Scottish hospitals are nearly full, due to an unprecedented wave of seasonal flu, according to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Meanwhile, the flu epidemic has hit Dutch hospitals particularly hard, due to a high level of absenteeism among medical staff.
In other news, California is facing a budget deficit of $24 billion as the USA heads into recession.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, Fjordman, LP, 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.
Sydney home values led the record downturn, falling 13 per cent from their highest point. Brisbane prices have plummeted 10 per cent and Melbourne values have tanked 8.6 per cent.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Goldman Sachs is expected to cut around 3,200 jobs starting as soon as Wednesday, as it braces for tough economic conditions, including recessions in many key markets.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
California Facing $24B Budget Shortfall Amid Economic Uncertainty
California’s government is facing an estimated budget deficit of $24 billion this year, a stark reversal from the record-setting surpluses that the state saw in recent years which comes amid ongoing inflation and heightened fears of a looming recession.
California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), which provides state officials with nonpartisan budget forecasts, warned in a report that the state faces a projected $24 billion deficit in 2023-24 mainly because tax revenues are about $41 billion lower than expected.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
17-Year-Old Athlete Dies Suddenly After ‘Freakish Medical Situation’
A 17-year-old athlete has died suddenly in Wyoming after suffering a “freakish medical situation,” according to reports.
Max Sorenson was a celebrated basketball player who also loved wake surfing, wakeboarding, and playing golf.
However, the hard-working young athlete died unexpectedly at his home in Gillette on December 26.
Sorenson was rushed to the Campbell County Memorial Hospital where was pronounced dead.
Campbell County Coroner Paul Wallem told the Cowboy State Daily that the teen’s sudden death would not be investigated as a suicide or homicide.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After Her Second Defeat, Stacey Abrams Reveals She ‘Will Likely Run Again’
During her appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams revealed her intentions to run for political office again.
The failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate appeared on the talk show Monday where the topic focused on Abrams’ voter initiatives. Barrymore, who previously called Abrams an “amazing” gamechanger, questioned whether she plans to run for office.
“So what’s next? Are you gonna run again? Do we get to look forward to this and galvanize again?” Barrymore asked.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alabama Woman Who Joined ISIS Hoping to be Allowed Back in the US
A woman who left Alabama to join the Islamic State in 2014 now says she regrets her actions and is hoping to return to the United States.
“If I need to sit in prison, and do my time, I will do it.… I won’t fight against it,” Hoda Muthana, now 28, told The News Movement from the Roj detention camp in Syria, according to The Associated Press. “I’m hoping my government looks at me as someone young at the time and naive.”
Muthana, who was born in New Jersey to Yemeni immigrants and was raised in Alabama, ran away from home at the age of 20 to join ISIS. Raised in a conservative Muslim household, she told her family she was going on a school trip but instead flew to Turkey and crossed into Syria using funds from secretly cashed tuition checks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
American Heart Association: mRNA Shots Linked to Myocarditis
The American Heart Association (AHA) has published research that suggests mRNA shots are linked to cases of myocarditis.
The AHA published a bombshell report on a study conducted by Harvard Medical School.
In the study, Harvard Med researches discovered a link between the spike antigen in the shot itself and myocarditis.
The research suggests that the spike antigen could be a trigger for myocarditis, which can be fatal.
Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium), according to Mayo Clinic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Caught on Camera Apparently Mistaking Salvation Army for Secret Service During El Paso Trip
President Biden visited the US-Mexico border for the first time in his presidency — and the first verified border trip during his decades in politics — at El Paso, Texas, on Sunday.
The president spoke with members of the Border Patrol, walked along the towering wall separating Texas from Mexico, and visited a migrants center.
As the president walked in at the migrants center, a woman said, “And here we have the folks from the Salvation Army.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Administration Unveils Defense of Student Loan Forgiveness Plan at Supreme Court
The Biden administration launched a defense of its student loan forgiveness plan before the Supreme Court. In its opening brief submitted Wednesday evening, the Education Department argued that its debt-relief has “clear authorization” under current law.
The Supreme Court said it will hear oral arguments in February regarding two cases challenging the student loan forgiveness plan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Admin Asked Twitter to Silence Robert F. Kennedy Jr
A recently published email has provided more evidence of President Joe Biden’s administration asking tech platforms to censor content that challenges the federal government’s Covid messaging.
The email shows the Biden White House’s Digital Director for the COVID-19 Response Team, Clarke Humphrey, requesting that Twitter remove a tweet from environmental health lawyer and author Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canton Man Stabs, Kills Man Who Broke Into His Home Sunday Night, Police Say
A 44-year-old Alliance man is dead after breaking into a Canton man’s home and being stabbed by the homeowner Sunday night, according to Canton Police.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Crenshaw Loses Key Chairmanship to GOP Rep. Green After Calling Colleagues ‘Terrorists’
House Republicans rejected Texas GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw to chair the House Homeland Security Committee following his much-maligned labeling of dissident GOP lawmakers as “terrorists.”
Crenshaw was a vocal critic of House Republicans who opposed the leadership of now-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and repeatedly derided them as “grifters” and “performance artists” last week while McCarthy struggled to win over their support. His vitriol reached a peak in a Wednesday interview with Fox News’ Guy Benson in which he referred to them as “terrorists.” He has since apologized.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democratic Law Firm Files Lawsuit Against Ohio’s New Election Law
A Democratic law firm has filed suit against Ohio’s new election law, claiming on behalf of groups representing military veterans, teachers, retirees and the homeless that it “imposes needless and discriminatory burdens” on the right to vote.
Elias Law Group brought the suit in federal court in Cleveland on Friday, the same day Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed the legislation over the objections of voting-rights, labor, environmental and civil-rights groups that had been pleading for a veto.
The litigation notes that Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the defendant, and state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, who oversaw insertion of the most stringent provisions into the bill, both have lauded Ohio’s exemplary administration of the 2020 election.
