Gates of Vienna News Feed 2/23/2023

Almost a million asylum applications were received by EU countries in 2022. Those applications were in addition to four million Ukrainian refugees who fled to the EU last year.

In other news, the death toll of the February 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria has risen above 47,000.

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

Thanks to Dean, DV, LP, MM, 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
» Kansas Bill Would Make Gold and Silver Legal Tender in the State
 
USA
» “Al Gore Was Never Qualified in the First Place, So for Him to Last for Over 20 Years is Absurd”: Shareholder Moves to Boot Al Gore From Apple’s Board
» 5th Grader Stabbed by Fellow Student After Fight Outside N.J. School, Teachers’ Union Says
» Biden Has No Plans to Visit East Palestine, White House Confirms
» Breaking: Environmental Scientists Heading to Ohio Killed in Plane Crash
» Buckhead Residents Implore Lawmakers to Let Them Vote During Cityhood Hearing
» Buttigieg FINALLY Visits East Palestine, Press SEC Complains Journalists Asking Question Are ‘Aggressive’
» California Business Burglarized Days Before Its Grand Opening — Just Two Blocks From City Hall
» DC Mayor Blames ‘Social Media Challenge’ For Carjackings, Offers Free Steering Wheel Locks for Some Vehicles
» DeSantis Comes Clean, Says Trump’s Endorsement Was Key to 2018 Election Win
» East Palestine Residents Chant ‘No More Joe’, Wave ‘Trump Won’ Flags
» Exclusive: Pfizer Denies Unethical Gain-of-Function Research for Coronavirus Vaccines in Letter to Rep. Ronny Jackson
» Family of 11-Year-Old Boy Allegedly Stabbed by Another Preteen Demands Justice
» Former Black Panther Angela Davis Shocked to Find She is a Descendant of a Mayflower Settler
» Harvey Weinstein Sentence: Will Former Mogul Spend Life in Prison?
» Investigation Launched as Video Emerges Showing ‘Ballot Shredding’ On Election Night
» Lori Lightfoot’s Chances Look Bleak Ahead of Chicago Mayoral Election
» Los Angeles Facing First-Ever Blizzard Warning
» Mike Lindell Suing Kevin McCarthy Over January 6 Tapes
» Mind Your Step, Joe! Biden Carefully Walks Down Air Force One as He Lands Back in US After Tripping Up Stairs While Leaving Poland: President Faces Wrath of Ohio for Going to Ukraine and Not Toxic Train Derailment Site
» Missouri AG Moves to Fire Dem Attorney Kim Gardner After She Refuses to Resign Over Public Safety Outcry
» New Details Emerge About Cause of Ohio Train Derailment
» Nikola Tesla’s Earthquake Machine
» Not Just Ivermectin: New FDA Authority to Ban Off-Label Uses Alarms Doctors
» Pfizer Covered Up Deaths During COVID Shot Clinical Trials
» Poll: Only 19% of Americans Have Confidence in Biden’s Handling of Ukraine Conflict
» R. Kelly Receives 1 Extra Year in Prison for Child Porn, Enticement, After 30-Year Sentence
» Reporter, 9-Year-Old Girl Killed in Orlando Shooting Spree: What We Know
» Study Finds More Than 60 Percent of Young Men Are Single: ‘Who Are All the Young Women Dating?’
» Toddler, Mother and 5 Teens Injured in Shooting Near Philadelphia School
» Trump Amplifies False Rumor George Soros ‘Endorsed’ Ron DeSantis
» Trump Slams Biden for Snubbing East Palestine: ‘Get Over Here’
» Vaccine Mandates Did Nothing to Stop Spread of COVID, Study Finds
» Virginia Gov. Youngkin Orders Review of AP African American Studies Amid College Board Row With Florida
» Winter Storm Power Outage Map as Blizzard Plunges 850,000 Into Darkness
» Woman Speaks Out About NY Law That Doesn’t Allow Mace to be Shipped to State: ‘Deprived of Fundamental Rights’
 
