A man named Mohammad Mesmarian crashed his car through the gate of a solar power station in Las Vegas, and then set fire to it in a generator pit in an apparent attempt to damage a major transformer. Mr. Mesmarian was arrested a short time later about thirty miles away. The incident has a Mohammed Coefficient of 100%.
In other news, according to the United Nations, food prices reached a record high in 2022.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Caroline Glick, Dean, JW, LP, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, SS, Vlad Tepes, 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.
Canada Sinks Into $41 Million Trade Deficit Defying Growth Expectations
The latest Statistics Canada data on merchandise exports show Canada entering into a $41 million trade deficit in November despite predictions of growth the month prior.
Statistics Canada’s report Canadian international merchandise trade, November 2022 shows that exports fell by 2.3% with imports also decreasing by 2.1%.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Food Prices Were at Record Highs in 2022, U.N. Says
Global food prices reached record-high levels in 2022, the United Nations said this week, marking a sustained period of sharply elevated commodities amid historic worldwide unrest and economic turmoil.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said in a press release that “many commodities are still at record highs” even as overall prices declined modestly through the end of the year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Companies have doubled the amount they keep back as a buffer this year to an average of £249, according to comparison website Uswitch.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
6 Arrested Following Funeral of Mall of America Shooting Victim
6 men were arrested following the funeral of Johntae Hudson — the victim of the fatal Dec. 23 shooting at Mall of America — on Friday, St. Paul police said. One of the men was later released, according to police.
Another man that attended the funeral, who is wanted in connection with a separate non-fatal shooting on Dec. 14 in St. Paul, is still wanted, according to police.
St. Paul police were present outside the church and cemetery services for Hudson’s funeral to ensure the environment was safe and secure for everybody present. During the services, officers saw a man in possession of a handgun as well as the wanted shooting suspect.
The two men were seen leaving the cemetery and getting into an SUV with five other men. The SUV pulled into a gas station off of Dale Street N and Larpenteur Avenue W. Officers tried to stop the vehicle to arrest the two men.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Some people think that violent crime almost never happens in small towns. The reality is that horrific crimes do sometimes occur in sleepy, small towns, including the wholesale slaughter of entire families. While we read more about what happens in places like Philadelphia, Portland, Chicago and their endless parade of violent crime, bad things happen in small town America, too.
In the teeming metropolis of Elderon, Wisconsin (pop. 159), a 79-year-old man was accosted outside his home at 2:30 a.m. as he stepped out of his car. It seems his attacker followed him home intent on robbing the older man.
Unbeknownst to the attacker, the homeowner carried a pistol. Police say that Mr. Homeowner, after being stabbed in the face, shot Alexander T. Watters once in the chest.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
AstraZeneca Treatment Likely Ineffective Against Rising COVID Variant, FDA Says
A key COVID-19 preventative treatment is likely ineffective against a rising COVID variant, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
The FDA in its Friday roundup noted that COVID variant XBB.1.5 “is currently estimated to account for 28% of circulating variants in the U.S.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Admin Pressured Facebook to Censor Tucker Carlson: Report
Joe Biden’s White House pressured Facebook to censor Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson for criticizing Covid vaccines, internal documents released by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry revealed on Friday.
In an April 14, 2021 email to an unidentified Facebook employee, White House Director of Digital Strategy Rob Flaherty complained of Carlson saying the Covid vaccines “don’t work,” as well as citing fellow conservative commentator Tomi Lahren’s public vow to pass up on the jab.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Pasadena doctor charged with the attempted murder of his wife and their two young children by intentionally driving their Tesla off the slide of a 250ft cliff has been pictured today for the first time.
Dharmesh A. Patel, 42, works as a radiologist at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Pasadena.
He is accused of intentionally driving his white Tesla Model Y off a cliff known as Devil’s Slide on Monday near San Francisco, during a trip north.
Miraculously, all four members of the family — Patel, his wife Neha and their kids aged four and seven — survived without any serious injuries.
Initially, there were questions over whether the car — which is famous for its self-driving technology — had gone rogue and taken the family off the road by mistake.
