Gates of Vienna News Feed 12/23/2022

A gunman targeted a Kurdish center in Paris in an attack that left three people dead and three others wounded. The gunman sustained a facial injury before being apprehended by police. He is allegedly an immigrant-hating right-wing extremist named “William M.”, but rioting Kurds seem to think he answers to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In other news, the House of Representatives passed the Senate’s $1.7 trillion “Omnibus” spending package, sending it to the White House for President Biden’s signature.

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

Thanks to Dean, JF, JW, LP, McN, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

Financial Crisis
» Europeans Familiarize Themselves With Energy-Saving Life Hacks Amid Crisis
» Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX Pals Ran ‘Massive, Multi-Year’ Crypto Fraud: SEC
» UK Warns China Could Use Central Bank Digital Currency to Control Citizens — While Working on UK CBDC
» UK: Economy Sinks as Inflation Hits Family Finances: Disposable Incomes Fall for the Fourth Consecutive Quarter
 
USA
» “Baltimore City Becomes Graveyard” Amid Dangerous Murder Wave
» Amish Farmer Wins Court Battle for ‘Food Freedom,’ Can Return to Selling Raw Meat and Milk
» Biden: ‘COVID No Longer Controls Our Lives’ — Despite Citing it for Student Loan Forgiveness
» Caroline Ellison Confesses She ‘Knew it Was Wrong’ To Take Part in Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alleged Fraud
» ‘Clapping Like Seals’: Tucker Carlson Compares Congress Applauding Ukrainian President Zelensky to a Clip of Stalin Forcing His Followers to Cheer for Him
» DEA Seized More Than Enough Fentanyl to Kill Every Single American in 2022 Alone
» Deadly Bomb Cyclone to Reach Peak Intensity, Affecting Over 5K Flights
» DHS Won’t Hand Over Full Details About “Anti-Disinformation” Practices
» Elon Musk Says FBI ‘Obviously Overreached’ With Regard to Online Censorship
» Facebook, Twitter Stocked With Ex-FBI, CIA Officials in Key Posts
» Florida is the Fastest-Growing State in the US for the First Time Since 1957: Census Bureau
» GOP Sen Ernst Says Biden in Omnibus Giving Millions to Group With Website to ‘Police’ Online Content
» House GOP Wants FBI’s Twitter Censorship, Reimbursement Records
» House Passes $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Spending Package, Sending Bill to Biden’s Desk for Signature
» IRS Delays Controversial $600 Reporting Requirement for Digital Commerce Sites Like Venmo, PayPal
» Kamala Harris Whines That the Media Won’t Cover the “Things I’ve Done as Vice President That Fully Demonstrate the Strength of My Leadership as Vice President”
» Kari Lake Trial: Lake Says Her Team Proved ‘Malicious Intent’ Behind Election Day Chaos
» ‘Kidults’ Now Responsible for a Quarter of All US Toy Sales
» ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Wrapping Paper Company Hits the Jackpot With Records Sales
» More Than Half of House Republicans Didn’t Attend Zelensky’s Address
» Sam Bankman-Fried’s Ex Caroline Ellison Faced 110 Years in Jail Before Plea
» Sam Bankman-Fried Arrives at Parents’ Residence to Start House Arrest
» Study: Young Adults in Chicago and Philadelphia Now at Higher Risk of Death From Gun Violence Than US Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in Battle
» Texas 2020 Election Audit Find ‘Serious Issues’ In Harris County, ‘Phantom Voters’ In Dallas County
» Tulsi Gabbard Rips ‘Incompetent’ DC Politicians: “They Either Don’t Care, Or They Are Purely Incompetent, Either Way They’re Failing at Their Jobs”
» US Marines Step in, Stop Robbery in California: “it Was the Marines, They Stepped it Up, Time to Fight Back”
» Watch Bill Gates Explain Why We Need to Lower World’s Population to Save the Planet
 
Canada
» Smith Rejects Nurses Group Request to Impose Mask Mandate
» Trudeau’s Top Doc Teresa Tam Demands More Funds to Fight COVID ‘Disinformation’
 
Europe and the EU
» Biden May Cancel UK Visit if London Does Not Cave to EU on Northern Ireland
» Britons Told to Not Get Drunk as Socialised Healthcare Cannot Handle Strain — NHS Chief
» COVID Shots Damage Heart in All Recipients, Study Finds
» France: 3 Dead in Kurdish Center Shooting in Paris; Suspect Arrested
» France: Three Dead, Three Injured in Shooting at Kurdish Cultural Centre in Paris
» France: Paris Shooting Kills 3, Injures Others During Busy Christmas Shopping Season
» France: Churches in Paris and Bordeaux Attacked Leading Up to Christmas
» France: Woman Beaten Into Coma by Ex-Boyfriend Who Demanded She Convert to Islam
» France: Watch: Riots Break Out in Paris After Mass Shooting at Kurdish Cultural Centre
» German FM Baerbock Calls Nigeria a Colony of Germany
» German Green Party Foreign Minister’s Beauty Stylist Costs Taxpayers €7,500 a Month
» German-Lebanese Clan Boss Called ‘Godfather of Berlin’ Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Welfare Fraud
» Hungary Turns to EU to Protest Croatia’s Soaring Oil Pipeline Fees
» Ireland: ‘Climate Activist’ Deflating SUV Tyres and Leaving Notes in One Dublin Area as Vehicle Owners Warned to Remain Cautious
» Nigel Farage Says America’s ‘Disease of Woke’ Spread to UK, Biden Doesn’t Like British Allies ‘Very Much’
» Poland’s Conservative Ruling Party Tops the Polls, But Still Unable to Win Absolute Majority
» Romania Protests Ukraine’s New Minority Law
» Scotland: Edinburgh Roads: Campaigners Form Human Shield Against Drivers Flouting Rules at ‘Lawless’ Leith Walk Junction
» Teen Boy Stabbed During Mob ‘Lynching’ in France
» Zelensky Meets Polish President Upon Return From Washington
 
Russia
» Putin Finally Refers to Ukrainian Invasion as a War for the First Time in Ten Months: Opposition Figures Point Out Vladimir Should be Jailed for Breaking His Own Law
» Ukraine President Back in Kyiv, Russia Keeps Up Attacks
» Video: Media Dutifully Parrots ‘Zelensky is Winston Churchill’ Talking Point
 
South Asia
» Suspected Militants Heading for Pakistani Govt Target Blow Themselves Up
 
