The German government has approved legislation for the coming autumn and winter that will re-establish anti-COVID measures, including the mandatory wearing of N95 masks when indoors. Meanwhile, Georgetown University will require students to wear masks in class during the fall semester.
In other news, twenty million American households are reportedly unable to pay their electric bills due to the massive increase in electricity prices.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Dora, DV, Fjordman, JW, LP, MM, 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.
“Tsunami of Shutoffs”: 1 in 6 US Homes Are Behind on Power Bills
At least 20 million households — or about 1 in 6 American homes — are behind on their power bills as soaring electricity prices spark what is said to be the worst-ever crisis in late utility payments, according to Bloomberg, citing data from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (Neada).
Neada said electricity prices had increased significantly since 2020 after a decade of stagnation. The steep rise has resulted in billions of dollars in overdue power bills.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Emmanuel Macron Says the End of Abundance is Here
President Emmanuel Macron has warned the French populace that the end of abundance is here, and they should get used to living with less.
“What we are currently living through is a kind of major tipping point or a great upheaval… we are living the end of what could have seemed an era of abundance… the end of the abundance of products of technologies that seemed always available … the end of the abundance of land and materials including water,” he said in an interview.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
South Africa: Unemployment Rate Decreases to 33.9%
The country’s unemployment rate decreased to 33.9% between April and June, the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for Q2: 2022 has revealed.
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) released the figures on Tuesday.
These results indicate that 648 000 jobs were gained between the first quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2022.
Stats SA said the changes in employment and unemployment resulted in the official unemployment rate decreasing by 0.6 of a percentage point from 34.5% in the first quarter of 2022 to 33.9% in the second quarter of 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Winter is coming. Energy crisis riots are a genuine possibility as some say the elites have lost control.
Still, at least they supported ‘the current thing’.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
American Express Slapped With Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination Against White Employees
EXCLUSIVE: A former American Express employee filed a class-action complaint Tuesday alleging that the credit card company exhibited “callous indifference” to civil rights law by terminating him because he is White and spoke out against its “racially discriminatory” policies.
Brian Netzel, who worked a decade for Amex until he was terminated in 2020, told FOX Business that he sued the company on behalf of himself and potentially thousands of other similarly situated employees following “an avalanche of bad things coming to White people in that company once George Floyd was killed.”
The lawsuit alleges that amid the racial tensions roiling the U.S. in 2020, Amex implemented “anti-racism” policies throughout its corporate structure that “gave preferential treatment to individuals for being Black and unambiguously signaled to White employees that their race was an impediment to getting ahead in the company.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Bans the Sale of Gas-Powered Vehicles
In a frantic effort to reach net zero emissions, California just announced a ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles within the state beginning in 2035.
“The climate crisis is solvable if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to stem the tide of carbon pollution,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
As reported by the New York Times, leading up to the ban, the state has further set aggressive targets at phasing out gas-powered vehicles. To this end, California has set interim targets to have 35% of all vehicles be emissions-free by 2026 and that 68% of all vehicles should be emissions-free by 2030.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Public Schools’ Radical Agenda Gets Uglier: ‘Equity’ Video Promotes Looting & Burning
Authored by Matt Rosenberg via Wirepoints.org
Looting and burning is a pathway to social justice. That’s the message from a video recently added by Chicago Public Schools to its website as a response to perceived economic injustice for blacks. The district calls the video an “equity tool,” but the reality is it promotes hopelessness. Titled “How Can We Win?,” the video’s message is clear: there is no way. Better to riot, loot, and burn. It sounds unbelievable, but in Chicago’s schools, it’s not.
Some CPS students have difficult lives. Too many face the possibility of violent crime and gang harassment, and loss of friends and family.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CNN Medical Analyst Who Fiercely Advocated Masking Now Admits it ‘Harmed’ Her Own Son’s Development
CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen, who for two years was one of the strongest advocates for masks and masks in schools, now admits that forcing her child to wear one harmed his development.
As we previously noted, Wen started to admit some months ago that masks don’t work in stopping the spread of COVID, further declaring that “the decision to wear a mask should shift from a government mandate to an individual choice.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Court Orders Kenosha to Follow Wisconsin Supreme Court Ruling Banning Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes
The Kenosha County Circuit Court ordered that the city of Kenosha, Wis., stop using unmanned absentee ballot drop boxes following the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision that the boxes are illegal.
The Thomas More Society filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Wisconsin Voter Alliance in May, arguing “that the city’s policy concerning the use of absentee ballot drop boxes violated state law.”
