An explosive device detonated in a campus building at Northeastern University in Boston, slightly injuring the employee who picked it up. The university went into full lockdown after the explosion. However, investigators now believe the incident was most likely a hoax perpetrated by the man who was injured.
In other news, the Right Block in Sweden pulled ahead slightly more in the electoral results, and now has 176 mandates, with the Left Block at 173. Social Democrat Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson conceded her faction’s loss, and resigned her position so that a new governing coalition can be formed.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, 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.
On a Tuesday episode of CNN Newsroom With Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell, the hosts observed that Biden’s speech touting the success of the Inflation Reduction Act was poorly timed, noting the simultaneous collapse of the stock market.
Earlier in the day, the latest consumer price index report was released, showing inflation rose 8.3% in August from a year ago. The Biden administration chose that afternoon to hold a celebration of the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act on the White House lawn.
While Biden claimed the Inflation Reduction Act was the “single most important legislation passed in the Congress to combat inflation and one of the most significant laws in our nation’s history,” the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled in real time amid concerns about rising prices, having its worst day since June 2020.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Due to European Union regulations, producing electricity with coal or other “dirty fossil fuels” can be very expensive due to the Emission Trading System (ETS). As a result, Poland, in particular, faces a severe disadvantage because much of its energy is generated from these energy sources.
The Polish Economics Institute (PIE) reports that the average price of an EU ETS certificate is €84, but Poland is producing electricity at three times this EU emission average, twice the cost of Germany, and 12 times greater than that of France.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The EU Plans to Cap Soaring Electricity Prices
With some governments already moving to cap electricity prices, the European Commission will now propose an even lower cap on the price of electricity than proposed in countries like Czechia.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on Monday that they would set the maximum possible electricity price at six korunas (€0.24) per kilowatt-hour, however, the European Commission proposal, available to Reuters, shows that Brussels should propose a price cap of €180 per megawatt hour. That corresponds to 4.42 korunas (€0.18) per kWh.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alien Water World: Astronomers Spot Exoplanet That May be Entirely Covered by Ocean
Astronomers have discovered what they believe could be a real-life “water world” — a planet completely covered by ocean.
Orbiting a star some 100 light years from Earth, the planet is in the so-called “Goldilocks zone” or “habitable zone” where its temperature would be just right for liquid water to exist on the surface.
Just like Earth, it would retain its liquid water, as the distance from its star means it isn’t too hot or too cold.
Named TOI-1452 b, the planet is slightly greater in size and mass than Earth, but due to its lower density compared to Earth, scientists think it may be covered by a thick layer of water.
Ocean planets are of particular interest to astronomers and space enthusiasts alike, as they are thought to be strong candidates for planets where life could originate or survive.
‘Best ocean planet candidate’
Astronomers working on the study have called TOI-1452 b one of the best ocean planet candidates discovered so far.
It was first spotted by NASA’s space telescope the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which surveys the entire sky to find exoplanets around nearby bright stars.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-Virtual Reality Note Included With Explosive Package
A hard plastic case that exploded on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston causing minor injuries to a staff member contained a rambling note that railed against virtual reality and also referenced Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, a law enforcement official said Wednesday.
Investigators are still trying to identify the motive behind the Tuesday evening explosion and are working to understand why the package was specifically sent to Northeastern, the official said.
Investigators are also trying to determine the specific mechanism of the device and whether the package contained any gunpowder, the official added. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The official described the case as a “Pelican-style” case. Pelican makes hard cases designed to protect sensitive equipment.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Amtrak Cancels Passenger Service Ahead of Railroad Strike
US passenger railroad Amtrak on Monday canceled trips on three long-distance routes due to potential worker strikes that may begin as soon as Friday, reported Reuters.
Amtrak workers are not involved in a labor dispute, but the company’s trains operate almost all of their 21,000 route miles outside the Northeast Corridor (NEC) on tracks owned, maintained, and dispatched by freight railroads, whose union workers are gearing up to strike. According to a Daily Mail report, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced on Wednesday that its 4,900 workers voted to reject a deal its leaders reached with freight railroad companies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Sues Amazon, Alleging Its Policies Cause Higher Prices Everywhere
California sued Amazon on Wednesday, accusing the company of pushing sellers and suppliers into anticompetitive deals that lead to higher prices, including at rival online stores.
The lawsuit, filed by state Attorney General Rob Bonta, focuses on the way Amazon — the largest online retailer — deals with third-party merchants, who account for most of the sales on the platform.
California alleges that Amazon penalizes sellers and suppliers that offer cheaper prices elsewhere on the internet, including Walmart and Target, for example by displaying their items lower or less prominently or outright blocking their new postings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California High School Football Coach Shot After Breaking Up Fight on Campus
A California high school football coach was wounded after breaking up a fight during an on-campus shooting Tuesday, authorities said.
Vallejo police responded to the shooting in front of Vallejo High School about 3:45 p.m., said a statement from the department. A fight between several students and “some unknown males” preceded the shooting. The fight was broken up by a school staff member, police said.
“Some of the involved subjects fled the area in a dark colored sedan while shooting back towards the remaining group. The staff member was struck by at least one bullet and suffered a non-life-threatening injury,” police said.
Police did not release the identity of the staff member shot. However, NBC Bay Area reported there was an outpouring of concern from friends and students who said the person shot was football defensive coordinator Joe Pastrana, known as “Coach Joe.”
Pastrana and his relatives could not be immediately reached Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Democrats Block GOP Investigation of Disinformation Governance Board
House Democrats on Wednesday shot down a Republican attempt to launch an investigation into the Biden administration’s now-defunct Disinformation Governance Board.
