The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade decision on abortion, returning the issue to the states. Pro-abortion activists vowed a “night of rage” in response to the decision, and the Department of Homeland Security warned churches and pregnancy centers that intelligence information indicated they would be targeted for attacks.
In other news, Austria has completely abandoned its “vaccination” mandate.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JAS, 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.
Consumer Sentiment Sinks to New Record Low
The views of the economy of American households turned even grimmer as spring turned to summer.
The University of Michigan’s survey of consumer sentiment registered a small decline in its final June reading to 50.0, down two-tenths of a point from the sharp decline to a record low in the midmonth reading.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eurocrats in Belgium and Luxembourg have been given an inflation-busting raise despite the EU telling its member states to avoid pumping worker pay for fear of supercharging inflation.
Bigwigs in Brussels have reportedly remained adamant that EU member states should avoid tying pay increases automatically to inflation, saying that such measures will only make inflation worse.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked Thursday to explain why the Biden Administration’s only solution to soaring gas prices seems to be to ask Americans to deal with it or spend upwards of $55,000 on an electric vehicle.
“A lot of people can’t afford a $61,000 electric car and they are also having a hard time affording gas right now. That sounds like a painful transition,” Fox News reporter Peter Doocy said to Jean-Pierre, referencing the several times Biden officials and the president himself have touted a ‘transition’ to green energy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Amber Heard is Officially on the Hook for $10.35 Million After Judgment Entered
Amber Heard is officially on the hook for $10.35 million after Johnny Depp won his defamation suit against her. She will have to post a bond for that sum, plus interest, if she wants to appeal, according to a written order filed Friday.
After a six-week trial in Fairfax, Virginia, a jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, finding that Heard had defamed him by referring to herself as a domestic abuse victim in a Washington Post op-ed.
The punitive damages were reduced to $350,000 in accordance with Virginia law, bringing the grand total to $10.35 million.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arizona Republicans Join Texas in Rejecting 2020 U.S. Presidential Results
Unanimous Resolution: Maricopa County Republican Committee Executive Board Rejects 2020 Presidential Election
WHEREAS In solidarity with the Republican Party of Texas and their recent Resolution on the 2020 Election;
WHEREAS We believe the 2020 Election violated Article 1 and 2 of the US Constitution, that various secretaries of state illegally circumvented their state legislatures in conducting their elections in multiple incorrect ways, including allowing ballots to be received after November 3, 2020;
WHEREAS The 2000 Mules Documentary irrefutably proves election fraud occurred in Maricopa County during the 2020 Election in the form of ballot trafficking through drop boxes;
WHEREAS We believe that substantial election fraud in key metropolitan areas significantly affected the results in five key states in favor of Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.;
WHEREAS The Arizona Senate audit of the 2020 Election found significant inconsistencies and discrepancies;
NOW, THEREFORE, We reject the certified results of the 2020 Presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States.
[Maricopa, the county Phoenix is in, has a population of 4.5 million: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/maricopacountyarizona]
| — Hat tip: JAS | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Given ‘Cheat Sheet’ That Instructs Him How to Say “Hello” and Sit Down
Joe Biden was photographed holding a “cheat sheet” given to him by his advisers instructing him on how to enter a room, say “hello,” sit down, talk to other people and then depart.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: 14 House Republicans Vote for Controversial Gun Safety Bill
On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a controversial gun safety bill which the Senate approved yesterday and now is due to land on President Biden’s desk.
The Washington Post reports that the package, which the President is expected to sign, is the “biggest breakthrough in gun violence legislation in 30 years.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Campaign Office for Recall Gascon Evacuated After Receiving White Powder, Hate Symbols in the Mail
The campaign office for the effort to recall progressive Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, received an envelope containing an unknown white powder and hate symbols in the mail.
Tim Rosales, who works for the Recall Gascon campaign, tweeted a photo of the envelope with white powder spread on a table. The letter accompanying powder was adorned with swastikas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Caught Red-Handed: Critical Race Theory is Being Taught at West Point
Various news outlets—Fox News, The Washington Times, the New York Post, and Breitbart, among others—have reported on a trove of documents obtained by Judicial Watch revealing that the U.S. Military Academy at West Point has been indoctrinating cadets on critical race theory.
