burning everything out” in their offensive to encircle Ukraine’s fighters…
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Russia-Ukraine War: What Happened Today (June 23)
As Thursday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:
European Union leaders approved Ukraine’s candidacy to join the 27-nation bloc. Ukraine applied shortly after Russia invaded the country on Feb. 24. “Our future is together,” tweeted European Council President Charles Michel. This first official step toward membership, agreed at a summit in Brussels, will be followed by a long process to reach a final decision on whether Ukraine can join the EU. That process is expected to take years. The EU leaders also approved Moldova’s candidacy for membership.
The Pentagon announced an additional $450 million in security assistance for Ukraine, including four additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. Ukraine considers the long-range weapon system critical in beating back Russian forces. This latest wave of security assistance comes on top of $1 billion in weaponry recently announced by the White House.
Russia’s military continues to grind away at Ukrainian defenses in the east, pushing toward the eastern city of Lysychansk, according to the U.K. Defense Ministry. Ukrainian regional authorities are carrying out evacuation and humanitarian aid missions every day in the embattled city. There’s also been an uptick in attacks in the north, with local military officials reporting about 100 incidents of Russian shelling in the Sumy and Kharkiv areas and cross-border shelling in the Chernihiv region. Russia initially attacked all of these places at the start of its invasion, before retreating in late March.
Ukraine began preliminary hearings for its first trial of a Russian soldier accused of rape during the invasion, but doesn’t have the suspect in custody. Mikhail Romanov will be tried in absentia for charges of repeatedly raping a Ukrainian woman after he and another Russian soldier killed her husband in a village outside Kyiv in March. Reuters reports that prosecutors are investigating 50 other cases of sexual violence during reported since the war began in February. Experts say there are signs Russian forces have used rape as a war weapon.
Nike is officially exiting Russia, joining other marquee businesses to have done so, including McDonald’s, Starbucks and Ikea. Back in March, Nike said it would suspend operations in Russia. Now its Russian website says it and the mobile app will no longer be accessible in Russia, and Nike stores will not reopen. Nike had previously said Russia and Ukraine together accounted for less than 1% of its revenue, but even symbolically, its departure from Russia marks the exit of one of the biggest global brands.
In an updated assessment, UNESCO raised the number of Ukrainian heritage sites damaged in the war to 152. Of that total, nearly half are religious buildings. The rest include historical buildings, monuments, cultural centers, museums and libraries. Most of the damaged sites are located in the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kyiv regions. Ukraine is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites but none have been damaged so far, UNESCO says. The destruction of heritage sites is considered a war crime.
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British Bookmakers Favor Filipino Cardinal to Succeed Pope Francis
ROME, Italy — The UK-based Online Betting Guide (OLBG) has begun issuing odds on the next papal conclave, favoring Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle to succeed Pope Francis when the moment comes.
OLBG places Cardinal Tagle’s odds at 5 to 1, making him the current favorite for the post, but he is closely followed by Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, who heads up the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
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Twitter Complies With Order to Ban Brazil’s Workers’ Cause Party
Twitter on Wednesday blocked the account of Brazil’s PCO (“Workers’ Cause Party”), implementing the decision of the country’s Supreme Federal Court (TSE) Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued earlier this June.
The same order to censor PCO has been given to Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Telegram, and YouTube. Thus far, only Twitter and TikTok complied, according to the Brazilian press.
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Around 50 migrants have arrived in the UK by small boat so far today despite forecasts of stormy weather in the English Channel.
As Prime Minister Boris Johnson and wife Carrie flew to Rwanda on an official visit amid controversial plans to send migrants to the African nation, the mostly male group were brought into Dover, Kent.
They were intercepted in the 21 mile wide Dover Straits and brought into the harbour on board Border Force cutter Defender around 8am.
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France: Drunk ‘Indo-Pakistani’ Suspect Launches Brutal Ax Attack in Paris
Police in France have arrested a man suspected of carrying out an attack that was so brutal, even a witness had to be hospitalized, according to reports.
The horrifying incident unfolded just after midnight on Saturday in the capital city of Paris.
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Number of Illegal Entries Doubles as 100,000 Migrants Flood Into Hungary So Far This Year
The number of illegal immigrants at Hungary’s southern border so far this year has more than doubled, with over 100,000 migrants apprehended by Hungarian border guards since January, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Chief Homeland Security Adviser György Bakondi said on Wednesday.
Speaking on national television channel M1, György Bakondi said that many are fleeing Afghanistan, but more recently, migrants are arriving from India, Pakistan, and many nations across North Africa. Most of the newcomers are still young men trying to cross the Hungarian border in large groups, he added.
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UK: Boris Takes Aim at Charles and Says He Will Stress the ‘Obvious’ Merits of Rwanda Migrant Plan…
[…]hours before an awkward truce is declared with both sides insisting they WON’T discuss the issue in meeting tomorrow
Boris Johnson today hailed the ‘obvious merits’ of his Rwanda deportation plan for migrants — but struck an uneasy truce with Prince Charles on the issue ahead of a meeting tomorrow.
The PM and the heir to the throne were facing a tricky encounter after claims he privately condemned the ‘appalling’ scheme being pushed by the government.
