Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/12/2023

Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the issue of classified documents found in President Biden’s possession. The documents were reportedly discovered in two locations, an office in Washington D.C. and Mr. Biden’s residence in Delaware, and were evidently retained by him after his time as vice president.

In other news, 5,000 Swiss army soldiers have been deployed to Davos to protect attendees at next week’s meeting of the World Economic Forum.

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

Thanks to Dean, LP, 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.

Financial Crisis
» Inflation Eases in December to 6.5%, But Prices Remain Stubbornly High
» Nearly Half of Europeans Say Their Standards of Living Have ‘Already’ Declined as Crises Mount
» Over One Third of Europeans Left Struggling to Pay Bills Amid Inflation Crisis
» Ukraine Fertiliser Inflation Crisis Could Result in a Million More Hunger Deaths: Report
» Wells Fargo Prioritizes Lending to Minorities, Cuts Back on Mortgages
 
USA
» Andy Ngo Reports: Receipts, Weapons and Chat Logs: Trail of Evidence Against Violent Los Angeles Antifa Suspect
» Arizona Sen. Sinema Approval Plummets With Dems, Rises With Independents
» Biden Admin Dealt Blow by Sixth Circuit Ruling Against Vaccine Mandate in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee
» Biden Claims Desantis’ Use of National Guard to Deal With Cuban Migrants Was a ‘Political Stunt’— But Coast Guard Asked for His Help
» Bill Gates Calls for Increased Censorship to ‘Moderate Insanity’ That Prevents People ‘Using Masks or Taking Vaccines’
» BLM-Endorsed Democrat Jailed for Blowing Stolen DNC Cash in Casinos
» Columbia Woman Arrested After Human Remains Found
» Criminal Charges Against Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ Shooting Could Come This Month
» Dem Lawmaker Hank Johnson Not ‘Ruling Out’ That GOP ‘Planted’ Classified Docs in Biden’s Garage Next to His Corvette
» DeSantis Eyes Ban on Chinese Land Purchases in Florida
» Emails Suggest Hunter Biden Had Access to Garage Where President Kept Classified Docs, Corvette
» Facebook Neighborhood Watch Group Steps in, Catches Chicago Thief Dead in Tracks
» Former New York Elections Official Pleads Guilty in Ballot Fraud Scheme
» Former Twitter Officials Are Called to Testify on Their Censorship
» Garland Appoints Special Counsel to Investigate Classified Biden Documents
» George Soros Has Pumped $21 Billion Into Leftist Politics Since 2000, Filings Show
» Google Says Supreme Court Ruling Could Potentially Upend the Internet
» Heartland Institute, Censored by YouTube Before a Broadcast Even Started, Turns to Rumble
» House Oversight Panel to Probe China Money to University Where Biden Worked, Classified Memos Found
» Idaho Massacre Suspect Was ‘Very Chatty’ and ‘Not Charming, ‘ Neighbors Say
» Kari Lake’s 2022 Election Case to be Heard on Expedited Timetable
» Lori Lightfoot Gets Busted Asking CPS Teachers to Encourage Students to Volunteer for Her Campaign for Extra Credit
» Man Sentenced for Throwing Concrete at Police During Protests
» Only Half of US Women Under 45 Have Children: CDC Survey
» Peter Doocy Flusters Biden: ‘Classified Materials Next to Your Corvette? What Were You Thinking?’
» President Biden Calls for Bipartisan Regulation of Big Tech
» Rep Chip Roy Introduces Bill to Defund World Health Organization
» Top Banker Accused of Role in Jeffrey Epstein’s Sex Trafficking Ring
» Twitter Files: Top Democrats Peddled False Russian Bots Narrative About Nunes Memo, Despite Twitter Warnings
» UFO Sightings Surged Over Last Two Years, US Intel Report Says
» University of Idaho Stabbings Suspect Bryan Kohberger Held Without Bail, Next Court Date June 26
» University of Southern California Removes the Word ‘Field’ For Being ‘Racist”
» Uvalde School Police Chief Admitted to Deliberately Leaving Kids in Classroom
» World Economic Forum Behind Sudden Push to Ban Gas Stoves
 
Canada
» Crack and Heroin Store to Open in Canadian Province After Progressive Government Decriminalizes Possession of Hard Drugs
» Federal Electric Vehicle Rebates Went 153% Over Budget
» Federal Court Grants Alberta Intervenor Status in Legal Challenge of Firearms Ban
» Severe Injury Reported at Morning Fire at St. Catharines Chemical Plant, Nearby Residents Evacuated or Asked to Stay Indoors
» South Dakota Governor Cites Business Family Leaving Canada
» Trudeau Gov’t Wanted ‘Heat Off’ Banks After They Froze Freedom Convoy Accounts: Email
» Workers Missing After Explosion at Propane Site in Quebec
 
Europe and the EU
» 5,000 Swiss Army Soldiers Deployed to Davos to Protect World Economic Forum
» Farmers in Spain Protest Socialist Govt’s Green Water Resources Agenda
» France: Muslims Behead and Hang Animals to Free Home From ‘Demons’
» Hungary Baffled by EU Decision to Suspend Erasmus Scholarships for Country’s Top Universities
» Hungarian Ballet Ensemble Moves Rehearsals to Audi Car Factory After Theater Temporarily Closes Over Rising Utility Costs
» Large Majority of Poles Reject Euro Currency
» Morocco’s Ambassador to Poland Accused of Corrupting Left-Wing Polish Senators
» Orban’s Minister Takes a Jab at US
» Romanians Raid Seven Properties as Andrew Tate Investigation Continues
» Sweden Convicts Islamic State Jihadi Bride Over Child Rapes, Human Trafficking
» UK Lawmaker Andrew Bridgen Says His Free Speech Rights Have Been Denied
» Zero Accountability: Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Unaffected by Transgressions
 
Middle East
» Israel Convinced U.S. To Assassinate Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, Fmr Israeli Intel Chief Boasts
 
Russia
» Has Putin Lost Control of His Power-Hungry Mercenary Chief? Wagner Boss Brags That His Men Alone Have Taken Strategic Town of Soledar… Prompting Even the Kremlin to Deny Russia Have Control of the Area
» Surovikin’s Down, Gerasimov’s Up: Russia’s War on Ukraine Pivots Into Politics
» Ukraine War: Soledar ‘Still Standing’, Russia Mulls Draft Expansion, Sweden Has ‘Something to Hide’
 
South Asia
» Bangladesh: Muslims Attacked Hindus in Bagura to Evacuate From Their Lands
» Katni to Mumbai Love Jihad! Rise of ‘Love Jihad’ in India!!
 
Far East
» China’s Weibo Bans Sony’s Account
 
Australia — Pacific
» Bizarre Moment Horse in the Backseat of a Car Goes Through McDonalds Drive-Thru: “He’s Excited for His ICE Cream”
» Extinction Rebellion Members Arrested After Protest Against Tour Down Under Sponsor Santos
» Lidia Thorpe Kicks Off Massive Australia Day Debate as She Asks Her Followers ‘Who’s Celebrating Invasion, Murder and Theft This 26th January’
» Sydney Smashes 140-Year-Old Weather Record as City Fails to See a Day Hotter Than 30c in Almost a Year — So When is it Going to Get Warm Again?
 