In June, Kenosha filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but the Wisconsin Supreme Court in July ruled that the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s “authorization of ballot drop boxes was unlawful” since “[o]nly the legislature may permit absentee voting via ballot drop boxes.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DeSantis Blasts ‘Little Elf’ Fauci: ‘Chuck Him Across the Potomac’
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis called Dr. Anthony Fauci a “little elf” during a Wednesday speech and said that someone needs to “chuck him across the Potomac.”
“I’m just sick of seeing him. I know he says he’s going to retire. Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac,” he said.
DeSantis made the comment during a Florida GOP “Keep Florida Free” event in Seminole County.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Five Florida School Boards Flip Conservative in Statewide Sweep
Multiple school boards across the state of Florida flipped conservative on Tuesday thanks to a groundswell of parental rights activism and GOP turnout.
Five school boards in Clay, Miami Dade, Duval, Sarasota, and Martin counties are now Republican-dominated. Miami’s takeover is especially notable as it became the largest county in America with a conservative school-board majority.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fox News Publishes Piece Insisting FBI Trump Raid Was “Justified”
Fox News published an article asserting that the FBI raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate was “justified,” another suggestion that the network has gone cold on his 2024 candidacy.
Despite the fact that the raid was led by the same FBI unit responsible for the Russiagate witch hunt and signed off on by a judge connected to Jeffrey Epstein, national security attorney Bradley P. Moss insisted it was fair.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Georgetown University Mandates Masks for Students During in-Class Instruction
Georgetown University is requiring its students to continue wearing masks during in-class instruction this fall amid lingering cases of COVID-19 and nationwide outbreaks of monkeypox.
The mask mandate, which applies to students in classrooms and teaching laboratories, does not apply to “informal gatherings” at places such as libraries and study spaces, according to public health guidance the Washington, D.C., school released Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GOP Sen: Biden Student Debt Cancellation Plan ‘Gift to His Political Base’ 76 Days Before Elections
Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman on Wednesday called President Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness plan a “gift” to his political base — just 76 days before the November midterm election.
“Pres. Biden’s move to ‘forgive’ student loans is a gift to his political base and an insult to taxpayers and everyone who fulfilled their obligations,” Boozman tweeted within hours of the Democrat president making the announcement. “Americans already struggling to keep up will bear the consequences of this irresponsible decision benefiting high-income earners.”
The midterm elections take place Nov 8.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been calling for Biden to unilaterally cancel up to $50,000 of student debt.
The White House has released a fact sheet on Biden’s plan that shows individuals making less than $125,000 can have up to $10,000 forgiven. And Pell Grant borrowers making under $75,000 annually can have up to $20,000 forgiven.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judicial Watch Files FOIA Suit Against National Archives to Obtain Trump Raid Records
Judicial Watch on Wednesday announced a suit against the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for failing to respond to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records related to the investigation of former President Donald Trump.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The wounded driver refused help from witnesses and drove five blocks to North Michigan Avenue, where he stopped near a patrol car and an ambulance was called, according to a police report.
An apparent traffic dispute during rush hour in downtown Chicago turned deadly Tuesday evening when two drivers got out of their cars and one stabbed the other in the neck.
The man, 36, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released.
“It was really messed up, really messed up,” said a witness who watched the attack while sitting in his car with his brother at the intersection of Dearborn and Ohio streets around 7:30 p.m.
The witness, who did not want to be identified, said he was stopped at a red light when he saw the victim step out of his blue Kia at the intersection and ask the driver of a black car behind him, “Why are you honking at me?”
He saw three men get out of the black car, and the two drivers began punching each other, the witness said.
The Kia driver was the larger of the two and pinned the other driver to the ground, the witness said. That’s when the man on the ground pulled out a knife and the other man backed off, he said.
“He tried to control the knife with one arm, and when the knife slipped it went into his neck. Everyone was in shock,” the witness said.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
McEnroe Says it’s “A Joke” Djokovic Won’t be Allowed to Compete at US Open
Tennis legend John McEnroe says it’s a “joke” that Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic is still not allowed to compete in the US Open due to his vaccination status.
Despite unvaccinated Americans being allowed to compete at the Grand Slam, Djokovic won’t be able to participate due to Biden administration rules that still insist anyone traveling to the United States must show proof of vaccination before boarding a flight entering the country.
McEnroe asserted that Djokovic was being unfairly treated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Proposed Revised Bill Forces Partnerships Between Mainstream Media and Big Tech
A revised bill has been introduced in the US, with an amendment to the Journalism and Competition Preservation Act (JCPA) having the goal of providing a temporary safe harbor for online publishers to collectively negotiate the terms on which content may be distributed by Big Tech platforms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Tuesday showed New York experienced the largest drop in life expectancy in the nation for its residents in 2020.
The life expectancy for New Yorkers dropped by 3% from an average age of 80.7 in 2019 to 77.7 in 2020.