Mr Johnson had teed up a clash after arriving in Kigali for a Commonwealth summit this morning, swiping that critics should keep an ‘open mind’ and suggesting he would spell out his views to Charles over a cup of tea.
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Breaking: Biden Moves to Remove Title IX Rights for Women in Favor of Gender Identity Protections
Biden’s Department of Education under education secretary Miguel Cardona has released a proposal for changes to Title IX which includes erasing biological sex from issues of sex discrimination. The proposal would conflate protections for biological sex with gender identity, and see no differentiation between the two.
Title IX, enacted 50 years ago in 1972, was intended to curb sex-based discrimination against women at universities. Fast forward to today’s 50-year anniversary of Title IX and the once-progressive rule has over-corrected into regressive territory.
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Breaking: Pennsylvania Drag Queen Charged With 25 Counts of Child Pornography
A Pennsylvania drag queen has been charged with 25 counts of child pornography following a two-year long investigation from the Attorney General’s Office, according to Tri-State Alert.
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Ted Sarandos, the co-CEO of Netflix, is doubling down on his support for comedians to tell offensive jokes.
Following widespread outrage over Dave Chappelle’s and Ricky Gervais’ controversial stand-up specials, which were exclusive to Netflix, the company’s co-CEO and content chief reiterated his position that Netflix has “always been a supporter of the art” of comedy.
Sarandos made his remarks at the “Future of Entertainment” panel at the Cannes Lions advertising conference this week, in which he received an award for Entertainment Person of the Year.
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Oklahoma City Pride Alliance Looking for Child Drag Performers for Pride Event
The Oklahoma City Pride Alliance posted on their Facebook page looking for children as young as thirteen to perform as drag queens, dancers, and more at an upcoming pride event. Pridefest will take place in Oklahoma City (OKC) at Scissortail Park from June 24 to June 26.
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Police Department Shows Off ‘Pride Cruiser’ Which Encourages People to “Report Hate Crimes”
The Columbus Division of Police has been ridiculed on Twitter for proudly showing off a “pride cruiser” vehicle adorned with the LGBT rainbow flag that encourages people to “report hate crimes.”
A video clip posted to the police department’s official Twitter page shows Officer Lutz, an “LGBTQI+ liaison officer,” introducing the car.
“And we’re unveiling right now our pride cruiser for the month of June…I’m excited about this cruiser, it’s great for representation,” says Lutz.
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So-Called ‘Home Abortions’ on the Rise in Sweden
So-called “home abortions” are on the rise in Sweden despite overall abortion numbers declining as more and more Swedish women have their abortions performed at their own homes, rather than a clinic.
In 2021, Sweden saw around 33,700 abortions performed across the country, the lowest number of abortions since 2002, however, 75 per cent of all abortions carried out were two-stage medical abortions, the second stage of which is performed in the home of the woman getting the procedure.
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Spotify Censors Rapper for Criticizing Pride Month
Spotify has censored a song by rapper Bryson Gray in which he criticizes gay pride month, with song having been ‘greyed out’ by the streaming giant and made unavailable for download.
The pro-Trump rapper released the song ‘Pride Month’ on June 1st to coincide with the start of the annual period that recognizes the LGBT movement.
“In the song, Gray criticises the LGBT community from a Christian perspective, rapping about transgender activists pushing children onto puberty blockers at twelve years old, the promotion of LGBT motifs by media such as Netflix, and other topics,” writes Jack Hadfield.
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Top Zelensky Advisor Under Fire for Calling LGBT People ‘Deviants’
On June 21, the Ukrainian LGBTQ+ non-profit KyivPride group posted a clip of an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that LGBTQ people are “people with disabilities” and a “deviation from the norm.”
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Virginia School Board Votes to Make ‘Misgendering’ And ‘Deadnaming’ A Potential Crime
The Fairfax County school board in Virginia has voted eight to four to raise penalties for students who call a boy a boy and a girl a girl, essentially making it a potential crime to “misgender” or “deadname” students who identify as transgender.
Under the move, offending students could be charged with a crime. The Washington Examiner details that offenders “could face weeks-long suspensions and referrals to local law enforcement.”
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‘We Will Shut This Country Down’: Pro-Abortion Activists Threaten America as Roe Decision Looms
Tensions are drastically increasing among pro-abortion activists outside of the United States Supreme Court and across the country as the final decision looms on the fate of landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade.
On Thursday, activists in Washington DC threatened that they will “shut this country down” if SCOTUS rules alongside the draft leak opinion.
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In the city that frequently preaches “hate is not welcome here,” Seattle Pride has once again banned LGBTQ police officers from attending the annual celebration in uniform, even though the department is among the most progressive in the nation.
The Seattle Police Department, which is home to more than 100 employees belonging to the LGBTQ community, has marched in the annual Pride parade since 1994, but their participation became an issue in 2020 when anti-police riots swept across the nation.
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Gazprom is shutting Nord Stream 1 for 2 weeks for pipeline works. Normally they would divert gas through the Polish pipeline to supply Germany but Poland is no longer accepting gas so there will be no gas for 2 weeks. This may cause panic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z3CoIUglj0&feature=emb_logo
BANGLADESH
She Was Raped And Murdered Because Her Name was “Nupur”