Latin America
» CCP Moves to Build Naval Base in Argentina’s Tierra Del Fuego
» Peru Police Officer Burned to Death in Patrol Car as Casualties From Violent Post-Election Protests Reaches 47
 
Immigration
» France Backs Down: Macron Won’t Force Algeria and Other African Countries to Take Back Their Illegal Migrants
» Germany: Conservative AfD Leader Calls for ‘Closed Borders’ To Defend Welfare State Instead of Granting 2 Million Migrants Citizenship
» Green Party Politician Claims ‘Racist Resentment’ is Behind Germany Not Taking in Enough Labor Migrants
» Lithuania to Enshrine Push-Back Measures Against Illegal Migrants Into Law
» Migrants Are ‘Drinking All Day’, ‘Having Sex in the Stairs’ in Taxpayer-Funded New York Hotels: Whistleblower
» Open Borders Ireland: Green Govt Minister Says Migrants Fleeing Climate Change Must be Let In
» Over 217,000 Asylum Seekers Head to Germany in 2022, Highest Since 2016
» Report: U.S. Officials ‘Ran Out of Time’ Before Discussing Migration With Mexico
 
Culture Wars
» “Gender Diverse Persons” Involved in Sexual Violence in Canada’s Prisons
» Canada: Catholic High School Issues Trespassing Notice to Suspended Student Who Opposed Boys in Girls’ Bathrooms
» German Green Party Replaces Its Own White Male Justice Minister With Black Female Who Has No Law Degree or Political Experience
» UK: Farage Defends JK Rowling Against Efforts to Turn Her Into a ‘Non-Person’ For Trans Views
» WEF Publishes Paper, Developed by a Big-Tech Coalition, About Tackling “Misinformation” and More
 

Inflation Eases in December to 6.5%, But Prices Remain Stubbornly High

Inflation continued to cool in December, the latest sign that painfully high consumer prices are finally beginning to loosen their stranglehold on the U.S. economy.

The Labor Department said Thursday that the consumer price index, a broad measure of the price for everyday goods including gasoline, groceries and rents, fell 0.1% in December from the previous month. Prices climbed 6.5% on an annual basis.

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

Nearly Half of Europeans Say Their Standards of Living Have ‘Already’ Declined as Crises Mount

The cost-of-living crisis triggered by the Ukraine war, the energy crunch, surging inflation and the coronavirus pandemic has become the greatest worry for European Union citizens, according to a new Eurobarometer that shows 45% of respondents are currently having “some” or “a lot” difficulties with their personal income.

The poll speaks of a “polycrisis mood” across the continent.

Additionally, 46% of Europeans admit their standards of living have already decreased as a result of the mounting crises while 39% expect to see a decline sometime this year.

Just 14% do not anticipate any sort of change or impact.

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

Over One Third of Europeans Left Struggling to Pay Bills Amid Inflation Crisis

Well over one-third of Europeans have been left struggling to pay their bill amid the ongoing cost inflation crisis, a government survey has revealed.

A survey conducted on behalf of the European Union has found that well over one-third of Europeans have at one point struggled to pay their bills in the year prior to the poll taking place.

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

Ukraine Fertiliser Inflation Crisis Could Result in a Million More Hunger Deaths: Report

The rapid inflation in the cost of fertilisers as a result of the Ukraine war could see as many as one million additional people die of hunger-related deaths, a report has claimed.

A study undertaken by researchers from the University of Edinburgh, University of Aberdeen, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Rutgers University has found that up to one million more people could die as a result of hunger as a result of increased worldwide fertiliser prices.

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

Wells Fargo Prioritizes Lending to Minorities, Cuts Back on Mortgages

Banking giant Wells Fargo announced they are planning on reducing the size and scope of its mortgage lending business for all Americans and instead focus on “minority communities.”

According to the New York Post, Wells Fargo’s Head of Home Lending and Head of Diverse Segments, Representation, and Inclusion at Wells Fargo, Kristy Fercho, said, “We will continue to expand our programs to reach more customers in underserved communities by leveraging our strong partnerships with the National Urban League, Unidos US, and other non-profit organizations.”

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

Andy Ngo Reports: Receipts, Weapons and Chat Logs: Trail of Evidence Against Violent Los Angeles Antifa Suspect

SAN DIEGO—Los Angeles Antifa member Faraz Martin Talab, 28, appeared in court on Monday exactly two years after he allegedly assaulted multiple people during an Antifa riot in San Diego, Calif.

The Jan. 9, 2021 riot at Pacific Beach has resulted in 11 indictments of Antifa members from southern California, six of whom have already been convicted.

At the pre-trial hearing on Monday, Talab repeated his not-guilty plea to six felonies. His charges include conspiracy to riot with ten other Antifa defendants, plus five assaults on five different victims.

Those victimized at the Pacific Beach Antifa riot include minors, a journalist, Donald Trump supporters, random beach bystanders and a dog.

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

Arizona Sen. Sinema Approval Plummets With Dems, Rises With Independents

Arizona Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has seen her approval rating among Democrats plummet following her decision to leave the party and register as an independent.

The moderate lawmaker garnered support from just 30% of registered Arizona Democrats, according to the latest Morning Consult survey, according to The Hill. She performed modestly better prior to her December party switch with 42% of Democrats approving of her performance.

A substantial majority of 59% of Democrats disapprove of Sinema. She has long been a moderate in Congress and has often stood in the way of major party legislative items. Sinema famously refused to compromise on abolishing the filibuster or creating a carveout to allow the then-Democratic Congress to ram through abortion protections in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision in 2022.

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

Biden Admin Dealt Blow by Sixth Circuit Ruling Against Vaccine Mandate in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee

A federal appeals court has upheld a ban on forcing workers in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee who contract with the federal government to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

An appeals court has affirmed a ban in three states on enforcing a federal vaccine mandate for workers who contract with the federal government.

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

Biden Claims Desantis’ Use of National Guard to Deal With Cuban Migrants Was a ‘Political Stunt’— But Coast Guard Asked for His Help

In response to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ activation of the state’s National Guard to deal with migrants coming ashore a “political stunt,” DeSantis slammed the claim, saying “what we’re doing is working.”

DeSantis made the statement during a Thursday press conference, saying in reference to a question asking for a response to Jean-Pierre, “I think that’s interesting because the Coast Guard actually requested the state’s assistance to handle all these vessels coming.”

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

Bill Gates Calls for Increased Censorship to ‘Moderate Insanity’ That Prevents People ‘Using Masks or Taking Vaccines’

Billionaire Bill Gates has called for increased censorship online so governments can “moderate some of the insanity” that “prevented some people from using masks or taking the vaccine.”

Speaking during a recent interview with Al Jazeera host Folly Bah Thibault, Gates warned that another pandemic is just around the corner and we must prepare now.

However, he agrees that the “current pandemic” is apparently still ongoing, despite Democrat President Joe Biden declaring last year that it is “over.”

According to Gates, Covid was just a warmup and a much bigger pandemic is looming.

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

BLM-Endorsed Democrat Jailed for Blowing Stolen DNC Cash in Casinos

A Black Lives Matter-endorsed Democrat politician has been jailed for stealing money from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and blowing it in casinos.

On Wednesday, former Louisiana Democratic Party chair Karen Carter Peterson was sentenced to 22 months in prison after being convicted of fraud charges.

Peterson, a former state senator, abruptly resigned in April and was charged a month later with wire fraud.

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

Columbia Woman Arrested After Human Remains Found

Columbia police arrested a woman in connection to a homicide investigation.

On Tuesday at 5:30 pm, University of Missouri police were called to Hudson Hall for a welfare check.

Their investigation led them to the 2400 block of Bentley Court.

That is where they found unidentifiable human remains.

Police said while they have a good idea who the victim is, they could not make a solid identification.

MUPD requested that Columbia police conduct a homicide investigation.

Officers arrested Emma Adams, 20, for second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence, and abandonment of a corpse.

She was taken to the Boone County Jail without bond.

           — Hat tip: Roger [Return to headlines]
 

Criminal Charges Against Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ Shooting Could Come This Month

The Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office will decide later this month whether to file charges against Alec Baldwin and others involved in the production of “Rust” for their role in the death of the film’s cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, according to TMZ.