The House Homeland Security Committee voted against a resolution Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs introduced to launch the investigation, according to Fox News.
Committee chair Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., dismissed the prospect of an investigation, suggesting that since the government had already dissolved the DGB, an investigation into it was “completely unnecessary.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrat Lawmaker Pramila Jayapal Mourns Hijackers in 9/11 Post
Progressive Democratic Washington Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal mourned the 9/11 hijackers in a post commemorating the deadliest attack on US soil in history. In a now-deleted post, the Squad member wrote on Twitter: “Today we remember the 2,996 people who were killed on 9/11 and all those who lost their lives serving our country in the forever wars that followed.”
2,977 people were killed in the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, The Pentagon in Washington DC, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Jayapal’s number of 2,996 includes the 19 terrorists who hijacked the planes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Emmy Ratings Hit Record Low, Viewership Falls 25% From Last Year
The Nielsen data for the 2022 Emmys on NBC is in and its not looking good for TV’s biggest night.
The awards show was down 25% from last year in total viewers and hit a new record low in ratings.
On Monday, the Kenan Thompson-hosted 74th Emmy Awards had a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49, the lowest-ever key demo stat for the Emmys. The previous record low was set by the 2020 show, which aired on ABC, and settled for a 1.3 rating. The following year, the Emmys rebounded to a 1.9.
Last night’s show drew 5.9 million total viewers compared with last year’s outing on CBS, which netted 7.9 million. That’s a new low and in stark contrast to the 2021 show, which marked a reversal in the Emmys’ steady decline in audience size. Last year’s Emmys saw a 16% gain of viewership over 2020’s historic drop-off of 12% with 6.37 million viewers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ethanol Plants Pollute More Than Oil Refineries: Report
A report from Reuters has revealed that ethanol plants across the country, a fuel which was mandated to be blended into gasoline in the early 2000s, are producing far more pollution that oil refineries and fossil fuel production.
An ethanol plant on average produced 1,187 metric tons of carbon emissions per million gallons of fuel capacity in 2020. In contrast, the average oil refinery produced 533 metric tons of carbon emissions, according to Reuters.
In 2007, Congress mandated that biofuels such as corn-based ethanol be blended into gasoline with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: Seattle Temporarily Stops Firing Firefighters Over Vaccine Mandates Ahead of Hearing
The city of Seattle and the Seattle Fire Department have agreed to temporarily not terminate firefighters who refuse to comply with the mayor’s vaccine mandate, at least until a hearing on the matter in October.
According to court documents obtained by The Post Millennial, “Defendants agree to refrain from taking any action before the Hearing in furtherance of separating Plaintiffs from employment with the City of Seattle, including holding Loudermill hearings.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GOP’s Sen. Hawley Scrutinizes Credit Card Firms for Tracking Gun Purchases
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley sent a letter on Tuesday to major credit card companies inquiring as to their efforts to track gun purchases.
Visa, MasterCard and American Express each received the letter from Hawley after they announced they would separately track gun purchases, according to the Washington Examiner.
Hawley suggested that the effort would infringe on Second Amendment rights and pose a barrier to the lawful purchase of firearms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are launching an investigation into the Department of Education for allegedly allowing COVID-19 relief funds to pay for “racially biased” and other far-left programs in public schools.
House Committee on Oversight and Reform ranking member James Comer, R-Ky., and Education and Labor Committee ranking member Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., led a series of letters signed by 30 GOP lawmakers and sent Wednesday afternoon to Education Department Secretary Miguel Cardona and others.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Republicans Demand Biden Hands Over Facebook, Twitter Censorship Communications
Three members of the US Congress have penned a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to clarify what his administration is doing when it communicates and meets with representatives of Facebook and Twitter to “coordinate” their “fight against misinformation.”
The letter, sent by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Robert Latta, and Gus Bilirakis, states that its signatories are concerned with what they say is the White House’s attempt to put pressure on Big Tech’s social media to censor or silent opponents.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jack in the Box Curly Fries Argument Leads to Shooting at Drive-Thru, Lawsuit Says
HOUSTON — An argument over Jack in the Box curly fries led to an employee pulling out a gun and shooting at a customer in the drive-thru. The victims are now suing the franchise, demanding stricter background checks on its workers.
“I was dumbfounded by it. I really couldn’t believe what was happening. It was scary. It was very, very scary,” said Anthony Ramos, who was driving the car.
On March 3, 2021, Anthony, his pregnant wife, and his 6-year-old daughter went to the Jack in the Box drive-thru on John F Kennedy Blvd. near Bush Airport and ordered food, including curly fries.
“When they asked to get curly fries, they were denied, and keep in mind, there’s no car behind them. So, there was no rush to get them out. They offered to pay for the curly fries, even though they had already paid for it already, but the answer was no. Pretty soon there was shouting,” said Randall Kalinen, the family’s attorney.
Court documents say Alonniea Ford was the Jack in the Box employee working the drive-thru at the time. Records say she became upset and started throwing ketchup, ice, and other items into the family’s car then yelled curse words before pulling out a gun and shooting.
Ramos said he managed to drive away before the bullets struck his car and his daughter who was sitting in the back seat.
“It was more of a panic mode at that moment. I’m lucky that I saw it when I saw it and I was able to pull off when I did and then my initial reaction was to call the police,” Ramos said.
“Apparently the manager was aware of this while this was happening and did not choose to step in deescalate,” said Mark Underwood, co-counsel for the Ramos family.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Kenosha Riot “Man-Who-Shot-First” is Finally in Jail After Crime Binge… for Now
The Kenosha County Eye is reporting that Joshua Ziminsky, the man who either fired a “warning shot” in the air or perhaps took a pot shot at Kyle Rittenhouse, is behind bars after allegedly committing a bumper crop of crimes with his Antifa princess wife, Kelly Ziminsky.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Northeastern University Explosion Investigated as a Hoax as Campus Returns to Normal
Details of the package-bomb case at Northeastern University aren’t adding up, according to law enforcement officials who say they are now investigating it as a hoax.
