Gates of Vienna News Feed 2/2/2023

Poland and the Baltic states demanded that Russian athletes be banned from the 2024 Olympics. Meanwhile, Russia warned Israel not to send weapons to Ukraine.

In other news, Norway has banned a planned anti-Islam protest in front of the Turkish embassy in Oslo, fearing a copycat Koran-burning like the recent one in Sweden.

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

Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, Fjordman, LP, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

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

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

Financial Crisis
» Bank of England Hikes Rates by 50 Basis Points, Now Sees ‘Much Shallower’ Recession Than Feared
» Canada: Taxpayers Billed Nearly $70 Billion on Federal & Provincial Debt Interest
» Hamburger Prices Might Continue to Rise as US Cattle Herd Shrinks
» Swedes’ Debts Reach Record High Amid Spiking Interest Rate, Inflation
» Trudeau’s Green Agenda Policies Are Worsening Inflation, Bank of Canada Admits
» ‘We Are Not Done’ — EU Central Bank Warns of More Interest Rate Hikes After March
 
USA
» 1 Dead, Memphis Police Officer in ‘Extremely Critical Condition’ After Shooting
» 80-Year-Old Victim Fights Back, Shoots Home Invaders Hitting One in Chest Sending Them to Hospital Where Police Make Arrests
» Article III Project Founder Believes Jim Jordan Has No Intention of Holding Big Tech Accountable
» COS Success: Montana Senate Votes in Favor of Resolution Calling for a Convention of States
» Dana Point: Cyclist Riding on PCH Hit by Car, Stabbed by Driver, Dies in Hospital
» Exclusive: House, Senate GOP to Start ‘DC Home Rule’ Vote to Block District’s New Crime Law
» Ex-GOP Candidate Probed by Dem AG Could Lose His Medical License Over COVID ‘Disinformation’
» Federal Court Strikes Down Decades-Old Gun Law Targeting Domestic Violence
» Federal Government is Accused of Using Antiterrorism Tech to Target Vaccine Dissent
» Florida’s Workforce is Larger Than New York’s for First Time Ever
» Great News for Planet Earth: 146 News Species of Animals and Plants Were Added in 2022
» Hunter Biden’s Lawyers Admit That His ‘Computer Data’ is Real
» Judge Throws Book at Man Who Robbed Store While on Electronic Monitoring for Same Crime
» National Security Without Patriotism
» Nearly Half of Chicago Public School Students Chronically Absent in 2022
» New York Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening MTG’s Life
» NYPD Unable to Recruit, Retain Enough Officers to Keep New York City Safe: Union Boss
» Ocasio-Cortez Has Fiery Fit on House Floor Over Ilhan Omar’s Committee Removal
» Poll: Nearly One in Four Millennials Have Their Parents Pay for Their Rent
» Portland Police Memorial Vandalized in ‘Senseless, Useless, Criminal Act’
» Recent Data Shows ‘Stunning Increase’ In Serious Harm Reports in Young Healthy Pilots: Army Lt. Col. Theresa Long
» Republican Councilwoman Gunned Down Outside Her Home, Shot Dead in Targeted Attack
» Severe Ice Storm Leaves Half a Million Without Power, Nine Dead
» Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Spotted Over U.S. Skies, Pentagon Says
» ‘The Scandal Would be Enormous’: Pfizer Director Worried About Vax-Induced Menstrual Irregularities
» The White House Targets Apple and Google’s App Store Monopolies
» ‘They’re Not Taking My Gas Stove Out, ‘ Manchin Says as Biden Admin Plans Gas Stove Crackdown
» ‘Unlike Anything I’ve Seen’: The Number of Police Officers Shot in the Line of Duty Has More Than Doubled Since 2020
» Utah Bill Would Bring ID-Based Age Verification to Online Platforms
» Video: Colbert Brags About His NPC Audience Still Wearing Masks
» Woman Charged With Stealing $1.5 Million in Chicken Wings From Chicago Suburb School District
 
Canada
» Canada Delays Controversial Assisted Dying Rollout
» Canadian Court: Govt Justified in Denying Unemployment Benefits to Unvaccinated Man
» Growing Number of Doctors Say They Won’t Get COVID-19 Booster Shots
» Half of Canadians Say Freedom Convoy Was Threat to National Security: Poll
» Yet Another University Says No to Free Speech and Debate
 
Europe and the EU
» After EU Legalized Insect Protein in Food, Hungary Introduces Strict Labeling So Consumers Know They’re Eating Bugs
» Another Chilling Kidnapping Video Emerges From France
» British Gas Debt Collectors Broke Into Homes of Vulnerable People Behind on Bills
» ‘Dozens of Youths’ Brawl With Bats, Blades in France
» French Official to Take on Islamophobia in EU
» French Police Unions Furious at Internal Memo Banning Car Chases
» French Socialist European Lawmaker Criticizes Online Conspiracy Theories, Misinformation to EU Panel
» Germany in Talks for $18 Billion National Missile Defense Shield After Poking the Bear
» Germany’s AfD Calls for Diplomatic Talks With Russia in State Parliament Debate
» Legal Challenge to Northern Ireland COVID Law That Allowed Government Surveillance is Allowed to Proceed
» Macron’s France: Almost All Serious Crimes Increased in 2022
» Norway Bans Planned Anti-Islam Protest Outside Turkish Embassy Over Fears of Quran Book Burning
» Number of Passengers Doubled in 2022 Despite Doomsday Predictions
» The Netherlands’ Centralized Digital Biometric Database Plot is Criticized as “Goldmine for Hackers”
» UK: Take Back Control: Reform Party Calls for End of Foreign Ownership of Utility Firms
 
Russia
» Die Welt: 5 Reasons Why Ukraine is Increasingly Less Likely to Win the War
» Poland and Baltic States Call on Russian and Belarusian Athletes to be Banned From the 2024 Olympics
» Putin Evokes Stalingrad to Predict Victory Over ‘New Nazism’ In Ukraine
» Russia Warns Israel Not to Send Weapons to Ukraine
 
Australia — Pacific
» Nurse Who Spoke Out About Child Sexual Abuse in Remote Indigenous Communities Hits Out at ‘Disgusting’ Trolls: ‘They’Re Tearing Me to Shreds’
» Sydney-Based University Professor and Close Mate of Anthony Albanese Tells ABC the Alice Springs Crime Wave Crisis Meeting Was Like a ‘KKK Gathering’ — As Outrage Mounts Over the Broadcaster’s Bias Coverage
 
Immigration
» Fresh Calls for UK to Ditch European Human Rights Laws to Take Back Control of Its Borders
» ‘I’m Ashamed and Embarrassed’: Migrant at Brooklyn Shelter Slams Those Who Set Up Encampment Outside $450-a-Night Manhattan Hotel Because ‘It Makes US All Look Bad’
 
Culture Wars
» Biden’s Removal of Employers’ Ability to Cite ‘Moral Objection’ For Contraception Coverage Could Target Religious Liberty
» Christian Mother is Suing School for Forcing Her 4-Year-Old Son to Take Part in Gay Pride Parade
» DC Comics Unveils ‘Trans Man’ Superhero Character
» Decentralized Social Media Nostr Client Damus Arrives on the App Store
» Exclusive: Med School Went Woke After Pressure From Accreditor, Documents Show
» Federal Court Rules Ban on ‘Talk Therapy’ For Minors With Same-Sex Attraction is Unconstitutional
» Florida Universities ‘Misreported’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Spending, DeSantis Admin Says
» Identity — Not Income — Drives Desire to Secede, According to New Model
» Leftists Triggered by Old Mister Rogers ‘Boys Are Boys, Girls Are Girls’ Clips
» Mark Houck Will File Lawsuit Against FBI for Politically Targeting His Family
» SUNY Professor Outraged by Social Justice Course Requirement for Graduation: ‘We Need to Stand Up’
» Tennessee Advances Plan to Ban Child Sex-Change Surgeries
» The Never-Ending ‘Pandemic’: 360 Million Christians Persecuted Worldwide
» Trans-Identified Maine Teacher Fired After Encouraging Students to Watch Their Sexually Explicit TikTok Content
» We Have a Problem
 

Bank of England Hikes Rates by 50 Basis Points, Now Sees ‘Much Shallower’ Recession Than Feared

LONDON — The Bank of England on Thursday hiked interest rates by 50 basis points and dialed back some of its previous bleak economic forecasts.

The Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 in favor of a second consecutive half-point rate hike, taking the main Bank rate to 4%, but indicated in its decision statement that smaller hikes and an eventual end to the hiking cycle may be in the cards in coming meetings. The two dissenting members voted to leave rates unchanged at this meeting.

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

Canada: Taxpayers Billed Nearly $70 Billion on Federal & Provincial Debt Interest

Canadian taxpayers spent an unprecedented $68.6 billion on interest payments for federal and provincial government debt in 2022-2023.

A new report by the Fraser Institute delves into the details of how government spending and deficits are driving up the country’s interest payments.

“Interest must be paid on government debt, and the more money governments spend on interest payments the less money is available for the programs and services that matter to Canadians,” said Fraser Institute associate director of fiscal studies Jake Fuss.

According to Fuss, government debt was already high prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and it’s impacting access to services.

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

Hamburger Prices Might Continue to Rise as US Cattle Herd Shrinks

Consumers grappling with elevated food inflation might be in for another surprise: A shrinking US cattle herd indicates tight livestock supplies for years.

A decline in cattle herds and high production expenses will translate into higher beef prices at the grocery store. We documented this trend last fall (read: “Dwindling US Cattle Herd Implies Supermarket Beef Prices May Rise Even More”).

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

Swedes’ Debts Reach Record High Amid Spiking Interest Rate, Inflation

Swedes’ combined debts to the national Enforcement Agency soared in 2022, reaching record highs.

For the first time in history, the total amount of debt has exceeded the symbolic threshold of SEK 100 billion ($9.6 billion).

By the end of the year, the total amount of debt had increased by 7.4 percent, compared to the year before — indicating a growth rate of some SEK 20 million ($1.9 million) per day.

The majority of the debts are made up of what the authority classifies as “individual cases.” These include consumer debts, loan and credit debts to banks and various types of subscription debts.

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

Trudeau’s Green Agenda Policies Are Worsening Inflation, Bank of Canada Admits

Governments around the world are slowly beginning to wake up to the fact that radical green agenda policies are having devastating economic consequences.

In America, it’s been clear for some time that Democrat President Joe Biden’s green policies have exacerbated inflation.

Biden’s agenda has hit Americans hard, making it increasingly difficult for families to fill their grocery baskets and gas tanks.

In Canada, major institutions are now starting to warn that far-left Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s climate policies are hurting the economy and the Canadian people.

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

‘We Are Not Done’ — EU Central Bank Warns of More Interest Rate Hikes After March

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank chugged ahead with another outsized interest rate hike Thursday and vowed more to come, underlining its drive to subdue inflation even as the European economy slows and the U.S. Federal Reserve eases its pace of increases.

The Frankfurt-based bank raised its key benchmarks by half a percentage point and said it intends to make a similar move in March. Policymakers are moving aggressively to choke off price spikes that have slowed from record highs but are still hurting households in the 20 countries that use the euro currency.

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

1 Dead, Memphis Police Officer in ‘Extremely Critical Condition’ After Shooting

The shooting happened near the Poplar-White Station Library.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A person is dead and a police officer is in extremely critical condition after a shooting near the Poplar-White Station Library.

According to Memphis Police, officers responded to the area at 5094 Poplar Avenue around 12:32 p.m. Thursday. Police said one individual involved in the shooting died at the scene.

The Memphis officer was transported to Regional One Hospital where he was said to be in “extremely critical condition.”

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

80-Year-Old Victim Fights Back, Shoots Home Invaders Hitting One in Chest Sending Them to Hospital Where Police Make Arrests

An 80-year-old man was left critically wounded during a home invasion near O’Hare International Airport Monday but sent the two thugs to the hospital after he opened fire during the home invasion.

The victim was inside his home around 10:30 a.m. in the 8500 block of West Catherine when two people knocked on the front door. When he opened the door, Mansfield Wallace, 51, of Evanston and Tabitha Hemphill, 31, of Chicago forced their way into the home.

But the thugs picked the wrong house because this victim had a FOID card and is licensed to carry a gun. After a short struggle, the victim was able to fire a few rounds at the intruders. He struck Mansfield in the chest and grazed the woman.

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

Article III Project Founder Believes Jim Jordan Has No Intention of Holding Big Tech Accountable

Article III Project founder and President Mike Davis says he doubts House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan will hold Big Tech accountable for its abuse of power for colluding with the federal government.

“Jim Jordan has no intention of actually holding big tech accountable,” Davis said on the Wednesday edition of the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show. “He pretends like he is fighting against Big Tech, but behind the scenes he’s making these key decisions like opposing bipartisan reforms last Congress and appointing someone who is pro Big Tech.”

It was recently announced that Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-Col.) teamed up together to create a new Congressional Antitrust Caucus to crack down on Big Tech and its abuse of power.

According to Davis, Congressman Buck championed six bipartisan antitrust bills that got through the House regarding Big Tech, but that GOP leadership, such as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Jordan, were of no help and seemed to be against it.

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

COS Success: Montana Senate Votes in Favor of Resolution Calling for a Convention of States

The Montana Senate approved the Convention of States Resolution on Tuesday afternoon in a 26-24 vote. This was the second reading in the Montana Senate, which means one more round of voting will be conducted on Wednesday.

Last week, the Montana Senate Committee on Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs listened to hours of testimony from supporters during a hearing.

“I as a state legislator, as a member of this body, have an obligation, a duty, and an opportunity to address what’s happening in Washington, which I believe every individual in this chamber thinks is dysfunctional,” said the resolution’s sponsor Senator Tom McGillvray.

The House must still take up the resolution before Montana becomes state number 20 to call for an Article V convention.

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

Dana Point: Cyclist Riding on PCH Hit by Car, Stabbed by Driver, Dies in Hospital

A Lexus driver struck a bicyclist on Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point Wednesday afternoon, then got out and stabbed the cyclist. The driver was held by Good Samaritans until officers arrived. The cyclist died in the hospital.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the incident occurred at around 3 p.m., when a white Lexus sedan hit a bicyclist riding northbound along PCH at the Crown Valley Parkway intersection.

The OCSD said the cyclist was riding in the bike lane and stopped at a red light when he was struck from behind. The driver intentionally struck the cyclist, officials said.

The Lexus driver then got out of the car and stabbed the cyclist.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital. Around 5:52 p.m., authorities confirmed the victim had died.

The driver was held at the scene by citizens until law enforcement arrived and arrested him.

“There were actually locals that were able to detain him until police arrived,” said OCSD Sergeant Mike Woodruff. “As far as relationship or motive, we have no idea at this time.”