Hutchins, 42, was fatally shot by Baldwin with a live round from a prop gun while rehearsing on Oct. 21, 2021, in New Mexico. Director Joel Souza was also wounded in the shooting.

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

Dem Lawmaker Hank Johnson Not ‘Ruling Out’ That GOP ‘Planted’ Classified Docs in Biden’s Garage Next to His Corvette

After a second set of classified documents were found in Joe Biden’s Delaware garage next to his Corvette on Thursday, Democrat Congressman Hank Johnson from Georgia said the documents may have been “planted.”

According to Fox News, Johnson said while speaking to Fox News’ Hilary Vaughn, “I’m suspicious of the timing of it. I’m also aware of the fact that things can be planted on people. Places and things can be planted. Things can be planted in places and then discovered conveniently. That may be what has occurred here. I’m not ruling that out. But I’m open in terms of the investigation—needs to be investigated.”

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

DeSantis Eyes Ban on Chinese Land Purchases in Florida

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is mulling a ban on Chinese-based groups from purchasing land in his state amid concerns over Beijing espionage efforts.

He has previously warned of land purchases by companies with close ties to Beijing and the potential national security threat that such transactions may pose. JOINN Laboratories CA Inc., whose parent company is a Chinese-operated drug firm, previously purchased 1,400 acres of land in Levy County, Fla., for example.

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

Emails Suggest Hunter Biden Had Access to Garage Where President Kept Classified Docs, Corvette

Hunter Biden, who is under federal investigation for possible tax and foreign lobbying violations, listed his father’s Delaware address as his own residence, records show.

Emails reviewed and verified by Fox News Digital show the younger Biden listed his father’s Wilmington, Delaware, address as his own permanent residence for his credit card and Apple account in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

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

Facebook Neighborhood Watch Group Steps in, Catches Chicago Thief Dead in Tracks

A Facebook-based neighborhood watch group has helped to put a career criminal behind bars.

Local residents stepped in to give the overloaded Chicago police a hand and put an end to thief Andrew Squires’ crime spree.

The neighborhood watch group came through for a furious victim and identified the crook.

Andrew Squires, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft and was sentenced to two years in prison, according to Chicago media.

Around 5 a.m. on July 19, 2021, two men got into an apartment building on the 600 block of West Cornelia and then stole packages and other items from the building’s mailroom before leaving.

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

Former New York Elections Official Pleads Guilty in Ballot Fraud Scheme

A New York elections board commissioner, Jason Schofield, has resigned and pleaded guilty to federal charges of fraudulently obtaining and filing absentee ballots.

43-year-old Schofield of Troy, New York, pled guilty to unlawfully using the names and dates of birth of voters to fraudulently apply for absentee ballots for elections held in Rensselaer County in 2021.

Schofield was an Elections Commissioner at the Rensselaer County Board of Elections (“RCBOE”) until late last month.

He resigned on December 29th to prepare his guilty plea.

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

Former Twitter Officials Are Called to Testify on Their Censorship

The House Oversight Committee chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) informed Twitter executives that they are expected to testify about the censorship of the New York Post’s reporting on the Hunter Biden laptop in early February.

Twitter limited the distribution of the Post’s reporting on the content of the laptop, which linked then-presidential candidate Joe Biden to his son’s shady business deals in Ukraine and China.

Twitter claimed that the reports violated its “hacked materials” policy.

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

Garland Appoints Special Counsel to Investigate Classified Biden Documents

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appointed a special counsel to investigate the classified documents from Joe Biden’s time as vice president.

He said that on Nov. 14 he appointed U.S. Attorney John Lausch, a nominee of former President Donald Trump, to conduct the initial investigation into classified documents found at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. and inform Garland whether a special counsel needed to be appointed. Lausch is leaving for the private sector in 2023 and is unable to take on the role of special counsel.

Biden’s former office at the Penn Biden Center was “not authorized for storage of classified documents,” Garland said. “The prosecutor had also been advised that those documents had been secured in an archives facility.”

Biden’s personal attorneys told Lausch on Dec. 20 that additional classified documents were discovered in the garage of the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, Garland said.

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

George Soros Has Pumped $21 Billion Into Leftist Politics Since 2000, Filings Show

Radical billionaire George Soros has pumped a staggering $21 billion into leftist politics since 2000, new financial filings show.

The Capital Research Center reports that Soros has funneled the cash through his nonprofit system, the Soros Network.

The Soros Network is also referred to as the Open Society Network and consists of multiple private foundations and nonprofits.

The network has served as some of the largest financial backers of left-wing politicians and activism around the globe.

In 2021 alone, Soros’ organizations plowed $2.7 billion into various left-wing nonprofits.

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

Google Says Supreme Court Ruling Could Potentially Upend the Internet

A case before the Supreme Court challenging the liability shield protecting websites such as YouTube and Facebook could “upend the internet,” resulting in both widespread censorship and a proliferation of offensive content, Google said in a court filing Thursday.

In a new brief filed with the high court, Google said that scaling back liability protections could lead internet giants to block more potentially offensive content — including controversial political speech — while also leading smaller websites to drop their filters to avoid liability that can arise from efforts to screen content.

“This Court should decline to adopt novel and untested theories that risk transforming today’s internet into a forced choice between overly curated mainstream sites or fringe sites flooded with objectionable content,” Google said in its brief.

Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., owns YouTube, which is at the center of the case set for oral arguments before the Supreme Court Feb. 21.

The case was brought by the family of Nohemi Gonzalez, who was killed in the 2015 Islamic State terrorist attack in Paris. The plaintiffs claim that YouTube, a unit of Google, aided ISIS by recommending the terrorist group’s videos to users.

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

Heartland Institute, Censored by YouTube Before a Broadcast Even Started, Turns to Rumble

US Heartland Institute think tank is one of the latest to experience YouTube censorship, with the channel getting disabled just as it was about to livestream another of its episodes.

This all happened several days ago, and fortunately for the Institute — whose “sin” is apparently their skepticism toward the climate change narrative, there are alternatives. Namely, programs under the Climate Change Roundtable umbrella are also live streamed elsewhere.

Less significantly, on another social media and tech giant, Facebook, and more importantly, on Rumble, both their competitor.

And it was on Rumble that the video that set off the YouTube censorship machine, as Climate Scientist Judith Curry was a guest, got over 140,000 views.

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

House Oversight Panel to Probe China Money to University Where Biden Worked, Classified Memos Found

The chairman of the main House investigative committee announced Thursday that he is expanding his probe of the Biden family to examine the University of Pennsylvania’s reliance on Chinese donations during the time it employed President Joe Biden and hosted his think tank, where classified documents were recently found improperly stored.

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer announced the decision after Just the News reported Wednesday night that the Ivy League university, affectionately known as Penn, collected $67.6 million in donations from Chinese sources between 2013 and 2019, two-thirds of it while employing Joe Biden as a guest professor and hosting his Penn Biden Center.

The university’s faculty later successfully pressured the Biden Justice Department to end the FBI’s primary Chinese counterespionage effort — known as the China Initiative — that sought to root out spies in U.S. academia.

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

Idaho Massacre Suspect Was ‘Very Chatty’ and ‘Not Charming, ‘ Neighbors Say

Several students at Washington State University described the 28-year-old accused of slaughtering four University of Idaho students in the early morning on November 13, Bryan Kohberger, as a “chatty” guy.

According to Insider, Kohberger lived in the Steptoe Village Apartments and his upstairs neighbor, 28-year-old engineering student Arun Dash, said when he met the suspect, “He asked me what I was studying, where I am from. He would make just friendly small talk” and later added there was “Nothing suspicious ever, ever,” about the alleged murderer.

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

Kari Lake’s 2022 Election Case to be Heard on Expedited Timetable

Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake will have her 2022 election lawsuit heard by the Arizona Court of Appeals a month earlier than expected.