Yet, it alleges, lawmakers “leveraged false allegations of widespread election fraud” to justify the bill, making it “significantly harder for lawful voters — particularly young, elderly, and Black Ohioans, as well as military servicemembers and other Ohioans living abroad — to exercise their fundamental right to participate in the state’s elections.”
The lawsuit takes particular aim at three provisions: a strict photo ID requirement; the shrunken window for curing a provisionally-cast ballot; and tightened deadlines for applying for and returning mail-in ballots.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DeSantis’ Lawsuit Against Biden Over Immigration Opens in Florida
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Joe Biden’s long-running fight over immigration moved on Monday from a battle of rhetoric to one of testimony and legal arguments.
A federal judge in Pensacola heard opening arguments in DeSantis’ lawsuit against Biden, which claims the White House is neglecting current immigration policy.
DeSantis alleges the Biden administration allowed thousands of migrants into the U.S. each month by ignoring policies to detain them — with many winding up in Florida. The governor’s administration contends the migrants threaten public safety and costs the state money as it needs to accommodate more people in prisons, schools and the health care system.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Twitter owner Elon Musk agreed with a journalist’s claim Monday that Russiagate, the derogatory term for the theory and sprawling investigation into whether Donald Trump and Russia colluded to fix the 2016 election, was “one of the most deranged and unhinged conspiracy theories in modern times.”
Glenn Greenwald, a journalist and co-founder of The Intercept, was reacting to an analysis in the Washington Post headlined “Russian trolls on Twitter had little influence on 2016 voters,” written by Tim Starks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Facebook Promised to Remove ‘Often-True Content’ On COVID Under White House Pressure: Emails
Facebook has pledged to remove “often-true content” the government considers COVID-19 misinformation under sustained pressure from a White House official, according to newly disclosed communications in the federal censorship collusion lawsuit by Missouri and Louisiana attorneys general.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are buzzing over pulling the curtain back on President Biden’s “weaponization” of the federal government, with one noting that “sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
The lower chamber GOP is looking to form the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government expected to be headed up by Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to probe the Biden administration’s use of the federal government against everyday Americans.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The gun allegedly used by a 6-year-old boy to shoot his teacher at a Newport News, Virginia, school was legally purchased by the child’s mother, officials said.
The boy took the firearm from his home to school in his backpack Friday, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said Monday.
The teacher was “providing class instruction when the 6-year-old child displayed a firearm, pointed it at her and fired one round,” Drew said at a news conference. “There was no physical struggle or fight.”
The teacher was shot in the chest, through her hand, the chief said. She is in stable condition, he said.
Drew declined to comment on whether the gun had been secured in the home, saying more interviews and investigation were needed.
The boy is under a temporary detention order and is being evaluated at a local hospital.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
House GOP to Vote on Bill Blocking IRS Hiring Spree
House Republicans are poised to vote on a bill that would block the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from hiring thousands of additional agents to enforce tax policies under the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act that was enacted last Congress.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Oversight Chairman Says Discovery of Biden Classified Docs Displays ‘Two-Tier’ Justice System
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told reporters Monday night that the handling of the discovery of classified documents by President Joe Biden’s lawyers that were taken from the White House six years ago is a display of a “two-tier” system of justice.
On Monday, Fox News confirmed that a batch of records from Biden’s time as vice president, including a “small number of documents with classified markings,” were discovered at the Penn Biden Center by the president’s personal attorneys on Nov. 2, according to Richard Saubel, special counsel to the White House.
The attorneys found the documents in a locked closet while preparing to vacate office space at the center, which the president used from mid-2017 until he began the 2020 campaign.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Republicans Adopt Rules Package
Update (1925ET): After last week’s dramatic speaker election, House Republicans adopted a rules package that will govern how the chamber operates until 2025 — Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) first legislative win as the newly-elected Speaker.
The vote of 220-213 was mainly along party lines.
No word on the mystery addendum.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hoda Muthana, 28, claims she was trafficked to Syria to join ISIS in 2014 and is a victim of the terrorist organization she joined up with in a new interview from the prison camp she is being held at.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Musk Drops Hints About Several Upcoming Twitter Enhancements, Including 4,000-Word Tweets
Elon Musk turned to Twitter over the past few days to unveil a few new features expected to be rolled out as early as next week.
Twitter is about to be enhanced with several features that are expected to improve the user interface of the social media application.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show” is trailing in the ratings to Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” causing NBC executives to question the wisdom of spending heavily on Fallon’s contract extension.
According to RadarOnline, almost 19 months after NBC signed an $80 million five-year contract extension with Fallon, “The Tonight Show” is drawing under 1.3 million viewers, less than half the audience of “Gutfeld!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Jersey Bans TikTok on State Devices
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has banned the use of social media platform TikTok on state devices, following in the footsteps of several other governors who have moved to restrict use of the app amid mounting security concerns.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Orleans Closes 2022 With Sky-High Homicide Rate Not Seen in Decades: ‘Horrific’
New Orleans has been cherished as one of America’s most historic and beautiful cities, attracting tourists from around the world to experience its melting pot of cultures, food and sensational nightlife. However, in 2022, the Big Easy was ravaged by violent crimes putting a damper on the city’s party spirit.
“It’s been a horrific year, and a horrific close to a horrific year,” said Jeff Asher, a crime analyst who works for the City Council, according to the New Orleans Advocate. “The numbers speak for themselves.”
In September, New Orleans unseated St. Louis as America’s “Murder Capital,” recording 52 homicides per 100,000 residents. St. Louis, which has long been ranked and considered one of the country’s most dangerous cities, had 45 homicides per 100,000 residents that same month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars played for the AFC South championship inside TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The winning team would make the playoff and the losing team would go home.
Before the game the players came together to take a knee, not in protest as in years past, but to pray for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. According to The Tennessean: “The two teams came together and took a knee at midfield for a prayer in honor of Hamlin, the Bills safety who is in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital after suffering cardiac arrest during a game on Monday.”