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office identified the suspect Thursday morning as 39-year-old Vanroy Evan Smith. Smith was held without bail and was scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

           — Hat tip: Roger [Return to headlines]
 

Exclusive: House, Senate GOP to Start ‘DC Home Rule’ Vote to Block District’s New Crime Law

Republican Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde and Tennesee Sen. Bill Hagerty will introduce a joint resolution of disapproval to block the Washington, D.C., Council’s Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, which would lower penalties for a number of violent criminal offenses, according to legislation first obtained by the Daily Caller.

Clyde will introduce the House version Thursday. Hagerty will introduce the Senate companion next week, sources with knowledge confirmed to the Caller.

Congress can exercise authority over D.C. local affairs, according to the District Clause of the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17), and Congress reviews all D.C. legislation before it can become law. Congress can change or even overturn D.C. legislation and can impose new laws on the district.

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

Ex-GOP Candidate Probed by Dem AG Could Lose His Medical License Over COVID ‘Disinformation’

Scott Jensen, a medical doctor, former state senator and former Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate, said the state is attempting to revoke his medical license after he questioned certain components of the response to COVID-19.

The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice is investigating complaints against Jensen to determine if he can continue to practice medicine with the help of Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office, according to documents Jensen shared online. The board is investigating him for the sixth time since 2020; all allegations from the first four investigations were dismissed, and a fifth investigation is still pending, Jensen told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

However, Jensen argues that many of the allegations against him are irrelevant to his ability to practice medicine, focusing on perceived COVID-19 misinformation, and instead are politically motivated.

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

Federal Court Strikes Down Decades-Old Gun Law Targeting Domestic Violence

A federal appeals court struck down a decades-old gun law Thursday that blocked people under domestic violence protection orders from possessing firearms, saying the law is unconstitutional after a new precedent for gun laws was set in a landmark Supreme Court decision.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth District ruled that the federal criminal statute did not fit “within our Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” a requirement for all gun laws set forth in the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen (NYSRPA v. Bruen) case in June, according to the ruling.

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

Federal Government is Accused of Using Antiterrorism Tech to Target Vaccine Dissent

The US federal government is adopting military-grade AI that was used to crack down on ISIS to censor dissent by US citizens on issues like election fraud and vaccine hesitancy, according to the executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, Mike Benz.

Private firms and universities have received millions of dollars in grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), a federal agency, to develop tools similar to those developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Social Media in Strategic Communications (SMISC) program in 2011.

SMISC’s tools were used “to help identify misinformation or deception campaigns and counter them with truthful information,” in the Middle East. In a report, Mike Benz detailed how the NSF and other organizations are using this technology to censor the speech of Americans.

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

Florida’s Workforce is Larger Than New York’s for First Time Ever

Florida’s economic boom has pushed the Sunshine State above New York in the number of employed workers for the first time.

According to data released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the month of December 2022, Florida had 9.669 million employed workers, compared to New York’s 9.661 million. That marked the first time since the BLS began using this data set in 1982 that Florida’s workforce was larger than New York’s.

A spokesman for Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told FOX Business, “As Governor DeSantis said in his second inaugural speech, ‘It is often said that our federalist constitutional system — with fifty states able to pursue their own unique policies — represents a laboratory of democracy.’ Florida has exemplified the successful example of freedom, and our success is revealed in metrics like this.”

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

Great News for Planet Earth: 146 News Species of Animals and Plants Were Added in 2022

Proving that our vast planet still harbors unexplored places with never-before-recorded plants and animals, 146 new species were added in 2022 to the scientific database of biodiversity.

The new species reported by researchers at the California Academy of Sciences include fish, rays, lizards, spiders, scorpions, and plants.

The new branches added to our tree of life include 44 lizards, 30 ants, 14 sea slugs, 14 flowering plants, 13 sea stars, seven fishes, four sharks, four beetles, three moths, three worms, two scorpions, two spiders, two lichens, one toad, one clam, one aphid, and one sea biscuit.

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

Hunter Biden’s Lawyers Admit That His ‘Computer Data’ is Real

Attorneys for Hunter Biden admitted in a letter submitted Wednesday to the Department of Justice that data obtained from his laptop is authentic.

Biden’s attorneys admitted in the letter that data retrieved from the laptop by John Paul Mac Isaac, a computer store owner from Wilmington, Delaware, is authentic. They asserted that Mac Isaac unlawfully possessed the laptop, even though Mac Isaac has produced paperwork showing that Biden dropped the computer off at his repair shop and signed over custody.

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

Judge Throws Book at Man Who Robbed Store While on Electronic Monitoring for Same Crime

A Cook County judge threw the book at a Chicago man who robbed a convenience store at gunpoint while he was on electronic monitoring for robbing another store. The furious judge sentenced Kameron Stevenson, 20, to a stunning (for Chicago) 21-year sentence.

After prosecutors agreed to drop the charges for the first robbery, Stevenson pleaded guilty to armed robbery with a firearm. But Judge Mary Brosnahan was not impressed and dropped the hammer with a 21-year sentence.

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

National Security Without Patriotism

by Daniel Greenfield

Charles McGonigal, who headed the FBI’s counterintelligence operation in New York, before being arrested for working for a sanctioned Russiagate oligarch and accepting $225,000 in cash from a former Albanian agent which he allegedly kept wrapped in rubber bands at a small Brooklyn apartment where he spent time with his mistress, is another chapter in a familiar story.

It’s a continuation of the sleazy affair between the FBI’s Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, which helped unwind Russiagate, or the FBI’s Robert Hanssen, who spent much of the Cold War peddling our national secrets to the Russians and hoarded cash while visiting strip clubs.

The FBI missed McGonigal, allegedly turned in by his mistress, much as it missed Hanssen until it had exhausted every other possible alternative. Russiagate has ushered in the exposure of a parade of FBI officials, McGonigal, Strzok, McCabe, whose violations had gone unnoticed.

At the bottom of it all, the tawdriness of McGonigal hooking up in an FBI vehicle and dispatching agents to drive his mistress around, or Hanssen sharing nude photos of his wife in chat rooms, was the smallness of the men in contrast to the seriousness of their responsibilities. Under the suits and ties are men who know all too well the measure of their unworthiness. They sell out their country to afford a nicer house, a boat or a mistress. They have affairs and lie about them.

The Russians don’t have to go to any great lengths to compromise them because they have already compromised themselves. They go through the facades of church or politics, but they don’t really believe in anything. Hanssen was outwardly churchgoing, but dove into the sewer. McGonigal’s mistress describes him as “apolitical” and that’s probably true. Even the anti-Trump antics of the Russiagaters was not born out of real passion, but of a career establishment.

Over much of a century, we have built a massive establishment that consumes enormous resources, wields vast powers, but, except when the Left seizes the wheel, is on autopilot…

           — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield [Return to headlines]
 

Nearly Half of Chicago Public School Students Chronically Absent in 2022

Authored by Hannah Max via IllinoisPolicy.org

Chronic absenteeism rates are higher in Chicago than statewide, with 49% of low-income Chicago students missing at least 10% of their days in school. That rate has nearly doubled since the pandemic.

Chronic absenteeism in Chicago Public Schools is on the rise: nearly 45% in 2022, according to state data. That compares to a statewide rate of 30%.

The rate is even higher among Chicago’s low-income students, with 49% missing at least 10% of their schooling, according to Illinois State Board of Education data.

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

New York Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening MTG’s Life

A New York man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to making interstate threats to Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who called the US justice system “two-tiered” after the man was reportedly permitted to go home while awaiting sentencing.

A post from Greene reads, “A man pleads guilty for planning to kill me or paying someone to do it. Now he’s at home, able to do it while awaiting sentencing.”