That’s in spite of claims to the contrary made by various defense and administration officials over the past few years that the Department of Defense and the military services were not engaging in such practices.
While such instruction to young military officers in training (indeed, all military personnel in any capacity) is worrisome in itself, it’s additionally troubling that the truth had to be pried from the grip of West Point administrators wanting to hide it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Confucius Institutes Closing, But Chinese Influence Operations Continue on College Campuses
When an organization becomes unpopular, it rebrands, but that doesn’t necessarily mean its mission or product has fundamentally changed.
That was the message of a panel of experts at a discussion Tuesday at The Heritage Foundation on the recent widespread closures of so-called Confucius Institutes on American college campuses. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.)
Founded in 2004, Confucius Institutes are “cultural” centers that operate on college campuses and are funded by China. In the past few years, they’ve come under increased scrutiny as operations of Chinese state influence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ezra Miller Housing a Mother and Her Three Young Children in Armed Farm Compound
Flash star Ezra Miller is currently housing a 25-year-old woman and her three young children at the actor’s Vermont farm compound while accusations mount that the actor is sexually grooming young children.
Rolling Stone reports that Miller’s farm has unsafe living conditions for children with sources “alleging there are weapons lying around and that a one-year-old put a loose bullet in her mouth.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FDA’s Ban on Juul e-Cigarettes Delayed by Appeals Court
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia temporarily delayed the FDA’s ban on Juul devices on Friday after the e-cigarette giant called the agency’s order “extraordinary and unlawful” in a court filing, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The FDA said Thursday that it has not “received clinical information to suggest an immediate hazard associated with the use of” Juul devices, but that there is “insufficient evidence to assess the potential toxicological risks” of using the products.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Globalist Tied Entities Push Eating Bugs
Recently, New York Food Policy wondered, “Why Aren’t We Eating More Bugs?,” and the Smithsonian recently posted a whole section on its website pushing bugs for food…
“Researchers are planning to feed bugs like house crickets and mealworms to children between the ages of five and 11 from four primary schools in Wales,” the Daily Mail reported in May.
The media also often pushes out stories about how humans should shift food production toward consumption of insects. Last year, Time magazine published a piece proclaiming, “How Humans Eating Insects Could Help Save the Planet.” The Guardian jumped into the game claiming, “The Future of Food is Insects.” And not to be outdone, left-wing CNN touted the topic, saying bugs are “[t]he food that can feed, and maybe save, the planet.”
Indeed, Aspire Food Group was born back in 2013 when Egypt-born McGill student Mohammed Ashour and his team won the prestigious $1 million Hult Prize for their research in insects as a food source for humans. The prize, presented by President Bill Clinton, propelled Ashour and his team to start Aspire Foods to further explore using bugs for food.
Aspire is registered out of the African nation of Ghana and now has facilities in the U.S. and Canada…
Leftist billionaire Bill Gates has also been trying to push bugs for food. A group dedicated to developing bugs for food won a large grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation back in 2012 and has been working to switch humanity to bug consumption.
Gates has also tried guiding people into synthetic foods, as well. Just last year, Gates made news by insisting that the world stop eating beef and replace it with synthetic meat products.
| — Hat tip: JAS | [Return to headlines] |
Here’s How Much Tax Revenue Illinois Will Lose From Citadel’s Decision to Cut Bait
Illinois’s richest resident, hedge-fund CEO Ken Griffin, announced on Thursday that he—and his company, Citadel—are packing up shop and heading to Miami, citing a better corporate environment and rising crime rates in Chicago.
The move, which Griffin announced in a letter to employees, will deprive Democrat-run Illinois of hundreds of millions of dollars in annual income tax revenue, a company spokesman told the Washington Free Beacon.
Griffin alone—who is worth approximately $25 billion—pays over $200 million in state income taxes every year, the spokesman said, and Citadel employees have themselves funneled over $1 billion to the state over the past decade.