During the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders, an announcer asked the fans to pray and cheer for Hamlin saying: “The entire NFL family has been praying for Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Old Dominion Basketball Player Clutches Chest and Collapses Mid-Game
Another day, yet another athlete collapsing in the midst of a game for unknown reasons.
Just days after Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin had to be administered CPR on the playing field after he collapsed following a play against the Cincinnati Bengals, another athlete has collapsed under what appears to be mysterious circumstances.
Old Dominion basketball player Imo Essien “had to be tended to by training staff from both ODU and Georgia Southern”, according to WAVY, after collapsing during the middle of a game this past weekend.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rep. Thomas Massie to Sit on New “Church Committee”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) told Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson that House speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will appoint him to the “Church Committee,” which will investigate potential abuses by the federal government and make public any “illegal or unconstitutional” findings.
“A lot of this is going to play out down in the SCIF [Secure Compartmented Information Facility],” Massie told Carlson. “You are going to have to trust the people that are put on this committee, and I’ll tell you what, if there’s something fishy going on, I’ll come out of the SCIF and tell you but a lot of it will be behind closed doors, it will be classified information. If we find anything illegal or unconstitutional, we will bring it forward.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
SCOTUS Denies Hearing on 2020 Election Lawsuit Against Biden, Petitioner Seeks Reconsideration
The Supreme Court announced Monday it will not hear a 2020 election lawsuit against former Vice President Mike Pence, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, 291 House members, and 94 senators.
The lawsuit alleges the defendants violated their oaths of office by refusing to investigate evidence of fraud in the 2020 election before accepting the electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021, allowing for Biden and Harris to be “fraudulently” inaugurated.
The court held a private conference Friday to vote on whether or not to hear the case, releasing its decision Monday. Four of the nine justices must vote to hear a case for it to move forward.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Son Kills Father During Stabbing, Mother in Serious Condition: Deputies
Catlin Boswell is accused of murder and aggravated assault after his parents were stabbed at a Forsyth County home.
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A man accused of stabbing his father to death and seriously hurting his mother has been arrested, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.
Catlin Boswell was arrested after Forsyth County deputies were called to a home off Cambria Court on Sunday for a stabbing. When deputies arrived, they found a man and woman stabbed, they said.
Catlin’s father, John Boswell, was found dead at the home. The second victim, believed to be Catlin’s mother, was taken to a hospital. She’s listed as critical in the hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.
Catlin Boswell ran from the home before deputies arrived, authorities said, but was eventually taken into custody by local law enforcement in Whitfield County. The 36-year-old was taken into custody on murder and aggravated assault charges.
Currently, Catlin Boswell is being held in Forsyth County on no bond, according to the release.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Puts GOP Senators Who Overruled Kevin McCarthy on Notice: ‘Primary Them All’
President Donald Trump dropped the hammer on Mitch McConnell and 17 Republican Senators who voted to ram through a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill instead of waiting for the GOP to take control of the House of Representatives which would have given the GOP a much stronger negotiating position.
As punishment, Trump wants to primary them all. Trump said: “Great job Kevin! We must now stop Mitch McConnell. It’s as though he just doesn’t care anymore, he pushes through anything the Democrats want.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Calls for Adam Schiff to ‘Be Prosecuted for Damage He Has Done to Our Country’
President Donald Trump has called for Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) to “be prosecuted for the damage he has done to our country.”
Trump was responding to a shocking report from journalist Paul Sperry about Schiff’s unconstitutional actions.
Elon Musk, through journalist Matt Taibbi, released the latest installment of the Twitter Files that expose Schiff’s efforts to censor American citizens.
Emails show Schiff’s office contacting Twitter to get Sperry banned from the platform.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Twitter Files: Pfizer Board Member Dr. Scott Gottlieb Flagged Tweets Questioning COVID Vaccine
The latest Twitter Files involving the tech giant’s response to the pandemic puts a focus on Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner and sitting board member of prominent COVID vaccine manufacturer Pfizer.
Alex Berenson, a vocal COVID contrarian whose past commentary on the vaccine has received scorn by critics and praise by fans, was the latest to be granted access to Elon Musk’s Twitter Files, publishing his findings on his “Unreported Truths” Substack newsletter.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two More Fairfax Schools Admit to Withholding National Merit Awards From Students
As Virginia mounts a civil rights investigation into Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology over its withholding of National Merit Awards from students, two more high schools have come forward, admitting to the same decision.
Fairfax schools have come under fire over an equity push that parents say seeks “equal outcomes for every student, without exception.” Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has opened a civil rights investigation into the incident at Jefferson at the direction of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., who has suggested the school’s move “may have violated the Virginia Human Rights Act.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WaPo Torched for ‘Nonsense’ Piece Linking Domestic Violence to Climate Change
The Washington Post took harsh criticism after a recent op-ed linked climate change to domestic violence. “Outnumbered” panelists sounded off on the liberal outlet’s “nonsense” conclusion, warning it diminishes the seriousness of abuse.
Terry McGovern, head of the Population and Family Health department at Columbia University, claimed in the op-ed that worsening climate conditions are to blame for increasing violence.
“Heat waves, floods, climate-induced disasters increase sexual harassment, mental and physical abuse, femicide, reduce economic and educational opportunity and increase the risk of trafficking due to forced migration,” McGovern wrote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
White Castle Hiring Robots to ‘Give the Right Tools’ For Serving More ‘Hot and Tasty Food’: VP
White Castle’s newest employee, Flippy, cooks your burgers to perfection and serves up fries with the most splendid crisp for every single order.
Flippy gets it right each time, well, because it’s a robot. At 100 White Castle locations nationwide, restaurant guests can see Flippy in action, helping its human colleagues with the cooking and expediting the process.