Canada
» Campus Watch: UBC Prof Says Not Wearing Masks is Racist, Ableist and Classist
» Canadian ISIS Facilitator Denounces Extremism, Gets 14 Years
» Canadian Premiers Tell PM Justin Trudeau They Won’t be Sharing Citizens’ Medical Data With Federal Government
» Google Rolls Out Tests That Block News Content for Some Users in Canada
» Half of Canadians Think AI Will Outsmart Humans: Poll
 
Europe and the EU
» Are the Germans Already Looking to Abandon Ukraine? Huge Protest This Weekend — Led by the Far-Left and Kremlin Apologists — Will Demand Berlin Stops Arming Kyiv… As Polls Show Public Support Falling
» Biden Attended Private Mass on Ash Wednesday in Warsaw Hotel
» European Commission Bans TikTok From Staff Work Devices
» Father of 2 Sisters Murdered in Double Honor Killing in Pakistan Arrested in Spain
» German Mayor Reaches Agreement With Road-Blocking Climate Protestors
» Macron Mulling Withdrawal of Putin’s Legion of Honour Award
» Majority of Women Remain Unmarried by the Age of 34 in Anti-Family Britain
» Poland Signs Agreement for Preliminary Work on Nuclear Power Plant With U.S. Westinghouse
» Swedish Military Intelligence Warns of ‘Palpable’ Russian Military Threat
» ‘War is Coming to Britain’ By 2030: UK Defense SEC
 
Middle East
» Death Toll From Turkey, Syria Earthquake Tops 47,000
» ISIS Forces Boys to Impregnate Women at Syrian Refugee Camp: Report
» Turkey Blocks Popular Online Forum to Block Criticism of Earthquake Response
 
Russia
» Breaking: Biden Admin Promises Additional $10 BILLION in Economic Aid to Ukraine
» NATO Criticised for Tweet Comparing Ukraine Conflict to Harry Potter
» One Year Into Ukraine War, China Says Sending Weapons Will Not Bring Peace
» PM Orban’s Warning: Russia Cannot Win Because the Entire West is Behind Ukraine, And Russia Cannot be Cornered Because it Has Nuclear Weapons
» Ukraine Calls on Countries to Ban Sales of New Video Game Atomic Heart
 
Far East
» TikTok Under Fire for Banning ‘Pro-America’ Company: ‘Blatant Move of Conservative Censorship’
 
Australia — Pacific
» Shocked Tenants of Meriton Apartment Complex Wonder Where They’ll Live After the Real Estate Giant Raised Their Rent by 45 Per Cent a Week
 
Latin America
» Google Criticizes Brazil’s Pre-Censorship Orders, Complies With Them Anyway
 
Immigration
» Crime Jumps in Germany’s Most Populous State, Non-Germans Vastly Overrepresented in Serious Offenses Like Murder and Rape
» Did You Know: Hungary Has a ‘Stop Soros Law’ To Outlaw Illegal Immigration
» Failed Somali Asylum Seeker Jailed in Scotland for Raping Woman as She Slept
» Migrant Crisis: EU Countries Receive One Million Asylum Applications, Four Million Ukrainian Refugees Last Year
» More Than 8,600 Afghan Migrants Reached the UK by Boat Last Year — a Six-Fold Increase on 2021, Report Reveals
» New Fast-Track Asylum Process in Britain Dubbed ‘An Amnesty in All But Name’
» Ron DeSantis Calls Out Republicans on Immigration
» Soaring Costs: UK Set to Pay $2.5 Billion to House 150,000 Migrants
» UK Schoolgirls Protest at School Gates After 4 Afghan Asylum Seekers Cleared of Unproven Rape Return to Class
» UK: Exclusive: Met Arrested 1,470 Migrants From Asylum Fast-Track Nations in 2022, 41 for Rape
» Yuma Sheriff: Illegal Crossings Jumped From 40 Per Day to 1k After Biden Reversed Trump Policies
 