The shocking 3-year drop represented the sharpest decrease between the years out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the CDC’s new National Vital Statistics Report.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Yorkers Protest Against Illegal Forced Quarantine Policy
Protestors have recently gathered outside the office of New York’s State Attorney General Letitia James to express their opposition to the state’s proposed forced quarantine policy.
Last month, civil rights attorneys were successful in overturning what were deemed illegal health regulations enacted by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
The overturned regulations, previously rammed through entirely undemocratically, allowed for the detention and quarantine of any individual suspected of having a communicable disease.
Under this now-deemed unconstitutional regulation, authorities, whether public health or law enforcement, would be able to force New Yorkers into a quarantine facility with no due process, no evidence, and for however long the state sees fit.
And now, even though COVID is in the rearview mirror, the State of New York is appealing the court’s decision.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A federal judge in Ohio ruled Tuesday that a university violated a student’s constitutional rights when it required him to show his bedroom before taking an online test, possibly setting a precedent over privacy concerns.
The ruling came after Aaron Ogletree, a student at Cleveland State University, filed a lawsuit against the school last year over the policy, which was aimed at preventing cheating.
He was required to use a webcam to show his bedroom before taking a chemistry test. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese appears to set a precedent regarding student privacy rights, Ogletree’s lawyer, Matthew Besser, said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Penn Medical School Expands Minority-Candidate Program That Does Not Require MCAT
Authored by Jacob Shields via TheCollegeFix.com
Eligible students are those ‘from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine’
The University of Pennsylvania expanded a program that admitted minority and other underrepresented college applicants into its Perelman School of Medicine under special criteria, including waiving the Medical College Admission Test requirement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Investigating Faked Shooting Report at Rep. Greene’s Home Early Wednesday
Police are investigating a faked shooting report which led police to respond to 14th District Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s home in Rome early Wednesday.
“Swatting” is an attempt by an unknown caller to submit a false report of a crime, especially a crime in progress, so emergency services are sent to an unsuspecting home.
“Last night, I was swatted just after 1 a.m. I can’t express enough gratitude to my local law enforcement here in Rome, Floyd County,” she stated concerning the prank on her @RepMTG Twitter page.
According to a Rome Police Department report, Rome police officers responded to a 911 call on Wednesday at 01:03 a.m. which led them to initially believe a man who had been shot multiple times in the bathtub at Greene’s home. The caller also stated there was a woman inside the home and possibly children with her. When officers responded Greene assured the officers there was no issue at the home.
“After we cleared the call and went back in service, Rome-Floyd 911 received a call from the suspect, claiming responsibility for the incident and explaining his/her motives,” the report stated. “It was a computer generated voice. They explained they were upset about Ms. Greene’s stance on ‘trans-gender youth’s rights,’ and stated they were trying to ‘swat’ her.”
The report also stated the caller said they are connected to a website, which police stated supports cyberstalking, and gave the police their user name on the site…
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Rand Paul Warns National Institutes of Health Not to Try and Destroy Evidence as Fauci Exits
Senator Rand Paul has told the National Institutes of Health that it should not attempt to destroy any documents relating to or in the possession of Anthony Fauci as he retires.
Paul sent a letter to the NIH stating that “all records, e-mails, electronic documents, and data created by or shared with Dr. Fauci” must be preserved for investigation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Swatted at Home After Fake Shooting Call by Pro-Trans Extremist
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was swatted at her Rome, Georgia residence at 1AM Wednesday morning.
MTG joins The Alex Jones Show to break down the SWAT raid on her home.
“Last night, I was swatted just after 1 am. I can’t express enough gratitude to my local law enforcement here in Rome, Floyd County. More details to come,” Taylor Greene wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Holding two knives, Daniel Schultz-Alvarez was about to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when he tripped and fell, stabbing his father in the leg and stomach, he told police.
The leg wound bled profusely and his father, lying on the couch where he was stabbed, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to newly-released court documents.
Schultz-Alvarez stuck to his story for a while, but when investigators pressed him on whether he intentionally stabbed his father, he told them he’s schizophrenic and had been under the control of evil spirits that possessed him and grabbed the knives, according to the documents.
He said the spirits told him, “You’re gonna go out with a bang! You’re gonna die! You’re gonna kill your dad!”
Schultz-Alvarez, 37, is charged with first-degree murder in the June 13 death of Richard Daniel Alvarez Jr., 71. The two lived in an apartment on South Real Road, west of Highway 99 and south of Brundage Lane…
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Six Injured: One Killed in Shooting in Northwest Baltimore on Wednesday Afternoon
Six people were injured and one died in a mass shooting in broad daylight Wednesday on one of the city’s main thoroughfares in Northwest Baltimore.
Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said a silver Lexus drove up to a group of people at the intersection of Park Heights and Shirley avenues and two shooters opened fire just before 12:30 p.m.
Harrison called the shooting “very brazen, very cowardly.” He described “the brazenness of these individuals to pull up … and open fire on a group of individuals minding their own business.”
Police said two victims were located at the scene, and five walked into area hospitals for treatment. All of the victims are men, police said.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
An accused rapist in New York City escaped charges because, as a United Nations foreign minister, he was protected by diplomatic immunity, authorities said. His case highlights a controversial policy that has made headlines for years.
A woman accused Charles Dickens Imene Oliha, 46, of opening the door for her as she entered her Washington Heights building, following her into her apartment and raping her twice before leaving, according to police and law enforcement sources. She reported the incident around noontime Sunday, at which point officers took Oliha into custody.
However, they soon learned that Oliha was working in the U.S. as a minister of foreign affairs from South Sudan and could not be charged because he had “full diplomatic immunity,” sources said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Twitter’s “Tricky” Timing Problem: Lawsuit Reveals Back-Channel With CDC to Coordinate Censorship
Authored by Jonathan Turley
“Tricky.”
Over the course of 110 pages in a federal complaint, that one descriptive word seemed to stand out among the exchanges between social media executives and public health officials on censoring public viewpoints. The exchange reveals long-suspected coordination between the government and these social media companies to manage a burgeoning censorship system.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Uvalde School Board Fires District Chief Pete Arredondo Over School Shooting Response
Three months to the day after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary, the Uvalde school board Wednesday night fired school district police Chief Pete Arredondo, who has been the focus of much of the scrutiny and blame for law enforcement’s 77-minute delay in confronting the gunman who shot and killed 19 children and two teachers on May 24.
Arredondo did not attend the meeting. Instead, his attorney released a 17-page statement Wednesday evening, arguing that all of Arredondo’s actions on May 24 were consistent with active shooter training and that “Chief Arredondo did the right thing.”
“Any allegation of lack of leadership is wholly misplaced,” the statement says. “The complaint that an officer should have rushed the door, believed to be locked, to open it up without a shield capable of stopping an AR-15 bullet, without breaching tools … is tantamount to suicide.”
Uvalde police chief Pete Arredondo speaks at a press conference following the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. The shooting killed 19 children and two adults…
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo was terminated by the district’s board on Wednesday, exactly three months after a shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Arredondo, who has been harshly criticized for his response to the shooting, did not attend Wednesday’s meeting, his attorney said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: CNN Tells Viewers Monkeypox is Not Sexually-Transmitted
Despite vast amounts of data showing that the spread of Monkeypox is occurring predominantly among gay men, CNN went to great lengths to explain that it is absolutely NOT sexually transmitted.
As reported here in The Scientific American, Monkeypox Is a Sexually Transmitted Infection, and Knowing That Can Help Protect People.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Whistleblower Suggests Twitter Has Been Penetrated by Foreign Intelligence Agencies Multiple Times
Famed ethical hacker and former head of Twitter security Peiter “Mudge” Zatko has accused Twitter of allowing foreign intelligence agencies to penetrate the platform multiple times and alleges that in one instance, the company even hired government agents who “would have access to vast amounts of Twitter sensitive data.”
Mudge made the revelations in a whistleblower disclosure that was sent to Congress and federal agencies last month and first reported on by CNN and The Washington Post.
According to CNN, the full disclosure totals around 200 pages. 84 of these pages have been made public in redacted form along with 55 pages of supporting documents.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An Extrasolar World Covered in Water
An international team of researchers led by Charles Cadieux, a Ph.D. student at the Université de Montréal and member of the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), has announced the discovery of TOI-1452 b, an exoplanet orbiting one of two small stars in a binary system located in the Draco constellation about 100 light-years from Earth.
The exoplanet is slightly greater in size and mass than Earth and is located at a distance from its star where its temperature would be neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water to exist on its surface. The astronomers believe it could be an “ocean planet,” a planet completely covered by a thick layer of water, similar to some of Jupiter’s and Saturn’s moons.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada Lagging Behind OECD Peers in Attracting Business Investment
A new report by the C.D. Howe Institute found that Canada is lagging behind other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries when it comes to bringing in business investment.
According to the study, Canada’s business investment is 50 cents per worker compared to every dollar invested in the United States.
“Business investment is so weak that capital per member of the labour force is falling, and the implications for incomes and competitiveness are ominous,” wrote researchers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
McMaster University and the University of Waterloo Say No Vaccine Mandate
McMaster University and the University of Waterloo announced that, unlike U of T and Western University, they would not have a vaccine mandate for the fall semester.