“Flippy will drop everything into the fryer and then at the perfect time, take everything out, give it a little shake and put it into the area for the packaging for the team members,” White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson told “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy on Thursday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada’s Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre Supports Dr. Jordan Peterson’s Free Speech
Canada’s Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has defended clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson’s right to free speech. Peterson is facing re-education from the licensing board over his social media posts and risks losing his license if he doesn’t comply.
In a video posted on his Twitter account, Poilievre said he does not agree with everything Peterson says, but he supports free speech in Canada.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Crowd Shuts Down Trudeau After PM Uses Flight PS752 Memorial to Campaign for Liberal MP
During a memorial event in Toronto on Sunday to mark the third anniversary of the downing of flight PS 752 by the Islamic Republic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s attempt to campaign for one of his party’s MPs fell flat, as the crowd shut him down almost immediately.
The Liberal leader made mention of Majid Jowhari, the Liberal MP for the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill, and described him to the crowd as “a strong advocate for the community,” which was directly followed by several seconds of loud “no” chants from the crowd.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Here’s a Tally of Crimes Committed by Alleged Reoffenders, Many Out on Bail
As politicians, law enforcement and the public all discuss the recent uptick in alleged crimes committed by offenders out on bail, True North has compiled a list of some recent examples.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Majority of Recreational Athletes Say Sports Should be Separated by Sex: Poll
A survey commissioned by the Department of Canadian Heritage found that a majority of Canadians who participate in sports want games to remain separated based on sex, age and other characteristics.
The poll titled ‘Future of Sport’ Public Opinion Research was prepared by the company Phoenix SPI from May 2022 to July 2022 and gauged a variety of attitudes pertaining to physical activity and the sporting world. It included 9,208 Canadian residents over the age of 16 who identified as participants in organized or non-organized sports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
More Canadians Are Saying Country Headed in the Wrong Direction
More Canadians now believe that Canada is heading in the wrong direction than those who think it’s on the right track.
For the first time since former prime minister Stephen Harper’s last year in government, the number of people with a negative outlook on the trajectory of Canada outnumber those with a positive outlook.
According to Nanos’ latest annual tracking survey, when asked to say whether “Canada as a country is moving in the right direction or the wrong direction” 43% of respondents said they believe Canada was headed in the “wrong direction”. Meanwhile, only 40% said they believed it was heading in the “right direction.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Oshawa Woman Vows to Fight Ticket for Giving Food, Clothes to Homeless
A woman fined by the City of Oshawa for giving food and other necessities to the homeless is fighting her $250 ticket, saying she won’t be “bullied.”
As True North reported last month, bylaw enforcement officers with the City of Oshawa told Ashley Wickett to scrap her planned Christmas Stockings for the Homeless event at the city’s downtown Memorial Park.
Organizer Ashley Wickett was told by the City that any distribution of goods in a city park required a permit, though she was offered no path to get one. She said she would remain on the sidewalk or hand out the stockings from her car to comply with the bylaw, but she was then told this would violate the highway vending bylaw.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poilievre Would Beat Trudeau if Election Were Called Today
The Conservative Party of Canada under leader Pierre Poilievre would win an election if it were held today, according to polling data from both 338Canada.com and Nanos.
The Conservatives are projected to win 144 seats while the Liberals drag behind at 137, according to 338Canada’s founder Philippe Fournier. The NDP, Bloc and Green numbers are likely to remain similar to the results of the 2021 election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Shocking Footage: Canadian Television Reporter Suddenly Suffers Medical Episode Live on Air
CTV Edmonton reporter Jessica Robb suddenly suffered a medical episode live on air Sunday evening.
While reporting on location, Robb was in the middle of a conversation with the network’s anchor Nahreman Issa when she began to slur her words and repeat herself.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former PM Andrej Babis Cleared of Fraud by Czech Court
A Prague court has acquitted former Prime Minister Andrej Babis of fraud charges in a €1.8m case involving European Union subsidies.
A prosecutor had requested a three-year suspended sentence and a fine of 10 million Czech koruna (€416,000) for the populist billionaire. The prosecution can still appeal.
Babis pleaded not guilty and repeatedly said the charges against him were politically motivated.
He wasn’t present at Prague’s Municipal Court on Monday. His former associate, Jana Nagyova, who signed the subsidy request, was also acquitted.
“INNOCENT!” Babis tweeted after the verdict. “I’m really glad that we have an independent judiciary and the court confirmed what I kept saying from the beginning. That I am innocent and haven’t done anything illegal.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FT Advises Countries to Join the Eurozone, But Hungary Want to Keep Its Own Currency
In an opinion piece on the occasion of Croatia’s joining the eurozone on Jan. 1 this year, the Financial Times looks at the prospects of the common European currency and concludes that joining it remains a good option.
According to the journalist, some European countries are still prejudiced against the introduction of the euro, even though recent developments show that it has more advantages than disadvantages. The article also brings up how the Greek debt crisis had led some to speculate that some countries would leave the eurozone.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Plotting to Ban ‘Dangerous’ Semi-Automatic Firearms: Report
Germany’s allegedly Antifa-linked interior minister is preparing legislation that will ban people from owning “dangerous” semi-automatic firearms in the country, a report has claimed.
Nancy Faeser, Germany’s allegedly Antifa-linked Interior Minister, is preparing legislation that will ban “dangerous” semi-automatic weapons from being owned by private individuals, reports suggest.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Has Lowest Electricity and Natural Gas Bills in the EU
Balazs Orban, the prime minister’s political director, shared a survey on his social networking site showing that Budapest is still the European capital where people pay the least for energy.
According to the graph shared by the politician, Brussels, the headquarters of the EU, which introduced sanctions on energy, is where people pay the most for electricity, while Sweden is the country where people pay the most for natural gas.