Now, some are asking whether the vehicle — which has airbags adjacent to the two front seats in addition to in front of them — actually saved them.
On Tuesday, police charged Patel with attempted homicide and child abuse, alleging that the incident was an attempted murder-suicide gone wrong.
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
California Concealed Carry Holder Shoots Ax-Wielding Attacker on His Property
Police in the northern part of California’s central valley say that an ax-wielding man was shot after allegedly attacking a property owner who has a concealed-carry permit.
In a Facebook post, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department says deputies received a call Tuesday evening of an assault taking place in the city of Dos Palos, California.
On the way to the scene of the incident, deputies were informed by dispatch that the victim was a legally permitted CCW holder who shot the adult male in self-defense.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Court Rules Liability Protections Apply to Police Union Message Boards
The US Communications Decency Act (CDA) Section 230 continues to crop up in court cases across the country, sometimes with significantly varied interpretations by the judicial authorities of this legislation, passed over 30 years ago.
And now — given the way it has been attacked, supported, and “explained” from many corners — to make matters worse, mostly depending on those corners’ political affiliation rather than commitment to the rule of law — it can be said that Section 230 has become truly controversial.
Here is another case where it has been invoked — a (now former) female police officer in East Hartford, Connecticut, who accused her employer of workplace harassment based on sexism.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin broke his silence with a heartwarming statement where he thanked all those who prayed for him and said the bright side of his ordeal was bringing the world back together.
Hamlin collapsed on the field during the Monday night football game and received CPR on the field for nine minutes. He said: “When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much.
The love has been overwhelming but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out. We brung the world back together behind this. If you know me you know this only gonna make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Delta Introduces Facial Recognition to Match With Digital ID for More “Convenient” Travel
Delta Airlines has combined its airport face biometrics with in-flight personalization in a new platform dubbed Delta Sync.
Those that choose to opt-in to having their face scanned get more “convenient” features such as “seamless baggage drop, security, and boarding without the hassle of pulling out their ID or boarding pass.”
Delta will be using customers’ face biometrics to “check in” passengers and match their faces to their digital ID, which will include passport and TSA PreCheck.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries Claims 5 Police Officers Died ‘As a Result of’ Jan. 6 Riot
Newly elected House Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries repeated a controversial claim Saturday that multiple police officers died as a result of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, an allegation that cites both suicides and natural deaths as fatalities in connection with the incident.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Restores General Mike Flynn’s Twitter Account, Left Implodes
Twitter boss Elon Musk has restored the account of Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, triggering a meltdown from the Left.
Flynn’s account was restored on Friday, the two-year anniversary of Jan. 6, causing leftist Twitter users to implode with rage.
President Donald Trump’s former national security advisor was banned by Twitter’s “woke” moderators.
Like many others, Flynn was banned for supposedly violating Twitter’s “coordinated harmful activity” policy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eric Swalwell, Pramila Jayapal Claim to Fear ‘Workplace Violent Event’ From House GOP
Democrat Representatives Eric Swalwell and Pramila Jayapal in an interview released Friday shared their fears of living in a “QAnon reality” where their possibly-armed Republican colleagues could become “violent” in the workplace.
Speaking with left-wing outlet Raw Story, Swalwell called his fellow lawmakers of the opposing party “unstable,” and shared his worries of being a victim of a “workplace violent event.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: Trump Suggests Biden Provoked Putin Into Invading Ukraine
Saturday night, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, former President Donald Trump suggested that Joe Biden influenced Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine in February 2022.
Speaking of Biden, Trump said in video posted by Jack Posobiec on Instagram, “We have a man who has no mind left and his mind in prime time wasn’t any good, but he has no mind left. And this is the guy negotiating for us. We have a man that convinced Putin to go into Ukraine.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: Donald Trump Slams Arrest of Ashli Babbitt’s Mother
Speaking at an event at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday evening, Donald Trump slammed the Biden regime over the arrest of Ashli Babbitt’s mother. Ashli Babbitt was killed by a United States Capitol Police officer on Jan. 6.