Culture Wars
» BC Workshop for 14-Year-Olds on How to Access Transgender Surgeries
» It’s All Bull***t
» School District Forced to Pay Over 100k in Legal Fees After Banning Moms From Exposing Pornographic Materials
» Tennessee Republicans Vote to Make Drag Shows Felonies
» UN Says That Censoring “Disinformation” And “Hate Speech” Will Protect “Free Speech”
 

Kansas Bill Would Make Gold and Silver Legal Tender in the State

TOPEKA, Kan. (Feb. 17, 2023) — A bill filed in the Kansas House would make gold and silver legal tender in the state and would effectively repeal the state capital gains tax on gold and silver. Passage into law would eliminate barriers to using gold and silver in everyday transactions, a foundational step for the people to undermine the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money.

The House Federal and State Affairs Committee introduced House Bill 2405 (HB2405) on Feb. 10. Under the proposed law, “specie coins” issued by the U.S. government or any other specie that a court of competent jurisdiction designates would be legal tender in the state of Kansas and recognized as a medium of exchange for the payment of debts and taxes.

“Specie” is defined as a “coin having gold or silver content; or refined gold or silver bullion that is coined, stamped or imprinted with its weight and purity and valued primarily based on its metal content and not its form.

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

“Al Gore Was Never Qualified in the First Place, So for Him to Last for Over 20 Years is Absurd”: Shareholder Moves to Boot Al Gore From Apple’s Board

An activist shareholder has reached his limit with former Vice President Al Gore and is seeking to have him removed from his lucrative position on Apple Inc.’s board of directors. Gore is Apple’s longest-serving director. He was first elected to the board in 2003.

The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs when Gore was picked for the board, “Al brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and wisdom to Apple from having helped run the largest organization in the world — the United States government — as a Congressman, Senator and our 45th Vice President.”

But ethics watchdog National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) says it is time for Gore to get the boot. The group filed an exempt solicitation with the Securities and Exchange Commission urging fellow Apple shareholders to vote against Gore as a director nominee at the tech giant’s annual meeting on March 10.

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

5th Grader Stabbed by Fellow Student After Fight Outside N.J. School, Teachers’ Union Says

A fifth-grade student was badly injured after being stabbed by another 11-year-old boy during an altercation that began as a fight outside a middle school in Perth Amboy on Wednesday afternoon, the president of the school district’s teacher’s union told NJ Advance Media.

The stabbing took place a couple of blocks from Samuel E. Shull Middle School near one of the boys’ homes, according to Perth Amboy Federation president Patricia Paradiso. After a fight outside the school at dismissal, one boy followed the other and stabbed him, Paradiso said.

Perth Amboy school superintendent David Roman declined to comment but said in letter to the school community that a student was seriously injured. The board of education’s attorney issued a statement on behalf of the school district, though.

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

Biden Has No Plans to Visit East Palestine, White House Confirms

President Joe Biden has no plans to visit the town of East Palestine, Ohio, in the near future, the White House confirmed on Thursday.

“I don’t have anything to share on a presidential visit, not at this time, or anything to announce,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “But it does matter that the president put forth a multi-agency kind of reaction to this, taking it seriously.”

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

Breaking: Environmental Scientists Heading to Ohio Killed in Plane Crash

On Wednesday afternoon, five people who worked for an environmental response consulting firm were killed when the plane they were traveling in on their way to a metal factory explosion site in Ohio crashed.

Everyone on the plane, including the pilot, worked at the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, and were en route to a fatal explosion that occurred earlier this week at a Bedford, Ohio metal manufacturing plant, according to the Daily Mail.

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

Buckhead Residents Implore Lawmakers to Let Them Vote During Cityhood Hearing

Buckhead residents in favor of the neighborhood seceding from the city of Atlanta voiced frustration over crime during the second hearing on measures that would put the issue to a public vote.

A proposal being considered by lawmakers again this legislative session would let Buckhead residents within the proposed boundaries vote on whether to form the new city through a ballot referendum in November 2024.