“Health and safety continue to be a top priority in our planning as we head towards the fall term. We have continued to follow the latest COVID-19 safety guidance from public health and the Ontario government. McMaster faculty, who are experts in virology and other health fields, also help to guide our decisions. All have indicated that the right course given the current circumstances is to continue to pause the vaccine mandate and to strongly encourage masking. We will continue to monitor the situation closely,” a McMaster University update reads.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Announces New Team Dedicated to Countering Russian Disinformation
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a number of measures aimed against Russia, including the creation of a team dedicated to tackling Russian state-sponsored disinformation.
The announcement was made during the second annual Summit for Heads of State and Government of the International Crimea Platform, which was held virtually.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Saskatchewan Minister Jeremy Cockrill called on Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault to address allegations of trespassing by federal agents on private property.
“We’re still unsure which federal department they’re a part of, but they actually were taking samples out of a private dugout and when approached and queried as to why they were there, they said that they were checking for pesticide residues and nitrates,” Cockrill told CTV News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Says No Oil and Gas for Germany
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled all the way to Canada in search of new energy after Russia turned off the taps, but Germany won’t be walking away with a drop of Canadian oil and gas.
Instead, Germany was given a three-year agreement to one day get overpriced Canadian hydrogen energy in 2025.
Before German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived, many had speculated that a silver lining (for Canada at least) to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would be that many countries that Russia refuses to sell oil and gas to would be willing to pay a premium for liquified natural gas exports from Canada.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Govt Suspends Funding for ‘Anti-Hate’ Activist After Antisemitic Posts Emerge
The government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has cancelled funding to an “anti-racism” activist after it emerged the man in question had a long history of antisemitic and xenophobic statements.
Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen announced this week that the government would be cutting funding to the Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC) after member Laith Marouf was revealed to have written a litany of antisemitic and other hateful comments in his past.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
TV Stations Showered With $104 Million in Taxpayer Funds
The Trudeau government awarded television stations nearly $104 million in taxpayer subsidies during the pandemic.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) reported that the funding was provided in the form of waivers to federal licencing fees and through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch 5 Minutes of Trucker Rebellion: The Story of the Coutts Blockade
You’ve heard of the Canadian ‘freedom truckers’ protesting discriminatory vaccine mandates. But they didn’t all go to Ottawa.
Many truckers decided to take a stand at a small border crossing in Coutts, Alberta.
This is their story.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Western University Students to Hold Protest Against Booster Mandates
Western University students are pushing back against new Covid mandates by holding an in-person demonstration against booster requirements on Saturday.
As first reported by True North, the University of Western Ontario is reimposing its mask mandate and will require all students and staff as well as visitors to have three doses of the Covid vaccine by October 1.
The university says a grace period will be given for those who are not yet eligible to receive a booster.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Feminist Finnish PM Apologies Over Topless Lesbian Pic From Party at Govt Residence
Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin has apologised for a leaked photo that has emerged showing two women kissing while topless at a party held at her official government residence.
Prime Minister Marin apologized over the photo, which appears to show two topless women kissing with a sign saying “Finland” covering their chests, after the image went viral across social media on Tuesday in what is just the latest controversy over Marin’s party lifestyle.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Refuses to Even Discuss Further Energy Sanctions Against Russia
Hungary has signaled it is not open to discussing further energy sanctions against Russia, as these are more hurtful to Europe than Russia and Hungary cannot function without Russian oil and gas, said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó after a telephone conversation with his Estonian counterpart, Urmas Reinsalu.
“A few months ago, my colleague Urmas Reinsalu became Estonia’s foreign minister again. I was happy with his (re)appointment because we had a good personal relationship, and we were able to cooperate well. I was also happy to accept his invitation to talk on the phone today and review the current security situation,” Szijjartó wrote on his Facebook page.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lockdown Forever: German Govt Approves COVID Rules, Mask Mandates for Autumn and Winter
BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Cabinet approved legislation Wednesday that ensures basic protective measures against the coronavirus pandemic are continued during the fall and winter when more virus cases are expected.
The presentation of the rules — which also include the new obligation to wear N95-type face masks during all long-distance travel by train and bus as well as on planes — coincided with the publication of photos showing the chancellor and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck flying to Canada earlier this week without wearing masks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Petition to Demand End of German State Broadcasting Snowballs
There have been numerous initiatives for the overdue reform and termination of the fee-financed GEZ broadcasting system in Germany for a long time — but so far none of the initiatives have been successful. That could change: The “RBB affair” involving the corrupt director Patricia Schlesinger may prove to be a turning point.