Citadel is the third major corporation to announce plans to leave Illinois in the past two months. Caterpillar said earlier this month that it would move its headquarters from Illinois. The announcement followed Boeing’s decision in May to move its headquarters to Arlington, Va., from downtown Chicago.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lawyers Who Won 2A Case Forced to Resign From Law Firm That No Longer Supports Gun Rights
Following Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling against New York’s concealed carry law, two lawyers with Kirkland & Ellis that won the case have now left the firm, after they were told to either drop their client, or leave the firm.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Calls 911 After He Fatally Shoots Carjacker, OK Cops Say. Now He Faces Charges
A man called 911 to report shooting someone he said tried to carjack him at a QuikTrip gas station — and after an interview with Oklahoma police, authorities said he was free to go.
Four days later, the accused shooter was arrested on several charges.
The Tulsa Police Department says shooting suspect Anthony Allen called 911 at about 4:20 a.m. Sunday, June 19. Officers responded to the QuikTrip and found Desmond Cousino near the parking lot.
Cousino, 25, died at the scene, according to a news release.
“Video of the incident showed that Cousino carjacked Allen, attempting to take his car at gunpoint,” police said. “The two ended up fighting over the gun, and Allen took Cousino’s gun, ultimately shooting and killing him.”
An investigation into the shooting found that Cousino was trying to flee as he was shot by Allen, authorities said.
The District Attorney’s office reviewed the investigation and filed three charges against Allen: first degree manslaughter in the heat of passion, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and transferring a firearm from a felon.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
New York Mayor and Governor Team Up to Create Gun Control Workarounds After SCOTUS 2A Victory
Unelected New York Governor Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced on June 23 their intentions to create new, restrictive gun legislation to circumvent the recent SCOTUS ruling banning constraints on conceal carry permits in New York.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Photo Shows Biden Holding Instructions Written for a Person Suffering From Dementia
As Joe Biden met with wind industry executives at the White House on Thursday, the gaffe-prone illegitimate commander-in-chief obliviously held his cheat sheet backward…
“YOU enter the Roosevelt room and say hello to participants,” the instructions state…
“YOU take YOUR seat,” advised the guidance…
In March, Biden embarrassed the United States on the global stage again after was he spotted using typed cue cards to answer random questions from reporters about the Ukraine war.
After getting away with stealing the 2020 presidential race, Biden was caught relying on cue cards to sustain composure during his first press conference.
During the briefings, he is only allowed to take questions from journalists and outlets selected by his managers.
| — Hat tip: JAS | [Return to headlines] |
Rand Paul Says Gun Control Bill Was Kept ‘Secret’ And Senators Not Allowed Time to Read it
As the Senate passed a gun control bill this week with fifteen Republicans siding with Democrats, Senator Rand Paul noted that no one had time to even read the legislation because it was “assembled in secret.”
“Unfortunately, this legislation was assembled as many are — in secret, absent well-placed leaks to journalists,” Paul tweeted, adding “There doesn’t appear to be a willingness or time provided to read, understand, debate or amend this b
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A suburban Illinois mayor slammed the state’s SAFE-T act Friday as “anything but safe” as the state continues to see a surge in crime spilling over from Chicago into surrounding communities.
New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann joined “Fox & Friends First” to call out the liberal policies keeping Illinois unsafe and how Cook County’s failure to prosecute criminals is directly affecting his city.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Leakers Could Face Up to 10 Years in Prison Under New Republican Bill
Republican senators introduced a bill on Thursday that would penalize future Supreme Court leakers with up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act, introduced by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), would create new criminal penalties for those that wish to leak confidential documents from the Supreme Court before a final ruling.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. Senate Passes Gun Control Bill, House Passage is Next
A bipartisan package of gun control measures passed the U.S. Senate late on Thursday even as the Supreme Court broadly expanded gun rights by ruling Americans have a constitutional right to carry handguns in public for self-defense.
The landmark court ruling and Senate action on gun safety illustrate the deep divide over firearms in the United States, weeks after mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, killed more than 30 people, including 19 children. read more
The Senate bill, approved in a 65-33 vote, is the first significant gun control legislation to pass in three decades, in a country with the highest gun ownership per capita in the world and the highest number of mass shootings annually among wealthy nations.
| — Hat tip: JAS | [Return to headlines] |
US House Subcommittee Passes Online Privacy Bill
A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee has passed a bipartisan bill addressing online privacy. The bill aims at limiting social media companies’ collection of personal data.