The Arizona Court of Appeals agreed to expedite consideration of Lake’s lawsuit, which alleges that the 2022 election had flaws.

Lake argued that her case should be handled as a “special action petition.” The original court date was set for March, but the judges have now agreed to hear Lake’s case on Feb. 1 and that it will be treated as a special action petition. The court’s order was issued on Jan. 9 and made public on the 10th.

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

Lori Lightfoot Gets Busted Asking CPS Teachers to Encourage Students to Volunteer for Her Campaign for Extra Credit

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot may be out of a job after her campaign got busted emailing Chicago Public Schools teachers to try to recruit student volunteers for her reelection campaign.

For Chicago residents, who will vote on Lightfoot’s fate in a few weeks, this may be the straw that broke the camel’s back. The email, sent Tuesday morning from Megan Crane, Lightfoot’s deputy campaign manager, said…

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

Man Sentenced for Throwing Concrete at Police During Protests

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WKBN) — A Pittsburgh man is going to jail after being found guilty of throwing concrete at police cruisers.

Jordan Coyne, 26, was sentenced in federal court on a charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. He will spend 18 months in jail followed by three years of supervised release.

According to a release from the United States Department of Justice, during a May 30, 2020 protest, Coyne was caught on camera throwing concrete at police cruisers with officers inside. He also was seen throwing other items that struck police officers, including rocks, bricks and a tear gas canister. The tear gas canister struck an officer in the hand, causing the officer’s thumb to bleed and swell.

The release states that Coyne’s actions interfered with officers doing their jobs.

Coyne is still out on bond and will report to begin his sentence on March 10.

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

Only Half of US Women Under 45 Have Children: CDC Survey

A newly published survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Survey of Family Growth has revealed a decline in the number of children Americans are having, as well as the increasing age at which American women have their first child.

The survey, published on Tuesday, covers the years 2015 through 2019, and found that in this time frame 52.1 percent of women between the ages of 15-44 had at least one biological child, while between 2011 and 2015, this number was 54.9 percent.

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

Peter Doocy Flusters Biden: ‘Classified Materials Next to Your Corvette? What Were You Thinking?’

Democrat President Joe Biden faced tough questions from the media over reports of his mishandling of classified data, especially from Fox News’s Peter Doocy.

Biden was forced to deliver a statement on the classified documents during a Thursday press conference.

Classified documents have now been found in Biden’s DC think tank and at one of his Delaware homes.

As Slay News reported earlier, the second batch of sensitive files was found in the garage of Biden’s Delaware residence, stacked up next to his Corvette.

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

President Biden Calls for Bipartisan Regulation of Big Tech

In an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal, President Joe Biden made a plea to Congress to unite and hold tech companies accountable, noting that his administration’s authority is not enough to rein in tech giants.

President Biden’s op-ed arrives at a time when his administration itself is being investigated for possible First Amendment violations as staffers called for social media censorship of US citizens.

“We need bipartisan action from Congress to hold Big Tech accountable,” the president wrote.

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

Rep Chip Roy Introduces Bill to Defund World Health Organization

Republican Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) has reintroduced legislation to the GOP-led House to defund the World Health Organization (WHO).

Roy unveiled the bill on Thursday amid mounting concerns about the Chinese Communist Party’s influence over the United Nations agency.

The bill is titled ‘‘No Taxpayer Funding for the World Health Organization Act.”

It cracks down on contributions to the WHO after they have risen to hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

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

Top Banker Accused of Role in Jeffrey Epstein’s Sex Trafficking Ring

Top banker Jes Staley, a former high-level executive with Barclays and JPMorgan, has been accused of helping deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein run his international sex trafficking ring.

Thousands of emails between the two men have emerged in a lawsuit that alleges Staley served as an “operative” in Epstein’s operation.

The lawsuit claims that Staley and Epstein had a “profound friendship.”

The filing was made this week in an amended complaint by the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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

Twitter Files: Top Democrats Peddled False Russian Bots Narrative About Nunes Memo, Despite Twitter Warnings

Journalist Matt Taibbi unveiled part 14 of the Twitter Files on Thursday, diving into the “Russiagate lies” and how he says a “fake tale of Russian bots” helped Democrats denounce the famous Devin Nunes report about flaws in the Trump-Russia investigation.

Emails and memos show that high-powered Democrats peddled a narrative of Russian bots despite being told directly by Twitter that there wasn’t a connection to the Kremlin.

The lengthy Twitter thread began with Taibbi noting that “at a crucial moment in a years-long furor, Democrats denounced a report about flaws in the Trump-Russia investigation, saying it was boosted by Russian ‘bots’ and ‘trolls.’“

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

UFO Sightings Surged Over Last Two Years, US Intel Report Says

Intelligence officials are reviewing 510 sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, better known as UFOs, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) wrote in an unclassified report for Congress.

A preliminary assessment released in June 2021 counted 144 UFO sightings. Since then, there have been 366 sightings reported to the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), an increase that the DNI attributes to “reduced stigma” and a better understanding of the threats UFOs could pose.

Of the newly identified reports, about half were characterized as “unremarkable” and attributed to unmanned aircraft systems, “balloon-like entities,” or clutter.

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

University of Idaho Stabbings Suspect Bryan Kohberger Held Without Bail, Next Court Date June 26

Bryan Kohberger, the man charge in connection with the recent murder four University of Idaho students, will remain in jail until a preliminary hearing June 26 following a court appearance Thursday.

Kohberger, a 28-year-old Washington State University criminology graduate student, has not entered a plea to the four first-degree murder charges and burglary charge that he faces related to the Nov. 13 fatal stabbings of students Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

He waived his right to a probable cause hearing within 14 days, CNN reported. He will be held without bail in the Latah County jail, in Idaho, until his preliminary hearing this summer in the city of Moscow, where the killing occurred.

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

University of Southern California Removes the Word ‘Field’ For Being ‘Racist”

The University of Southern California has removed the word ‘field’ from the curriculum and academic references because it supposedly has “racist” connotations.

No, this isn’t the Babylon Bee.

The university announced that phrases such as “field of study” will be replaced by “practicum” in order to advance the cause of anti-racism.

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

Uvalde School Police Chief Admitted to Deliberately Leaving Kids in Classroom

The Texas police chief who came under fire for his handling of the Uvalde school shooting has been revealed to have admitted the day after the mass slaughter that he deliberately made the call to keep the kids in the classroom and to not rescue them, even though he described hearing “a lot” of shots and the gunman reload.

Pedro “Pete” Arredondo made the admission during his only briefing with investigators the day after the deadly massacre at Robb Elementary School that left 19 kids and two teachers dead.

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

World Economic Forum Behind Sudden Push to Ban Gas Stoves

Details have emerged to suggest that Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum is behind the recent sudden push from the Democrats and President Joe Biden’s administration to ban gas stoves from American homes.

As Slay News reported earlier, the Biden admin is considering a nationwide ban on gas stoves over claims they emit “harmful pollutants.”

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

Crack and Heroin Store to Open in Canadian Province After Progressive Government Decriminalizes Possession of Hard Drugs

Drug addicts will soon be able to purchase hard drugs such as crack cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in the progressive Canadian province of British Columbia.

Jerry Martin, 51, plans to open a store akin to a sweet shop for hard drugs in the province’s largest city of Vancouver the moment the liberal government’s law to decriminalize possession of hard drugs comes into effect on Jan. 31.

The three-year-long pilot scheme will enable drug users to possess up to 2.5 grams of opioids, crack and powder cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA.

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

Federal Electric Vehicle Rebates Went 153% Over Budget

By March of last year, Ottawa billed taxpayers $759 million on electric vehicle rebates — 153% more than originally budgeted, a new Department of Transport audit shows.

As first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, federal authorities tapped into funding on several occasions because of an unprecedented number of people claiming the rebates.