Since the end of June, Schlesinger has been exposed after numerous allegations of misappropriation of funds and nepotism as a result of media reports. She has been ARD chairwoman since the beginning of this year and Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) director since 2016. She has since resigned from both positions. The former director is accused, among other things, of incorrectly billing dinner in her private apartment as an official meal — also with the Berlin police chief Barbara Slowik, who was then dismayed and distanced herself from Schlesinger.
In surveys, well over 80 percent of citizens are now in favor of abolishing broadcasting fees.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rab Wardell Dies Suddenly Two Days After Winning Scottish Championship
37-year-old mountain biker Rab Wardell died suddenly of cardiac arrest in his sleep, just days after winning the Scottish Championship.
The Scottish Cross County Association’s Facebook posted, “We have the saddest news to share with you all today. We are devastated to relay to you the tragic news that our friend, our Champion Rab Wardell, has died overnight. Our deepest sympathy to his friends, family and loved ones. He will be truly missed by our community, and his determination, talent, and friendship will live on in all our hearts and memories.”
Just two days ago, Wardell appeared on BBC Scotland’s The Nine to talk about his victory.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swiss Security Forces Are Getting Nervous
Jan Flückiger, Secretary General of the Federal Conference of Energy Directors, has warned that “internal security will become a problem” because the federal government in Bern has not yet recognized any urgency as the prospect of a cold winter full of hardship looms. Fredy Fässler, politician from the canton of St.Gallen, agreed with this warning.
In Swiss daily Blick, the police officer warned bluntly that there could be riots and looting if Switzerland were hit by a severe energy crisis in winter. “Imagine that you can no longer withdraw money from ATMs, you can no longer use your card to pay in stores or fill up at gas stations. The heating no longer works. It is cold. The streets are getting dark. It is conceivable that the population will rebel or that there will be looting,” said Fässler, and strongly recommended that the country’s authorities take measures to prepare for such extreme scenarios.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Crucial Cause Behind Energy Crisis is ‘Green Fanaticism,’ Says Czech President
Despite the war with Ukraine and central banks printing trillions of euros in dollars in recent years, Czech President Milos Zeman believes the primary cause of the energy crisis is “green fanaticism.”
“Whether it’s called the Green Deal or whatever, I’m afraid. However, I won’t be here anymore when we find out where the green madness will take us. The abolition of cars with internal combustion engines will lead to the advent of far more demanding electromobility. The biggest consumers of electricity will be electric cars with a short range and a high price,” said Zeman while receiving Czech ambassadors at Prague Castle on Tuesday.
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A respected horse trainer who specialises in hypnotism appeared in court today charged with stabbing her husband to death.
Christine Rawle, 69, who has featured in publications such as Horse & Hound for her work in the equine world, has been accused of the murder of Ian Rawle, 72.
Mrs Rawle was arrested after police were called to an isolated address in the Devon village of Braunton on Sunday following reports of a stabbing.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the victim, who was found dead at the scene, has now been formally identified.
The couple were listed as living together at the property which was described by police today as ‘isolated’.
The defendant describes herself on social media as a hypnotist, trauma recovery guide and horsewomen.
No charges were read to her when she appeared for a short hearing at Exeter Magistrates’ Court this morning.
She was remanded in custody to appear next at Exeter Crown Court tomorrow.
Prosecutor Bill Khan said Mr Rawle was pronounced dead at the scene at 3.16pm, and his wife was later rearrested on suspicion of murder.
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UK: Just Stop Oil Protests: Activists Arrested Over M25 Services Damage
Police have arrested protesters after fuel pumps were damaged and activists glued themselves to service station forecourts on the M25.
Surrey Police said 20 people were held after protests at Clacket Lane and Cobham services, prompting fuel supplies to be cut at the sites.
A further 11 people were arrested after activists staged action at Thurrock services, Essex Police said.
All those detained had been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage.
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Residents looked on in horror last night as rivals battled each other with machetes in the streets of Leeds.
Police have stepped up patrols in the Harehills area of the city after footage emerged showing a large group of men wielding 4ft long blades in running clashes.
The incident, which took place in Edgware Avenue in the city shortly after 8pm, saw armed police rush to the scene after reports of a loud bang and masked men with machetes.
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EU high representative and foreign policy chief Josep Borrell gave a surprisingly blunt assessment of the Ukraine war and Europe’s precarious position in an AFP interview published Tuesday, admitting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting on fracturing a united EU response amid the current crisis situation of soaring prices and energy extreme uncertainty headed into a long winter.
Borrell’s words seemed to come close to admitting that Putin’s tactic is working on some level, or at least will indeed chip away at European resolve in the short and long run, given he chose words like EU populations having to “endure” the deep economic pain and severe energy crunch. He cited the “weariness” of Europeans while calling on leadership as well as the common people to “bear the consequences” with continued resolve.