Witthoeft was arrested outside of the Capitol on Friday, the two-year anniversary of her daughter’s death.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fauci Responds to Alleged Upcoming “Fauci Files,” Says “Disinformation” Is the “Enemy”
Although Dr. Anthony Fauci retired from his government post last month, he is still talking. On Sunday, Twitter CEO Elon Musk tweeted that he would release “Fauci Files,” which could shed light on any communication between the company and the former top government expert on infectious diseases or the department that he ran.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Flouting Congress, DoD, Army Maintains Military COVID Vax Mandate on Guard, Reserves
The U.S. Army is continuing to enforce the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on the National Guard and Reserves, despite the recent abandonment of the controversial and legally shaky order by Congress and the Pentagon itself.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) is suing President Joe Biden for sending a half billion U.S. taxpayer dollars in Palestinian aid without making sure that the Palestinian Authority is not funding terrorism.
The lawsuit was filed by America First Legal (AFL), a government watchdog group. The plaintiffs include victims of terrorism along with Jackson.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed conservative activist Christopher Rufo and five others to the New College of Florida Board of Trustees in his continuing move to eliminate “political ideology” from public higher education.
With the six new members of the school’s Board of Trustees, the DeSantis administration plans to weed out concepts like diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory (CRT). The move comes amid low student enrollment at the New College of Florida and as DeSantis ramps up his second term.
In a statement Friday, DeSantis Communications Director Taryn Fenske said New College has been “completely captured by a political ideology that puts trendy, truth-relative concepts above learning.”
“Starting today, the ship is turning around,” DeSantis Press Secretary Bryan Griffin continued. “New College of Florida, under the Governor’s new appointees, will be refocused on its founding mission of providing a world-class quality education with an exceptional focus on the classics.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Here Are the Concessions McCarthy Had to Make for Speakership
After four grueling days and 15 votes, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is finally Speaker of the House — but not without having made a pile of concessions to a group of hard-line Republicans who think he’ll be too accommodating to uniparty interests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Houston police are searching for a man who fatally shot a masked robber Thursday night who entered a Mexican restaurant brandishing what appeared to be a handgun and allegedly demanded the customers hand over their money.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jan. 6 Prisoners Claim Guards Abused Them, Denied Them Medical, Religious Services: GOP Rep. Nehls
On the two-year anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, disturbance at the U.S. Capitol, Texas Republican Rep. Troy Nehls revealed that the imprisoned participants in that incidents complained to him of abuse from their guards and claimed they had been denied access to religious services and medical treatment.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Journalist Threatens to Sue ‘Adam Schiff Personally for Defamation’
Independent journalist Paul Sperry threatened to sue Adam Schiff personally for defamation after the Twitter files released by Elon Musk showed Schiff trying to get Sperry banned from Twitter in what all consider a violation of the US Constitution. Sperry wrote:
“Back from holiday vacation, I found an interesting email waiting for me in my inbox from Matt Taibbi, the independent journo Elon Musk tasked with reviewing and releasing internal Twitter documents about decisions to censor content and ban users from the platform.
“Paul,” Taibbi wrote, “just found a crazy email on Twitter — did you know Adam Schiff’s staff . . . asked Twitter to have you banned?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kenosha Man Sentenced for Injuring Officer During 2020 Jacob Blake Protests
A Kenosha man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for throwing a brick and knocking a police officer unconscious during the 2020 protests that were sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Ashton Howard, 29, pleaded guilty to the charge of obstructing an officer engaged in official duties during a civil disorder. In addition to the five years in prison, he’ll also serve three years on supervised release and is required to pay $29,000 in restitution related to the medical expenses for the injured officer.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kevin McCarthy Brings Down House With Joke After Finally Winning Speaker Vote
Kevin McCarthy brought down the house last night with a funny joke after he finally won the election to be the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. Kevin fought through 15 rounds of voting before winning the job.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has put Liz Cheney and her allies on the now-disbanded Jan. 6 House Committee on notice after her family’s Social Security information was leaked.