Investigators said they had identified inconsistencies in the story of the 45-year-old employee who told them a hard-plastic-shelled case he had received exploded and injured his hand, one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press.
The hand injuries were also inconsistent with those caused by explosions, the official said.
The package was supposedly delivered to Holmes Hall at around 7 p.m. Tuesday. Holmes houses the university’s Immersive Media Labs, which according to its website includes technologies for design, development and exploration of virtual worlds.
The package that the staffer said exploded and sent him to the hospital was a “Pelican-style” hard-plastic-shelled case — so-named for the company that specializes in cases that protect sensitive equipment.
A law enforcement official said the package also contained a rambling note that railed against virtual reality and also referenced Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. No explosive materials were found and they do not believe the package was sent through the U.S. Postal Service, the official said.
An FBI Boston spokeswoman declined to comment to the Herald Wednesday about the case, but described it as “active and fluid.”
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Package Detonated on Boston’s Northeastern University Contained Screed Against Mark Zuckerberg
Authorities are investigating after a package detonated at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts Tuesday evening, which left at least one person injured on the first day of classes on campus. According to CNN, the package contained a manifesto against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Law enforcement insiders said that the package contained a note attacking Zuckerberg as well as virtual reality.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Philadelphia DA Krasner Found in Contempt for Ignoring PA. Assembly Subpoena in Impeachment Effort
The Pennsylvania House has held Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner in contempt after he ignored a subpoena request from a committee investigation.
The action is another step in a growing divide between the Republican-controlled General Assembly and the Democratic DA in Philadelphia since the creation in June of the Select Committee on Restoring Law and Order.
The committee, as The Center Square previously reported, was created to investigate the rising rate of crime in Philadelphia and how funds are spent to enforce the law and prosecute crime. When it issued a subpoena to Krasner’s office in August, the district attorney did not respond and called it “anti-democratic.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Half of Americans Think U.S. Will No Longer be a Global Superpower Within Ten Years
A new YouGov/Economist poll asking Americans about the likelihood of various “dire political scenarios” found that half the country think that within ten years the US will no longer be a global superpower and there will be a “total economic collapse.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘See You Soon’: Antifa Releases Family Address of Portland Cop
Editor’s Note: The Post Millennial has censored Officer Hearst’s face given that his photo was released alongside a threat.
A Portland Antifa group has published the home address of a local police officer and his family, detailing a recent attack on his home.
“Overnight, anarchists visited PPB cop Andrew Hearst at his home in Vancouver Washington,” the post in Rose City Counter-Info reads.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sex-Trafficked Teen Forced to Pay $150,000 in Damages After Killing Her Rapist
A 17-year-old Iowa sex trafficking victim who stabbed her rapist to death was sentenced on Tuesday to five years of closely supervised probation, and was ordered to pay $150,000 as restitution to her abuser’s family.
Pieper Lewis stabbed her abuser, 37-year-old Zachary Brooks, over 30 times in June 2020, an action that got her a first-degree murder charge according to a Fox News report. Last year, Lewis pleaded guilty to willful injury and involuntary manslaughter, which are both punishable by up to a decade in prison. However, Polk County District Judge David Porter deferred those sentences for probation instead.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Study Suggests COVID Vaccine Destroys Natural Immunity
The COVID-19 vaccine could destroy natural immunity, a new study suggests.
The study reveals that vaccinated children who’ve recovered from a COVID infection have 0% immunity after six months, unlike unvaccinated children who still have 50% protection from naturally acquired immunity.
The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Researchers Dr. Lin (et al.) looked at 887,193 children aged 5 to 11 in North Carolina “over a 6 month period when the omicron variant was dominant.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas A&M Sued Over Efforts to Hire Diverse Faculty as Professor Claims Discrimination
A professor sued Texas A&M University, alleging that a faculty fellowship program aimed at boosting diversity discriminates against white and Asian men.
“These discriminatory, illegal, and anti-meritocratic practices have been egged on by woke ideologues who populate the so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion offices at public and private universities,” the lawsuit reads.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Biggest Looming Crisis You’ve Heard Almost Nothing About
On the menu today: Starting sometime Friday — perhaps as early as just after midnight — U.S. freight-rail workers could go on strike or experience a lockout, and the economic consequences could be far-reaching. What Americans may only be realizing now is that in some ways, the effects of a strike are already here, as freight companies have already halted certain shipments in preparation for a potential strike, and Amtrak has suspended certain routes. Your commuter rails may not be running Friday morning.
Why You Should Care about a Freight-Rail Strike
We live in a country where the (currently) ruling political party and most of the national media have a symbiotic relationship. (Jen Psaki started work at NBC News this week.) One of the problems with this dynamic is that when the ruling class decides something is important — say, emphasizing the issue of abortion as the midterm elections approach — it tends to squeeze out everything that the ruling party doesn’t want emphasized.
Don’t get me wrong; abortion is a hugely important issue to many Americans. You can read more about the abortion bill South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham proposed yesterday from Alexandra DeSanctis and Charlie Cooke and John McCormack and Kathryn Jean Lopez.
But there are a lot of other things going on in this world, and one issue that seems spectacularly under-covered — a ticking time bomb, if you will — is that starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday, about a day and a half from now, if there isn’t a new labor deal between freight-rail unions and employers, the U.S. economy will be . . . derailed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
These Are the Top 10 Worst Schools for Free Speech This Year
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) released its 2022-2023 university rankings on Wednesday morning. The ratings preview how college campuses respect freedom of speech through speech codes, administrative behavior, and student perception.