Borrell explained to AFP that Putin sees “the weariness of the Europeans and the reluctance of their citizens to bear the consequences of support for Ukraine.”
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Boris Johnson Arrives in Kiev for 3rd Time, This Time Bearing Gifts
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has once again made a surprise visit to Kiev to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on the occasion of Ukraine’s independence day from Soviet rule. This is his third trip to the war-ravaged country since the start of the Russian invasion, as one of the more outspoken and hawkish high-profile Western leaders.
His new Wednesday visit, where he appeared side-by-side with Zelensky, also included some hawkish statements encouraging Ukrainian forces to keep taking the fight to the Russians. “What happens in Ukraine matters to us all,” Johnson said in a written statement. “I believe Ukraine can and will win this war.”
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‘I Turn a Blind Eye to All That’
Explosions hit military targets in Crimea throughout August. Many Russian vacationers remain unbothered.
As Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine reaches the six-month mark, the fighting has begun to spillover into Crimea. The peninsula, which Russia forcibly annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has seen a string of explosions throughout the month of August. On August 9, multiple blasts rocked the Russian military’s Saki Air Base in Novofedorivka; on August 16, another series of explosions went off at an ammunition depot near Mais’ke; on August 20, six to seven “flashes” and explosions were observed off the coast near Alupka; and another spate of blasts were reported in Sevastopol on August 20 and 21. Against this backdrop, Russia’s Association of Tour Operators recorded a 50 percent drop in the flow of tourists to Crimea. Be that as it may, many Russian vacationers haven’t been scared off — by all accounts, resorts and beaches are still packed.
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Polish President Duda Honored in Kyiv
While visiting Kyiv on Tuesda, Polish President Andrzej Duda became the first statesman to have a plaque on the newly founded Alley of the Brave, which was unveiled by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Duda met Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss ongoing humanitarian, military, and economic aid for Ukraine.
At a press conference held after the meeting, Duda underlined that the aggression against Ukraine had begun in 2014 rather than in February of this year. He also noted that Aug. 23 marked the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
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In Stunning Post-Fukushima Shift, Japan to Build More Nuclear Power Plants
Following the Fukushima disaster in 2011, nuclear power fell out of favor in Japan. But with global energy markets in turmoil and electricity bills skyrocketing, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is revisiting the debate over nuclear and perhaps the need to increase investments in next-generation power plants.
FT reported Kishida had announced plans to examine the construction of new plants that would break more than a decade of energy policy following the Fukushima disaster, which led to an effort to eliminate nuclear.
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African Migrant Rampages on French Tram
An African migrant with a criminal history was convicted following a violent rampage aboard a tram in France last week, according to reports.
The harrowing incident unfolded on August 19 in Clermont-Ferrand, a city in the department of Puy-de-Dôme.
An 18-year-old homeless man from Guinea was caught riding a tram without a ticket, La Montagne reports.
A controller politely asked the man to exit the train, which he refused to do.
During an ensuing confrontation, the African flew into a “surge of violence, a fury,” according to a public prosecutor.
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Poll: Majority of Arizona Voters Want Border Wall Built in the State
A majority of Arizonans support building a wall at the Mexican border in the state and say that the surge in illegal immigration constitutes an invasion, according to new polling.
Pollsters Scott Rasmussen and RMG Research also show that a large majority of Arizonans think that illegal immigration is “bad” for the U.S., but legal immigration is “good.”
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UK: Brexit’s Farage Says Illegal Boat Migrant Crisis is a ‘National Emergency’
The flood of illegal immigrants crossing the English Channel from the beaches of France constitutes a “national emergency” that has been ignored by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Brexit leader Nigel Farage has said.
Following a record-setting number of daily crossings set on Monday, with nearly 1,300 migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, Nigel ‘Mr Brexit’ Farage has warned that the crisis will only grow, saying “you ain’t seen nothing yet”.
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UK: Majority of Migrants Crossing Channel Are Albanian — Reports
The majority of a record-breaking number of migrants who arrived in the UK were from Albania, according to reports from Border Force officers.
The ISU union, which represents staff working for the Home Office’s law enforcement body, said its members had seen an increase in people from the south-eastern European country making the Channel crossing in the last few months.
Government officials believe around 60% of migrants making the crossing each day now are Albanian, although figures fluctuate, the PA news agency understands.
Reports from the staff involved on Monday suggest the majority of those arriving were Albanian. There were other nationalities; but not that many
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Crunchyroll Blocks Users of Private Email Service Tutanota
If you’re a lover of anime, and also of using safe and encrypted email services, you might be out of luck.