The Cheney-led Jan. panel released the Social Security numbers of hundreds of Americans, including President Donald Trump’s former staffers and several other top Republican officials.
The now-disbanded Committee told the Washington Post that 1,900 Social Security numbers belonging to people who visited the White House in December 2020 were “inadvertently” published without redaction.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
L.A. Times Reporter Dies Unexpectedly at 33
Los Angeles Times reporter Gregory Yee was found dead in his home this week, the newspaper reported in an obituary of the 33-year-old.
Yee’s family told the paper the reporter’s cause of death “appeared to be complications from a respiratory issue.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police responded to a call about a trespasser at the Invenergy solar plant north of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and when the officers arrived, they found a car ablaze in a generator pit, 8 News Now reports.
Las Vegas Metro police alleged that Mohammad Mesmarian, 34, who was arrested on Thursday 30 miles from the scene, had snuck into the plant and set his Toyota Camry on fire as he sat and watched the blaze.
Mesmarian reportedly told police that he had burned the car at a Tesla plant and that he did it ‘for the future.’
The attack on the Vegas plant comes amid recent attacks on power stations across the US, including on in Washington State that left thousands without power on Christmas Day.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
McCarthy Elected Speaker of the House After 15 Rounds
Update (0030 ET): After a dramatic 14th vote which saw Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) Kevin McCarthy’s 14th bid for House Speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has finally won — ending a dramatic impasse.
The vote is still ongoing, but at least five of the GOP holdouts — including Gaetz, voted ‘present’ on the 15th ballot, giving McCarthy just enough votes to stumble over the finish line.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
McCarthy’s First Order of Business is to ‘Repeal Funding for 87,000 New IRS Agents’
Representative Kevin McCarthy of California was voted Speaker of the House late Friday night after 15 rounds of voting, and in his acceptance speech he said the first act of the 118th Congress under his leadership will be to “appeal the funding for 87,000 new IRS agents.”
“I know the night is late,” McCarthy said. “But when we come back, our very first bill will appeal the funding for 87,000. You see, we believe government should be to help you not go after you.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Media Blackout Over Terror Incident at Vegas Power Plant
The US power grid is under attack as extremists shoot, sabotage, and vandalize electrical equipment at power stations. One of the highest-profile attacks was when two men used guns to paralyze a substation in Washington state on Christmas Day, leaving thousands without electricity. The incident made national news, but strangely enough, another attack last week on the Las Vegas power grid went unnoticed by the national press.
Mohammad Mesmarian, 34, rammed his car through the gate of a solar power generation plant outside Las Vegas on Wednesday and set his car on fire, intending to damage a massive transformer, 8 News Now reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mike Rogers Lunges at Matt Gaetz for Voting ‘Present’ And Handing Kevin McCarthy His 14th Defeat
Alabama Republican Rep Mike Rogers was seen lunging at Matt Gaetz on Friday night for voting “present” and denying Kevin McCarthy the speakership for the 14th time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYC Subway Crime Spikes 30% Despite Beefed Up Transit Patrols
Send in the Ninja Turtles.
Subway crime in the New York City has jumped 30% in 2022 vs. one year ago, outpacing the 22% jump in major crimes across the city over the same period, Bloomberg reports, citing police data released this week.
The crime wave comes as an embarrassment to NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D) who deployed thousands of additional police patrols in the transit system in order to to reduce crime and put riders at ease.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Oops He Did it Again: Biden Incorrectly Claims Jan. 6 Attack Happened on July 6
President Joe Biden appeared Driday to forget the date of the infamous Capitol riot, claiming at one point that it took place months later than it actually did.
Biden on Friday was delivering remarks at a commemoration event of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot which occurred exactly two years earlier.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Homeowner Shoots Suspected Intruder, Holds Him at Gunpoint Until Deputies Arrive
A homeowner in Bosque County, Texas, near Dallas shot an intruder and held him at gunpoint until deputies arrived, according to reports.
The suspect, identified as William Wayne Strauser, was found on a sidewalk along with the homeowner outside the homeowner’s house with a gunshot wound to his right leg last Tuesday before 7 p.m., according to FOX 44.