“Our new and improved rankings are intended to reward universities that protect and defend the freedom of speech while empowering students and parents who care about free speech not to attend or support universities that don’t,” FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff said in a prepared statement to Campus Reform.
44,847 students from over 203 universities were surveyed about the speech climate on their campus to generate the report. FIRE states that the rankings are based on “a composite score of 10 subcomponents, six of which assess student perceptions of different aspects of the speech climate on… campus.”
The remaining four subcomponents analyzed “administrative behavior” pertaining to on-campus free speech.
“Higher scores indicate a better campus climate for free speech and expression,” the report explains.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trucker Admits Shooting Model 20 Times After She Was Killed Along I-80: DA
LEWISBURG — A Texas truck driver fired at least 20 bullets into the body of New York City model after he killed her along Interstate 80 in western Union County in 2021.
That was revealed Wednesday by District Attorney D. Peter Johnson when Tracy Ray Rollins Jr., 30, of Dallas, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and 20 counts of abuse of corpse.
Under terms of a plea agreement, Rollins will be sentenced to 20 to 40 years on the homicide count and a consecutive sentence of the same length on the abuse of corpse counts for a total of 40 to 80 years.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Slams “Weaponized Police State” After Feds Seize Mike Lindell’s Phone
Donald Trump slammed the “weaponized police state” after the FBI seized a phone belonging to pillow salesman Mike Lindell as part of a witch hunt against Trump’s allies.
Lindell said he was at a Hardees in Minnesota when “cars pulled up in front of us, to the side of us and behind us, and I said ‘they’re either bad guys or the FBI.’“
The entrepreneur said the feds seized his phone on the pretext of him being a witness in the Tina Peters case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Dem Rep. Says “We Gotta Kill” MAGA “Extremists”
Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan sparked controversy Tuesday by referring to so called MAGA Republicans and declaring “We’ve gotta kill and confront that movement.”
Appearing on MSNBC, Ryan stated that America needs to “move out of this age of stupidity” and into an “age of reconciliation and reform.”
“How do we fix all of these broken systems?” Ryan posited, adding “Some of those answers will come from Republicans. Not the extremists that we’re dealing with every single day. We’ve gotta kill and confront that movement.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese Senior Faces 6 Months in Jail Over Racist Graffiti in BC
In May 2021, a poster depicting a black model was defaced with racist graffiti in Richmond, BC. The suspect, 65-year-old Chao Wang, was subsequently charged with promoting hatred, and mischief under $5,000.
On September 1, Wang was sentenced to six months in jail and twelve months probation for his crimes. He was also forbidden from possessing paint, dye, or spray paint cans outside of his home.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Canadian Conservative Leader Promises to Fight for Working Class
In his first speech to the caucus of his party, newly elected Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leader Pierre Poilievre promised to fight for the working class as Canada faces a cost of living crisis driven by inflation.
Elected last weekend, Poilievre ran on a campaign against rising prices and inflation, which he refers to as “Justinflation” after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but reiterated his commitment to working-class people during his first caucus speech in Ottawa on Monday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Says ‘Anger and Disinformation’ Fueling Canadian Conservatives After Poilievre Win
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the Conservative Party was going down a path of “anger and disinformation” after electing longtime Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre as its leader, saying that the opposition was using the amplification of fear for short-term political gain.
Trudeau made the comments after a cabinet retreat in New Brunswick, where some members of his Liberal caucus told Radio-Canada that Poilievre’s win left some hoping that the governing party would become “less woke” and return to being a “centre right” party.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
75% of Poles Believe War in Ukraine Threatens Poland’s Security
Three-quarters of respondents in a survey by the publicly owned agency CBOS said that the war in Ukraine threatened Poland’s security. The figure has been a constant for some months now.
When asked if Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represented a threat to Polish security, 35 percent of the survey participants said “yes, definitely,” while a further 40 percent replied “probably yes.” Meanwhile, 18 percent of respondents felt that it probably did not threaten Poland’s security. Only 2 percent said it was definitely no threat.
At the same time, more than four-fifths of those asked, 81 percent, were in favor of accepting refugees from war-torn Ukraine. This confirms that Poles maintain a high level of support for the presence of Ukrainian refugees in the country. That support is present among all age groups, social groups, and political parties.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
As Europe Faces Economic Chaos, Finnish PM Demands More Sanctions Against Russia
While Finland’s prime minister may be calling for more sanctions on Russia, Hungarian politicians are pointing to the worsening economic toll on Europe as a clear sign that the EU is purusing a failed policy.
According to Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who spoke at at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Stasbourg on Tuesday. Ukraine must be supported by all possible means and forms, and even more sanctions must be imposed on Russia.
In her speech, Marin emphasized that the greater the impact the European Union achieves through sanctions, the more expensive it will be for Russia to continue the war. However, opposing voices say that the same costs are being imposed on Europeans, including spiraling energy prices and a lowered standard of living.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
British Clubs Banned From Playing National Anthem to Honor Late Queen — But Rangers May Do it Anyway
European football’s governing body has banned British clubs from playing the national anthem in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth II at all Champions League and Europa League matches played in Britain this week, sparking outrage from both the clubs and wider public.
Manchester City, Chelsea, and Rangers are all understood to have asked UEFA’s permission to play ‘God Save The King’ ahead of their group matches in the United Kingdom on Wednesday evening, but the governing body has rejected calls to do so.