The legislation would require tech companies to only collect the personal data that is required to provide their services. Sensitive information like Social Security numbers would also be required to have extra security when being stored and processed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada Funds Corporate World to Produce Insect-Based Food
With food shortages being predicted… Will more production plants be built, or will new “alternatives” become available for the peons?
Not only is “Eat the bugs, bigot” more than just a meme, it seems that Canadian tax dollars are being used to subsidize these ideas. Here are some recent grants from the Federal Government…
[Grants totaling hundreds of millions of dollars to various corporations are listed for purposes such as making “protein snacks with cricket flour”, “products cooked w/ cricket powder”, and “low-powder cricket energy bars”, and of course well over $50 million to Aspire to create a massive cricket-based food processing plant.]
Although it went unnoticed by many, Aspire did announce in 2020 that it would soon have the largest cricket processing plant in the world. The new plant in London, Ontario was completed in May 2022. Apparently, some 9,000 metric tons of crickets will be produced annually, both for human and animal consumption.
Aspire won the Clinton Global Initiative Hult Prize in 2013. They’ve since posted an update on their YouTube channel about where the company is heading.
Eating bugs is hardly a new concept, and has been promoted by the U.N. for many years.
| — Hat tip: JAS | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Says Tow Trucks Needed Emergencies Act
In a recent CBC Radio interview defending his government’s response to the Freedom Convoy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that tow truck drivers in Ottawa required the Emergencies Act to move in on rigs within the city’s downtown core.
“We had a range of advice from Justice. From Public Safety. From various areas. But if you think about the specific tools, one of the concrete complaints was tow truck drivers weren’t willing to send in their rigs at the cost of being outed or harassed by these protesters,” said Trudeau.
When he was asked by a reporter whether it was the need to get tow trucks into the area which finally convinced the government to act, Trudeau said it was the only effective option left.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria Scraps COVID Vaccine Mandate
Austria is scrapping an already-suspended COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Health Minister Johannes Rauch said on Thursday.
“We have decided as a government to do away with the vaccine mandate,” Rauch told a news conference. “Living with COVID means that we will bring forward a comprehensive package of measures, and today that means the abolition of compulsory vaccination.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s Candidate for U.S. Ambassador Slams Hungary’s Media Freedom, LGBT Rights
David Pressman, the ambassadorial candidate of the Biden government to Budapest, sees democracy under threat and other deeply disturbing signs in Hungary. As he said at his Senate hearing on Thursday, he has reservations about, among other things, media freedom and the rights of LGBTQ people. He said he will address the Hungarian government regarding these issues, as well as consult with representatives of “civil society.”
Pressman has already held important government positions during Barack Obama’s presidency, including the post of ambassador. His fellow Democrats also supported his point of view during hearing with very few in attendance. Senator Cory Booker, for example, believed that democracy and checks and balances in Hungary were in decline, and that the Hungarian government was openly hostile to LGBTQ people. Senator Benjamin Cardin, who has previously criticized the Orban government, noted that Hungary is a challenge.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czechia Has Exhausted Its Arms Reserves Supporting Ukraine, Czech PM Reveals
Czechia has exhausted its stockpile of arms in helping Ukraine to defend itself following the invasion of Russian forces, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala revealed on Thursday.
Following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who thanked the Czech government for both its military and humanitarian support for Ukraine, Fiala said Czechia’s resources will need to be topped up before it can provide any more help on the front line.
“Our stockpiles of Soviet-era weapon systems are dwindling and will need to be replenished,” Fiala told reporters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Energy Crisis: EU Passes Carbon Emissions Bill That Will Result in ‘Poverty for Generations’
Despite the fact the bloc is wrestling with a crippling energy crisis, the EU has passed legislation putting further curbs on carbon emissions.
Having initially failed to pass the European parliament two weeks ago in part thanks to Conservative and Populist politicians voting against the measure, the EU has now managed to push through a further climate crazy clampdown on carbon emissions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Parliament Finally Approves Reform of Emissions Allowance System
On Wednesday, the European Parliament approved a reform of the emissions allowance system that had been initially rejected at a previous meeting in June. According to the compromise proposal, MEPs agreed that the free allocation of allowances will end gradually between 2027 and 2032.