Strauser was arrested and treated at a hospital and booked into the Bosque County Jail.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
44-Year-Old Montreal Man Died Attempting to Cross Into the US Via Roxham Road
A 44-year-old Montreal man has died attempting to cross the illegal Roxham Road border crossing into the US.
On Friday, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) announced that the body of Fritznel Richard was discovered by a US border services helicopter on the Canadian side of the border.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jordan Peterson: I Will Risk My Licence to Escape Social Media Re-Education
The Ontario College of Psychologists wants to retrain me to behave properly — and this should concern everyone
Author of the article:
Jordan Peterson, Special to National Post
The practice of psychology in Ontario, and in many other North American and western jurisdictions, is subject to regulation by “professional colleges” — essentially governmental organizations with a mandate to protect the public from misconduct on the part of physicians, lawyers, social workers, dentists, pharmacists, teachers, architects and many others, including (and most relevant to me) clinical psychologists.
Anyone anywhere in the world can levy a complaint to these regulatory bodies for any reason, regardless of whether the complainant has had any direct contact with the professional in question. The respective colleges have the responsibility to determine whether each complaint is serious and credible enough to warrant further investigation. Complaints can be deemed vexatious or frivolous and dispensed with. When the college decides to move forward, it is a serious move, essentially equivalent to a lawsuit. The Ontario College of Psychologists in fact recommends legal counsel under such conditions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Arrested for Attempted Murder While Already on Release for Attempted Murder
Region of Peel — Investigators from the 11 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau have arrested a 22-year-old man with history of violence for attempted murder following a December shooting in Mississauga.
On Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at approximately 2:18 a.m., police responded to reports of shots fired in the area of Tenth Line West and Derry Road in Mississauga. On arrival, police learned that an altercation took place between several individuals, which escalated when someone was assaulted, and multiple shots were fired. Fortunately, no one was struck by gunfire; however, one victim suffered minor injuries as a result of the altercation.
Detectives identified the shooter as Elijah Simpson-Sweeney. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and with the assistance of the North Bay Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police, he was arrested on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
[Comment: Hat tip to VivaFrei, who commented, “Man arrested for attempted murder, while out on bail, for … Attempted murder. Meanwhile, the convoy organizers were locked up for months in pretrial detention on non-violent mischief charges.”]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nearly Three in Ten Canadians No Longer Interested in Getting a COVID Shot
A new poll found that more Canadians than ever are not interested in getting another Covid-19 shot.
The survey was conducted by Ipsos for Global News and included 1,004 adults contacted between Dec. 14 and Dec. 16, 2022.
Although 58% of people polled said they had recently been vaccinated, nearly 30% indicated they don’t plan on getting a shot.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Read Jordan Peterson’s Tweets That Prompted Complaints to Psychologists’ College
Jordan Peterson is no stranger to controversy.
The Canadian psychologist and cultural commentator has waded into any number of battles since he first rose to fame several years ago.
But now, his incendiary remarks about climate change, whether or not overweight people are attractive and gender dysphoria, have landed him in trouble with the Ontario College of Psychologists — the professional body that regulates the behaviour of clinical psychologists.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Engineering Company Opening Shop in Alberta Citing “Uptick of Business”
Despite claims by NDP leader Rachel Notley that Premier Danielle Smith’s Sovereignty Act would drive business away from Alberta, a US engineering company that supplies the energy industry is opening up shop in Clairmont.
Vulcan Industrial cited “rising demand” as a reason behind the Houston-based company’s decision to open up shop in Western Alberta.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese Geolocating Device Found in UK Govt Car Used to Transport Senior Politicians: Report
A Chinese geolocating tracking device was reportedly discovered in a British government car that would be used by high-level officials including cabinet ministers, raising further concerns about Chinese espionage in the UK.
According to a report from the i newspaper, government cars have been “dismantled surgically down to the last nut and bolt” by intelligence officials after at least one Chinese SIM card with the capability of transmitting location data was found hidden in a car used by senior politicians and diplomats.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The French government wanted a modernist redesign of Notre-Dame, according to its former culture minister, with President Macron’s wife pitching a new spire resembling male genitalia.
Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, who served as Minister for Culture under Prime Minister Jean Castex and, by extension, President Emmanuel Macron from 2020 to 2022, claims in her autobiography that the government wanted to make some sort of modernist statement in the rebuild of the fire-damaged 800-year-old cathedral, The Times reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Cyber Defense Chief Suddenly Fired
Schönbohm was ousted from his office and transferred to another one. Schönbohm’s “crime” was that as head of the BSI, he is said to have maintained contacts with the so-called Cyber Security Council Germany (CSRD eV), which in turn is said to have connections to Russian secret service circles. Such contacts are common and understandable from a security perspective.
Not so for the German Minister of the Interior: She has now withdrawn Schönbohm from the BSI and instead made him head of the Federal Academy for Public Administration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Scientists: Mystery Ingredient Behind Romans’ Durable Concrete Uncovered
The ancient Romans perfected the use of concrete, and researchers believe they have found the ingredient that made it so strong.
Researchers analyzed 2,000-year-old samples from the archeological site of Privernum, in Italy, and say the pieces are apparently similar to concrete found in other areas of the Roman Empire, CNN reported Friday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The UK government plans to update the 2017 Digital Economy Act to allow departments to more easily share citizens’ personal data in an attempt to support the rollout of One Login, a new digital platform for accessing public services that is expected to roll out in the next two years.
The proposal was unveiled this week by the Cabinet Office, the aim being making “identity verification” a specified objective and to update the law to “enable public bodies to share a wider range of specified data than is currently possible.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Top Cancer Expert: Aggressive Cancers Appearing After Vaccine Boosters “Not a Coincidence”
There follows the transcript of a new video put out by top cancer specialist Dr. Angus Dalgleish, who is very concerned that the Covid boosters appear to be causing cancers, an adverse effect which he says “does not look like a coincidence”.
I’m Angus Dalgleish. I’m a Professor of Oncology at St. George’s, a Consultant Medical Oncologist, and I have started to notice that several of my patients have melanoma who’ve been stable with stage 4 disease, they’ve had very good immunotherapy or other treatment and I’ve been reviewing them from five to 20 years. I’ve noticed that I have now over six, possibly seven, even an eighth yesterday, who’ve clearly relapsed following the booster vaccine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Caroline Glick: Does the Israeli Left Protect Israel From the International Left?
Does the Israeli left protect Israel from international condemnation and prosecution? This has been the left’s key claim for more than a generation. From former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak to opposition leader Yair Lapid and his colleagues, to the last of Israel’s leftist reporters, commentators and activists, all major and minor operatives on the Israeli left have long insisted that if our elected leaders stray from the left’s positions on either domestic or strategic issues, the gates of hell will open to Israel on the international stage. They are Israel’s protective vest, shielding us from the hostile forces at our doorstep.
In the week since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government took office, this assertion has been made twice. First, they made it in relation to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount early Tuesday morning. And second, they raised in in response to Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s proposal for judicial reform, which he presented at a press conference Wednesday night.
Ahead of Ben-Gvir’s much-anticipated, but unannounced visit to Judaism’s most sacred site early Tuesday morning, Lapid and his protean choir in the media warned that if Ben-Gvir dared to set foot on the Temple Mount, Hamas would fulfill its threat to bomb Israel and the international community would blame Israel for the terror regime’s wanton aggression. The clear insinuation was that if Ben-Gvir failed to bow to Hamas’s threats, and went ahead with his plan to visit the Temple Mount, any future Hamas aggression would be Israel’s fault.
Although Hamas has yet to launch a new missile campaign against Israel from its terror state in Gaza, Israel has been subjected to a diplomatic pile-on that has included friends like the United States and enemies like the Palestinian Authority along with the UAE, Jordan, the U.K., the EU and Egypt. On Thursday, at the UAE’s request, the U.N. Security Council convened a special session to condemn Israel for Ben-Gvir’s visit.