“The uptake of the program was higher than expected and funding was an ongoing concern,” wrote analysts in the Audit Of Incentives For Zero Emission Vehicles Program.

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

Federal Court Grants Alberta Intervenor Status in Legal Challenge of Firearms Ban

The Federal Court of Canada has granted Alberta intervenor status in six ongoing lawsuits against the Liberal government’s firearms ban.

In September, Justice Minister and Attorney General Tyler Shandro announced that Alberta would seek to intervene in ongoing challenges of Ottawa’s gun ban.

The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), the lead case of all challenges, said Alberta has been leading the fight to ensure Ottawa respects property rights.

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

Severe Injury Reported at Morning Fire at St. Catharines Chemical Plant, Nearby Residents Evacuated or Asked to Stay Indoors

Firefighters “know there are various chemicals inside” burning building

A man was severely injured and dozens of area residents were evacuated after multiple explosions and a fire were reported at a chemical disposal business in St. Catharines, early Thursday.

Firefighters were called to the Ssonix Products facility at 20 Keefer Rd. at 6:35 a.m. on Thursday, said St. Catharines Fire Chief Dave Upper, describing it as a hazardous material company.

As firefighters continued to fight the initial fire, he said the flames spread to an industrial building next door.

“We still have visible flames. The fire is not under control right now,” Upper said at about 11:30 a.m. “Now we have not only the main fire, but the adjacent exposure as well on the east side.”

Upper said paint products, aerosol cans, sanitizers, and oxidizers were inside the plant as the fire raged through it. He said all the chemicals products were a concern.

“The level of risk is high, but we’ve seen worse,” Upper said.

Although the cause of the initial explosion is unknown, he said numerous smaller explosions continued for the next hour as aerosol cans burst.

“There were multiple explosions going off. … It sounded like firecrackers going off for about an hour,” Upper said.

Niagara Emergency Medical Services paramedics transported one male patient to the St. Catharines hospital in critical condition after the initial explosion. Niagara EMS spokesman Bryce Brunarski said the patient was conscious at the time, despite suffering from “pretty significant burns.”

Upper said the man was working at the plant when the explosion occurred, and was later transported to Sunnybrook hospital for treatment.

Brunarski said a second patient was later transported from their home in the “evacuation zone” to a local hospital, complaining of a headache and dizziness.

He said paramedics are unsure if that patient’s condition was related to the fire.

Upper said dozens of residents were evacuated from neighbourhoods north of the fire scene, and those with nowhere else to go were accommodated at the Kiwanis Aquatics Centre on Carlton Street, where more than 30 residents had checked in.

In a media release, the city said food and showers were available for evacuees at the facility, and pets were welcome.

Niagara Regional Police asked members of the public who live north of the area but were not asked to evacuate to stay indoors and out of any smoke.

“Close your windows and doors and turn off your furnace to avoid letting air get in,” said a tweet from St. Catharines Fire Services.

Get out the vinegar and peroxide, Ontario has its own chemical explosion:

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

South Dakota Governor Cites Business Family Leaving Canada

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said in her first state address of the year that she is in talks with an unnamed Canadian family-owned company that wants to relocate to her state because of Canada’s strict pandemic response.

On Tuesday, Noem, a Republican, blasted US President Joe Biden for maintaining a vaccine mandate along the country’s borders throughout her speech.

“We’re in touch with a company in Canada that wants to move their business to the Black Hills. I can’t share a lot of details with you yet but we’re very excited about this company. They are currently buying property that they haven’t even seen in person,” said Noem.

“This family and their business have suffered due to the Covid restrictions and vaccine mandates in Canada. Their daughter was even expelled from her university for refusing the vaccine.”

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

Trudeau Gov’t Wanted ‘Heat Off’ Banks After They Froze Freedom Convoy Accounts: Email

OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — After ordering the freezing of Freedom Convoy supporters’ bank accounts last year, recently disclosed emails show that government officials wanted to keep the “heat off” financial institutions so they would stay happy and continue to comply with government dictates.

Per Blacklock’s Reporter, Deputy Finance Minister Michael Sabia, in an internal email dated February 18, 2022, noted to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland that he had complained to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Brenda Lucki, and cabinet members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office, to “‘keep the heat off the bank branches” following the unprecedented freezing of citizens’ funds during the Freedom Convoy protest.

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

Workers Missing After Explosion at Propane Site in Quebec

SAINT-ROCH-DE-L’ACHIGAN, Quebec (AP) — An explosion hit a propone facility in Quebec on Thursday, and several workers were missing, municipal officials said.

Quebec provincial police said evacuations were underway in St-Roch-de-l’Achigan, a town about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Montreal.

Stéphanie Therrien, deputy director general for the Montcalm regional municipality, said three or four employees were unaccounted for.

The regional municipality said more explosions were possible because of the propane tanks on site and it warned people to stay away.

Therrien said authorities had established an evacuation zone extending one kilometer (a half mile) out from the site.

The local ambulance service said paramedics were present but had not been able to approach the scene because of the danger.

           — Hat tip: MM [Return to headlines]
 

5,000 Swiss Army Soldiers Deployed to Davos to Protect World Economic Forum

Roughly 5,000 Swiss Army soldiers have been deployed to Davos, Switzerland to guard the attendees of this year’s annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, an organization according to their website that “engages” with “ leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.”

According to Blick, the Swiss Defense Department said in a statement on January 6, that Switzerland’s Federal Assembly approved the military presence at this year’s WEF, which will occur January 16-20.

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

Farmers in Spain Protest Socialist Govt’s Green Water Resources Agenda

MADRID (AP) — Farmers protested in Madrid on Wednesday against a governmental order to provide ecological protection for a river, a move they see as a threat to the water resources they need to irrigate their crops.

Several hundred protesters — bused in from the southeastern region impacted by the plan — rallied in front of Spain’s ministry for ecological transition, demanding the resignation of Minister Teresa Ribera.

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

France: Muslims Behead and Hang Animals to Free Home From ‘Demons’

A group of around a dozen people in the French department of Essonne are accused of beheading animals in a home to ward off “demons” on Christmas Day, with one man arrested.

The group, said to be of Turkish origin, are accused of killing several animals in a house in Corbeil-Essonnes on Christmas Day after neighbours heard the sound of their cries. Two sheep were later discovered hung upside down, decapitated.

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

Hungary Baffled by EU Decision to Suspend Erasmus Scholarships for Country’s Top Universities

Hungary intends to find out the exact reasons why the European Commission has suspended over 20 of the country’s universities from the Erasmus+ student exchange and educational cooperation program, said Tibor Navracsics, the minister in charge of EU funds.

The European Commission’s claim that the boards of trustees manually influence the teaching and research work of universities is not true, as the research activities of the institutions are independent of the functioning of the boards of trustees, Navracsics said on Karc FM Radio.

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

Hungarian Ballet Ensemble Moves Rehearsals to Audi Car Factory After Theater Temporarily Closes Over Rising Utility Costs

Hungary’s famous Gyor Ballet ensemble has moved its rehearsals to the Audi factory in the northwest Hungarian industrial city because the municipality has closed its home, the Gyor Theater, for the months of January and February to save utility costs.

The theater is currently performing on the stage of the puppet theater; the company scheduled most of its season performances at a frantic pace in November and December.

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

Large Majority of Poles Reject Euro Currency

Almost 65 percent of Poles are against the euro currency being introduced to Poland, a new survey by the Institute of Economic and Social Research (IBRiS) for commercial Radio ZET shows. At the same time, only 24.5 percent of all respondents want the euro currency.

Respondents who “strongly disagree” are the largest group, 49 percent, while 15.2 percent “rather disagree” on adopting the euro in Poland, and another 11.3 percent answered, “I do not know/it is hard to say.”