The new obligation to pay for heating emissions from buildings should only apply to commercial spaces and not all real estate, as initially proposed by the European Commission.
By 2030, the EU should eliminate 63 percent of the emissions produced by sectors covered by the allowance system in 2005, MEPs said
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Food From Ground Chicken Bones?
Among all the alarming reports about an impending food crisis, a Finnish company believes that it has found a way to incorporate bones into minced chicken, which reduces the meat’s production cost and environmental impact. But will anyone want to eat it?
A Finnish startup company has developed technology that uses chicken legs to produce a supplement to improve the nutritional content of poultry products such as chicken nuggets or meatballs. SuperGround has developed an extrusion process that is said to enable the processing and use of poultry for consumption in a safe and indistinguishable manner.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google to Double in Size in Poland, Offers Praise for Three Seas Initiative
Google is excited about the Three Seas region, as it believes it has enormous economic potential, especially with regard to digitization, said Google Vice-President Karan Bhatia in an interview with Polish news outlet 300gospodarka. He also claims that his company is ready to explore new means for supporting the Three Seas Initiative to increase the region’s integration into the wider transatlantic geopolitical dimension.
At the Riga summit of the Three Seas Initiative, the executive also emphasized that Google was doubling its presence in Poland at a time when the country was under pressure due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Mentally Ill’ Man Sentenced to Care After Conviction for Killing Five in Bow-and-Arrow Attack
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A man was found guilty Friday of murder and attempted murder for fatally stabbing five people and wounding four others in southern Norway when he attacked strangers with a bow and arrows and knives.
The Buskerud District Court sentenced Espen Andersen Bråthen to compulsory mental health care. Three forensic psychiatric experts who assessed him concluded he has chronic paranoid schizophrenia and was mentally ill at the time of the attack on Oct. 13, 2021. Both the prosecution and the defense had called for compulsory mental health care for Andersen Bråthen.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Climate Protesters Will Block Roads ‘Day After Day’ In October, Says XR Founder
Climate activist Roger Hallam has said protesters will cause disruption “the same if not greater” than was seen in the 2019 Extinction Rebellion demonstrations, if the Government does not stop investing in new oil projects.
Mr Hallam, who co-founded Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain, called for recruits to join the Just Stop Oil action as he gave a speech at the Speaker’s Corner at Glastonbury.
Mr Hallam, 56, said there will be a rotation system in which Just Stop Oil protesters will travel to London to block routes “day after day after day”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Cabinet Member Resigns, Seats Lost as Dissatisfaction With Boris Johnson Mounts
LONDON/KIGALI, (Reuters) — Boris Johnson’s Conservatives lost two parliamentary seats on Friday, a crushing blow to the governing party that prompted the resignation of its chairman and intensified doubts about the future of Britain’s prime minister…
Johnson has so far resisted pressure to resign after he was fined for breaking lockdown rules at his Downing Street office.
This month, he survived a vote of confidence by Conservative lawmakers, though 41% of his parliamentary colleagues voted to oust him, and he is under investigation by a committee over whether he intentionally misled parliament…
The by-elections were triggered by the resignations of Conservative lawmakers — one who admitted watching pornography in parliament, and another found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage boy.
| — Hat tip: JAS | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Farage: Tories Have Choice Between Dumping Boris Now, Or a Wipeout at Next Election
The Conservatives are “doomed” because fundamentally law-abiding, respectable middle-England no longer sees Boris Johnson as a fun cavalier but as a dishonest rule-breaker, ‘Mr Brexit’ Nigel Farage has said in the wake of the government’s double-by-election defeat.
While mid-term by-election defeats for sitting governments is considered normal in UK politics, for the Tories to have burnt a 24,000-vote majority in one of the country’s most loyally Conservative seats is seeing tough questions asked of the Prime Minister’s leadership on Friday. For Brexit leader Nigel Farage, who just yesterday warned Boris Johnson’s failures to deliver on right-wing basics would spell electoral defeat, the only choice the Conservatives now have is getting rid of Johnson and finding a low-tax, truly pro-Brexit leader.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Tory Party Chairman Quits After ‘Biggest Ever’ Loss in Double-Special Election Night
The Liberal Democrats flipped one of the strongest Conservative seats in the country in Thursday’s special election, as another vote in a small northern city also saw the Tories lose to Labour, prompting the chairman of the governing party to tender his resignation Friday morning.