A UEFA spokesman said: “There will be no anthems played . . . on the basis of maintaining a consistent pre-match ceremony with a subdued atmosphere…”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Clear Majority of Britons Support Keeping Monarchy After Queen’s Death
The British public overwhelmingly still supports the Constitutional Monarchy system according to a poll taken after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, with just 21 per cent opposing keeping the Royal Family on the throne.
As the UK heads into the new Carolean Era under King Charles III, the support for the monarchy remains strong, with a YouGov poll that surveyed 1,727 adults finding that 64 per cent of the public support continuing the monarchy, three times the number who oppose the institution (21 per cent).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Denmark Bans COVID Jab for Most People Under 50
Denmark has ended the COVID-19 vaccine for most people under 50, the Danish Health Authority said yesterday.
Denmark already discontinued COVID-19 shots for nearly everyone under 18.
According to health officials, the purpose of vaccines is to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death.
“Therefore, people at the highest risk of of becoming severely ill will be offered booster vaccination,” the Danish Health Authority says.
“The purpose of vaccination is not to prevent infection with covid-19, and people under 50 are therefore currently not being offered booster vaccination.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Backs Massive Antitrust Decision Against Google But Trims Record Fine
Europe’s second-highest court has stood by the EU’s biggest-ever antitrust fine against Google.
The Luxembourg-based General Court on Wednesday decided to uphold the decision by the European Commission made in 2018 to fine Alphabet’s Google unit for using its Android mobile operating system to quash rivals.
However, the court did trim slightly the record fine to €4.125 billion from €4.34 billion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarian President Novak Supports Kosovo’s EU Membership Bid
Hungary’s first female president, Katalin Novak, continues her foreign policy charm offensive. In the few short months since being elected president by the Hungarian parliament, Novak, 45, has visited several neighboring countries and was also received by Pope Francis.
This is in stark contrast to her predecessor, Janos Áder, who held the presidency for 10 years from 2012, during which time he mostly concentrated on environmental issues — he currently hosts a podcast on the same.
Most recently, Novak traveled to Bucharest in an effort to restore bilateral relations with neighboring Romania, which is also a fellow EU member and NATO ally.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Multicultural France Warns of ‘Very High’ Terror Threat as Rosh Hashanah Nears
With a number of Jewish holidays set to take place over the coming weeks, officials in multicultural France are now warning of a “very high” terror threat level in the country.
With Rosh Hashanah fast approaching, law enforcement agencies in France have been ordered to keep an eye out for suspicious individuals and activity during the Jewish holiday period over the next number of weeks, with officials warning that the country now faces “very high” terror threat level.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mysterious Increase in Deaths Across Europe
European countries are currently experiencing an unusually high death rate, and coronavirus deaths are not the direct reason for this increase. Known as “excess mortality,” people are dying at an unusually high rate in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Great Britain.
Since April, the death rate has risen sharply in Europe by an average of 11 percent. What is puzzling experts is that these deaths are not directly related to the coronavirus pandemic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is Expected to Water Down the Online Censorship Bill
New UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is reportedly going to amend the Online Safety Bill to allow for more free speech. Tory MPs had raised concerns about the bill’s restrictions on legal speech.
The Online Safety bill is supposed to force online platforms, including Facebook, Google, and Twitter, to combat “harmful” content.
The bill had raised concerns from Conservative politicians over regulatory overreach.
Prime Minister Truss said she would water down the bill when it returns to the House of Commons but it’s not yet known whether she’ll make any meaningful changes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Local Elections Will Have to be Delayed, Ruling Party Warns
The four-year term of parliament ends in the fall of 2023, as does the five year term of the municipal, county, and regional levels of Polish local government, and the state electoral commission responsible for overseeing both elections has warned that it would be very difficult to hold the two elections together.
It has pointed to both organizational problems as well as the difficulty in ensuring the transparency of campaign financing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Quad9 Defends Itself Against Blocking Demands, As DNS and Infrastructure Providers Fight Censorship
Switzerland-based DNS resolver Quad9 has published an update about its ongoing legal battle in Germany against Sony Music Entertainment and the giant’s attempt to use this service to block a site accused of piracy.
Quad9 continues to refuse to comply, asserting that involving operators like itself in blocking sites would prove to be an extremely negative precedent affecting an increasing number of internet layers, internet users worldwide, and the foundations of a free and open internet everywhere.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
State of the Union: Cut Through Ursula Von Der Leyen’s Hour-Long Speech With This Word Cloud
Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union address is 21 pages long and took the Commission president just under an hour to deliver.
But a quick word search allows for a just-as-quick analysis of what she considers to be the EU’s main priorities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden’s PM Concedes Election to Right-Wing Bloc and Will Resign Tomorrow
Sweden’s Social Democrat Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson accepted defeat on Wednesday after a close-fought election, handing the four-party right-wing opposition bloc victory and the first go at forming a new government.
With 99% of the vote counted, only a handful of votes remain unassigned, but Andersson, who became Sweden’s first woman PM last year, said the results showed her opponents have won.
“I will therefore tomorrow ask the speaker to be relieved of my post,” Andersson told reporters during a news conference.
The Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals had held a one-seat lead after Sunday’s election but looked like they were getting 176 seats in the 349-seat parliament to the centre-left’s 173 seats, according to the latest figures from the election authority.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish Populist Meets With Conservative Leaders, Fuelling Coalition Negotiation Rumours
Populist Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson visited the headquarters of the centre-right Moderates this week after a projected election result put the party in second place, and possibly in line to form a centre-right coalition government.