In his post, Balazs Orban also said that the government will continue to work in 2023 to ensure that Hungary continues to pay the least for energy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Flu Epidemic Hitting Hospitals Extra Hard Due to High Absenteeism
Hospitals and other care institutions are struggling enormously to cope with the flu epidemic due to increasing staff shortages and high absenteeism in the sector, trade unions NU’91 and FNV Zorg & Welzijn told AD. Hospitals struggle to fill rosters with so many employees home sick with the flu.
In a normal situation, Dutch hospitals would be able to handle an epidemic of this size just fine, Elise Merlijn of FNV Zorg & Welzijn said to the newspaper. But this is not a normal situation.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Scottish Hospitals Are Almost Full, Says Nicola Sturgeon
Scotland’s hospitals are “almost completely full”, with bed occupancy exceeding 95% last week, the first minister has said.
Nicola Sturgeon said services were facing “truly unprecedented” pressures.
Demand for hospital beds had been driven up by “extraordinary” levels of winter flu, rising rates of Covid infections and cases of Strep A.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Shock Video: Man Forced Into Car Trunk During Brutal Kidnapping in France
A male victim was stuffed into the trunk of a car by a group of suspects during a brutal kidnapping in France this week, according to reports.
The horrifying incident unfolded at around 8:45 a.m. on Sunday morning in Villeparisis, a commune in the suburbs of Paris.
A young man was beaten and abducted in the street in broad daylight by four suspects, at least one of whom was carrying a gun.
Chilling footage of the kidnapping was taken by a witness and shared with French media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden’s NATO Bid Derailed: ‘Turkey Wants What We Can’t Give Them’
There’s been growing domestic pressure in Sweden for the country’s leadership to stand up to Turkey and not implement the kind of drastic changes in laws that Ankara is pushing in order for Sweden to become a NATO member.
For example, a recent survey found almost 80% of Swedes believe the country shouldn’t compromise its legal principles, Bloomberg reported last week. Amid the pressure, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson days ago for the first time acknowledged that Turkey is asking too much.
Kristersson said starting a week ago of Turkey’s security demands for it to joint NATO, “they also say that they want things that we cannot and do not want to give them.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tension in the Vatican Revealed by Top Aide Following Death of Benedict XVI
Hours following the funeral for the former Pope Benedict XVI, an Italian publisher released advanced copies of a tell-all book that has apparently revealed years of tension in the Vatican, Reuters first reported.
Pope Benedict’s unprecedented 2013 resignation and subsequent refusal to leave the Vatican created an atmospheric setting in the holy city as he and Pope Francis both donned the signature white garb of the supreme pontiff, according to a long-time aide to Benedict.
Archbishop Georg Ganswein, who worked for the former pope for 20 years, has written a 330-page book titled “Nothing But The Truth — My Life Beside Benedict XVI,” claiming that the former and current pontiffs butted heads over Pope Francis’ positions when it came to homosexuality and abortion, reported Reuters.
[Comment: The current Pope is a heretic.]
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In scathing criticisms of his family, Harry branded his stepmother Camilla ‘the villain’ and ‘dangerous’, ignoring King Charles’s pleas not to attack his wife.
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UK: ‘May Allah Destroy You!’ — Rapist Barber Jailed for Sending COVID Cash to ISIS
A convicted rapist has once again been jailed in Britain after he was found guilty of sending COVID pandemic payments to the Islamic State.
Tarek Namouz, 43, has once again been put behind bars after authorities found that he had sent over £11,000 (~$13,000) to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Some of the money sent by the Muslim extremist is believed to have originated from COVID relief funds provided to him by the British government over the period of lockdown, with the cash injections being aimed at keeping the rapist’s barber shop in west London open.
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UK: Harry Accused of Making Invictus Games a Terrorist Target With Taliban Claims
The former head of the Royal Navy said the games will now face ‘serious security issues´.
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Admiral Lord West said: ‘There will be serious security issues because of what he said,’ saying that the Taliban and terrorist groups would seek revenge (Meghan and Harry at Invictus Games)
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UK: Narration by White Men Could Stop Minorities From Watching Nature Docs: Govt-Funded Study
Ethnic minorities could be put off watching nature documentaries if they are narrated by white men, a report funded by the supposedly conservative-led British government has claimed.
A study that was financially supported by Britain’s s Environment Agency in 2022 reportedly claims that ethnic minorities may be put off watching a nature documentary if it involves a presenter who is a white man.
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Teachers in the United Kingdom are reportedly struggling with the impact controversial influencer Andrew Tate has on teenage students’ thoughts, calling them “brainwashed,” according to a report by The Sunday Times.
The British newspaper reported Tate, who is jailed in Romania on rape and sex trafficking charges, has had a toxic effect on young boys who have embraced his thoughts and teachers are being forced to address those views with their students.
To determine what students are thinking, the report said a south London school rounded up a group of about 30 14-year-olds to discuss Tate’s ideas. Questions like “Do we think [Tate] is still harmless?” and “What happens when we take in his messages?” were asked of the students.
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Vatican Conservatives Plotting ‘Secret Plan’ To Oust Pope Francis: Report
Following the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on December 31, 2022, conservatives within the Vatican are reportedly plotting a plan to oust current Pope Francis.
According to The Telegraph, Vatican conservatives are planning to place Pope Francis under “such stress” that the sitting Pope would be forced to resign.
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Visegrad Group PMs Celebrate 30th Anniversary of Slovak Independence in Bratislava
On Saturday, Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger celebrated the 30th anniversary of Slovak independence with his Visegrad Group counterparts in the new Slovak National Theater in Bratislava.
The prime ministers of Poland, Hungary, and Czechia — Mateusz Morawiecki, Viktor Orban, and Petr Fiala — along with their spouses were invited to the ceremonious evening in the Slovak capital.
Pictures on social media showed the guests enjoying the event, with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki thanking Heger for the invitation and posting a photo “with his beloved wife.”