Oliver Dowden, the chairman of Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party resigned from his post first thing Friday morning after news of two defeats of the party in special elections (by-elections) overnight emerged — one of those defeats historic in scope — saying in his letter “We cannot carry on with business as usual. Somebody must take responsibility”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tunisian Officers Stabbed Near Synagogue; Suspect Arrested
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A man with a knife attacked police officers stationed near a synagogue in Tunisia’s capital, injuring one in the shoulder and another on the hand, authorities said Friday.
The attacker fled after the overnight stabbing but was located nearby soon afterward along with the knife and arrested, Interior Ministry spokesperson Fadhila Khelifi told a news conference.
She described the incident as a terrorist attack and said investigators were trying to determine whether the suspect had accomplices. The motive was unclear…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
4 Months Into the Russia-Ukraine War: What Happened Today (June 24)
It’s been four months since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. As Friday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments:
Ukrainian troops were ordered to retreat from Sievierodonetsk, in the eastern Luhansk region, making way for a big win for Russia. The battle for Sievierodonetsk lasted more than a month. Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said Ukrainian forces needed to withdraw to avoid being surrounded and to set up new fortified positions elsewhere. Russia’s capture of Sievierodonetsk will bring it closer to complete control of Luhansk. In a further advance in the eastern region, Russia said it made headway around the nearby town of Lysychansk.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it’s increasingly concerned about conditions at a Russian-occupied nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The agency’s head said Ukrainian workers have come under extreme stress since Russian forces took over the Zaporizhzhia facility in March. The IAEA wants acess to the the station, Europe’s largest nuclear plant, so that it can assess conditions there, following unconfirmed reports that Ukrainian staff were held against their will and abused.
Ukrainians welcomed Thursday’s decision in Brussels making Ukraine a candidate to enter the European Union. Russia’s foreign minister said the decision poses no risk to his country but is a sign the EU and NATO are building a coalition against Russia. Yet Ukraine still has a long road ahead. Germany’s chancellor said earlier that Ukraine faces a “very demanding” path to the EU because it needs to make progress on the rule of law and fighting corruption. The process could take years, as several other countries have long been waiting ahead of Ukraine to join the EU.
Russia heads toward its first default on foreign-currency debt in over a century. On Sunday, the grace period will end for two interest payments worth about $100 million that Russia was due to pay bondholders in late May. Russia’s payments have been blocked by Western sanctions, including the U.S. Treasury closing a path that had allowed Russian debt payments to flow to U.S. investors. Russia does not consider itself in default, as it has the money and has pushed to pay the debt in rubles. The default is unlikely to cause major financial shakeups in the short term, but could ultimately trigger lengthy litigation, raise Russia’s borrowing costs even higher and further chip away at its position in the global markets.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Global Food Shortage: U.N. Chief Guterres Warns of Looming ‘Catastrophe’
The world faces the prospect of a mass starvation “catastrophe” driven by unprecedented food shortages, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres warned Friday.
Guterres pointed to the conflict in Ukraine as exacerbating disruptions caused by “climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and inequality” to produce an “unprecedented global hunger crisis” already affecting hundreds of millions of people.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Adelaide Considers Major Facial Recognition CCTV System
Even though collection and use of biometric data of citizens including through facial recognition is largely unregulated and has increasingly been raising privacy alarms in Australia, law enforcement in one of its states, South Australia, plans to deploy precisely this technology.
Current privacy laws are viewed by experts as insufficient to properly cover this topic. For this reason, large retailers are among those using facial recognition without even needing to inform those subjected to this type of monitoring.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Teen Fatally Stabbed in Northern NSW
A teenager is dead following a stabbing in northern NSW.
Police say the still to be identified victim, thought to be a 17-year-old boy, was found suffering stab wounds at a home in Casino around 1.30am on Saturday.
He was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.
The residence is to undergo forensic examination, while a search of the surrounding area has been conducted with help from the dog unit and local police.
The homicide squad will also assist with the case, with initial inquiries suggesting the incident was targeted.