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

NYPD Unable to Recruit, Retain Enough Officers to Keep New York City Safe: Union Boss

3,701 members of the New York Police Department left the force last year. 1,746 quit and 1,955 retired, according to data from the NYC Police Pension Fund and the drop off marks the largest NYPD staff exit in decades while major crime in the city soars.

“The NYPD is playing a dangerous game by refusing to acknowledge and address its recruitment and retention crisis,” President of the New York City Police Benevolent Association Patrick Lynch said, per Fox News. “New Yorkers are demanding more police presence in their neighborhoods and on the subway, but we just don’t have the staffing to provide it consistently.”

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

Ocasio-Cortez Has Fiery Fit on House Floor Over Ilhan Omar’s Committee Removal

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had a fiery fit as Republicans prepared to remove Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ocasio-Cortez made the comments Thursday as lawmakers debated the question prior to the vote that removed Omar. The New York Democrat angrily described Omar’s removal as an “attack on women of color.”

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

Poll: Nearly One in Four Millennials Have Their Parents Pay for Their Rent

Nearly 25% of all Millennials have their rent paid by their parents, according to a new poll in Virginia which shows a high number of young adults having at least one bill footed by their mothers and/or fathers.

The OnePoll/Chartway Credit Union survey found that “almost one-quarter (24%) of millennials polled say their parents cover their rent,” according to Talker.

A larger number, meanwhile—35%—claim that “they still have at least one bill on their parents’ tab.”

Nearly three-quarters of respondents say they plan to uptake more of their own bills in the near future.

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

Portland Police Memorial Vandalized in ‘Senseless, Useless, Criminal Act’

On Wednesday night, the Portland Police Association revealed that the Police Memorial in Tom McCall Waterfront Park had been vandalized.

The perpetrators, who went to each plaque to destroy the names of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, remain at large.

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

Recent Data Shows ‘Stunning Increase’ In Serious Harm Reports in Young Healthy Pilots: Army Lt. Col. Theresa Long

Authored by Carly Mayberry via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)

It’s been a year since four Department of Defense (DOD) whistleblowers found a sudden increase in various diseases in the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED), which coincided directly with the introduction of COVID-19 vaccinations. Now, new data shows more evidence.

That’s according to Lt. Col.Theresa Long, M.D., MPH, a board-certified aerospace medicine doctor and Army Brigade flight surgeon with specialty training as an aviation mishap investigator and safety officer, who was one of the four whistleblowers. Long’s background has uniquely equipped her to recognize what she described as “unusual diagnoses and alarming trends only after the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccinations.”

Sharp Increase in Serious Harm Reports in Pilots: DOD Data

Long said what she has now found has led her to file yet another whistleblower complaint with Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-Wis.) office. She described this data as “more alarming DMED data” after she “went back into the ‘fixed’ DMED again to look for signals of harm for Army aviation.”

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

Republican Councilwoman Gunned Down Outside Her Home, Shot Dead in Targeted Attack

A Republican councilwoman was gunned down outside her own home in New Jersey on Wednesday evening, according to police.

30-year-old Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour was found dead in her vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds.

According to the Sayreville Police Department, the killing was a targeted attack.

Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick said she was a “dedicated member of our Borough Council who was truly committed to serving all of our residents.”

The young mother beat the sitting Democrat in the Borough of Sayreville in November 2021 in a stunning upset win.

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

Severe Ice Storm Leaves Half a Million Without Power, Nine Dead

A dangerous ice storm has been tearing through the South since Monday, leaving at least nine casualties and many still without power, according to Axios.

Harsh roads and driving conditions were responsible for claiming seven lives in Texas, one in Oklahoma, and one in Arkansas, Axios reported, and much of Texas remains without power. The freezing weather resulted in 700-plus flight cancellations, and about 1,000 delayed.

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

Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Spotted Over U.S. Skies, Pentagon Says

The Defense Department is “confident” a balloon spotted over Montana is a surveillance balloon from China, a senior defense official said Thursday.

A senior defense official said the U.S. has engaged with Chinese officials “urgently,” and President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley and vice chair Joint Chief Gen. Christopher Grady recommended against taking “kinetic action” because of danger from debris, the defense official said. The U.S. government has also determined the balloon does not pose a threat, the defense official said.

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

‘The Scandal Would be Enormous’: Pfizer Director Worried About Vax-Induced Menstrual Irregularities

Project Veritas on Thursday released a new segment of undercover footage of Pfizer director Jordon Walker in which the Director of R&D within the company’s mRNA operation expressed concern over how the COVID-19 vaccine may be affecting women’s reproductive health.

“There is something irregular about the menstrual cycles. So, people will have to investigate that down the line,” Walker told an undercover journalist he thought he was on a date with.

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

The White House Targets Apple and Google’s App Store Monopolies

The White House is looking to rein in Google and Apple’s app stores’ anti-competitive practices.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden convened the competition council for updates on efforts made to promote competition. Before the meeting, the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a report that noted that Apple and Google have dominated the apps market, which harms both developers and consumers through the reduction of innovation and inflation of prices. The report adds that dominance reduces competition.

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

‘They’re Not Taking My Gas Stove Out, ‘ Manchin Says as Biden Admin Plans Gas Stove Crackdown

Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said Thursday that he would not support any bans on gas stoves as the Biden administration seems to gear toward a crackdown on the household appliance.

The Department of Energy (DOE) revealed a proposed rule Wednesday that would set a new “energy conservation standard” for both gas stoves and electric cooking equipment. The rule would create energy efficiency standards for new gas stoves. A commissioner at the Consumer Product Safety Commission told Bloomberg in January the Biden administration was considering a ban on gas stoves, citing a December 2022 study.

Manchin made note of the proposed rule while speaking on the floor.

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

‘Unlike Anything I’ve Seen’: The Number of Police Officers Shot in the Line of Duty Has More Than Doubled Since 2020

Thirty-four officers were shot while on duty in Jan. 2023, a 113% increase from this time in 2020, the National Fraternal Order of Police reported on Monday.

Last year, 331 police officers were shot and 62 killed on duty, according to the report, a substantial increase from 2020 where 312 were shot and 47 killed, and four years prior when 237 officers were shot and 53 killed.

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

Utah Bill Would Bring ID-Based Age Verification to Online Platforms

A state lawmaker in Utah has introduced a bill that would require teens to get parental consent before they can use social media. The bill would require handing over more personal information to check the age of platform users.

This week, State Sen. Mike McKell introduced SB 152, a bill that would require social media platforms to not only verify age but also require children under the age of 18 to get a parent’s approval before creating a social media account.

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

Video: Colbert Brags About His NPC Audience Still Wearing Masks

Late Show host Stephen Colbert bragged about his studio audience still wearing masks in a segment where he sarcastically ‘celebrated’ Joe Biden announcing that he intends to wind down the COVID ‘emergency’ status in the U.S. by the end of May.

Colbert, the once edgy comedian turned establishment NPC talking point repeater, sardonically stated “take that COVID, we beat you, shove that up your nose and rotate it five times.”

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

Woman Charged With Stealing $1.5 Million in Chicken Wings From Chicago Suburb School District

A 66-year-old woman was charged with stealing over $1.5 million worth of food — primarily chicken wings, while working as the Director of Food Services for a school district within a suburb of Chicago.

Bond was set at $150,000 Thursday for Vera Lidell, who began working for Harvey School District 152 in July 2020, placed hundreds of unauthorized orders for items between July 2020 and February 2022 — which included 11,000 cases of chicken wings through the school’s primary supplier, Gordon Food Service.