The legislation is broken into two bills. Senate Bill 114 outlines details of the proposed “City of Buckhead City,” while Senate Bill 113 allows for the transfer of government services and facilities from one municipality to a newly formed municipality.

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

Buttigieg FINALLY Visits East Palestine, Press SEC Complains Journalists Asking Question Are ‘Aggressive’

On Thursday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited East Palestine, Ohio, one day shy of three weeks since a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed.

According to CBS News, Buttigieg arrived in the eastern Ohio town just before 8 am.

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

California Business Burglarized Days Before Its Grand Opening — Just Two Blocks From City Hall

A new business in California has postponed its opening after thieves stole most of the owner’s inventory.

Owner Kevin Greene says that he used his savings to start a new men’s clothing store called The Suit Lounge in Oakland, which was slated to open this weekend.

Surveillance footage showed a pair of thieves smashing the store’s glass door on Monday and crawling in.

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

DC Mayor Blames ‘Social Media Challenge’ For Carjackings, Offers Free Steering Wheel Locks for Some Vehicles

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced new action to combat the city’s carjacking problem, saying the city will hand out free steering wheel locks for some cars.

Bowser made the announcement on Thursday, stating that Washington, D.C. residents who own a 2011-2021 Kia or Hyundai vehicle are eligible to receive a free steering wheel lock that can be picked up at police stations throughout the city, as carjackings in D.C are dramatically higher when compared to last year.

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

DeSantis Comes Clean, Says Trump’s Endorsement Was Key to 2018 Election Win

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has revealed that he views President Donald Trump’s endorsement as being a key component of his 2018 gubernatorial election win.

During the race to the governor’s office, DeSantis was in a hotly contested primary and a too-close-for-comfort general election.

DeSantis has a new book coming out, “The Courage to Be Free.”

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

East Palestine Residents Chant ‘No More Joe’, Wave ‘Trump Won’ Flags

Residents of East Palestine Ohio, who were impacted by the recent toxic train derailment disaster have been taking to the streets to chant “no more Joe.”

Locals lined the streets waiting for President Donald Trump’s arrival and voiced their outrage at being snubbed by Joe Biden and his administration.

Residents of the small town could be seen waving flags that said “Trump Won,” in reference to the 2020 election.

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

Exclusive: Pfizer Denies Unethical Gain-of-Function Research for Coronavirus Vaccines in Letter to Rep. Ronny Jackson

Pfizer denied conducting gain-of-function research for the coronavirus virus in a letter to Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Breitbart News has learned exclusively.

Jackson, a physician and a member of the Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, sent a letter in January, which was exclusively obtained by Breitbart News’s Hannah Bleau, demanding answers on if Pfizer engaged in gain-of-function research by intentionally mutating the Chinese coronavirus.

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

Family of 11-Year-Old Boy Allegedly Stabbed by Another Preteen Demands Justice

The family of an 11-year-old boy from Perth Amboy who was allegedly stabbed by another 11-year-old after school says they want answers as to how this happened.

Smailyn Jimenez remains hospitalized at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where he had surgery.

Officials say that the boys had gotten into a dispute earlier in the day. They say that shortly after school dismissal, a sixth grader stabbed Jimenez, who is in fifth grade, with a household knife. Both boys are 11 years old.

Smailyn Jimenez’s father, Juan Jimenez, says that even though his son is making progress, doctors say that it could take about three years for him to recover. He says his son was stabbed twice in the abdomen and that one of the veins leading to his heart was damaged.

Juan Jimenez says that the attack was unprovoked and that his son was followed home. The attack allegedly happened about two blocks from the Jimenez home. Juan Jimenez says that the boy accused in the stabbing was also with a seventh grade student.

The Perth Amboy Mayor’s Office says that a parent saw the injured boy and flagged down first responders to take Smailyn Jimenez to the hospital.

The sixth grade boy was taken into custody and charged with juvenile delinquency due to his age. The mayor’s office says that if the boy was an adult, he could have been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, among other charges.