Australia — Pacific
» Bristling With Ballistic Armour and 360 Degree Cameras, See the Extraordinary $930,000 Military Truck Accused Billionaire Drug Lord Known as ‘Asia’s El Chapo’ Is Being Ferried Around in as He Faces Court in Melbourne
 
Immigration
» Elon Musk Busts Pelosi, Schumer and McConnell: “What Utter Insanity That Tens of Billions Are Being Spent for Border Security of Other Countries, But None for Ours”
» Illegal Migration Ticked Up Again in November to More Than 233,000 Encounters
» Italy: Migrant Taxi NGO Laments it May Have to Halt Activity Under New Meloni Govt Regulations
» U-Turn in Swedish Migration Policy
 
Culture Wars
» English Bishop Pushes Back at Rewritten ‘Woke’ Christmas Carol Sung at ‘Inclusive’ Church
» Formula One Drivers Banned From Making ‘Political Statements’ At Race Events
» Ireland: How Generous: Man Jailed After Refusing to Use Trans Pronouns Released for Christmas
» NH Democrat Named ‘First Ever Trans State Rep’ Resigns After Arrest for Stalking Woman
» Polish Court Orders Ikea to Rehire Worker Fired for Citing Bible in Opposition to LGBT
» Public School ‘Climate’ Curriculum: ‘Emotions’ Should Outweigh ‘Rational Thinking’
» ‘Santa Putin’ Swaps Child’s Same-Sex Parents for a Mother and Father and Gives a Football, Toy Cars and a Drum Kit to Boy Being Raised as a Girl in Anti-West Propaganda Video
» Spain Passes Law to Allow People Over 16 to Change Legal Gender Without Medical Approval
» UK: Woman Arrested for Silently Praying
» WEF’s Agenda for Davos 2023 Will Focus on Push for More Censorship
» ‘Woke’ Universities Are Dropping High-Profile Ranking System for ‘Diversity’
 
General
» Antiviral Treatments Lead to the Rapid Accrual of Hundreds of SARS-Cov-2 Mutations in Immunocompromised Patients
 

Europeans Familiarize Themselves With Energy-Saving Life Hacks Amid Crisis

European households are massively switching to techniques to reduce energy costs, including installing solar panels, it has been reported. It is estimated that solar panels can save up to $2,000 a year.

Europe has been plagued by soaring inflation caused by an energy crisis. According to ECB estimates, the annual headline inflation in the Eurozone will reach 8.1% this year. Millions of Europeans are living on the brink of fuel poverty due to skyrocketing prices.

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

Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX Pals Ran ‘Massive, Multi-Year’ Crypto Fraud: SEC

Wang, who co-founded FTX in 2019 with Bankman-Fried and Nishad Singh, owned the other 10 percent of the company.

According to Bloomberg, testimony from Wang, who was FTX’s Chief Technology Officer, could be particularly damaging to Bankman-Fried’s claims he was tricked into running the scheme by his associates.

“I expect it will be more difficult for him to claim he had no knowledge of what Wang was up to,” Sarah Paul, a former federal prosecutor in New York, told the outlet.

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

UK Warns China Could Use Central Bank Digital Currency to Control Citizens — While Working on UK CBDC

British security chiefs are warning Communist China could use a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to monitor and control citizens — while the British state is itself working on a CBDC.

Sir Jeremy Fleming, who leads the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) mass surveillance agency, used the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Annual Security Lecture at the Science Gallery in London to warn that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is haunted by “[f]ear of its own citizens, of freedom of speech, free trade, open technological standards and alliances — the whole open, democratic order and the international rules-based system” — and views CBDCs as a way to strengthen its grip.

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

UK: Economy Sinks as Inflation Hits Family Finances: Disposable Incomes Fall for the Fourth Consecutive Quarter

The Office for National Statistics said the UK economy shrank 0.3% in the third quarter of the year, worse than the 0.2% initially reported.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

“Baltimore City Becomes Graveyard” Amid Dangerous Murder Wave

It has been two years since Baltimore welcomed Mayor Brandon Scott with an ambitious new crime-fighting plan. So far, progress has been horrible.

“I will reduce homicides by 15% each year of my term and get us below 300 homicides my first year,” vowed the new Mayor.

As of Thursday, homicides in the Democrat-controlled city have hit 322, not too far from record highs after a murderous summer.

Baltimore City’s 2022 cumulative homicide trend is on par with the deadly years before Scott entered office.

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

Amish Farmer Wins Court Battle for ‘Food Freedom,’ Can Return to Selling Raw Meat and Milk

An Amish farmer is back to be able to sell raw milk and meat after a US Appeals Court dropped a $300,000 fine against him is allowing him to resume selling raw milk meat. Amos Miller does not use antibacterial chemicals to sterilize his products, which means it is considered “adulterated,” by the USDA.

According to Food Safety News, in a deal negotiated by Miller’s lawyer last week, the $300,000 in fines was negotiated down to $55,000 payable over the next six months and Miller’s contempt of court hearing has been canceled, with the case having been put in stay and abeyance, provided that the farmer makes the payments.

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

Biden: ‘COVID No Longer Controls Our Lives’ — Despite Citing it for Student Loan Forgiveness

WASHINGTON — President Biden declared Thursday that “COVID no longer controls our lives” this Christmas, despite recently citing the pandemic in an attempt to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt per borrower.

“Things are getting better. COVID no longer controls our lives. Our kids are back in school. People are back to work,” Biden said in what was meant to be an uplifting holiday-themed speech from the White House.

The president ordered the loan forgiveness on Aug. 24, two-and-a-half months ahead of the midterm elections, saying the COVID-19 outbreak meant he could forgive roughly $400 billion in federally owned debt, sparking a legal fight that has gone all the way to the Supreme Court.

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

Caroline Ellison Confesses She ‘Knew it Was Wrong’ To Take Part in Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alleged Fraud

Sam Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend stunningly confessed during a secret court proceeding that she knew “it was wrong” to take part in his alleged fraud scheme, according to a transcript made public Friday.

“I am truly sorry for what I did,” Caroline Ellison said. “I knew that it was wrong.”

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

‘Clapping Like Seals’: Tucker Carlson Compares Congress Applauding Ukrainian President Zelensky to a Clip of Stalin Forcing His Followers to Cheer for Him

Criticizing the House of Representatives for ‘clapping like seals’ during the much-seen speech Wednesday, Carlson laid into both Democrats and Republicans for blindly supporting Zelensky’s call.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

DEA Seized More Than Enough Fentanyl to Kill Every Single American in 2022 Alone

The amount of deadly fentanyl seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2022 is more than enough to kill every single American, the federal agency has revealed.