Liddell is accused of placing the orders alongside legitimate orders for the district.

“The massive fraud began at the height of COVID during a time when students were not allowed to be physically present in school. Even though the children were learning remotely, the school district continued to provide meals for the students that their families could pick up,” according to prosecutors.

“The food was never brought to the school or provided to the students,” reads the proffer.

[Comment: Some of the comments on this Zero Hedge article are funny.]

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

Canada Delays Controversial Assisted Dying Rollout

After public outcry and international scrutiny over the federal Liberal government’s decision to expand doctor assisted suicide to the mentally ill, on Thursday Ottawa announced it will introduce a bill to delay the new rules until March 17, 2024.

Originally the program was set to take effect in spring 2023.

Justice Minister David Lametti said during a press conference that recent developments with assisted suicide in Canada has created the need for more deliberation on the expansion.

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Canadian Court: Govt Justified in Denying Unemployment Benefits to Unvaccinated Man

A Canadian court has ruled that it was justified for the federal government to deny a fired hospital worker unemployment benefits because he refused to take the coronavirus vaccine.

A Federal Court judge has ruled that the Canadian government was correct to deny Anthony Cecchetto employment insurance benefits after he lost his job at a Toronto-area group of hospitals in 2021 because he refused to take the coronavirus vaccine or an antigen test.

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

Growing Number of Doctors Say They Won’t Get COVID-19 Booster Shots

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)

A growing number of doctors say that they will not get COVID-19 vaccine boosters, citing a lack of clinical trial evidence.

“I have taken my last COVID vaccine without RCT level evidence it will reduce my risk of severe disease,” Dr. Todd Lee, an infectious disease expert at McGill University, wrote on Twitter.

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

Half of Canadians Say Freedom Convoy Was Threat to National Security: Poll

One-in-two Canadians think the protests surrounding the Freedom Convoy were a threat to national security, according to a new poll.

The Angus Reid poll released on Thursday shows 51% of Canadian respondents said Convoy protests posed a threat of espionage, sabotage, foreign influence, serious violence, or an overthrow of the Canadian government.

Respondents were given these terms so as to match the terms needed by government officials to invoke the Emergencies Act.

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

Yet Another University Says No to Free Speech and Debate

Yet another Canadian university had blackballed yet another Canadian professor — this one fired for her controversial comments on residential schools — from giving a speech on its campus.

The University of Lethbridge said a speech by a former Mount Royal University professor, Frances Widdowson, who was fired in 2021 amid an uproar over her residential-school comments, wouldn’t be allowed space on campus.

But the academic said she still intended to show up and give her talk entitled, “How ‘Woke-ism Threatens Academic Freedom.’“

“They will have to call security and forcibly haul me away to stop me,” Widdowson told the CBC in an email on Monday.

And show up she did on Wednesday evening, only to be drowned out by protesters.

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

After EU Legalized Insect Protein in Food, Hungary Introduces Strict Labeling So Consumers Know They’re Eating Bugs

The Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture is amending the food labeling regulation to ensure that products containing insect proteins are clearly distinguishable and separable on the shelves of stores, in order to provide accurate information to consumers.

Minister of Agriculture Istvan Nagy announced the new labeling guidelines on Wednesday, where he pointed out that traditional dietary habits could be at risk.

He noted that Brussels is allowing more and more insect species to be sold as food. The European Commission’s decision means that with house crickets, there are now four species of insect that can be sold commercially as food and food ingredients in the European Union. Istvan Nagy pointed out that Hungary was the only member state to not support the EU decision, as there is no need to fear either food or protein shortages in the EU.

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

Another Chilling Kidnapping Video Emerges From France

Chilling footage of the latest alleged kidnapping in France has emerged on social media.

The disturbing incident reportedly occurred on Sunday night in Sarcelles, a commune in the suburbs of Paris.

A video purportedly shot by a witness shows multiple suspects force a struggling victim into a parked van.

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

British Gas Debt Collectors Broke Into Homes of Vulnerable People Behind on Bills

British Gas has been found to have employed debt-collecting contractors who broke into the homes of vulnerable customers who fell behind on payments to forcibly install prepayment meters during the energy crisis.

An investigation by The Times of London in which a reporter was embedded clandestinely with British Gas contractors from Arvato, a debt-collecting firm tasked with installing prepayment energy meters for those late on their payments, has found that contractors broke into homes to do so.

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

‘Dozens of Youths’ Brawl With Bats, Blades in France

A teenage boy was seriously injured during a mass brawl between several dozen ‘youths’ armed with clubs and bladed weapons in France this week, according to reports.

The disturbing incident unfolded just after 6 p.m. on Monday evening in Toulon, a city on the French Riviera.

Police were notified about a major clash in the Saine-Musse district.

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

French Official to Take on Islamophobia in EU

The EU has appointed a new anti-Islamophobia coordinator after an 18-month long gap which attracted criticism from Muslim rights groups.

Marion Lalisse, an EU official of French origin, said on Twitter she was “honoured” to take up the post dealing with an “important topic that requires our joint efforts and commitment”.

Lalisse’s job would be to “ensure that measures are taken to combat hatred, as well as structural and individual discrimination against Muslims,” said EU equality commissioner Helena Dalli.

“We must combat Islamophobia in all areas, including education, employment and social policy. We must also collect data on all cases of Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslims and monitor and combat any such manifestations,” Dalli added.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

French Police Unions Furious at Internal Memo Banning Car Chases

A video released by a police union denounces an internal memo banning officers from chasing fleeing offenders. The memo coincides with a marked rise in crime.

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

French Socialist European Lawmaker Criticizes Online Conspiracy Theories, Misinformation to EU Panel

On January 30, the European Parliament discussed censorship policies, misinformation, and disinformation. It subsequently released a video of the meeting, titled “The impact of disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda on democracy during the pandemic: extracts from the public hearing.”

French socialist MEP Raphael Glucksmann said disinformation is a threat to democracy and proposed cracking down on foreign influence campaigns.

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

Germany in Talks for $18 Billion National Missile Defense Shield After Poking the Bear

Now finding itself a leading European decision-maker when it comes to provocative actions such as NATO allies sending main battle tanks for Ukraine, Germany is all too aware it is poking the Russian bear.

And now as part of a drastic ramping up in defense spending, a complete about-face compared to just one year ago, Germany is looking to establish a nation-wide missile defense shield, at an immense overall cost.

“Germany is in talks with several defense manufacturers to build a multi-layered, anti-missile shield that could cost as much as €17 billion ($18.5 billion), according to people familiar with the matter,” Bloomberg reports.

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

Germany’s AfD Calls for Diplomatic Talks With Russia in State Parliament Debate

Germany must change tack and call for diplomatic talks to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the AfD leader in Saxony’s regional parliament, Jörg Urban, said on Thursday.

In a parliamentary debate entitled, “Committed to peace! Diplomacy instead of weapons!” Urban told regional lawmakers on Thursday that the continuous arms deliveries by Germany and its Western allies to Kyiv were only perpetuating the war and insisted that diplomatic dialogue with Russia was now the best way forward to mitigate the loss of life.

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Legal Challenge to Northern Ireland COVID Law That Allowed Government Surveillance is Allowed to Proceed

Legal challenges over the six-month extension of COVID-19 restrictions in Northern Ireland will proceed to a full hearing, ruled the High Court. Three separate legal challenges were filed after former Health Minister Robin Swann announced the extension last September.