Populist party leader Åkesson was spotted at the Moderates’ office in Stockholm but was tight-lipped regarding the details of his visit, telling the Swedish press he was there to have lunch and did not disclose who he met at the Moderates’ office. Linus Bylund, the chief of staff for the Moderates, confirmed the visit and said the parties were talking but did not go into detail.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The continuation and escalation of the European Union’s sanctions policy against Russia could lead to tragedy, the strategic director of an influential conservative think tank in Hungary has warned.
Responding to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union address made in Strasbourg on Wednesday, Istvan Kovacs of the Center for Fundamental Rights criticized the European Union’s intention to plow on with energy sanctions that have brought European economies to their knees and resulted in sky-high energy bills for domestic consumers and struggling businesses as winter approaches.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The First German District Blackout Simulation: 400 Dead in 96 Hours
Germany’s municipalities are getting serious and preparing for the concrete consequences of a widespread power blackout. The Hessian Rheingau-Taunus district is the first of 401 German districts and urban districts to have a specialist company in Berlin examine and simulate what threatens in the event of a blackout in order to be prepared for the increasingly likely eventuality.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: ‘I’m Starving’: Piers Morgan Feasts on Big Mac Live as Shocked Animal Rights Activist Looks on
LONDON, UK: Piers Morgan devoured a Big Mac at the end of an argument with an animal rights activist on his talk show on Wednesday, September 7. The outspoken TalkTV host had been interviewing Orla Coghlan from the group Animal Rebellion when the pair got into a heated debate about what Morgan called vegan “hypocrisy.” A delivery man subsequently brought a hamburger and fries for the presenter to gorge on.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: As Lying in State Commences, Queue to Pay Respects to Queen Already Two and a Half Miles Long
The late Queen Elizabeth II was placed in state in Westminster Hall Wednesday afternoon, but even before the doors of the ancient palace were opened to the public the queue of mourners was already two and a half miles long.
According to a live-update feed from the British government’s Department of Culture, which is managing the queueing system for the Queen’s lying-in-state, with a little less than an hour to go until the Palace would start to admit visitors the queue had already reached two and a half miles. This was up half a mile in just 30 minutes at the time of writing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Just Stop Oil Protesters at Kingsbury Depot
About 50 protesters have been staging a sit-in at an oil depot.
Members of the Just Stop Oil group gathered with banners to block an entrance of the Kingsbury Oil Terminal near Tamworth on Wednesday.
In April, North Warwickshire Borough Council had obtained a High Court injunction against protests taking place outside the site.
Warwickshire Police said a number of arrests had been made on suspicion of the court order’s breach.
The order gives a power of arrest outside the terminal and at the junctions of nearby roads.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Incredible vision of Queen Elizabeth II running to the on-course balcony to catch a glimpse of a horse winning the time-honoured Epsom Derby has re-emerged after her death last week aged 96.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine War: Zelenskyy Raises Flag in Recently Recaptured Izium
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy watched as his country’s flag was hoisted in Izium, a city recently recaptured from the retreating Russians.
They left the war-scarred city last week after a lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive saw Kyiv reclaim large parts of the northeastern Kharkiv region.
Zelenskyy, with his hand on his heart, looked on and sang the national anthem as the flag was raised in front of a burned-out city hall building.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Updated: A List of Oligarchs and Putin Critics Found Dead Since Ukraine War
Another mysterious death among Russian top executives on Tuesday drew further attention to the ever-increasing number of suspicious demises among the oligarchs and critics of President Vladimir Putin, raising questions on whether they have become all too common to be completely coincidental.
Ivan Pechorin, a top manager at the Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, was found dead in Vladivostok after allegedly falling off his luxury yacht and drowning near Cape Ignatyev in the Sea of Japan two days before, according to the local administration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hindu Petitioners Filed Caveat in Allahabad High Court.
Upananda Brahmachari | HENB | Haridwar | Sept 14, 2022:: The Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) which is also a Jihadi cadre based organisation, has finally entered into the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gouri case.
Through a press release in PFI website, the organisation declared, “Popular Front extends its support to the struggles of the Masjid committee to protect the centuries-old Mosque against aggression and stands with its decision to challenge the order in the high court.”
Stating the Varanasi District Court’s recent judgement on Gyanvapi-Shringar Gouri case as “emboldening fascist agenda to target minority places of worship”, PFI jumped into the matter to cater its jihadi programmes ultimately.
Taking the name of Popular Front of India (PFI) in a secular camouflage, the organisation has been carrying out Jihadi activities since its inception including the assault (chopping the hands) on Prof. T. J. Joseph who published a controversial question paper, supposedly insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 2010.
In 2012, the Kerala government informed the Kerala High Court, in an affidavit, that PFI had active involvement in 27 murder cases, mostly of cadres of CPI-M and RSS. In 2014, it again submitted before the Kerala High Court that activists of the NDF/PFI were involved in 27 communally motivated murder cases, 86 attempt to murder cases and in 106 communal cases registered in the state.
The Popular Front of India (PFI) is an extremist Islamic organisation in India formed as a successor to National Development Front (NDF) in 2006 and merged with the National Development Front, Manitha Neethi Pasarai, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and other Jihadi organisations.
In 2012, the Government of Kerala claimed that PFI is “nothing but a resurrection of the banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India [SIMI, affiliate of the Indian Mujahideen] in another form”. The PFI’s founder national chairman, Abdul Rehman, was the former national secretary of SIMI, while the organization’s Kerala state secretary, Abdul Hameed, was SIMI’s former state secretary. Retired Indian army officer P. C. Katoch has claimed that the PFI maintains links with the Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI.
In recent, Bihar police discovered a document of PFI revealing its plan to Islamize India into a Islamic State.
When such an extremist Islamic organistaion has declared its participation in the Gyanvapi case, the safety -security of the advocates of Hindu side in the matter is highly involved. As a habitual offender, the PFI can execute its Jihadi programmes against its opponents anytime in any manner.