The Jimenez family is now demanding justice and wants to see the seventh grade boy also be held accountable.

           — Hat tip: Roger [Return to headlines]
 

Former Black Panther Angela Davis Shocked to Find She is a Descendant of a Mayflower Settler

Critical Race Theorist and former member of the Black Panthers Angela Davis was in disbelief when she found out that she had an ancestor who came to America on the Mayflower.

Davis, a figure in the Critical Race Theory movement, found out on a recent episode of PBS’s show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. that she is descended from a European settler who came to the New World on the Mayflower.

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

Harvey Weinstein Sentence: Will Former Mogul Spend Life in Prison?

Former film producer Harvey Weinstein on Thursday was sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Los Angeles judge for the 2013 rape of an actress.

In December, Weinstein was found guilty on three criminal charges, including rape, forced oral copulation and another sexual misconduct count involving the Italian actress, who said Weinstein showed up to her hotel room in 2013 uninvited.

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

Investigation Launched as Video Emerges Showing ‘Ballot Shredding’ On Election Night

Officials in Montana have launched an investigation after a security video emerged that appears to show an administrator shredding ballots on Election Night last year.

The surveillance footage shows Carbon County Elections Administrator Crystal Roascio in the process of shredding documents on the night of the 2022 midterm election.

A complaint about the video was originally filed by Carbon County poll watcher Chip Bennett and his wife, Lisa Bennett.

However, the case is now in the hands of the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, according to KTVQ.

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

Lori Lightfoot’s Chances Look Bleak Ahead of Chicago Mayoral Election

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is currently polling behind two competitors as she seeks re-election next week, according to a new survey.

The M3 consultants poll, details of which were obtained by FOX 32 News, put Lightfoot in third with just 14 percent support, following Paul Vallas on 32 percent and Brandon Johnson on 18 percent. M3 consultants surveyed 416 likely Chicago voters for the poll this week.

In total, nine candidates are standing to be the next mayor of Chicago, with the first round of voting due to take place on February 28. A second round, between the two leading candidates, is scheduled for March 4, unless one of the candidates gets at least 50% plus one vote.

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

Los Angeles Facing First-Ever Blizzard Warning

An “extremely dangerous” storm is moving into Southern California, bringing with it the first blizzard warning Los Angeles has seen, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

As a separate massive winter storm moves eastward across the country, Southern California is also facing threats of snow, rain and even a blizzard. The NWS reported that Los Angeles County and Ventura County mountains are under a blizzard warning from early Friday morning through Saturday afternoon.

Snow accumulations could reach 5 feet and wind gusts are forecasted to exceed 55 miles per hour.

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

Mike Lindell Suing Kevin McCarthy Over January 6 Tapes

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is suing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for exclusively releasing footage from the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot to Fox News and not to other networks like his.

“Lindell TV is going after Kevin McCarthy in Congress, we’re going after them, because they did it wrong,” Lindell announced on Wednesday’s episode of The Lindell Report.

Earlier in the day, McCarthy had confirmed that he was granting Fox News host Tucker Carlson exclusive access to thousands of hours of surveillance footage from inside the Capitol on the day of the attack—a decision that has drawn sharp criticisms from Democrats who have argued the move only further endangers Capitol security.

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

Mind Your Step, Joe! Biden Carefully Walks Down Air Force One as He Lands Back in US After Tripping Up Stairs While Leaving Poland: President Faces Wrath of Ohio for Going to Ukraine and Not Toxic Train Derailment Site

Shortly after 8.30pm on Wednesday, Air Force One landed at Joint Base Andrews, where Biden disembarked without incident, but appeared to walk stiffly across the tarmac to Marine One.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Missouri AG Moves to Fire Dem Attorney Kim Gardner After She Refuses to Resign Over Public Safety Outcry

FIRST ON FOX — Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey moved to fire embattled Democratic St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner on Thursday after she refused to resign following a weekend accident involving a repeat offender who was free despite several violations of his bond terms.