The news comes as the toxic synthetic opioid has continued to flood America’s streets as it flows across the southern border.

In a press release this week, the DEA said it had seized some 50.6 million fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl.

The agency also seized more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, with two weeks left in the calendar year 2022.

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

Deadly Bomb Cyclone to Reach Peak Intensity, Affecting Over 5K Flights

It’s a nightmare before Christmas.

The “once-in-a-generation” storm crushing most of the US officially became a deadly “bomb cyclone” Friday — leaving more than 1.5 million customers without power and causing a travel nightmare for millions of people hoping to make it home for the holidays.

Winter Storm Elliott, which already triggered a state of emergency for New York that started at 6 a.m. Friday, soon left more than 200 million people under some form of an extreme weather alert.

The National Weather Service said its map “depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” affecting around two-thirds of the nation.

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

DHS Won’t Hand Over Full Details About “Anti-Disinformation” Practices

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is not giving the US Congress information necessary to put in place proper oversight of the agency regarding its “counter disinformation” activities, which have recently been gaining an ever more prominent role.

That is one of the key points conveyed in a letter to DHS head Alejandro Mayorkas by senators Charles Grassley and Josh Hawley.

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

Elon Musk Says FBI ‘Obviously Overreached’ With Regard to Online Censorship

Elon Musk on Friday said the FBI “obviously overreached” with respect to online censorship over the agency’s alleged efforts to censor certain content.

Musk made the claim in response to a user who said Twitter accounts operated by conservatives were being suspended for speaking out against the speech made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke before Congress this week to appeal for more military aid to support its ongoing war with Russia.

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

Facebook, Twitter Stocked With Ex-FBI, CIA Officials in Key Posts

WASHINGTON — Dozens of former national security officials have gone to work for Facebook and Twitter after leaving government service, raising concerns about the influence of their onetime agencies over the social media giants.

At Twitter alone, at least eight former FBI agents work at the company’s so-called “trust” and “security” divisions — including its product policy manager Greg Anderson, who previously worked on “psychological operations” at the National Security Council, The Post has learned. Another is Matthew Williams, the company’s co-lead of its Trust and Safety department who spent more that 15 years in intelligence with the agency.

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

Florida is the Fastest-Growing State in the US for the First Time Since 1957: Census Bureau

For the first time in more than 60 years, Florida is now the fastest-growing state in the country, according to data released by the Census Bureau on Thursday.

Florida’s population grew to 22,244,823 between 2021 and 2022, an increase of 1.9% in the span of one year. It’s an impressive feat considering that Florida is already the third-most populous state in the union. The state’s growth rate had to be significant to cinch the top spot out of all 50 states, something Florida hasn’t done since 1957.

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

GOP Sen Ernst Says Biden in Omnibus Giving Millions to Group With Website to ‘Police’ Online Content

GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is accusing President Biden through the fiscal 2023 omnibus funding bill of giving over $5 million to a journalism-tech non-profit that she says acts like the “police” of online content it finds untrustworthy.

“@POTUS is paying more than $5M to a group called Hack/Hackers which is making lists of orgs & media they think should & should not be trusted,” Ernst wrote on tweeted Thursday. “They’ve basically created a naughty & nice list to police the content posted by family & friends.”

Hack/Hackers has created a rating-and-categorization scale for what it considers the reliability of sources and uses to tools on Wikipedia to determine “credible sources” for readers.

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

House GOP Wants FBI’s Twitter Censorship, Reimbursement Records

WASHINGTON — House Republicans sent the FBI a “preservation notice” Friday seeking records on the bureau’s role in Twitter censoring content like The Post’s Hunter Biden reporting, citing evidence from recent “Twitter Files” releases facilitated by the platform’s new owner, Elon Musk.

The demand follows the revelations that FBI agent Elvis Chan sent Twitter executive Yoel Roth a batch of 10 yet-to-be identified documents just hours before The Post published its first Hunter Biden laptop bombshell on Oct. 14, 2020 — and that the FBI paid at least $3.5 million to Twitter to process its requests.

“Newly released information shows the FBI has coordinated extensively with Twitter to censor or otherwise affect content on Twitter’s platform,” incoming House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) wrote to FBI Director Chris Wray.

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

House Passes $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Spending Package, Sending Bill to Biden’s Desk for Signature

The House on Friday passed a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package to avert a looming government shutdown and keep the federal government fully funded through fiscal 2023 — sending the measure to President Biden for him to sign it into law.

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

IRS Delays Controversial $600 Reporting Requirement for Digital Commerce Sites Like Venmo, PayPal

The IRS announced Friday that it will delay the implementation of a plan to require e-commerce platforms such as PayPal and Cash App to send tax forms to customers who have transactions of more than $600.

“The additional time will help reduce confusion during the upcoming 2023 tax filing season and provide more time for taxpayers to prepare and understand the new reporting requirements,” acting IRS Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell told The New York Times.

This rule doesn’t change what income is taxable, just what payment information the IRS will receive. Gig workers, sellers, small businesses and others who rely on online platforms for work are required under the law to report and monitor their income.

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

Kamala Harris Whines That the Media Won’t Cover the “Things I’ve Done as Vice President That Fully Demonstrate the Strength of My Leadership as Vice President”

Vice President Kamala Harris is whining about the media again rather than facing up to what all consider to be an underwhelming first two years in office. Speaking to Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart she said:

“What you’ve been able to see is based on what gets covered. There are things that I’ve done as vice president that fully demonstrate the strength of my leadership as vice president that have not received the kind of coverage that I think the Dobbs decision did receive.

Capehart agreed with Kamala and instead of blaming her horrific public appearances that caused even President Joe Biden to call her a ‘work in progress’ in a new book he said she had a “banner year.”

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

Kari Lake Trial: Lake Says Her Team Proved ‘Malicious Intent’ Behind Election Day Chaos

On Thursday, GOP Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake said the post-midterm election lawsuit against Democrat Governor-elect Katie Hobbs, which ended the arguments phase and went to the judge to make a ruling, said she and the American people “demand fair, honest, transparent elections.”

Standing outside of the courthouse, Lake said, “We proved without a shadow of a doubt that there was malicious intent that caused disruption so great it changed the results of the election,” of the case that alleged illegal votes affected Arizona’s governor’s race.