In this situation the Govt in the Centre and State must provide security cover to the Hindu side Advocates in the matter including Senior Adv Hari Shankar jain, Adv Vishnu Shankar Jain and others who don’t have security cover.
Govt in States and Central level must analyze the situation as developed on PFI connection in Gyanvapi matter with higher importance to keep kin vigil.
In the meanwhile, the Hindu petitioners in the Gyanvapi case have filed a caveat in the Allahabad High Court today so that, if the mosque committee filed a petition against the order of the Varanasi court, the High Court would not pass any order without hearing the Hindu side.
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
China is Building a Database of DNA From Tibetan Citizens
According to two reports by research groups in Canada and the US, Chinese authorities have been collecting the genetic information of Tibetans and building a database.
The collection of genetic information is important for criminal investigations and scientific research, but it raises major ethical and privacy concerns.
According to a report by Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, Chinese police have taken DNA samples of over 30% of the residents in Tibet since 2016. Human Rights Watch said it has evidence of arbitrary DNA collection of Tibetans, including kindergarten children, and the residents had no option to refuse the collection of their DNA samples. Additionally, instead of police focusing on individuals, they target whole communities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A troubled Outback region plagued by out-of-control gangs and warring families has descended into further chaos this week after a man was shot dead with a crossbow.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson took offence to Pakistani-born Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi tweeting that she would not mourn the death of The Queen because or her ‘racist empire’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Resounding Majority of Australians Want to Retain the Monarchy, Reject Republic Model
A resounding majority of Australians embrace the British monarchy and accept Royal governance in place of becoming a republic with an elected president, polling figures show, with a common sentiment from respondents embracing the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” model as a reason for their support.
The revelation comes in a survey carried out by the Roy Morgan company in the immediate wake of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
It revealed a clear majority of Australians, 60 percent (up five percentage points since November 2012) believe Australia should remain a monarchy while only 40 percent (down five percentage points) say Australia should become a republic with an elected president.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An increasing majority of Australians wish to remain under the Monarchy following the death of Queen Elizabeth II — according to a recent survey.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Australia is at least a generation away from becoming a republic due to the great love shown for the monarchy after the Queen’s death, according to One Nation NSW MP Mark Latham.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Despite Raping 11-Year-Old Girl, Afghan Migrant Allowed to Remain in Germany
The Afghan asylum seeker who was convicted for raping an 11-year-old girl in the central German town of Neustrelitz in January is still in the country, and it appears he will face no threat of deportation.
The controversial decision to allow him to remain on German territory is due to the “special protection of minors within the Dublin III Agreement,” according to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Interior Minister Christian Pegel (SPD). In addition, the nationality of the convicted sex offender has not been completely clarified, so while the man is listed as an Afghan, the German government is reportedly unsure of that designation, reported local German newspaper Nordkurier.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Syrian Migrant Who Severely Injured Police Officer is Already Released
A 60-year-old police officer fights for his life after being attacked by a Syrian in Greifswald, Germany. Despite the severity of the crime, the judiciary has already released the perpetrator.
There are also claims that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Interior Minister Christian Pegel is trying to hide the foreigner’s nationality and residence status, according to German news outlet Junge Freiheit.
On Sunday, the 24-year-old Syrian insulted police officers in front of a nightclub and subsequently attacked them. He allegedly pushed a 60-year-old officer so hard that he fell over and hit his head on the street, resulting in a serious injury. After an emergency operation in the University Hospital of Greifswald, he must continue to be treated in intensive care.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illinois Calls Up National Guard to Handle Migrants, Chicago Wants Federal Money Diverted From Texas
Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced he is deploying 75 National Guard members to deal with the influx of migrants being bussed to Chicago from Texas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has continued to send buses of migrants to Washington, D.C., New York City and Chicago to draw attention to the ongoing immigration crisis.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The number of migrants reaching Britain’s shores in small boats this year has topped more than 29,000 today, in the latest chapter of the nation’s immigration crisis.
A total of 538 people were intercepted in dinghies crossing the treacherous English Channel on Tuesday in 11 separate incidents, the Ministry of Defence has announced.
A flotilla of Border Force vessels and RNLI lifeboats worked around the clock to intercept and rescue people sailing across the 21-mile stretch of water as weather conditions worsened.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ron DeSantis Sends Two Planes of Illegal Immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard
EXCLUSIVE: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis followed through on his promise to drop off illegal immigrants in progressive states, sending two planes full of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday.
A video provided to Fox News Digital shows the migrants deboarding the planes at Martha’s Vineyard Airport in Massachusetts.
“Yes, Florida can confirm the two planes with illegal immigrants that arrived in Martha’s Vineyard today were part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations,” the governor’s communications director, Taryn Fenske, told Fox News Digital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Senate Democrats Call on ICE to Curb Facial Recognition and Stop Buying From Private Data Brokers
Senators Ed Markey and Ron Wyden have reacted to a report published by the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology by asking the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to end what they say is Orwellian usage of technology.
In a letter addressed to ICE Acting Director Tae Johnson, the two senators say that the report recently revealed the agency has amassed data of a significant number of adults in the country by buying it from private brokers and is now using it in privacy-invasive ways through facial recognition and other mass surveillance methods.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Authorities arrested an African migrant wanted for the murder of his ex-partner and her daughter in Austria after he was located at an asylum home in France this week, according to reports.
The suspect has been on the run since early August when a mother of three children and her teenage daughter were found strangled to death in an apartment in Vienna.
The older victim, age 32, was reportedly the partner of the suspect, a 49-year-old man from Tunisia identified as Mahmoud N.