The AG’s office started the process of filing a petition quo warranto, which is the legal mechanism under state statute that allows the Attorney General to remove a prosecutor who neglects his or her duties. Bailey will have to show a judge that Gardner neglected her duties and needs to be removed.

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

New Details Emerge About Cause of Ohio Train Derailment

A failed wheel bearing led to the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.

People in East Palestine, Ohio, have been waiting for answers since the February 3 incident about why 38 of the 149 cars derailed, including some that were carrying toxic chemicals. A subsequent fire caused damage to 12 other cars.

After pressure began to increase inside the train cars, officials conducted a controlled burn to release the chemicals into the environment and prevent an explosion. Since the derailment, East Palestine residents have reported what appears to be chemicals rising from creek beds, dead animals and concerning physical side effects.

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

Nikola Tesla’s Earthquake Machine

Nikola Tesla is today famous for his work on electricity and energy. He developed the alternating current system, making it possible to transmit electricity over large distances, and worked also on wireless communication and energy transfer. He was a brilliant thinker, but also very eccentric. Maybe the more enigmatic parts of his personality make him such an interesting subject for conspiracists. Tesla is credited to have worked on unknown energy-sources, to be contacted by UFOs, caused the Tunguska explosion by a death-ray, and even worked on an earthquake-generator.

In 1896 Tesla was working on oscillations to be used for energy transfer. The idea was to create a steam-powered oscillator, able to create various frequencies. If the frequency matched the resonance frequency, a receiving device should transform the mechanical oscillations back into an electric current.

In 1897 the device was ready and in 1898 he supposedly managed to oscillate his laboratory at 48 E. Houston St., New York, enough, that alarmed neighbors called the police and ambulance, fearing an earthquake happening. Tesla later explained this principle to reporter Allan L. Besnson, who published in February 1912 an article about Tesla’s resonator in The World Today magazine.

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

Not Just Ivermectin: New FDA Authority to Ban Off-Label Uses Alarms Doctors

Doctors are speaking out against a new law that arguably paves the way for the FDA to prohibit treatments for purposes it hasn’t expressly authorized, going far beyond highly politicized subjects such as treating COVID-19 with ivermectin.

The authority to ban off-label uses was buried on page 3,542 of the 4,155-page omnibus appropriations bill signed into law at year’s end, though it’s specifically applied to “banned devices.”

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

Pfizer Covered Up Deaths During COVID Shot Clinical Trials

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer covered up deaths and injuries that occurred among participants during the rushed clinical trials for the company’s Covid shot, according to a bombshell new report.

The cover-up was exposed by investigative journalists with the renowned German newspaper Die Welt.

The reporters uncovered the stories of patients who were seriously injured and killed during Pfizer’s clinical trials.

However, rather than halting the experiment at once, Pfizer tried to cover up the adverse events and continue the trials in an effort to rush the vaccine to market.

According to Die Welt, Pfizer falsified the findings of the study by removing the patients who were injured and killed.

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

Poll: Only 19% of Americans Have Confidence in Biden’s Handling of Ukraine Conflict

An Associated Press and NORC poll has found that fewer than 20 percent of Americans have a “great deal” of confidence in the way Joe Biden is involving the U.S. in the Ukraine conflict.

The survey reveals that only 19 percent of the public have a “great deal” of confidence in Biden’s ability, while 37 percent say they have “only some” confidence,” and 43 percent have “hardly any” confidence.

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

R. Kelly Receives 1 Extra Year in Prison for Child Porn, Enticement, After 30-Year Sentence

R&B singer R. Kelly will serve one additional year in prison for child pornography and enticing minors for sex after he finishes his 30-year sentence for racketeering charges, according to a federal judge’s ruling Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber sentenced Kelly to 20 years in prison for the child sex charges, but most of the sentence will be served concurrently with his current prison sentence, The Associated Press reported.

Kelly, 56, will serve no more than 31 years and will be eligible for release around the age of 80.