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The Beautiful People Hate ‘Ugly Israel’s’ New Government
by Daniel Greenfield
In 1981, the Israeli Labor Party held an election rally in Tel Aviv. The Left hoped to wrest power back from Prime Minister Menachem Begin: the country’s first conservative leader who had unthinkably broken the socialist monopoly and opened up free enterprise to the public.
The Left pathologically hated Begin, calling him a fascist and a racist monster. They hated his supporters, poor middle eastern Jews, Holocaust survivors and traditionally religious Israelis, even more. At a Tel Aviv rally for the elites, TV star Dudu Topaz told the crowd that it was a pleasure to see that there were no middle eastern Jews here.
“Here is the beautiful Israel.”
The Left went on to lose the election and the country. And the beautiful people, the elites who ran Israel, turned anti-Israel. Today they bemoan the rabble, middle eastern ‘Mizrahi’ Jews, the ‘settlers’, and the ‘Haredi’ Orthodox Jews who overran their beautiful country. Those who tend to say this no longer make Israel their only home. They have places in the French Riviera and Los Angeles. They return to vacation, throw some money around, and complain about the country…
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Golden Globes 2023: Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky to Deliver ‘Special Message of Peace’
Hollywood’s unconditional love for Zelensky is as strong as ever.
This year’s Golden Globes ceremony, which will air Tuesday on NBC at 8 p.m., will feature an appearance by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will deliver a “special message of peace.” Naturally, actor Sean Penn will be on hand to introduce Zelensky during the live telecast.
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Moscow conducted the missile strikes in Kramatorsk (pictured) to avenge the deaths of 89 Russian troops killed in Makiivka on January 1.
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Moscow Claims it ‘Killed 600 Ukrainian Soldiers’ in Retaliatory Strike
Moscow conducted the missile strikes in Kramatorsk (pictured) to avenge the deaths of 89 Russian troops killed in Makiivka on January 1.
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Russian claims of a deadly “retaliation” strike on Ukrainian troop accommodation appear to have been debunked by eyewitnesses and the evidence on the ground, as the leader of the Wagner mercenary force talks of capturing “underground cities” in a Donbas mining complex.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence has in recent days claimed that, in response to a “criminal blow of the Kyiv regime in the first minutes of January 2023” against a site accommodating Russian servicemen in the Donbas, which Moscow admits killed 63 and which the Ukrainians claim killed almost 400, a “retaliation operation” was carried out against a site accommodating Ukrainian servicemen.
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Ukraine War: Fierce Fighting in Soledar and Five Other Top Developments
1. Kyiv sends reinforcements to Soledar after ‘Putin’s Chef’ says he wants its salt mines
Ukraine said it was strengthening its forces around Bakhmut in the eastern Donbas region and repelling constant attacks there by the Russian mercenary group Wagner, whose leader has vowed to capture the area’s vast underground mines.
Kyiv had sent reinforcements to Soledar, a small town near Bakhmut where the situation was particularly difficult, Ukrainian officials said.
“The enemy again made a desperate attempt to storm the city of Soledar from different directions and threw the most professional units of the Wagnerites into battle,” Ukraine’s military said in a statement.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, has been trying to capture Bakhmut and Soledar for months at the cost of many lives on both sides. He said on Saturday its significance lay in the network of mines there.
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Ukraine School Rejects Russian Claim of Troops Killed There
KRAMATORSK, Ukraine (AP) — Officials at a vocational school in an eastern Ukraine city dismissed claims by Russia that hundreds of Ukrainian troops were killed in a missile strike there, saying Monday that a rocket merely blew out windows and damaged classrooms.
Russia specifically named the vocational school in Kramatorsk as the target of an attack in the almost 11-month war. The Russian Defense Ministry said its missiles hit two temporary bases housing 1,300 Ukrainian troops in the city, killing 600 of them, late Saturday.
Associated Press reporters visiting the scene in sunny weather Monday saw a four-story concrete building with most of its windows blown out. Inside, locals were cleaning up debris, sweeping up broken glass and hurling broken furniture out into a missile crater below.
A separate, six-story school building was largely undamaged. There were neither signs of a Ukrainian military presence nor any casualties.
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India: Bajrang Dal Activist Killed in Assam; 1 Muslim Assailant Held
Sumitra Bordoloi | HENB | Guwahati | Jan 9, 2023:: Hailakandi police nabbed one culprit on Monday, responsible for the death of a Bajrang Dal activist. The deceased victim, identified as Sambhu Koiri, was 16 year old and was allegedly murdered on 7th January, Saturday. The arrest has been made in Assam’s Karimganj district. The Culprit is identified as Selimuddin, son of Monauddin.
Sambhu was killed in an area 50km distant from Karimganj town, Lowairpua. The area falls under Bazaricherra police station.
Sambhu Koiri attended a three day training program conducted by Bajrang Dal in Hailakandi district. He was killed while returning back from the camp towards Karimganj district. This has been stated by Chiranjit Bora, the officer-in-charge of Bazaricherra police station.
According to police officials, the 16 year old activist Shambhu was attacked with sharp weapons by the Muslim miscreants named Selimuddin. However, the victim was rushed to a nearby Makunda hospital but was declared dead by the medical authorities.
It is also reported that the Hindu locals in the area went all furious after his death and protested at the Bazaricherra police station. They also set some houses on fire…
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China Invests Millions in Oil Production in Afghanistan
While Western governments are trying to ignore or isolate the Taliban regime, which was able to take power in Afghanistan in August 2021, an Afghan-Chinese deal worth millions was concluded. China wants to develop an extensive oil field in Afghanistan. The Afghan mining minister and Chinese representatives signed a corresponding agreement in Kabul.
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Is Chinese Shopping App Temu the New TikTok?
In the U.S., the clock appears to be ticking for TikTok, the short-form video hosting service that now boasts at least 80 million Americans users.