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

‘Kidults’ Now Responsible for a Quarter of All US Toy Sales

Adults buying toys for themselves are now responsible for a whopping one quarter of toy sales in the United States, emphasizing how permanent adolescence is becoming increasingly common.

Yes, really.

Countless adults, mostly men, who are collecting things like Lego sets, Star Wars action dolls and Funko Pops, are almost single-handedly keeping the toy industry afloat as actual children become more fixated on video games.

Toy companies are now creating “product lines just for these consumers” to meet growing demand because ‘kidults’ (mostly men in their late 20’s, 30’s and even 40’s) want to be constantly reminded of their childhood.

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

‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Wrapping Paper Company Hits the Jackpot With Records Sales

A company that makes anti-Joe Biden merchandise has hit the jackpot with its “Let’s Go Brandon” wrapping paper, recording record sales this year.

The Georgia company FreedomSpeaksUp.com struck Christmas gold last year when it first launched its “Let’s Go Brandon” logo paper.

The company is expected to double last year’s sales this holiday season.

CEO Seth Weathers says he expects the final total to be around $2 million in sales from his paper collection this Christmas.

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

More Than Half of House Republicans Didn’t Attend Zelensky’s Address

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com

More than half of House Republicans didn’t attend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Wednesday night address to Congress, The Hill reported on Thursday.

According to The Hill, 86 out of 213 House Republicans were at the Capitol for Zelensky’s speech. While some of the absences could be explained by lawmakers getting an early start on Christmas travel, as about a third of House members had active letters to vote by proxy on Wednesday, there is growing opposition to the policy of arming Ukraine among Republicans.

Ahead of Zelensky’s address, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) wrote on Twitter that he would not be attending the speech of a “Ukrainian lobbyist.” Some Republicans that attended the address were spotted sitting during moments when the rest of Congress was giving Zelensky a standing ovation, including Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO).

After the speech, Boebert said in a video posted on Twitter that she wouldn’t support “sending additional money to this war” until “Congress receives a full audit of where our money has already gone.”

Gaetz released a statement that said Zelensky “should be commended for putting his country first, but American politicians who indulge his requests are unwilling to do the same for ours.” Gaetz said the speech did not change his stance on “suspending” aid to Ukraine.

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

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Ex Caroline Ellison Faced 110 Years in Jail Before Plea

Disgraced FTX crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison was facing up to 110 years in prison before she agreed to cooperate with the federal government, her plea agreement shows.

The former Alameda hedge fund CEO, 28, pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges in an agreement signed on Monday.

“The total maximum sentence of incarceration on Counts One through Seven of the Information is 110 years’ imprisonment,” the document filed by the US attorney for the Southern District of New York read.

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

Sam Bankman-Fried Arrives at Parents’ Residence to Start House Arrest

Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was spotted early Friday arriving at his parents’ Palo Alto, California, home, where he will remain under house arrest after being released on a record $250 million bond.

Two vehicles were seen pulling up to Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried’s residence located in an exclusive neighborhood on the edge of Stanford University’s campus around 4:30 a.m.

A Stanford campus police vehicle was seen outside the home, where the accused cryptocurrency fraudster will be spending his time with Mom and Dad, both law professors.

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

Study: Young Adults in Chicago and Philadelphia Now at Higher Risk of Death From Gun Violence Than US Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in Battle

A new study has found that military-aged males living in Chicago and Philadelphia are more likely to be shot dead than those deployed to war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a study published by the JAMA Network, researchers at Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania found that young, military-aged males from “zip codes with the most violence in Chicago and Philadelphia had a notably higher risk of firearm-related death than US military personnel who served during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

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

Texas 2020 Election Audit Find ‘Serious Issues’ In Harris County, ‘Phantom Voters’ In Dallas County

The Texas Secretary of State office has released the final part of its 2020 general election audit for Collin, Dallas, Harris and Tarrant counties, with the most serious issues reportedly occurring in Harris, the state’s most populous county.

The report released Monday states Texas voters overall can have a “very high level of confidence in the accuracy of the outcome of Texas elections” when state election code and local procedures are followed.

However, the audit found Dallas County had two large problems including “phantom voters,” according to the Epoch Times.

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

Tulsi Gabbard Rips ‘Incompetent’ DC Politicians: “They Either Don’t Care, Or They Are Purely Incompetent, Either Way They’re Failing at Their Jobs”

Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard ripped Democrats and Republicans in Congress calling them “incompetent” for avoiding border security as they rammed through the $1.7 trillion omnibus bill yesterday.

Tulsi said: “There’s about $1.5 billion there that’s been set aside for Customs and Border Protection, border security. The problem is the language also says they’re not actually allowed to use any of that money to secure the border.

“They can’t use it to expand their security capabilities. So, when you look at what they’re actually doing, ultimately they either don’t care, as you said, or they are purely incompetent, either way they’re failing at their jobs.

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

US Marines Step in, Stop Robbery in California: “it Was the Marines, They Stepped it Up, Time to Fight Back”

Two suspects were arrested after a smash-and-grab robbery at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California was stopped by some Marines who were at a nearby military recruitment center in the mall.

According to Torrance police, four people wearing hoodies used hammers to smash the glass of a jewelry store’s display cases. They were grabbing as much jewelry as they could when the Marines stepped in and said not on my watch.

Two of the suspects escaped, but the other two were taken to the ground by Marine recruiters who got help from bystanders.

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

Watch Bill Gates Explain Why We Need to Lower World’s Population to Save the Planet

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has become an increasingly controversial figure in recent years.

Despite being neither a scientist nor a doctor, Gates has injected himself as a self-declared “expert” on both science and medicine.

During the Covid pandemic, Gates was paraded by the corporate media while advocating for vaccines.

Gates has also placed himself at the center of the “green agenda” and frequently pitches ideas for tackling “climate change.”

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

Smith Rejects Nurses Group Request to Impose Mask Mandate

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has shut down a request from the United Nurses of Alberta to reimpose a mask mandate in indoor spaces.

The nurses group made the demand after Alberta Health Services announced an emergency situation at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton following a surge of kids with respiratory viruses.

Smith said she is aware of the situation, but her government has been clear that anyone who feels comfortable wearing a mask should “feel free to do so.”

“I always appreciate the input of our frontline workers, but we do support choice,” Smith said.