But the thing of it is, the condemnations have nothing to do with anything that Ben-Gvir did…
| — Hat tip: Caroline Glick | [Return to headlines] |
Islamists’ Grip on Power in Iran Weakening as Protesters Demand Regime Change: Experts
At the onset of 2023, the Islamist regime in Iran is facing an unprecedented threat to its hold on power from anti-government protests that continue to rage across the country, according to experts closely monitoring the situation.
That doesn’t mean regime change is coming imminently, they note, although prominent Iranian pro-opposition figures in exile have predicted 2023 will be a year of “victory” with the government shaken by demonstrations.
Instead, analysts argue, the world is witnessing an early stage of a process that will yield significant change — if not revolution — inside Iran.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WhatsApp, the messaging platform owned by Meta, is introducing a new feature to help users bypass internet controls imposed by repressive governments.
The move follows a string of internet shutdowns by Iranian authorities in an attempt to quash dissent and clamp down on anti-government protests.
WhatsApp wrote in a blog post on Thursday: “Disruptions like we’ve seen in Iran for months on end deny people’s human rights and cut people off from receiving urgent help. In case these shutdowns continue, we hope this solution helps people wherever there is a need for secure and reliable communication.”
On Twitter, WhatsApp announced the new feature in Persian, Iran’s official language.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Explosions Heard in Kiev-Controlled City of Zaporozhye — Politician
At least four blasts were heard and an air raid alarm went off after the first one, Vladimir Rogov said
MELITOPOL, January 7. /TASS/. Several blasts sounded in the city of Zaporozhye controlled by the Kiev regime on Saturday evening, Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the We Are Together with Russia movement reported.
“It’s loud in Zaporozhye! From 23:00 (same time as Moscow’s), explosions have been heard in the regional center temporarily occupied by the Zelensky regime,” he wrote on his Telegram channel noting that at least four blasts were heard and an air raid alarm went off after the first one.
Ukraine’s Zerkalo nedeli news outlet also reported the explosions in Zaporozhye on its Telegram channel.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Fighting Rages in Ukraine on Orthodox Christmas Despite Vladimir Putin’s Call for Truce
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky hails new Western aid package as ‘exactly what is needed’
KYIV, Ukraine—Fighting raged in eastern Ukraine on Orthodox Christmas despite a Russian call for a cease-fire, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the largest package of military aid from the U.S. and its allies as “timely and strong.”
The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said Russian troops had launched attacks along the front line in the eastern Donetsk region after President Vladimir Putin called for a 36-hour pause in hostilities that was to last through Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
It’s High Time to Prepare for Russia’s Collapse
Not planning for the possibility of disintegration betrays a dangerous lack of imagination.
Ever since Russia’s attempt to take Kyiv and install a puppet government failed in the early days of the war, a defeat for the Kremlin in Ukraine has looked increasingly likely. What’s stunning after almost a year of war, therefore, is the near-total absence of any discussion among politicians, policymakers, analysts, and journalists of the consequences of defeat for Russia. It is a dangerous lack of imagination, considering the potential for Russia’s collapse and disintegration.
In fact, the combination of a failed war abroad and a brittle, strained system at home is increasing the likelihood of some sort of implosion with every passing day. Regardless of whether this will be good or bad for the West, it’s an outcome policymakers should prepare for.
There are various scenarios for what might happen in Russia after defeat in Ukraine becomes even clearer. Most likely is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s departure from office, followed by a vicious power struggle among the extreme right-wing nationalists who want to continue the war effort and destroy the existing political hierarchy, authoritarian conservatives who have a stake in the system, and a resurgent semi-democratic movement committed to ending the war and reforming Russia. We don’t know who will win, but we can confidently predict that the power struggle will weaken the regime and distract Russia from what remains of its war effort. In turn, a weakened regime, in conjunction with a malfunctioning economy, will invite disgruntled Russians to take to the streets, perhaps even with arms, and encourage some of the non-Russian political units comprising the Russian Federation to opt for greater self-rule; leading candidates include Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Chechnya, Dagestan, and Sakha. If Russia survives this turmoil, it’s likely to become a weak client state of China. If it does not, the map of Eurasia could look very different.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine War: Zelenskyy Hails US Aid, Abramovich Wealth ‘Reorganisation’, Orthodox Christmas
1. ‘Exactly what is needed’: Zelenskyy hails US military aid
Ukraine’s president praised the US on Friday for promising to supply it with tank-killing armoured vehicles, as part of a new multibillion-dollar package of military aid.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said they are “exactly what is needed” for Ukrainian troops as they battle Russia’s invading force.