Attorneys of the applicants of the legal challenges argued that the extension was unlawful because the minister did not get the approval of the Executive Committee.

Swann made the extension under the Coronavirus Act 2020 to allow for the introduction of restrictions in case of any future COVID-19 developments. He claimed he was legally advised that he could make the extension without the approval of the Executive Committee.

It was the Coronavirus Act 2020 that gave the government far-reaching digital surveillance powers.

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Macron’s France: Almost All Serious Crimes Increased in 2022

Statistics released by the French interior ministry have revealed that nearly all serious crimes increased in number last year, including murder, sexual violence, and theft.

France’s Interior Ministry released the 2022 statistics on crime on Tuesday, noting that sexual violence, domestic violence, drug use, and intentional assault and battery had all increased by over 10 per cent compared to 2021.

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

Norway Bans Planned Anti-Islam Protest Outside Turkish Embassy Over Fears of Quran Book Burning

The Norwegian government has banned an anti-Islam demonstration due to take place on Friday outside the Turkish embassy in Oslo citing security concerns, it has emerged.

The Norwegian police, who canceled the event on advice from the Norwegian foreign ministry, revealed authorities were concerned that protesters planned to burn a copy of the Quran, imitating an event that took place in Sweden last month and enraged the Islamic world.

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

Number of Passengers Doubled in 2022 Despite Doomsday Predictions

Something doesn’t add up. While climate activists are warning us about the end of the world, the number of passengers doubled in 2022. In other words: A massively growing number of people are using the air’s “dirty” transport and are responsible for copious amounts of CO2 emissions.

The increasingly radical warnings of the climate movement have apparently fallen on deaf ears: those of the passengers. The most recent passenger numbers published by the 23 largest German commercial airports for 2022 show that the number of passengers has more than doubled.

This evidently shows that climate hysteria is not a popular theme although the mainstream media would like us to believe otherwise.

According to the German Statistical Office (Destatis), German airports counted 155.2 million passengers. This corresponded to an increase of no less than 111 percent over the previous year. Of course, the Corona pandemic was at its peak in 2021, which was accompanied by massive restrictions on air traffic worldwide.

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

The Netherlands’ Centralized Digital Biometric Database Plot is Criticized as “Goldmine for Hackers”

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) said that the government’s plan to create a centralized database for all the personal data people provide when applying for passports, including photos, fingerprints, and signatures, would create a “goldmine for hackers.”

Currently, the data is stored at the municipality where someone is applying for the passport. However, the government wants to amend the Passport Act to create a central national database. The fingerprints would be stored until the issuance of the passport, but the photos and signatures would be stored for longer.

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

UK: Take Back Control: Reform Party Calls for End of Foreign Ownership of Utility Firms

Reform UK, the rebranded Brexit Party, called for an end to foreign ownership of Britain’s utility firms to prevent the taxpayer from being continuing to be “ripped off”.

Speaking from his newly formed campaign office in Hartlepool, where he will be standing for Parliament in the next general election, businessman Richard Tice said that the promise of Brexit — which he campaigned for alongside former Reform leader Nigel Farage — has been let down by the two major parties, most notably the “con-socialist” Conservatives (Tories), as he terms them.

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Die Welt: 5 Reasons Why Ukraine is Increasingly Less Likely to Win the War

Ukraine is running out of both manpower and weapons, writes German newspaper Die Welt’s Brussels correspondent, Christoph Schilz

A Ukrainian victory becomes less likely every day. Kyiv’s army is running out of men and materials, while the enemy is adjusting better and has huge supplies at its disposal. No wonder Western diplomats are now increasingly talking about ceasefires.

At the beginning of the year, Ukraine was spreading optimism about the terrible war that has been imposed on the country by Russian aggression for almost a year now. This year will bring “joy and victory,” declared the head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov. But how realistic is a Ukrainian victory?

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

Poland and Baltic States Call on Russian and Belarusian Athletes to be Banned From the 2024 Olympics

Poland and the Baltic states have reiterated their support for Ukraine’s motion to exclude all Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The head of the International Policy Bureau for the Chancellery of the President of Poland Marcin Przydacz supported the call of the Polish Olympic Committee to ban the athletes of the belligerent nations, claiming “Russia should be isolated on all fields.”

“Maybe especially in sports, because for many Russian decision-makers, the prestige-sport dimension is important,” said Przydacz in an interview with commercial television Polsat News.

“If Russians commit crimes in Ukraine, we cannot pretend that Russian athletes are peace-bearers and let them participate in sports competitions,” he added.

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

Putin Evokes Stalingrad to Predict Victory Over ‘New Nazism’ In Ukraine

VOLGOGRAD, Russia, Feb 2 (Reuters) — President Vladimir Putin evoked the spirit of the Soviet army that defeated Nazi German forces at Stalingrad 80 years ago to declare on Thursday that Russia would defeat a Ukraine supposedly in the grip of a new incarnation of Nazism.

In a fiery speech in Volgograd, known as Stalingrad until 1961, Putin lambasted Germany for helping to arm Ukraine and said, not for the first time, that he was ready to draw on Russia’s entire arsenal, which includes nuclear weapons.

“Unfortunately we see that the ideology of Nazism in its modern form and manifestation again directly threatens the security of our country,” Putin told an audience of army officers and members of local patriotic and youth groups.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Russia Warns Israel Not to Send Weapons to Ukraine

Russia warned Israel on Wednesday, Feb. 1, against any possible arms deliveries to Ukraine, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would “examine this issue.”

“When it comes to arms deliveries (to Ukraine), we do not classify countries according to geography. All countries that deliver weapons must understand that we will consider (these weapons) as legitimate targets for our armed forces,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zaharova said of the possibility of Israeli deliveries.

In an interview with CNN, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that his country was considering providing military aid to Ukraine while also declaring its willingness to mediate in the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.

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Nurse Who Spoke Out About Child Sexual Abuse in Remote Indigenous Communities Hits Out at ‘Disgusting’ Trolls: ‘They’Re Tearing Me to Shreds’

Rachel Hale, 45, detailed the horrific child sexual abuse in the NT, but has now been forced to defend her medical background after receiving threats online.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Sydney-Based University Professor and Close Mate of Anthony Albanese Tells ABC the Alice Springs Crime Wave Crisis Meeting Was Like a ‘KKK Gathering’ — As Outrage Mounts Over the Broadcaster’s Bias Coverage

Nareen Young, an indigenous academic from Sydney, claimed discussion at an Alice Springs community crisis meeting was ‘appalling’ and reminded her of a movie about the KKK.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Fresh Calls for UK to Ditch European Human Rights Laws to Take Back Control of Its Borders

Conservative MPs who supported Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union have called for the country to either ignore or ditch the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which they claim is preventing the country from protecting its borders.

Speaking at the eurosceptic think tank European Foundation, Brexit-backing Jonathan Gullis MP told an audience of senior Brexiteers the government must not be afraid to tackle the ECHR issue head-on, insisting government policy should not be subject to the approval of foreign courts.

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

‘I’m Ashamed and Embarrassed’: Migrant at Brooklyn Shelter Slams Those Who Set Up Encampment Outside $450-a-Night Manhattan Hotel Because ‘It Makes US All Look Bad’

A migrant at the makeshift Brooklyn shelter has slammed those who set up an encampment outside a swanky Manhattan hotel because their behavior ‘makes us all look bad’.

Woke activist attempts to force The Watson Hotel to house hordes of single male migrants failed overnight as the frenzied scene was cleared out to Brooklyn.

The tense days-long stalemate between police and left-wing agitators who demanded migrants be put up in the $450-a-night hotel came to an end last night when the group was bussed from the scene.