In contrast, 14.7 percent of the respondents “strongly agree” with the thesis: “Poland should adopt the euro instead of the Polish zloty,” while 9.8 percent “rather agree.”

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

Morocco’s Ambassador to Poland Accused of Corrupting Left-Wing Polish Senators

The Polish conservative weekly Gazeta Polska has called for an investigation into the activities of Abderrahim Atmoun, Morocco’s ambassador to Poland. According to the magazine, the Moroccan diplomat, who has been ambassador to Poland since 2019, was illegally lobbying Polish senators for recognition of the territory of Western Sahara as part of Morocco.

Gazeta Polska journalist Piotr Nisztor told Polish public TV news channel TVP Info that Ambassador Atmoun has engaged in active lobbying of the Polish Senate, controlled by the liberal opposition, and its speaker Tomasz Grodzki.

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

Orban’s Minister Takes a Jab at US

While politicians from many EU countries are in favor of even more arms deliveries to Ukraine, Hungary and Serbia are now pleading for a quick end to the war. In his statement on the matter, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjartó also delivered a dig at the United States.

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

Romanians Raid Seven Properties as Andrew Tate Investigation Continues

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania’s anti-organized crime agency has carried out seven additional house searches in its investigation into divisive social media influencer Andrew Tate, an official said Thursday.

Ramona Bolla, spokesperson for the agency, DIICOT, said searches are taking place in the counties of Bucharest, Ilfov, and Prahova “in order to obtain further evidence.”

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

Sweden Convicts Islamic State Jihadi Bride Over Child Rapes, Human Trafficking

In what is being touted as a historic case, a Swedish court has convicted a female Islamic State member for human trafficking and facilitating the rape of children in Iraq and Syria.

The woman, who is said to be in her sixties and was previously married to a high-ranking Islamic State leader, was convicted and sentenced by the Solna district Court — but only to a sentence of six years and ten months.

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

UK Lawmaker Andrew Bridgen Says His Free Speech Rights Have Been Denied

British lawmaker Andrew Bridgen is no longer a Conservative MP after a tweet comparing the “crime” of COVID-19 vaccines to the Holocaust.

Bridgen has repeatedly made vaccine skeptic comments. This week, he shared a vaccine efficacy chart and said that the vaccines “are causing serious harms” and described the vaccination program as “the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust.”

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

Zero Accountability: Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Unaffected by Transgressions

On Friday, Dutch data analyst Wouter Aukema published the research he and others conducted into government documents released after a FOI request, on an ancillary position of minister Sigrid Kaag. She is the Minister of Finance and First Deputy Prime Minister in the Fourth Rutte cabinet.

Kaag was a member of the WHO Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) from 2018 to 2021 and concealed this from the House of Representatives.

Aukema’s team concluded that Kaag acted in clear violation of the Integrity Manual, twice ignored advice not to serve on the GPMB and ignored multiple warnings to be accountable to the House.

The analyst’s Twitter thread about the ancillary position received almost 600 000 views, but the media has remained deafeningly silent.

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

Israel Convinced U.S. To Assassinate Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, Fmr Israeli Intel Chief Boasts

Israel convinced America to assassinate Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by supplying intelligence painting him as an “immediate threat,” former Israeli military intelligence chief Tamir Hayman boasted in an interview with Jewish News this week.

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

Has Putin Lost Control of His Power-Hungry Mercenary Chief? Wagner Boss Brags That His Men Alone Have Taken Strategic Town of Soledar… Prompting Even the Kremlin to Deny Russia Have Control of the Area

Yevgeny Prigozhin stood defiantly alongside Putin’s private paramilitary fighters in the Soledar pit as he claimed to have taken control of the eastern Ukraine town.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Surovikin’s Down, Gerasimov’s Up: Russia’s War on Ukraine Pivots Into Politics

Three months ago, General Sergei Surovikin was tapped by the Kremlin to take the helm of the lurching Russian invasion of Ukraine, becoming the overall commander of the operation and taking over at a time when Russian forces had recently suffered one major retreat and were on the verge of a second.

Praised by nationalists and hard-line Russian critics of the military’s performance, Surovikin heralded his promotion by ordering a campaign to bomb Ukraine’s power infrastructure and plunge its population into darkness and cold. He also withdrew Russian troops from the only regional capital they had seized since the invasion, a tactical retreat that gave Ukraine a victory but also helped fortify Russian lines.

In recent weeks, Russian forces, alongside soldiers from the notorious private military company Vagner, had embarked on a blunt-force, frontal assault to capture the Donbas cities of Bakhmut and Soledar, with reports of World War I-style infantry charges that left fields carpeted with Russian corpses.

On January 11, Surovikin was demoted.

With the Russian invasion in its 11th month, and with no end in sight, President Vladimir Putin shuffled the Ukraine military command, replacing Surovkin with the longtime chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, a close ally of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Surovikin kept his rank but was made Gerasimov’s deputy, alongside two other, lesser-known top officers.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine War: Soledar ‘Still Standing’, Russia Mulls Draft Expansion, Sweden Has ‘Something to Hide’

1. Soledar still standing, Ukrainian military claims

Ukraine said on Thursday its troops were holding out despite heavy fighting on a battlefield littered with bodies around a salt mining town in eastern Ukraine, where Russian mercenaries have claimed Moscow’s first significant gain in half a year.

The ultra-nationalist contract militia Wagner, run by an ally of President Vladimir Putin outside the main chain of military command, claims to have taken Soledar after intense fighting that it said had left the town strewn with Ukrainian dead. But Moscow has held off officially proclaiming victory.

“At the moment, there are still some small pockets of resistance in Soledar,” Andrei Bayevsky, a Russian-installed local politician, said in an online broadcast.

Ukraine has acknowledged Russian advances, but Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said fighting was still fierce.

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

Bangladesh: Muslims Attacked Hindus in Bagura to Evacuate From Their Lands

Jihadis attacked Hindu village after an announcement in a mosque; vandalized-looted homes of minority people; they killed 1 old man injuring several people.

Sulochana Biswas | HENB | Dhaka | Jan 11, 2023:: Immediately after the incident in Barisal, Bangladesh, a group of jihadists attacked an entire Hindu village to evacuate them from their lands . Around 11 am on Wednesday, this attack happened in Gorta village under Bhavanipur union of Sherpur upazila of Bogura district of Bangladesh.

According to media reports, 600-700 Jihadi Muslims gathered from the nearby Muslim-dominated villages of Ambail, Cheinda, along with Gorta after the announcement from a mosque of Gorta village. Then they attacked the Hindu houses of Gorta village with sticks, bamboos, rods and sharp weapons. They vandalized and looted the Hindu houses, beating the male Hindus all of a sudden. When the Hindu women came to save them, they were also molested and severely beaten.

It is known that after brutally hacking and murdering an old man named Gajen Sarkar, miscreants ransacked his house and set it on fire. Two youths named Sujan Sarkar and Ujjal Sarkar were brutally beaten with sticks and rods. When they fainted, the attackers left them thinking they were dead. In addition, several people were attacked with sharp weapons in different parts of the body and head. After the assailants left the place warning the attcked Hindus to leave the village within one month, the police came to rescue the injured and admitted them to a nearby hospital. They are currently undergoing treatment there.

It is known that about 400 Hindu families live in Gorta village. And it is considered that this planned attack was for the purpose of evacuating them from their ancestral places. After this shocking incident, the people of the minority communities are in a state of panic. They fear that jihadists may attack again at any time. The affected families demanded proper security measures and police action on an urgent basis.

The Hindu persecution in Islamic Bangladesh is all time high under huge influence of the Jihadi groups who aspire for total Sharia ruling in the country violating all human rights there.

           — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari [Return to headlines]
 

Katni to Mumbai Love Jihad! Rise of ‘Love Jihad’ in India!!