On Friday, the White House announced its latest raft of military assistance for Kyiv, the biggest to date.
The 2.85 billion dollar package included Bradley armoured vehicles — known as tank-killers since they can fire anti-tank missiles — for the first time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wells Fargo Fires Vice President for Urinating on Woman on Plane
Wells Fargo fired a Vice President for urinating on a woman on a plane.
Shankar Mishra worked for Wells Fargo at its Mumbai corporate office.
He was the bank’s vice president of operations in India.
He was fired for urinating on a 72-year-old woman while they both flew business class on an Air India flight.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The woman, in her 70s, was at the Elsternwick supermarket, south-east of the city centre, in December when a middle-aged stranger in a dark jacket noticed her Star of David jewellery.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Rajwinder Singh, 38, has been accused of murdering the 24-year-old teenager on Wangetti Beach, in far north Queensland, in October 2018.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Protests Erupt in Ireland Over Government Housing Migrants in School
Protests erupted in a part of Dublin on Tuesday after it was discovered that the Irish government had moved migrants into a local school without telling parents.
Parents are said to have gathered at the entrance to a local school in a suburb of Dublin on Tuesday evening after it was discovered that the Irish government repurposed the school to become a temporary migrant shelter.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Diversity Through Obscurity: Applicants Told to Delete Names of Schools on Their Resumes
Authored by Jonathan Turley
Colleges and universities have been implementing controversial new diversity reforms, including dropping standardized test scores, that eliminate objective criteria in academic admissions or advancement.
Now, HR&A Advisors, the TriBeCa-based real estate consultancy, has drawn attention to its LinkedIn posting asking applicants to remove “all undergraduate and graduate school name references” from their résume’s. In order to achieve diversity goals, the company wants applicants to only list the degree and not where it came from. It is equity through obscurity. It is as irrational to eliminate any consideration of an academic institution as it is to rely exclusively on the academic institution.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Female Swimming Champion Comes Out as Trans, Switches to Men’s Team, Gets Wrecked
A biological female swimming champion has switched to the men’s team after coming out as transgender, only to get wrecked by male competitors.
22-year-old Iszac Henig is an Ivy League All-American swimmer who went from pool shark to scrub after “transitioning” from female to male.
The situation is the reverse of controversial Pennsylvania University swimmer Lia Thomas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
SC, ID: Two States, Two Very Different High Court Rulings on Abortion Laws
Thursday brought two very different state supreme court rulings on the constitutionality of anti-abortion laws: The Idaho Supreme Court upheld multiple laws and the South Carolina Supreme Court rejected a six-week abortion law.
Thursday’s South Carolina ruling was the first such finding of a state-level right to abortion since last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court overturning of Roe v Wade. That June decision rightly restored jurisdiction over abortion policy to state governments and courts.
In a 3-2 vote, the South Carolina Supreme Court said the state’s ban of abortions after six weeks violated rights that were implied by the state constitution’s protection of privacy. As a result, abortion will be legal in the Palmetto State up to 20 weeks into pregnancy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
You are delusional if you think Russia is losing. Sone things in Russia have actually improved – all the pro West intellectual and arty losers have gone to the west and will not be allowed to return. Many in Russia very happy. We should be so lucky to get rid of our whinging left wing elites who hate us. How we can we organise a situation where they would leave? Unfortunately, they are making too much money bleeding us dry to give it up easily.
Russia has also started shipping grain via the Caspian sea through Iran to the Indian ocean – Genius. Have a look at the map.
They have also opened a new pipeline into the Power of Siberia pipeline into China.
Losing? I don’t think so.