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

Trudeau’s Top Doc Teresa Tam Demands More Funds to Fight COVID ‘Disinformation’

Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, who called for greater “stronger, stricter” measures during the Covid pandemic, has said greater investments are needed to counter “mis— and disinformation” related to Covid-19.

“This is the pandemic that is occurring in full-on social media age,” Tam said during an interview with Global News, adding that, “all of us had to learn how to deal with that as the pandemic evolved, and it’s not easy.”

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

Biden May Cancel UK Visit if London Does Not Cave to EU on Northern Ireland

President Joe Biden may cancel a state visit to the United Kingdom if a deal is not reached on the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit treaty, according to reports.

Former British premier Boris Johnson’s rehashed version of Remain voter Theresa May’s Brexit deal left Northern Ireland — an integral part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the name would suggest — effectively still inside the European Union for the purposes of customs and regulations, with EU judges still having jurisdiction in the Province.

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

Britons Told to Not Get Drunk as Socialised Healthcare Cannot Handle Strain — NHS Chief

Britons should try and avoid getting drunk as the country’s NHS socialised healthcare service will struggle to look after them, a chief from the organisation has agreed.

Matthew Taylor, the head of the National Health Service Confederation in the UK, has agreed in an interview that Britons should avoid getting drunk as the country’s socialised healthcare service will struggle to look after them.

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

COVID Shots Damage Heart in All Recipients, Study Finds

A bombshell new study is raising the alarm after discovering that all recipients of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have some degree of heart damage.

The study, carried out by researchers in Switzerland, found elevated levels of the protein troponin in all of the vaccine recipients it analyzed.

The findings indicate that the shots are routinely causing heart injury.

Further, up to 1 in 27 of the vaccinated people in the study showed levels associated with subclinical myocarditis, the Daily Sceptic reported.

Similarly, a Thai study published in August found elevated troponin levels or cardiac symptoms after Covid shots indicative of myocarditis or pericarditis in seven (3.5%) of 200 boys.

Another study published in January by the Journal of the American Medical Association found 1,991 reports of myocarditis after receipt of at least one shot and 684 separate reports of pericarditis.

The study was based on data from the CDC’s Vaccine and Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS).

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

France: 3 Dead in Kurdish Center Shooting in Paris; Suspect Arrested

PARIS (AP) — A shooting targeting a Kurdish cultural center in a bustling Paris neighborhood Friday left three people dead and three others wounded, authorities said. A 69-year-old suspect was wounded and arrested.

The Paris prosecutor said the suspect had recently been released from prison after attacking migrants living in tents, and that investigators are considering a possible racist motive for the shooting.

Skirmishes erupted in the neighborhood a few hours after the shooting, as members of the Kurdish community shouted slogans against the Turkish government, and police fired tear gas to disperse the increasingly agitated crowd. Some garbage bins were set on fire.

           — Hat tip: JW [Return to headlines]
 

France: Three Dead, Three Injured in Shooting at Kurdish Cultural Centre in Paris

A 69-year-old has been arrested following a suspected racist attack in the French capital.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

France: Paris Shooting Kills 3, Injures Others During Busy Christmas Shopping Season

A shooting in Paris on Friday killed three people and wounded at least three others in a busy neighborhood ahead of the holiday weekend.

Paris police closed off a street of shops and restaurants in the 10th arrondissement (district) of Paris near the Gare de l’Est train station. The street was buzzing with shoppers ahead of Christmas, but police have advised shoppers to avoid the area.

“We were walking in the street and heard gunshots,” Ali Dalek, a witness, told the BBC. “We turned around and saw people running left and right, and then, five or six minutes later, because we know people who work at the hair salon, we went in, and we saw that they had arrested a guy — an old man, elderly, tall.”

Officers arrested a 69-year-old suspect with a prior record, including an arrest for attacking migrants living in tents. The previous attack occurred in December 2021, and it was not clear why he had been released, according to the BBC.

The police apprehended the suspect without resistance and reportedly found the weapon used in the attack, but the suspect sustained an injury to the face. Three other people have gone to the hospital for treatment, with one of them in critical condition.

Alexandra Cordebard, mayor of the 10th arrondissement, said that the “real motivation for the shooting remains unclear.” Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said anti-terrorism prosecutors have been in contact with investigators but have not indicated any sign of a terrorist motive.

Police have instead considered a possible racist motive for the shooting, as it occurred near a Kurdish cultural center. In 2013, three women Kurdish activists were shot dead at the same center. A Turkish citizen was charged with the killing, but many suspected the Turkish intelligence service.

A nearby crowd accused the criminal of acting in the interests of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with chants of “Erdogan, terrorist” and “Turkish state, assassin” while Cordebard spoke.

The shooting prompted a protest from the Kurdish community near the scene of the shooting, and protesters clashed with police. All three of the victims killed in the shooting were of Kurdish origin, Sky News reported.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was less guarded in her statements, instead labeling the suspect as a “far-right activist.”

“Kurds wherever they reside must be able to live in peace and security,” Hidalgo said. “More than ever, Paris is by their side in these dark times.”

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

France: Churches in Paris and Bordeaux Attacked Leading Up to Christmas

Two churches in the cities of Bordeaux and Paris were attacked this week, with the latter seeing the vandals write far-left anarchist slogans on the doors.

On Tuesday, the Church of the Trinity in Bordeaux was found with at least 17 “impacts” found in the windows of the church, with six steel balls found near the windows which managed to impact but not break the glass.

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

France: Woman Beaten Into Coma by Ex-Boyfriend Who Demanded She Convert to Islam

A 24-year-old woman was placed into a coma after her Muslim ex-boyfriend allegedly attacked her. She had gone to the police earlier that day but was told to come back later.

The woman, named Chloe, had initially gone to the local police station in the commune of Blois on December 12th at around 5 p.m. to make a complaint against her former boyfriend, a Muslim who had been pressuring her to convert to Islam.

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

France: Watch: Riots Break Out in Paris After Mass Shooting at Kurdish Cultural Centre

Riots broke out in Paris following a deadly shooting at a Kurdish Cultural Centre on Friday morning, with Kurdish demonstrators clashing with police.

French police used tear gas and other methods to try to disperse a mob of Kurds that turned out in the wake of a shooting that has left three dead and several others injured.

The suspected shooter, identified only as a 69-year-old William M., was reportedly previously arrested on charges of attacking a migrant camp with a sabre.

The newspaper Le Parisien claimed that he had just been released from prison on December 12th.