The boy’s death follows that of a 50-year-old man involved in a physical altercation at South Grafton, on the state’s north coast, on Friday morning…
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
65% of French People Feel There is Too Much Immigration in Their Country
Almost two-thirds of French people believe that immigration levels are too high in the country, new polling revealed.
According to a survey by the CSA Institute for CNEWS published on Thursday, 65 percent of French people are unhappy with the current trend of rising immigration and consider it a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.
In detail, when asked whether immigration was too high, 30 percent of respondents replied “Yes, absolutely,” with another 35 percent replying “Rather, yes.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France Denies Residency to Non-Ukrainian Foreigners Who Fled Russian Invasion, Asks Them to Leave
Non-Ukrainians who fled in the wake of Russia’s invasion should go home rather than claim refugee status in France, the country said.
France, along with many other countries, saw the arrival of non-Ukrainians who fled the country during the Russian invasion, many of which were foreigners studying abroad in Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poles Expect Ukrainian Refugees to Find Work During Stay in Country, Polling Shows
A majority of Poles believe Ukrainian refugees should be fully committed to undertaking paid employment during their time in the country, the latest poll shows.
According to a survey carried out by the IBRIS agency for the Rzeczpospolita newspaper, Poles expect Ukrainians to pay their own way as much as they can while seeking refuge in the country.
When asked what should be demanded of refugees, 70 percent of respondents believed that being ready to undertake paid employment should be a prerequisite for staying in Poland. Meanwhile, 39 percent wanted to see refugees sending their children to Polish schools, and 28 percent felt the new arrivals should be required to learn the Polish language in order to stay in the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dozens more migrants including small children clutching teddy bears have arrived in Dover, Kent, as the total number of asylum-seekers crossing the English Channel this year edges close to 12,000.
The young children were seen holding toys as they were carried and escorted from small boats after being intercepted by Border Force vessel Defender shortly after 10.30am.
One man could be seen carrying a smiling toddler as he disembarked the boat.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Thousands of Violent Migrants Swarm Spanish Enclave in Africa
Spanish and Moroccan forces battled more than 2,000 migrants who stormed the city of Melilla on the African continent on Friday, according to reports.
The autonomous Spanish enclave, which shares a border with Morocco, was the target of an organized invasion mission by thousands of mostly sub-Saharan migrants.
A “significant number” of the migrants managed to reach European soil, authorities say.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Illegitimate!” AOC Protests Against Abortion Ban
Following the landmark abortion ban, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arrived outside the Supreme Court and began shouting “illegitimate” while demanding protesters get “into the streets.”
Million of women will lose the “right” to kill babies in the womb after the Supreme Court overturned the 50 year Roe v Wade ruling to send abortion back to the states.
Individual states will now be able to ban abortion, with around half expected to introduce new restrictions and bans.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s DOJ to ‘Use Every Tool’ To Facilitate Abortions After SCOTUS Overturns Roe
In a statement released Friday on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn abortion landmark ruling Roe v Wade, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the Department of Justice will “use every tool at our disposal” to protect reproductive freedom.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented on the US Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade, which in turn will give abortion rights back to the states.
Trudeau said that the decision was an attack on women’s and everyone’s freedoms and rights.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Supreme Court Overturns Roe v Wade
The Supreme Court on Friday released a ruling in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. They have overturned Roe v Wade, which legalized abortion at the federal level. At issue in the case was whether all restrictions to abortion prior to viability are unconstitutional, or not.
“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives,” the decision reads. Justice Alito delivered the opinion, as was expected based on the May leaked draft. His issue with Roe is on constitutional grounds, saying that the 1973 decision rook away the rights of each state to make the determination for themselves.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: President Trump Takes Victory Lap as SCOTUS Overturns Roe, Affirms 2A Rights
Former President Donald Trump on Friday released a statement after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, returning abortion legislation to the states.
“Today’s decision, which is the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation, along with other decisions that have been announced recently, were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court. It was my great honor to do so!” Trump said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DHS Warns Catholic Churches to Prepare for ‘Night of Rage’
The Department of Homeland Security has shared intelligence with the Catholic Church about a planned “Night of Rage” that has been threatened to be unleashed by pro-abortion groups if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court.