Yashoda maid Yasmin, four Muslim brothers, all four wives Hindu… indicating the rise of Love Jihad in India day by day.

Upendra Bharti | HENB | New Delhi | Jan 12, 2023:: The case of love jihad has come to the fore in Asia’s biggest slum Dharavi. Three years ago, a girl named Yashoda, living in Katni, Madhya Pradesh, was married by a Muslim youth after trapping her in a love trap. After that the young man brought him to Mumbai. Here Yashoda’s name was changed to Yasmin. After this, along with converting the girl, he used to pressurize her to cook beef. When the girl did not listen to the young man, he killed her and threw the body in the side of a creek. In this case, on the statement of the girl’s father, the Dharavi police has registered a case of murder and started an investigation.

According to the information received, Yashoda Khatik’s father has filed a murder complaint against her Muslim husband named Rehmat at the Dharavi police station. Yashoda’s brother said that the accused is also a resident of Katni. He introduced himself to Yashoda in the year 2019 in Katni. After this, in November 2019, he abducted Yashoda and brought her to Mumbai. In this case, Yashoda’s father had filed a missing complaint in Katni but there was no action from Police, though BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh Govt always tells many things on Love Jihad. After a long time, Yashoda was successful in contacting her parents to convey that she was in Dharavi, Mumbai after marriage. Yashoda’s brother reveals that Yashoda’s husbands are four brothers and all four have married Hindu girls in a particular design of Love Jihad. His sister was being pressured to convert, when she refused, she was beaten up. After this she was murdered. The dead body was found near Nature Park. Local social workers Raju Choubey and Ramakant Gupta, who live in Dharavi, said that Yashoda’s body was found near Nature Park in Dharavi on Thursday (Jan 5, 2023). The police had informed the girl’s parents, after which they accompanied them to the police station after coming to Mumbai and identified the murdered Hindu girl. Local people came out unitedly on the road and demonstrated against police inaction for such a horrific killing of an innocent Hindu girl under a truce of Love Jihad. Then, the Dharavi police registered a murder case on Saturday. Dharavi police is not yet ready to speak anything officially in this matter. A thorough investigation has been started in the matter…

           — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari [Return to headlines]
 

China’s Weibo Bans Sony’s Account

On January 4, Sony China’s Weibo account was suspended, the official reason being violating related laws. However, according to social media users in China, the account was suspended over a post from 2022 that was deemed an insult to martyr Qiu Shaoyun.

On October 12, 2022, Sony China posted a line from a poem by late Chairman Mao Zedong that said, “When the flowers were in full bloom, she smiled among the bushes.” The quote accompanied a photo of the head of a black dog in the midst of red flowers.

The verse was initially meant to praise the plum blossom during the snow and it symbolizes the tenacity of members of the Communist Party of China in the face of hardship. However, Chinese social media users deemed it an insult to Qiu Shaoyun, who sacrificed himself during the War to Resist US Aggression and help Korea when adversarial troops attacked using incendiary explosives as his team lay in wait to ambush.

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

Bizarre Moment Horse in the Backseat of a Car Goes Through McDonalds Drive-Thru: “He’s Excited for His ICE Cream”

In the clip, titled ‘Only in Australia’, a woman winds down her window to ask the driver carrying the pony, ‘is that a horse in your car?’

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Extinction Rebellion Members Arrested After Protest Against Tour Down Under Sponsor Santos

Two women have been arrested in Adelaide after glueing themselves to a pile of bikes in protest against oil and gas producer Santos being the title sponsor of the Tour Down Under cycling race.

Extinction Rebellion have planned 11 different protests during the Tour Down Under and began with a protest outside the Santos offices in central Adelaide close to the Tour Down Under village in Victoria Square.

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

Lidia Thorpe Kicks Off Massive Australia Day Debate as She Asks Her Followers ‘Who’s Celebrating Invasion, Murder and Theft This 26th January’

Outspoken Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe has one more waded into the debate over whether January 26 should be Australia’s national day saying there is ‘growing momentum’ for change.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Sydney Smashes 140-Year-Old Weather Record as City Fails to See a Day Hotter Than 30c in Almost a Year — So When is it Going to Get Warm Again?

Sydney has endured almost a year of sub-30-degree days, breaking a temperature record held for 140 years with the city just a few weeks away from shattering the data altogether.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

CCP Moves to Build Naval Base in Argentina’s Tierra Del Fuego

China is moving to build a naval base in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of Argentina, which would open the door to Antarctica for Beijing.

The base would give China control over the passage between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, allowing the Asian country to monitor communications throughout the southern hemisphere, according to Dialogo, a magazine published by US Southern Command.

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

Peru Police Officer Burned to Death in Patrol Car as Casualties From Violent Post-Election Protests Reaches 47

A police officer on patrol was attacked and burned to death by protesters in the Peruvian region of Puno, as the death toll from demonstrations in the wake of the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo rose to 47, authorities said Tuesday.

José Luis Soncco Quispe, 29, was on patrol with a fellow officer in Juliaca, a city near the border with Bolivia and Lake Titicaca, on Monday night when they were attacked by a mob that later set fire to their vehicle, according to police reports.

Soncco’s partner in the patrol car, Ronald Villasante Toque, said the men were “detained and physically attacked by some 350 protesters,” according to the reports.

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

France Backs Down: Macron Won’t Force Algeria and Other African Countries to Take Back Their Illegal Migrants

Last October, the 12-year-old Paris schoolgirl Lola was brutally raped and murdered by an Algerian national who was under a deportation order but had been left free to live on French soil. A few days after the crime, the French government spokesman, Olivier Véran, assured his fellow citizens that the government’s objective was to expel 100 percent of the citizens subject to deportation proceedings, a promise that had been made many times before.

In September 2021, shortly before the start of the French presidential campaign, Macron had already stated his willingness to force North African countries to take back their illegal migrants under an order to leave French territory.

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

Germany: Conservative AfD Leader Calls for ‘Closed Borders’ To Defend Welfare State Instead of Granting 2 Million Migrants Citizenship

Germany’s conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader, Alice Weidel, says Germany’s welfare state is under severe threat due to mass migration, and instead of granting citizenship to millions of migrants, the government should be closing the border.

Weidel says she sees the figures as an “unmistakable alarm signal for the welfare state.” The migration report shows “that the warnings of immigration into the welfare state instead of the labor market are more than justified.”

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

Green Party Politician Claims ‘Racist Resentment’ is Behind Germany Not Taking in Enough Labor Migrants

Only a fraction of the migrants applying for a residence permit for employment purposes in Germany received one last year, and German Green party politician Misbah Khan is now claiming that “racist resentment” is behind the development.

Die Welt reports that in 2021, around 40,000 foreigners obtained a residence permit for employment purposes, with the paper citing the federal government’s latest migration report. The vast majority of migrants who arrive in Germany are not labor migrants but asylum seekers.

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

Lithuania to Enshrine Push-Back Measures Against Illegal Migrants Into Law

The Lithuanian government has approved the push-back measures of migrants at its external borders proposed by the country’s Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite in a bid to curb the ongoing crisis.

Border guards have been turning illegal migrants away at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border under a decree of the interior minister signed back in August 2021, but the government wants to introduce legislation to reinforce the practice.

Draft amendments to the country’s existing immigration legislation are due to be sent to parliament immediately, and if approved, the practice will formally come into effect on June 1.

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

Migrants Are ‘Drinking All Day’, ‘Having Sex in the Stairs’ in Taxpayer-Funded New York Hotels: Whistleblower

An employee at Row, one of New York City’s best-known hotels, became a whistleblower Wednesday after he released video and photos of illegal immigrants trashing the hotel and leaving fresh food out to rot.

“It’s a disgrace,” Row NYC employee Felipe Rodriguez said on “The Ingraham Angle.”