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

German FM Baerbock Calls Nigeria a Colony of Germany

The fact that history and geography are not necessarily among the strengths of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) has been known at least since her last reports about tank battles in the 19th century or countries that are “hundreds of thousands of kilometers” away. The circumference of the Earth is just over 40 000km, so such countries remain an enigma.

Now Baerbock has added to fresh suspicions about her educational background in a new statement via Twitter. “Today we are taking a step that was long overdue: we are bringing twenty Benin bronzes back to their native Nigeria. That will not heal all wounds of the past. But we are showing that we are serious about coming to terms with our dark colonial history,” wrote the Foreign Minister. The problem: Nigeria was not colonized by Germany, but by Great Britain.

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

German Green Party Foreign Minister’s Beauty Stylist Costs Taxpayers €7,500 a Month

German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, of the Green Party, employs a personal stylist costing taxpayers €7,500 every month — an enormous amount of money to be spending when Germany is facing an energy and inflation crisis.

According to the report from Bild newspaper, makeup artist Claude Frommen has been working for the politician for four years.

[Comment: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is like a character from the political satire TV show Yes, Minister.]

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

German-Lebanese Clan Boss Called ‘Godfather of Berlin’ Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Welfare Fraud

Mahmoud Al-Zaid, a Lebanese clan boss with German citizenship, was sentenced to six years in prison for kidnapping, bodily harm, and social benefits fraud.

In addition, his two sons were senteced to three years in prison each. The family’s estate in Leverkusen, which totals 1,700-square-meters, will also be confiscated, the regional court ordered on Thursday. The wife of the clan boss, who is illiterate, received two years’ imprisonment on probation while another son was sentenced to one year and nine months’ imprisonment on probation.

The defendants were guilty of “crimes of multiple kinds,” the presiding judge said. The clan took a plea bargain in which they confessed to a number of the crimes, according to German newspaper Junge Freiheit.

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

Hungary Turns to EU to Protest Croatia’s Soaring Oil Pipeline Fees

Hungary will do its utmost to ensure that the Croats do not abuse their monopoly position and drastically increase the transit fees for the Adriatic oil pipeline, said Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó to radio station Spirit FM on Thursday.

“Croatia is planning to increase the transit fee for the Adriatic oil pipeline by two and a half times from 2023, which the Hungarian government considers an abuse of its monopoly position,” Szijjartó told the radio station’s Fight Club program. The Hungarian foreign minister said that the Hungarian government is urging the European Commission to intervene.

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

Ireland: ‘Climate Activist’ Deflating SUV Tyres and Leaving Notes in One Dublin Area as Vehicle Owners Warned to Remain Cautious

A person is reportedly deflating tyres in one area of Dublin, with car owners urged to remain cautious.

It is said the man involved is working on behalf of a climate activist group.

At least a dozen vehicles have been allegedly targeted in the last two weeks in the Dublin 6/6W area.

These “SUV-type” vehicles have had one or more of their tyres slashed.

The perpetrator is said to be leaving notes claiming to be part of The Tyre Extinguishers, which are a group of activists against “climate change, air pollution and unsafe drivers”, their website said.

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

Nigel Farage Says America’s ‘Disease of Woke’ Spread to UK, Biden Doesn’t Like British Allies ‘Very Much’

Nigel Farage — also known as “Mr. Brexit” — had some harsh words for the U.S. and President Biden as he discussed problems on both sides of the pond in an interview with Fox News Digital.

“[The U.K.] caught the disease of woke from the USA, and it now has a stranglehold on our institutions, to the dismay of the silent majority,” Farage said.

Farage lamented the change in the relationship between the U.S. and U.K. since Biden took office, arguing that the two countries had a better dynamic when former President Trump was in power, and that Trump might have signed a free trade deal with Britain, helping the country as it continues to find its footing with Brexit.

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

Poland’s Conservative Ruling Party Tops the Polls, But Still Unable to Win Absolute Majority

The conservative Law and Justice (PiS) ruling party would win in the Polish parliamentary elections if they were held today, the latest survey by the Institute of Economic and Social Research (IBRiS) for commercial Radio Zet shows. However, the party would not have a chance to win an absolute majority.

The poll shows 29.6 percent of the respondents would vote for PiS, while in second is Civic Coalition (PO) at 23.7 percent. In third is Szymon Holownia’s Poland 2050 with 9.9 percent of the votes.

Three more parties would also enter the parliament — the Left with 8.2 percent, the Polish People’s Party— Polish Coalition with 6.1 percent of the votes, and the Confederation party with 5.5 percent.

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

Romania Protests Ukraine’s New Minority Law

Romania has asked Ukraine to revise its recently adopted law on ethnic minorities, saying that while it is an improvement over previous legislation, it still does not satisfactorily address the demands of the Romanian minority in Ukraine.

As Remix News reported earlier, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a new law on Dec. 13 to enhance the rights of ethnic minorities in the country. The bill on national minorities’ rights was supported by 324 MPs, with just 226 votes needed for its adoption. The legislation was a key condition required for Ukraine to start negotiations on its accession to the European Union.

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

Scotland: Edinburgh Roads: Campaigners Form Human Shield Against Drivers Flouting Rules at ‘Lawless’ Leith Walk Junction

People form human chain in a protest against “staggering entitlement” of drivers breaching no-left turn at Edinburgh junction

Edinburgh residents and councillors formed a human shield at the “lawless” junction of Leith Walk and London Road to stop cars breaching the no-left turn signs and driving illegally into pedestrian crossing. In shocking video footage one driver is caught on camera blaring the horn and pushing at the group before reversing and driving around them.

Responding to the video one local said: “The sense of motorists’ entitlement on this illegal left turn is staggering and a danger to the public.”

It comes after a man was struck by a car in a hit and run on Monday evening (December 19) at the junction. Despite nine no left-turn signs, vehicles have been filmed illegally travelling through a pedestrian crossing.

           — Hat tip: McN [Return to headlines]
 

Teen Boy Stabbed During Mob ‘Lynching’ in France

A 14-year-old boy was seriously injured when a group of assailants set up him and stabbed him multiple times at a bus stop in France this week, according to reports.

The horrifying incident unfolded at around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday night in the culturally-enriched city of Marseille.

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

Zelensky Meets Polish President Upon Return From Washington

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, on his way back from a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington D.C.

Zelensky had flown to the United States via Poland earlier this week and after touching down at Rzeszów airport; the Ukrainian leader used the opportunity to touch base with Duda in a meeting which lasted for two hours.