At least if your choice of on-demand video service specializing in anime is Crunchyroll, and your email provider, Tutanota.
Tutanota said on Twitter that it has been receiving reports from users saying Crunchyroll is preventing them from signing up with Tutanota email addresses.
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‘D-List Celebrity Who Married Well’: Meghan Markle $25m Spotify Podcast Debut Slammed by Critics
Meghan Markle’s debut podcast released Tuesday, tied to her agreement with streaming giant Spotify and reportedly worth $25 million, drew an underwhelming response from critics and some members of the public alike.
As Breitbart News reported, the wife of Prince Harry used the episode to focus on herself and through that address a host feminist talking points, launching with a story about how she got multinational, Procter & Gamble, to change an advertisement to be less sexist after sending them a letter about it. She declared she was 11 years old at the time.
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Texas School District Bans Transgender Bathrooms and Pronouns, Critical Race and Gender Theory
On Monday, a school board in Texas passed a wide range of policies setting limits on classroom instruction of race, gender identity and sexual orientation, the use of gendered facilities by transgender students, and allowing trustees to have a bigger say in which books are available at schools.
According to Fox 4, Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District’s trustees passed the policies in a 4-3 vote around midnight, which came after nearly four hours of public comments.
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‘This is Madness!’: Nobel Laureate Suggests Trans Ideologues ‘Missed’ Basic Biology Class
Transgenderism advocates who claim that there are more than two sexes may have “missed” basic classes in biology, a Nobel laureate has suggested.
There are only two sexes, and those who believe otherwise have “missed” basic classes in biology, a Nobel laureate Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard has claimed.
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Trans Prisoner Who Impregnated Two Inmates Tries to Cut Off Testicles Over Being Misgendered
Biologically male prisoner Demi Minor, who impregnated two fellow inmates at a women’s prison in New Jersey, attempted to remove one of Minor’s testicles with a razor blade after being misgendered following a transfer to an all-male youth facility.
Minor, 27, was moved from Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Union Township, New Jersey, to the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility (GSYCF) after reports of the pregnancies made headlines. Minor was a minor when the crimes were committed.
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Guillou: Sweden worse today than in the 17th century
Published 14 August 2022 in Fria Tider
Despite the Social Democratic government, Sweden today is a more unequal society than in the 17th century. This is the conclusion of left-wing profile Jan Guillou in a column in Aftonbladet.
In the article, Jan Guillou draws attention to the growing wealth gap in Sweden – something recently described by journalist Andreas Cervenka in the book “Girig-Sverige”
(Greed-Sweden).
“Virtually all capital taxation has been abolished. With ‘scientific’ arguments. By social democrats and the right alternately”, Guillou writes and continues:
“From the egalitarian welfare society, Sweden has ended up on the top list of the world’s most unequal countries. After the oligarchs’ Russia and the shantytowns’ South Africa, Sweden comes in an embarrassing bronze place. In a short space of time, we have acquired more than 500 billionaires, who represent 0.05 per cent of the population but own more than 80% of the rest of us put together. The US and India are more equal countries than Sweden.”
“The new Swedish class society” is more unequal than the one that prevailed in the 17th century, Jan Guillou continues.
“I have not read any explanation of how this transformation of Sweden from a welfare state to an extreme capitalist paradise took place in purely ideological terms.
Even less do I understand it myself,” he writes, noting that in the current election campaign the left and right are now competing to see who is most against capital taxation.
Peder Jensen, Norwegian author and essayist, known to GoV’s readership as Fjordman, has had an interesting essay published on Gatestone Iinstitute.org:
Violent Crime Rocks Sweden Ahead of Elections
For the first time, crime tops the list of voters’ most important concerns in the run-up to the elections.
Of the more than 8,200 people the Swedish police counted as being members of criminal gangs by late 2021, almost 15% were under the age of 18.
Sweden has in just two generations gone from being one of the safest countries in the world to being one of the most dangerous countries in Europe.
During the same time, mass immigration has dramatically altered Sweden’s population. 1.2 million of those eligible to vote in the elections in September 2022
were born outside Sweden…
Basem Mahmoud is an imam operating in the heavily Muslim-dominated area of Rosengård in Malmö. He has called Jews “the offspring of pigs and apes,” said he was “only quoting the Koran,” and is looking forward to “the great battle” when all non-Muslims will be forced to submit themselves to Muslims.
In a sermon in February 2022, Mahmoud went on the attack against Swedish schools and social services and stated that Muslims are taking over the country. “Sweden is ours,” he said. ” It is ours, whether they [Swedes] like it or not. In ten to fifteen years, it is ours.”
…
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18826/sweden-violent-crime
How on Earth can they force people to wear masks indoors? Is there a Gestapo cop outside every dwelling?