The document, labeled an “urgent memo,” was released to all clergy by the Diocese of Stockton, Calif., and states that a DHS agent informed that that an “extremist group” has been calling for attacks on churches the night that the ruling is released.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Disney Vows to Pay for Employee Travel Expenses for Abortions
On the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v Wade, a number of top studios and entertainment giants — including Comcast, Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery — vowed to pay travel expenses for employees looking to get abortions.
With the end of Roe v Wade, up to 14 states will quickly move to restrict abortions far more than they have for the last fifty years. And the ruling has spurred companies including Sony and Hollywood talent agencies WME, CAA, and UTA to inform employees that their expenses will be covered if they have to travel to a different state to get an abortion procedure.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maxine Waters: “to Hell With the Supreme Court! We Will Defy Them!”
Congresswoman Maxine Waters responded to the landmark abortion ban by vowing, “To hell with the Supreme Court! We will defy them!
Waters made the comments shortly after it was announced that abortion is being sent back to the states, with Roe v Wade being overturned.
“They ain’t seen nothing yet, women are going to control their bodies no matter how they try to stop them,” insisted Waters.
“To hell with the Supreme Court! We will defy them! Women will be able to control their bodies and if they think black women are intimidated, are afraid, they got another thought coming,” she added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Night of Rage’ Concerns at Valley Churches, Planned Parenthood
The issue of abortion is so heated, investigators from the Department of Homeland Security are warning of potential violence following the Supreme Court ruling.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Outside Supreme Court, Maskless Young Women Cheer While Masked-Up Young Women Pout (Photos)
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) — Some cried tears of joy, others looked downcast and chanted defiantly that the battle was not yet lost as hundreds of protesters outside the U.S. Supreme Court celebrated or condemned its ruling to overturn the right to an abortion.
| — Hat tip: JAS | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Opposition Liberals to Support Abortion on Demand
Barbara Nowacka, who leads a small center-left party currently within the “Civic Coalition” led by the main liberal opposition Civic Platform (PO), has announced that the parliamentary caucus will support a legislative measure that will make abortion on demand available before the end of the 12th week of pregnancy. However, the measure is opposed by a former conservative deputy, Pawel Poncyljusz, who joined the Civic Coalition for the 2019 parliamentary election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ron DeSantis Says Supreme Court ‘Answered the Prayers of Millions’ By Overturning Roe
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis released a statement today praising the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe V Wade.
In a June 23 Tweet, DeSantis wrote, “By properly interpreting the Constitution, the Supreme Court has answered the prayers of millions upon millions of Americans.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Ban on Abortions From ‘Moment of Conception’ Set to Start in 30 Days
Friday’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade will make abortions illegal in Texas in 30 days. The Texas Legislature passed a “trigger law” in 2021 that makes performing abortions in Texas a felony 30 days after the Supreme Court overrules Roe v. Wade.
“The U.S. Supreme Court correctly overturned Roe v. Wade and reinstated the right of states to protect innocent, unborn children,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a written statement following the SCOTUS decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. “Texas is a pro-life state, and we have taken significant action to protect the sanctity of life.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Washington DC Bridge Shut Down After Man Scales Archway to Protest Roe v. Wade Overturned
A man climbed the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. on Friday to protest the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
The man, who has revealed himself on Twitter as Guido Reichstadter, began climbing the bridge at around 11 a.m., according to FOX 5 DC. While the man was on the bridge, traffic came to a halt while officials tried to contact the man.
A large inflatable was placed under the demonstrator at around 12 p.m.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Man Calls 911 After He Fatally Shoots Carjacker, OK Cops Say. Now He Faces Charges”
A guy survives a car-jacking by fighting for the gun and shooting the attacker and the DA charges him with transferring a firearm from a felon, as well as assault and a crime of passion.
That is one story I read that I had to pass along. Unbelievable.
“Food From Ground Chicken Bones?”
The former prime minister of the Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren, a former communist secret service agent, is a billionaire. Just like Bill Gates, he’s big into farmlands, and food processing plants. Long story short, the bread and sausages coming from his plants have been found out to contain sawdust, to “increase the mass” of those breads and sausages. Who knows? Maybe ground chicken bones are the future, since wood has become so expensive?
He should be forced to eat only the products of his food processing plants.