In a Facebook post published on Thursday, Zelensky revealed he had discussed “strategic plans for the future, bilateral relations, and international interactions in 2023” with Duda, who he described as a “friend of Ukraine.”

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

Putin Finally Refers to Ukrainian Invasion as a War for the First Time in Ten Months: Opposition Figures Point Out Vladimir Should be Jailed for Breaking His Own Law

The Russian tyrant has always labelled the bloody ten-month conflict a ‘special military operation’ and banned any reference to the true nature of his barbaric campaign.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine President Back in Kyiv, Russia Keeps Up Attacks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sounded another defiant note on his return to his nation’s capital Friday following his wartime visit to the United States, saying his forces are “working toward victory” even as Russia warned that there would be no end to the war until it achieved its military aims.

Zelenskyy posted on his Telegram account that he’s in his Kyiv office following his U.S. trip that secured a new $1.8 billion military aid package, and pledged that “we’ll overcome everything.” The Ukrainian president also thanked the Netherlands for pledging up to 2.5 billion euros ($2.65 billion) for 2023, to help pay for military equipment and rebuild critical infrastructure.

Zelenksyy’s return comes amid relentless Russian artillery, rocket and mortar fire as well as airstrikes on the eastern and southern fronts and elsewhere in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the war would end at the negotiating table once the “special military operation” achieves “the goals that the Russian Federation has set,” adding that “a significant headway has been made on demilitarization of Ukraine.”

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Video: Media Dutifully Parrots ‘Zelensky is Winston Churchill’ Talking Point

U.S. media lapdogs spent all of Thursday repeating the talking point that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky is the modern day Winston Churchill, following his embarrassing red carpet treatment by Democrats in D.C. earlier in the week.

As we highlighted, Democrats fawned all over Zelensky during his visit, to the point that even he was freaked out by it.

Zelensky walked into the Congress, gave an angry speech, raised a Ukrainian flag, collected another 50 billion dollars and complained that it wasn’t enough before leaving.

In the aftermath, Tucker Carlson noted how every media talking head repeated the same thing Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer had prepared for them, namely that Zelensky is the new Churchill.

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

Suspected Militants Heading for Pakistani Govt Target Blow Themselves Up

ISLAMABAD, Dec 23 (Reuters) — Pakistani militants thought to have been on the verge of carrying out a suicide bombing in Islamabad’s government district blew themselves up on Friday as police pursued their car, killing one officer, authorities said.

The interior ministry said the vehicle had been heading for a high-value target in the capital, without giving details, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said timely intervention by the police had averted a “bloodbath”.

The car exploded near police headquarters on a main road leading to a government sector where parliament and the offices of senior officials are located.

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The capital was already on high alert due to threats of a high-profile attack, said Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah. “Had the car reached its target, it would have caused heavy losses,” he told Geo News TV.

Islamabad police chief Sohail Zafar said police gave chase after the car failed to stop at a checkpoint.

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

Bristling With Ballistic Armour and 360 Degree Cameras, See the Extraordinary $930,000 Military Truck Accused Billionaire Drug Lord Known as ‘Asia’s El Chapo’ Is Being Ferried Around in as He Faces Court in Melbourne

Victoria police took no chances with the alleged drug kingpin regarded as one of the most significant arrests in AFP history, transporting him to court in Melbourne in an intimidating armoured car.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Elon Musk Busts Pelosi, Schumer and McConnell: “What Utter Insanity That Tens of Billions Are Being Spent for Border Security of Other Countries, But None for Ours”

Twitter CEO Elon Musk called out Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, and every DC politician who voted for the massive spending bill for ignoring our southern border.

Our politicians funded border security in other countries but largely ignored the crisis here at home causing an exasperated Musk to call what they did insane.

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

Illegal Migration Ticked Up Again in November to More Than 233,000 Encounters

Illegal migrant crossings at the U.S. southern border ticked up last month to more than 233,000 with growing waves from Cuba and Nicaragua offsetting a decline in Venezuelan aliens, the Customs and Border Patrol reported Friday.

While illegal migration continued to surge under President Joe Biden’s policies, officials said there was a marked shift in the nationalities of those crossing.

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

Italy: Migrant Taxi NGO Laments it May Have to Halt Activity Under New Meloni Govt Regulations

A Spanish migrant taxi NGO has stated that new regulations from the Italian government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni may cause NGOs to halt their activity in the Mediterranean sea.

The Spanish taxi NGO Salvamento Maritimo Humanitario (Humanitarian Maritime Rescue) expressed dismay with the Meloni government’s new proposed regulations which could see sanctions and fines brought against taxi NGOs bringing migrants to Italy.

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

U-Turn in Swedish Migration Policy

After the violent excesses leading to a civil war by migrant gangs, especially in larger cities such as Stockholm and Malmö, in recent years, there are now to be drastic changes. Permanent residence permits for asylum seekers are to be gradually revoked. This was announced by the new Swedish migration minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard.

“Asylum immigration must now be kept to a minimum,” said the minister. Transit centers, which could even be set up abroad, are also being considered. Minister Stenergard therefore wants to work more closely with countries outside the EU — a path that has already been taken by the Scandinavian neighbor Denmark. Family reunification should also be restricted.

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

English Bishop Pushes Back at Rewritten ‘Woke’ Christmas Carol Sung at ‘Inclusive’ Church

An English bishop is pushing back after a church choir sang a “woke” version of a popular Christmas carol injecting LGBT and “inclusive” language into the song.

“God rest you queer and questioning, your anxious hearts be still,” a line of the amended U.S. version of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” sung by the All Saints with Holy Trinity choir in Loughborough, England, said, according to The Express, with another saying, “God rest you also, women, who by men have been erased. Through history ignored and scorned, defiled and displaced.”

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, took issue with the amended version of the song and the injection of progressive wording.

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

Formula One Drivers Banned From Making ‘Political Statements’ At Race Events

Formula One drivers have been officially banned from staging protests or making “political statements” during race events.

The motor racing sport’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), is banning drivers from making or displaying “political, religious, and personal statements” at races without prior permission from the group.

The new rule was unveiled by the FIA in an article on the International Sporting Code.

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

Ireland: How Generous: Man Jailed After Refusing to Use Trans Pronouns Released for Christmas

After backlash amongst the media and the general public, a man who was jailed after refusing to use the preferred pronouns of a transgender pupil has been released in time for Christmas.