The House of Representatives recently ordered staff to delete the controversial app from all House-issued cell phones. The directive was issued by the chamber’s chief administrative officer, Catherine L Szpindor, according to a memo obtained by NBC News. The ban also prohibits the downloading of the app on all House-issued devices in the future. Some commentators suggest that TikTok, accused of being a Trojan horse for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), could disappear from the U.S. altogether. Eventually, they warn, all Americans could be prevented from using the app.
Meanwhile, another Chinese app is taking the U.S. by storm. It’s called Temu, an online shopping site owned by Shanghai-based Pinduoduo Inc. Temu is now one of the most popular apps in the U.S. Designed to rival Amazon, Temu offers low prices on a wide range of goods shipped directly from factories and warehouses in China.
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Australian man Haisem Zahab, 48, was arrested in 2017 and jailed for nine years for designing guided missiles and laser warning systems for notorious terrorist group Islamic State.
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Shocking footage has emerged showing hundreds of people lining up outside apartment inspections in Randwick and Coogee in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Saturday.
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Bolsonaro Condemns Brazil Rioters, Denies Organizing Capitol Riot
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro offered subdued criticism of his supporters who ransacked the Brazilian Capitol, Presidential Palace and Supreme Court on Sunday.
Bolsonaro compared the attack to left-wing riots that occurred across Brazil in 2013 and 2017, saying any such protests were outside the law. Sunday’s attack saw thousands of pro-Bolsonaro rioters wearing Brazil’s green and yellow colors smash windows and loot the seat of their nation’s government.
“Peaceful demonstrations, within the law, are part of democracy. However, vandalism and the invasion of public buildings like today’s acts, and like those practiced by the left in 2013 and 2017, are an exception,” Bolsonaro wrote in a statement, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from a Central Florida hospital Monday evening after being treated for abdominal pains linked to a 2018 stabbing.
“Grateful for the prayers and messages of prompt recovery,” the president tweeted.
His wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, confirmed her husband’s hospitalization in an Instagram post earlier Monday.
Bolsonaro’s hospitalization comes as Brazil is still reeling from a mob of rioters who swarmed the country’s Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential place on Sunday.
Many of the protesters have said they want the Brazilian army to restore Bolsonaro to power and oust the newly inaugurated leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
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Reports: Brazil Riot Leads to 1500+ Arrests, Dozens of Injuries, 6 in Critical Condition
National news outlets in Brazil, citing the federal police, reported on Monday that the riot resulting in the near-total destruction of the Congressional and Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) headquarters had led to over 1,500 arrests and dozens of injuries, including journalists.
Protesters opposing the inauguration of far-left convicted felon Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as the country’s president on January 1 stormed Brasilia on Sunday, breaching police barricades to break into the Brazilian Congress and destroy its façade, as well as several critical meeting chambers. The mob also attacked the STF, the nation’s supreme court, reportedly leaving its headquarters unusable and damaging or stealing priceless historical artifacts. The protesters attempted to break into the Planalto Palace, the president’s headquarters, but caused more minimal damage there.
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A Quarter of the ‘Germans’ Arrested for New Year’s Eve Riots in Berlin Have a Dual Nationality
A quarter of Germans arrested for their participation in the Berlin riots on New Year’s Eve have dual nationality, according to information handed by the Berlin authorities to the Die Welt newspaper.
As this site already reported, 145 people were detained for their part in the mayhem that ensued throughout the German capital on New Year’s Eve, with footage circulated on social media showing torched vehicles and fires in apartment buildings.
Emergency service vehicles were attacked as they responded to 3,943 incidents across Berlin on Saturday night, resulting in the injury of at least 33 emergency responders.
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The German federal government’s plan to make naturalization easier and reform the country’s citizenship law is gaining momentum, with critics saying it will result in up to 2 million migrants receiving citizenship overnight and radically reduce the value of the German passport.
The far-left government will begin next week with a departmental vote based on a draft from the Federal Ministry of the Interior by Nancy Faeser (SPD). Faeser has been a key proponent of mass immigration.
However, both the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) remain opposed to the plan, with the CDU warning of a “180-degree turnaround” on citizenship law.
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Irish Govt Reopens ‘Tent City’ For Migrants as Public Protest Open Borders
Amid an influx of tens of thousands of migrants, the Irish government has reportedly decided to reopen a tent ‘city’, as locals protest the EU member-state’s open borders policies.
Protests against the Irish government’s open borders approach to migration continue to spread across the country as state officials requisition more and more premises to house asylum seekers.
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President Joe Biden briefly visited the southern border on Sunday, spending a short period of time in El Paso, Texas during the afternoon. He was greeted by hundreds of protesters calling for his impeachment.
Protesters held signs saying “IMPEACH 46” and Trump 20204. It was Biden’s first visit during his presidency.
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NGOs Furious Over France Allegedly Trying to Deport Syrians Back Home
Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have alleged French authorities tried to deport two Syrian nationals back to Syria, claiming the attempts are illegal under international law.
The NGOs Amnesty International, La Cimade and Revivre have denounced the authorities of two French regions which have tried to make contact with Syrian authorities in order to deport two Syrian nationals from France.
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The experiment of ideology-driven multiculturalism pursued by the German government and its predecessors has failed, and a rapid change in migration policy is now required to prevent the New Year’s Eve riots in Berlin from becoming a blueprint for the entire Federal Republic, the leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) opposition party, Alice Weidel, has said.
In an opinion piece for the Junge Freiheit news outlet published on Saturday, the AfD leader lamented the “civil war-like conditions and the state’s loss of control” witnessed across the German capital at the turn of the year, which she claimed reveals the “deep contempt” some newcomers have for their host country.
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Senegalese National Arrested in France After Stabbing a Bar Manager Who Had Asked Him to Leave
A Senegalese national has been arrested in France on suspicion of attempted homicide after stabbing the manager of a bar in the throat; the manager had asked him to leave the establishment.
The incident occurred on Friday at approximately 5 p.m. at the Aux Deux Gares brasserie bar in Juvisy-sur-Orge, Essonne.