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

Biden’s Removal of Employers’ Ability to Cite ‘Moral Objection’ For Contraception Coverage Could Target Religious Liberty

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced earlier this week that it was looking into removing employers’ ability to cite a moral objection to providing contraception in their employee insurance coverage under the Obamacare mandate, while legal experts warn that this could be the first step to removing religious exemptions as well.

During the Trump administration, employers were given the ability to opt out of providing contraception in their employee insurance by claiming a moral or religious objection, according to CNBC. Monday’s announcement would remove the ability to use a moral objection and while the Biden administration claims this will not affect religious liberty, legal experts argue that this could be used to move towards removing an employer’s ability to claim a religious exemption.

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

Christian Mother is Suing School for Forcing Her 4-Year-Old Son to Take Part in Gay Pride Parade

A born-again Christian mother is suing a primary school in the UK after her 4-year-old son was forced to take part in a gay pride parade.

The lawsuit, brought by 38-year-old Izzy Montague, is the first of its kind in the country and underscores how deep LGBT indoctrination has penetrated the educational system.

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

DC Comics Unveils ‘Trans Man’ Superhero Character

DC Comics unveiled a “trans man” superhero named Circuit Breaker who will debut on Valentine’s Day as part of a new comic book series, according to one of the comic’s creators, A.L. Kaplan.

The character is secretly named Jules Jourdain and uses “he/they” pronouns, Bounding Into Comics reported Wednesday. Circuit Breaker will make his first appearance in “Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1,” a series written in part by queer writer A.L. Kaplan.

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

Decentralized Social Media Nostr Client Damus Arrives on the App Store

Damus, another decentralized social networking platform, is now available in the App Store. It is the first platform to use Nostr, a decentralized social networking protocol. Last year, Nostr received 14 BTC (approximately $245,000 at the time) from former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

Decentralized social networking platforms provide the lack of a central controller to determine who and what is allowed. According to Damus’ homepage, “you are in control…there is no platform that can ban or censor you. You are in control of your data.”

Damus does not require an email or phone number to register and does not use servers. Instead, messages are sent through relays.

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Exclusive: Med School Went Woke After Pressure From Accreditor, Documents Show

The University of Utah School of Medicine (SOM) adopted a series of programs to recruit more diverse students and faculty after its accrediting organization said its diversity efforts were unsatisfactory, according to emails obtained by a medical watchdog group and shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) told the school that it found certain elements of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts unsatisfactory, and requested a detailed report from the medical school about how it improved recruitment and retainment for students and faculty from underrepresented communities, according to a 2021 accreditation report shared with the DCNF. In response, the school complied with the request, instituting several DEI programs and sending a status update about how it sought to connect with people from “each of the school’s identified diversity groups,” earning the LCME’s approval.

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

Federal Court Rules Ban on ‘Talk Therapy’ For Minors With Same-Sex Attraction is Unconstitutional

A federal court ruled Thursday in favor of allowing counselors in Tampa, Florida, to provide “voluntary talk therapy” for minors that are experiencing feelings of same-sex attraction.

A Tampa City ordinance passed in 2017 formerly prohibited counselors from giving any kind of “conversion therapy” to patients under 18, and in response, Robert Vazzo and David Pickup, both licensed therapists, filed a lawsuit in the same year on behalf of their patients arguing that Tampa’s law posed an unconstitutional restriction on their right to free speech, according to Liberty Counsel’s press release. A panel of federal judges ruled Thursday that the ordinance did, in fact, violate Vazzo’s rights under the First Amendment, according to the six-page opinion.

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

Florida Universities ‘Misreported’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Spending, DeSantis Admin Says

Florida universities “misreported” or “under-reported” the amount they spent on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) programming on campus, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration alleged Thursday afternoon.

The state Office of Policy and Budget requested Dec. 28 each state public university submit a report detailing how public funds were used to support DEI and CRT initiatives — which reportedly tallied over $28 million in total at the university level including approximately $15 million of taxpayer money. The administration, however, claims that the total amount reported “revealed an extraordinary misuse of taxpayer dollars to promote a political agenda at the expense of academic focus,” Bryan Griffin, DeSantis’ press secretary, said in an email sent to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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

Identity — Not Income — Drives Desire to Secede, According to New Model

What most sparks a region’s desire to seek independence from their country—income or identity?

A new study from SMU (Southern Methodist University, Dallas) and UC3M (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain) found that the group people identify with tends to play a bigger factor in secession than differences in per capita income between regions.

Identity was shown to be a larger factor than income for many real-life examples of pro-independence movements in recent years—such as Tibet in China and Tigray and other Southern Nations in Ethiopia. Researchers looked at a total of 173 countries with 3,003 subnational regions, like Texas and California in the United States or Canadian provinces in Quebec and Ontario.

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

Leftists Triggered by Old Mister Rogers ‘Boys Are Boys, Girls Are Girls’ Clips

Old clips of Mister Rogers, a children’s TV show from the 1980s, have gone viral on social media after leftists were triggered by the character in the show singing a song about ‘boys being boys and girls being girls’.

Fred Rogers, who hosted Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for decades, is seen in the footage singing a song explaining to children that there are two genders, that boys and girls are different, but that everyone is equal.

“Boys are boys from the beginning, girls are girls right from the start. Everybody’s fancy, Everybody’s fine. Your body’s fancy and so is mine,” Rogers sings.

Further stanzas of the song include the assertions “If you were born a boy, you stay a boy,” and “Only girls grow up to be the mommies, only boys can be the daddies.”

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

Mark Houck Will File Lawsuit Against FBI for Politically Targeting His Family

Now that he has been acquitted and beat the bogus charges the Biden administration filed against him for peacefully protesting abortion, pro-life father Mark Houck says he plans to press charges against the FBI agents who raided his home and traumatized his wife and family.

As LifeNews reported, a Philadelphia jury has found Houck not guilty on both counts that he violated the federal FACE law when he was helping women outside an abortion center. An abortion business escort accosted and bullied his son and Houck stepped in to stop it — and, in doing so, the older abortion center volunteer fell down. Houck could have faced over a decade in prison if he was found guilty.

According to a CNA report, Houck plans to legally pursue the FBI for politically targeting him:

On a Jan. 31 episode of the podcast “War Room,” the host, Steve Bannon, asked Houck: “Do you intend to press charges for prosecutorial abuse? And are you going to press charges against the FBI agents and the state troopers?”

“We most definitely will and we will be seeking counsel on that,” Houck responded.

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

SUNY Professor Outraged by Social Justice Course Requirement for Graduation: ‘We Need to Stand Up’

A professor in The State University of New York (SUNY) system is calling out “divisive” new social justice course requirements for students to graduate.

Suffolk County Community College political science professor Nicholas Giordano, who first reported the requirement, joined “Fox & Friends” Thursday as SUNY prepares to enact a new policy requiring all new students take courses related to social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“It’s extremely divisive,” Giordano said of the program set to begin in Fall 2023 for 64 state schools. “Higher education needs to recognize enrollment’s down, companies are dropping degree requirements, and it’s all through self-inflicted wounds like this.”

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

Tennessee Advances Plan to Ban Child Sex-Change Surgeries

Legislators in Tennessee are moving forward with plans to ban the practice of children undergoing life-altering gender-reassignment treatments and sex-change surgeries.

Lawmakers have advanced the move by bringing forward a key vote on legislation to ban the procedures.

The bill, SB 0001, would ban pediatric medical transition in Tennessee.