Enoch Burke, a teacher in Ireland, has been released from prison in time for Christmas after a ruling from the country’s high court on Wednesday.

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

NH Democrat Named ‘First Ever Trans State Rep’ Resigns After Arrest for Stalking Woman

New Hampshire state Representative Stacie Laughton, a biological male who identifies as transgender and has an extensive criminal background dating back to 2008, will resign from office in the city of Nashua, after an arrest over the alleged stalking of a woman.

According to NHJournal, “Disgraced New Hampshire Democrat Stacie Laughton (D-Nashua) has resigned from the House of Representatives.” The resignation comes after a November 12 arrest for stalking in violation of a court order. If convicted Laughton could serve up to nine months in jail.

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

Polish Court Orders Ikea to Rehire Worker Fired for Citing Bible in Opposition to LGBT

A court in the Polish city of Kraków has ordered IKEA to reinstate a staff member dismissed for citing the Bible to voice criticism of the LGBT community on an internal company forum, ruling that the dismissal had been unlawful and ordered the company to pay the costs of the court case.

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

Public School ‘Climate’ Curriculum: ‘Emotions’ Should Outweigh ‘Rational Thinking’

The new public school “climate” curriculum for Washington state instructs teachers to focus on “emotions” rather than “rational thinking,” lesson plans show.

The new “woke” lesson plans were revealed in a five-part curriculum plan released by The Washington state Department of Health.

The health department claims the new curriculum aims to help students learn the “intersections of biological, societal, and environmental issues.”

In the second phase of the curriculum, “Climate Change & Pregnancy,” educators and students are told to “pay attention” to their emotions.

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

‘Santa Putin’ Swaps Child’s Same-Sex Parents for a Mother and Father and Gives a Football, Toy Cars and a Drum Kit to Boy Being Raised as a Girl in Anti-West Propaganda Video

The video feeds into Russian prejudices about Europe and the United States which have been fuelled by pro-Kremlin propagandists during the war in Ukraine.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Spain Passes Law to Allow People Over 16 to Change Legal Gender Without Medical Approval

Lawmakers in Spain passed a law on Thursday that allows people ages 16 and over to change their legally registered gender without any medical or parental supervision.

The legislation passed in Spain’s lower house of Parliament 188-150, replacing a previous law that required people to consult with a doctor before making the change on their government IDs.

Minors ages 12 and 13 can make the change with a judge’s authorization, while those between 14 and 16 will have to be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

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

UK: Woman Arrested for Silently Praying

A woman in the UK was arrested for standing silently and praying inside her head outside an abortion clinic.

No, I’m not joking. Arrested for thought crimes.

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

WEF’s Agenda for Davos 2023 Will Focus on Push for More Censorship

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) coming annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland next month will focus on new efforts to ramp up censorship globally.

World leaders, politicians, and corporate power elites will be flocking to the Swizz resort in January for the 2023 summit.

Investigative journalist Jordan Schachtel has published details of the exclusive ruling class-only event, including a list of speakers and key points of discussion.

Founded by German economist Klaus Schwab, the WEF is a fanatical political organization masquerading as a neutral entity.

The organization has specific policy goals that involve centralizing power into the hands of hand-picked global elites as the only means to save the planet from an alleged “climate emergency.”

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

‘Woke’ Universities Are Dropping High-Profile Ranking System for ‘Diversity’

In an effort to promote “diversity,” several top universities and going “woke” and dropping their high-profile ranking systems.

Top law schools are dropping standardized testing requirements so they can keep “diversity” a priority.

On Wednesday, Yale and Harvard Law school pulled out of the U.S. News & World Report saying that the “flawed” rankings fail to reward schools that help students who come from “low-income backgrounds” and have lower test scores.

The schools may be dropping out of the rankings ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action, experts told the Daily Caller.

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

Antiviral Treatments Lead to the Rapid Accrual of Hundreds of SARS-Cov-2 Mutations in Immunocompromised Patients

The antiviral Molnupiravir (Lageviro) is widely used across the world to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection. Molnupiravir reduces viral replication by inducing mutations throughout the genome, yet in patients that do not clear the infection, the longer-term impact of the drug on virus evolution is unclear. Here, we used a case-control approach to monitor SARS-CoV-2 genomes through time in nine immunocompromised-patients with five treated with Molnupiravir. Within days of treatment, we detected a large number of low-frequency mutations in patients and that these new mutations could persist and, in some cases, were fixed in the virus population. All patients treated with the drug accrued new mutations in the spike protein of the virus, including non-synonymous mutations that altered the amino acid sequence. Our study demonstrates that this commonly used antiviral can ‘supercharge’ viral evolution in immunocompromised patients, potentially generating new variants and prolonging the pandemic.

           — Hat tip: JF [Return to headlines]
 

3 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 12/23/2022

  1. Don’t bring a sabre to a gunfight.
    On a lighter note, I have just learned that traffic cones do not make very good weapons. So if your kung-fu class is teaching you how to fight with traffic cones… time to find a new class.
    Merry (almost) Christmas… and to all a good fight. 😉

  2. .

    AD 24.12.2022, 19:30
    at 55.70/13.19,
    Lund, Sweden;
    ——————–

    My childhood’s Christmas 80 years ago
    in memoriam.
    – There were no muslims,
    no clans, no cultureenrichment…

    Jussi Björling sings
    O Holy Night.

    https://youtu.be/ofKk_Etapq4

    World War II is running,
    and has in Stalingrad
    reached a crescendo.

    On February 2, 1943, Stalin
    has defeated the Gröfaz;
    2 million deaths.

  3. .

    The road into NATO

    Turkey on Socialist government: ‘Not sincere. We saw hypocrisy”

    Published 24 December 2022 in Fria Tider

    Turkey appreciates the current Swedish government’s willingness to develop relations between the countries but is not impressed by the S-led government’s so-called stance against the PKK. That’s according to Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at a press conference.

    – We want to see more concrete steps. The previous government was not sincere. We saw hypocrisy. And we are tired of that,” Cavusoglu says.

    He also notes that despite the change in government, Sweden has not delivered very much of the list of 42 names Turkey wants extradited for terrorism.

    The NATO process is therefore at a standstill at the moment.

    – There have been no concrete developments. One person has been extradited, which we appreciate. But our list is open and detailed. This week, an extradition of one individual was rejected. This is a very negative development,” says Mevlut Cavusoglu.

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