“The chaos that we see at the Row today is [caused] by migrants being drunk, drinking all day, smoking marijuana [and] consuming drugs,” Rodriguez said.

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

Open Borders Ireland: Green Govt Minister Says Migrants Fleeing Climate Change Must be Let In

Ireland must prepare to grant asylum to migrants supposedly fleeing climate change, a government minister from the Green Party has declared.

Roderic O’Gorman, Ireland’s controversial Minister for Children, has declared that his country must make preparations to allow in a large number of migrants supposedly fleeing from the effects of climate change.

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

Over 217,000 Asylum Seekers Head to Germany in 2022, Highest Since 2016

The number of migrants seeking asylum in Germany, not including Ukrainians, hit a post-2016 record last year, according to data released by the left-liberal government.

Over 200,000 migrants sought asylum status in Germany in 2022, a press release from the German government said on Wednesday, with the leading European Union member-state seeing its highest number of applicants since 2016.

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

Report: U.S. Officials ‘Ran Out of Time’ Before Discussing Migration With Mexico

US cabinet officials reportedly “ran out of time” before they could formally discuss migration with Mexico as part of Joe Biden’s meeting with Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City on Monday.

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

“Gender Diverse Persons” Involved in Sexual Violence in Canada’s Prisons

A federal government research brief has found that “gender diverse persons” have been the victims and/or instigators of sexually coercive and violent incidents in Canadian prisons.

According to the Correctional Service Canada’s (CSC) research brief, victims and instigators of sexual coercion and violence within Canadian prisons are usually men, while women and gender-diverse persons were also involved in such incidents.

The report makes clear that incidents of sexual coercion and violence within Canadian prisons are chronically underreported and not reflective of the actual presence of sex crimes. Particularly, inmates in women’s institutions often wish to avoid involving the police for fear of backlash or retaliation for being an informer.

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

Canada: Catholic High School Issues Trespassing Notice to Suspended Student Who Opposed Boys in Girls’ Bathrooms

(LifeSiteNews) — Canadian high school student Josh Alexander, who was suspended from his Catholic school last year for protesting the allowance of gender-confused males into girls’ bathrooms, has now been served a trespass notice by his principal, according to a lawyer.

“He is currently not in school, as the principal has again suspended and even served him with a trespass notice in retaliation for Josh attending the two classes he was prohibited from,” wrote Liberty Coalition Canada (LCC) lawyer James Kitchen in an email sent to LifeSiteNews on Tuesday.

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

German Green Party Replaces Its Own White Male Justice Minister With Black Female Who Has No Law Degree or Political Experience

In the West, many of the White males who sign up for the agenda of multiculturalism, progressivism, and open borders are finding that they are too White and too male to be of use to the socio-political system any longer.

The latest case in Germany highlights this trend, where the Green party dismissed its own justice minister, Dirk Adams, in the German state of Thuringia. He was not found guilty of any wrongdoing, but instead was simply a male of the wrong skin color, which, by the Green party’s own admission, was the entire basis for his dismissal.

Adams will now be replaced by Afro-German Doreen Denstädt. Thuringia’s Minister-President Bodo Ramelow, of the Left Party, fired Adams, who was the Minister for Migration, Justice and Consumer Protection. The dismissal came about after the Green party directly requested him to be replaced by Denstädt, who has no law degree or political experience.

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

UK: Farage Defends JK Rowling Against Efforts to Turn Her Into a ‘Non-Person’ For Trans Views

Nigel Farage has defended JK Rowling against efforts to “cancel” her, despite her past abuse of him and opposition to Brexit.

“Come on, we all love Harry Potter, don’t we?” began Farage in a short video published to social media.

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

WEF Publishes Paper, Developed by a Big-Tech Coalition, About Tackling “Misinformation” and More

Over the past year or so, with a series of well-publicized (on its part at least) initiatives, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has definitely sought to place itself at the center of efforts to define principles and effectively regulate a wide range of digital issues.

While it was and remains unclear what authority this group of globalist, formally non-governmental and lobbying elites is drawing from, that work continues.

Ahead of this year’s gathering in Davos, the WEF and what it calls its Global Coalition for Digital safety have turned to global principles on digital safety, with a white paper now published on this subject.

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

4 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/12/2023

  1. .
    .

    SWEDISH JUDGES CERTAINLY DO NOT
    HAVE THEIR HEADS ON A SWIVEL

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    THE GOOD SOCIETY – 10 January, 2023

    MOHAMED OMAR:

    Politicians are allowed to criticise judgements

    French officer Alfred Dreyfus was charged with espionage and high treason in 1894. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on South America’s Devil’s Island just outside French Guiana.

    Dreyfus was of Jewish descent and the sentence was criticised by many as an expression of anti-Semitic beliefs.

    In an article entitled J’accuse (‘I accuse’) published on 13 January 1898 in the newspaper L’Aurore in 1898, the writer Émile Zola strongly attacked the sentence, which he considered to be a pure miscarriage of justice.

    Dreyfus was reinstated in 1906 and regained all his military decorations, while being made a knight of the Legion of Honour. He served during the First World War, and was awarded the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honour in 1918.

    This was thanks to leading French politicians, such as Georges Clemenceau, who publicly “reviewed” the sentence in order to stir up debate, influence opinion and correct the verdict.

    The open letter J’accuse was published in Clemenceau’s liberal newspaper. It was he who wrote the famous headline.

    Clemenceau went on to become France’s President of the Consulate (head of government) on two occasions, 1906-1909 and 1917-1920.
    According to two Swedish commentators [JUDGES], Hanna Werth, President of the Swedish Association of Judges, and Elin Carbell Brunner, member of the Board of the Swedish Association of Judges,
    …Clemenceau and other French politicians were wrong to publicly criticise the anti-Semitic verdict.

    ********
    This is not the way to do things in a good democracy, say the two experts.

    Politicians remaining silent about judgments is a “fundamental principle in any democratic state governed by the rule of law”.
    *********

    The views of Hanna Werth and Elin Carbell can be read in an article in Svenska Dagbladet: “Wrong when Jomshof speaks out about a judgment” (4/1 2023)

    The article is written as a comment on a recent case in which Richard Jomshof, Sweden Democrat Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Justice Committee, criticised a judgment.

    They write:

    “When the chairman of the Justice Committee, Richard Jomshof, criticises a judgment and a court, it is not only inappropriate. It is also wrong and dangerous. Rikard Jomshof himself says that it is his duty to react, but on the contrary, he has a duty not to speak out publicly.”

    Wrong, it writes. Unclear whether they mean legally or morally wrong or what?

    So the article’s authors claim to be defending a “fundamental principle of all democratic constitutional states”.

    Hanna Werth and Elin Carbell are spreading falsehoods. There is no law or rule in Sweden that says that politicians are not allowed to comment on judgments. On the contrary, we have something called freedom of speech, a “fundamental principle of all democratic constitutional states”, to paraphrase the two experts.

    There is no such moral rule either. On the contrary, I understand that the Swedish people see it as moral to criticise unjust judgments.

    Politicians may of course criticise judgments, for example as part of an opinion-forming campaign to change the law.

    What the constitution stipulates is that the Riksdag may not decide how a court should rule in individual cases. See Chapter 11 of the Swedish Constitution under “Independence of the judiciary”:

    “Section 3 No authority, including Parliament, may determine how a court shall adjudicate in an individual case or how a court shall otherwise apply a rule of law in a particular case. Nor may any other authority determine the allocation of judicial tasks among individual judges. Act (2010:1408).”

    Mohamed Omar

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  2. This is a Tim Pool episode with Rep. Matt Gaetz from tonight.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q2dgVuS2QY

    At a little over 30 minutes in two things surprised me. Matt Gaetz saying there are more Chinese with over $2,000,000 in their bank accounts than there are total Canadians and the Chinese are buying a lot of Russian farm land.

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