After passing a Senate committee with an 8-1 vote on Wednesday, the legislation is rapidly advancing.

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

The Never-Ending ‘Pandemic’: 360 Million Christians Persecuted Worldwide

In 2022, 5,621 Christian around the world were “killed for faith related reasons.” Another 4,542 Christians were illegally detained or arrested, and 2,110 churches were attacked, many destroyed. Overall, the global persecution of Christians remains higher than ever, with 360 million believers suffering high levels of discrimination and violence.

These are among some of the findings of the World Watch List 2023, recently published by the international humanitarian organization, Open Doors. Each year, the World Watch List ranks the top 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted for their faith by using data from approximately 4,000 field workers and external experts to analyze the persecution worldwide.

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

Trans-Identified Maine Teacher Fired After Encouraging Students to Watch Their Sexually Explicit TikTok Content

A Portland, Maine substitute teacher has been fired after middle school students reportedly viewed inappropriate TikTok videos posted to the teacher’s account, which the teacher allegedly encouraged students to view.

Lydia Lamere, a biological male that identifies as a female, was a substitute teacher at King Middle School in Portland.

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

We Have a Problem

The truth about ChatGPT.

This is a fight for the very nature of reality.

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

4 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 2/2/2023

  1. And little by little the right to freely protest was lost, due to the threat of violence from our Islamic residents.

  2. .
    .
    Much ado about absolutely nathing.

    The Koran is one of the greatest pieces of [ordure] on the planet,
    fully comparable to Adolf’s magnum opus. Study the origin
    and content of the Koran, and you’ll see. Take help from
    Jay Smith’s eminent knowledge

    https://youtu.be/4EaopH_EPfc
    https://youtu.be/cQ611NSxfCk
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Rasmus Paludan’s burning of the Koran in Stockholm has sparked anger in many parts of the Muslim world.

    On Thursday, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson held a meeting in his private residence with representatives of several Muslim organisations.

    “Important issues were raised, including their situation and about recent events,” Kristersson wrote on Twitter.

    Thursday’s meeting between Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) and representatives from several Muslim organisations in Sweden took place at the Sagerska House in central Stockholm.

    The background to the meeting included Rasmus Paludan’s burning of the Koran outside the Turkish embassy. But the meetings are nothing new. Previous prime ministers, including Magdalena Andersson, also held similar meetings.

    In a post on Twitter, Ulf Kristersson writes that the meeting discussed the situation of the participants and “recent events”.

    “Appreciated today’s dialogue with representatives from Swedish Muslim communities,” the tweet reads.

    Imam: Ban Koran burnings

    One of the representatives who attended was Imam Salahuddin Barakat of the Islam Academy in Malmö. He urged Sweden to follow Finland and ban Koran burnings, reports Swedish Radio Ekot.

    – We see other countries in Europe with freedom of speech, like Finland, where such things would still be illegal. I think that given the minority and the vulnerability that already exists here, it is an important part of being a responsible politician in Sweden,” he told SR.

    Earlier on Thursday, the prime minister held a meeting with his Finnish counterpart, Sanna Marin. After the meeting, both leaders stressed the importance of Sweden and Finland joining NATO “hand in hand”.

    Ulf Kristersson also said that he understood the frustration in Finland over the NATO process as an effect of the Koran burning.

    – We understand and share the frustrations caused by these actions, he said.

    READ MORE:
    Rasmus Paludan would be stopped by Finnish police

    Protesters set fire to Swedish flag

    Protests in Afghanistan after Paludan’s Koran burning.

    • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2023

      Russian war crimes?

      How an anti-Russian media campaign was coordinated

      An article has appeared in Der Spiegel about an alleged Russian soldier who tells of war crimes committed by the Russian army. What Spiegel readers don’t learn is how and by whom this story was coordinated.

      A long article entitled “ Russian officer accuses own troops of torture – “I feel remorse, but there was no way to help ” has appeared in Der Spiegel, in which an alleged former Russian soldier gives a detailed account of alleged war crimes by the Russian army. According to his own statements, he witnessed torture and looting by Russian soldiers.
      The story has at least two snags: First, I know from personal experience that at least parts of his story are fabricated lies. Secondly, Der Spiegel conceals the fact that the story is an internationally coordinated media campaign.

      the lies
      In the Spiegel article we learn:
      “He and his squad were first sent to Melitopol in the Zaporizhia region as a rear guard. At that time, at the end of February, fighting was still going on in the city (…) In Ukraine, he claims to have seen all the violence and looting. These descriptions coincide with previous reports on the behavior of Russian soldiers in occupied Ukrainian territories. “Our soldiers took all the junk from the Ukrainians’ houses back in Melitopol and stuffed it into the vehicles. There was complete anarchy, nobody from the military leadership intervened«. Elsewhere, Russian soldiers stole diapers, powder and soap from a warehouse for household items, and ATMs and jewelry stores were looted in droves.

      Soldiers pointed weapons at Ukrainian residents and beat them up in order to take their cars from them. None of the superiors said anything about the fact that dozens of her men were suddenly driving around in private Ukrainian cars. “It was considered normal, the commanders themselves brought vehicles and tractors to Crimea and Russia.” Soldiers once stole two Toyota Land Cruisers 200 and a Toyota pick-up, stuck Z-signs on them and drove them in races . Others would have pulled koi fish out of a pond in a garden and fried them.”

      On my first trip to the conflict zone in mid-March 2022, I spent a whole day in Melitopol and was able to speak freely to hundreds of people. I also spoke to people who were against the Russian intervention and who savagely insulted the Russian soldiers who were there to protect us. There was no sign of fear of the Russian soldiers being able to punish, arrest or even torture someone for the insults and anti-Russian slogans, on the
      contrary.

      Those who supported the Russian intervention were afraid at the time because they feared the return of the Ukrainian army and acts of revenge. You can find the detailed article about my first day in Melitopol here .
      Even after that, I and other journalists who I know well were often in Melitopol. But nobody there said anything about looting or torture by Russian soldiers. On the contrary: Even those who are openly opposed to the Russian intervention had and have nothing to criticize about the behavior of the Russian soldiers.

      Melitopol is a normal city where life goes on as normal, anyone can go there, anyone can leave the city. There was no significant fighting in Melitopol and hardly a window was broken there when I was there in March 2022. Things look a little different there today, because the city is constantly being shelled by the Ukrainian army.
      The extent to which the report of the alleged Russian soldier reported by Der Spiegel is a lie becomes clear when you read the episode from my article about the hitchhiker linked above. There really is no question of people’s fear that the Russian soldiers could plunder, rob, beat up, arrest or torture someone.

      The media campaign
      When I was looking for the Nord Stream blast article for my article on the Nord Stream blast on the UK Times site, I made an accidental discovery. The Times also published a lengthy article about the alleged Russian soldier.

      That got me curious because Der Spiegel worded its article as if it had spoken exclusively to the soldier. The same applies to the Times article. And if you look at when the two articles came out, it happened practically at the same time. This means that the story of the alleged Russian soldier is an internationally coordinated media campaign that was published at the same time by leading media outlets in western countries.
      Who directed the campaign?

      This raises the question of who controlled the media campaign. You can find references to this in both articles, as both mention the NGO gulagu.net. At the end of the article in the Times there is the note “With the help of gulagu.net” and in the Spiegel you can read at the end of the article:

      “I’m sure his testimony should be heard in The Hague,” Gulagu.net founder Vladimir Ossechkin told SPIEGEL. With his organization, he claims to have brought more than 20 soldiers out of Russia and around the world.
      […]

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