Mahmoud allegedly killed the woman and her 15-year-old daughter on August 3.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Triumph of the Parallel Society: Sweden’s Migrant Party Wins Big
The final result will probably not be available until today, but some interesting partial results of the Swedish parliamentary election are already available. It is not only the good performance of the right-wing Sweden Democrats, who have probably become the second strongest political force in parliament, that is a sensation — but also the landslide gains that a migrant party was able to record.
The immigrant party “Nyans”, in English “the new ones”, was able to achieve impressive electoral successes in some problem areas in Malmö and Stockholm. Although Nyans only gets a little over four percent in the city as a whole, in districts like Rosengard it was elected by over 30 percent of those eligible to vote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Dem Senator Slams Kamala Harris as “Dead Wrong” for Claiming Border is Secure
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin described Vice President Kamala Harris as “dead wrong” following comments she made in an interview claiming that the southern border is secure.
Harris made the claim in an interview on Meet The Press.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Activision Bans Over 500,000 Call of Duty Players for “Toxic” Behavior
Since it launched an automated filtering system in 2021, Activision has banned half a million Call of Duty accounts. It was the first time Activision has released data about the censorship system. The gaming company also announced a new code of conduct for Call of Duty, which all players must go through before playing Modern Warfare 2 Beta.
Activision said the censorship was as a result of “toxic” behavior.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Antifa Organize to Shut Down ‘Transphobic’ Lesbian Rally in England
The trans activist group Trans Action Block and Leeds Antifa are planning to protest a peaceful lesbian rally slated to be held in Leeds next weekend.
“It has come to our attention that Trans Action Bloc and Leeds Antifa are planning to protest our peaceful march a rally to come together as exclusively same sex attracted lesbians and celebrate who we are and who we love,” rally organizers Lesbian Strength Collective said in a statement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Could secretive government social engineering groups be helping write scripts for TV soap operas to push “the message”?
Surely they’d never do that!
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Head of Poland’s Episcopate Calls Abortion on Demand a ‘Nazi Law’
Donald Tusk, the leader of Poland’s liberal opposition party, Civic Platform (PO), announced in August that his party would back the introduction of abortion on demand in the next parliament and oblige all of its MPs to vote for it regardless of their personal views; he also said no opponents of abortion would be allowed to stand for parliament for the party. In 2020, Poland saw the tightening of abortion regulations in the country as a result of the constitutional court ruling that eugenic abortions (i.e., terminations of pregnancy when a fetus is diagnosed as being in some way deformed) were incompatible with the right to life enshrined in the constitution.
The head of the Polish Episcopate, Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki, appealed to the opposition to draw back from their stance. “Abortion is not a human right,” he said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Montana Will Not Allow Sex Changes to be Made on Birth Certificates
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has adopted a rule preventing people from changing their birth sex on their birth certificates.
The new rule, which came into effect on Saturday, means that those who identify as the opposite sex, despite not being born that sex, will not be allowed to change their birth certificates to match their internal feelings about their gender. The sex designations on Montana birth certificates will not be altered to match an individual’s gender identity. This restriction also applies to those who have undergone medical gender transition.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
From Thursday, all pregnant women in Hungary who want an abortion must first listen to the heartbeat of their fetus before going through with the procedure, according to an announcement from Minister of the Interior Sandor Pintér, who is also responsible for healthcare and education in Hungary.
“The presented medical findings must record that the healthcare provider presented the factor indicating the vital functions of the fetus to the pregnant woman in a clearly identifiable manner,” said the minister. He said that the new ministerial decree requiring pregnant women to listen to the baby’s heartbeat was not a new law but simply a continuation of the 1992 abortion law, which has not been changed since it was passed.
The regulation requirement will be included in all applications for performing an abortion starting on Sept. 15, according to Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Sept. 9 Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayer ordered that Yeshiva University (YU), a Jewish private college in New York, is not required by law to recognize LGBTQ groups on campus for the duration of the lawsuit.
“IT IS ORDERED that the injunction of the New York trial court, case No. 154010/2021, is hereby stayed pending further order of the undersigned or of the Court,” Sotomayer wrote.
Campus Reform previously reported on the lawsuit when YU was sued after denying an LGBTQ student group, the YU Pride Alliance, to be officially recognized on campus.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
West Virginia Becomes 2nd State to Pass Near Total Abortion Ban
Sept. 14 (UPI) — West Virginia legislators have passed a near total abortion ban, paving the way for it to become the second state to outlaw the medical procedure in the wake of Roe vs. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court.
Both houses of the Republican-controlled legislature passed House Bill 302 on Tuesday, with the House voting 77-17 in its favor of the abortion ban followed by a 22-7 vote in the Senate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fastmail and Bitwarden Partner to Provide New Email Alias Integration
Fastmail and Bitwarden have partnered to provide a new email alias integration. Fastmail is a privacy-focused email provider committed to protecting user data and online privacy. Bitwarden provides an open-source password manager used by millions globally.
The partnership integrates Fastmail’s open API with Bitwarden’s open-source platform. The integration will enable users to:
- Generate masked email addresses through a browser extension
- Create variations of your email address when interacting with different people, sites, or mailing lists
- Build visibility into how services and vendors are using your data
- Have greater control over how incoming email is filtered and blocked
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Swedish word “nyans” does not mean “the new ones”, but “nuance”. This way the Muslim party wants to paint itself as benign and tolerant.
Re Australia likely keeping the monarchy, here’s an insight from Mark Steyn: https://www.steynonline.com/12811/lodge-and-palace
Excess deaths in Europe:
“What is puzzling experts is that these deaths are not directly related to the coronavirus pandemic.”
But are they related to the roll-out of the injections?