An eyewitness told Le Parisien newspaper how an argument had broken out between the accused, who was visibly drunk, and the bar manager, who had asked him to leave.
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Villagers ‘Frightened’ As UK Home Office Decides to Dump 400 Migrants in Local Hotel
The unilateral decision by the Home Office to open up a migrant centre in a hotel in a sleepy English village has been met with disbelief and outrage among the residents, who expressed fear over the prospect of hosting hundreds of asylum seekers.
A meeting of the West Northants Council (WNC) saw residents of the village of Creaton complain that they are “frightened” over plans to ram 400 migrants into the former Highgate House Hotel, which could be transformed into a migrant centre as early as this month.
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CDC Publishes Language Guidelines
The CDC appears to be deviating from its main role of controlling and preventing diseases by providing language guidelines for the media and others. A document, titled “Preferred Terms for Select Population Groups & Communities,” encourages people to use “non-stigmatizing language.”
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Oregon Pledges to Affirm Sex Changes for Kids as Reading Proficiency Plummets
On Thursday, the Oregon Department of Education released guidance for schools to better support “Gender Expansive Students” that include bathroom and pronoun policies aligned with radical gender ideology and include links for minors to seek “gender-affirming healthcare”
LibsofTikTok posted “Oregon Dept of Education released new guidelines on affirming LGBTQ+ students. They promote the use of pronouns, using bathrooms based on gender identity, and support ‘gender affirming care’ for minors. It also provides links to kids with info on ‘tucking’ & ‘chest binding’.”
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Satanic Temple Dedicates ‘Largest Gathering in History’ to Boston’s Democrat Mayor
The Satanic Temple is dedicating its upcoming SatanCon 2023 event to Boston’s Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu.
The organization is hailing the event as the “largest satanic gathering in history.”
The group dedicated the event to Wu after being refused permission to deliver a satanic invocation at Boston City Hall.
SatanCon 2023 will take place in downtown Boston from April 28-30.
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Toronto’s Top Children’s Hospital Rejects Mental Health Treatment for Gender Dysphoric Minors
One of the largest pediatric gender clinics in Canada does not offer psychotherapy to the distressed youth it treats, preferring instead to fast-track young people onto an invasive and irreversible pathway toward sterility and the amputation of healthy body parts.
The Transgender Youth Clinic at SickKids in Toronto boasts of taking an “affirming approach to gender identity and care.” Its website states that “being transgender is not a pathology” but rather “an identity.” The clinic has a vision “to provide care to transgender youth and to remove barriers so they can access the gender-affirming care they need more easily.”
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A man in the UK has been asked to attend a police interview after he made fun of an LGBT rainbow flag.
Yes, really.
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United Nations Panel Finds Ozone Layer is ‘On Track to Recover’
The United Nations-backed Scientific Assessment Panel said Monday the world’s ozone layer is “on track to recover” within the next four decades because ozone-depleting chemicals are being phased out around the globe.
Nearly 99% of banned ozone-depleting substances have been phased out, the group found in its report, which is published every four years.
The panel said the ozone layer’s recovery is due to the success of the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement adopted in 1987 to phase out ozone layer-depleting substances.
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California’s budget deficit is no problem!
Generalissimo Gavino Newssolini will simply issue an executive order, declaring a “budget emergency,” and, just like that, the deficit will be suspended. Then, the executive order will be filed in a drawer in Sacramento, to be forgotten until 2083, by which time, we’ll all be dead, so, who cares?
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US military bases in Sweden may soon become a reality
THE NEW COLD WAR
PUBLISHED 10 JANUARY 2023 –
BY MARKUS ANDERSSON
Photo: Joe Biden/Sweden.2023.eu/CC BY-NC 2.0
Photo: Adam Schultz/Defense Imagery/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Sweden and the United States are currently negotiating “enhanced defence cooperation”, which includes the possibility of American forces being stationed in Sweden. Defence Minister Pål Jonson (M), however, does not want to talk about US military bases on Swedish soil.
– I don’t know if I would call it an American base. It’s more a question of basing or pre-positioning of equipment,” says Jonson.
– There are no American bases in Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania. They are rotating units that come in and out. On the other hand, of course, they have an infrastructure to lean on, but it’s Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian, he continues.
Officially, the purpose of the enhanced cooperation is said to be to strengthen Sweden’s security and enable faster and more effective support from the US in serious crises or war situations.
– It is about the legal status of American soldiers in Sweden, about advance storage of defence equipment and investments in infrastructure that are important for Sweden as a host country to be able to provide support, Pålsson argues during the conference People and Defence.
Among other things, it will be easier for the US military to operate in Sweden and it is hoped to create special “base areas” for US troops in Sweden – something that is also expected to mean that Sweden will have to build infrastructure to have the capacity to store military equipment and house US troops.
The Swedish Armed Forces have previously recommended to the government that Sweden become a “base area for NATO’s ground, air and naval forces”, SVT reports.
– This will lead to a deeper and more stable relationship with the US. We already have a good relationship, but this strengthens the ties even further, says Sweden’s former defence minister Peter Hultqvist.
“The United States is Sweden’s most important security and defence partner, both bilaterally and within NATO. In May 2016, Sweden and the United States signed a joint declaration of intent on deepening bilateral defence cooperation. In 2018, Sweden entered into a trilateral declaration of intent together with Finland and the United States.
By creating the conditions for an American presence in Sweden, including in the form of exercises, our security is strengthened,” the Ministry of Defence states in a press release.
Once the agreement has been drawn up, it will be processed and approved by the Riksdag and will enter into force “once Sweden has made the necessary constitutional amendments”.
“Once concluded, the agreement will enable our countries to further deepen our bilateral security and defence cooperation, strengthen cooperation as allies in NATO as well as contribute to enhanced transatlantic security and stability,” it continues.
Markus Andersson
markus.andersson@nyadagbladet.se