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

Reporter, 9-Year-Old Girl Killed in Orlando Shooting Spree: What We Know

PINE HILLS, Fla. — A suspect was taken into custody on Wednesday after an Orlando journalist and a 9-year-old child were killed, and two others were shot in Pine Hills.

According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, deputies got reports of two shootings around 4:05 p.m.

One of the shootings happened on Hialeah Street, where deputies had been investigating a separate homicide earlier in the day. A woman, later identified as 38-year-old Nathacha Augustin, was shot and killed there at about 11 a.m. An affidavit revealed the suspect’s demeanor before he allegedly opened fire.

At that scene, deputies found two Spectrum News 13 employees shot. One of them died, and the other is in critical condition. The deceased reporter has been identified as Dylan Lyons.

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Study Finds More Than 60 Percent of Young Men Are Single: ‘Who Are All the Young Women Dating?’

Only 37 percent of young men report being in a relationship, according to a recent Pew study, causing some confusion on Twitter, with one user asking if all the women were dating actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

Men are increasingly so single, the study found, that the rate of young women in relationships more than doubled that of young men, with only 34 percent of young women reporting that they were single.

A whopping 63 percent of young men, on the other hand, said that they were single.

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

Toddler, Mother and 5 Teens Injured in Shooting Near Philadelphia School

A mother, her 2-year-old daughter and five teenagers are all recovering following a shooting near a Philadelphia school early Thursday evening.

The 2-year-old girl, her 31-year-old mother, two 16-year-old boys, a 15-year-old boy, a 13-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy were at the intersection of 31st and Norris streets near the James G. Blaine School shortly before 6 p.m. when at least one person armed with a gun opened fire.

“There were some people inside of a vehicle, some people on the sidewalk, when the shooters approached,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. “We don’t believe that all of the victims at this point were intended targets.

The 2-year-old girl was shot once in the left thigh, her mother was shot twice in the left thigh, one 16-year-old boy was shot once in the left arm, the other 16-year-old boy was shot in the right arm and left thigh, the 15-year-old boy was shot twice in the chest and the right side of his body, the 13-year-old boy was shot in the left hand, and the 17-year-old boy was grazed in the left thigh.

           — Hat tip: MM [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Amplifies False Rumor George Soros ‘Endorsed’ Ron DeSantis

Former President Donald Trump is spreading a false rumor that claims Democratic mega-donor George Soros, who frequently features in right-wing conspiracy theories, has “endorsed” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump linked to an article from far-right misinformation site The Gateway Pundit, featuring the headline “The Kiss of Death—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Endorsed by George Soros.”

The former president pushed the endorsement claim after months of launching increasingly vitriolic attacks on his potential 2024 challenger, whom he now often refers to as “Ron DeSantimonius.”

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

Trump Slams Biden for Snubbing East Palestine: ‘Get Over Here’

President Donald Trump has slammed Joe Biden for snubbing the people of East Palestine, Ohio as they battle the aftershock of the toxic trail derailment disaster.

While visiting the small town to offer his support on Wednesday, Trump blasted the Democrat president for choosing instead to visit Ukraine to pledge more taxpayer money for the foreign nation’s war effort.

Trump told Breitbart News that Biden should have been in East Palestine, but “chose to go a different route,” referring to Biden’s recent Ukraine trip.

“Get over here,” President Trump said in a message to Biden.

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

Vaccine Mandates Did Nothing to Stop Spread of COVID, Study Finds

Vaccine mandates that were implemented across the United States did nothing to stop the spread of COVID-19, a new study has found.

In a study conducted by George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, researchers analyzed data to examine the efficacy of citywide Covid vaccine mandates in 2021.

Across the country, widespread mandates were issued for businesses, transport, and indoor public places.

However, the researchers say they found “no evidence” that these measures did anything to reduce Covid cases or deaths.

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

Virginia Gov. Youngkin Orders Review of AP African American Studies Amid College Board Row With Florida

Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has asked his administration to review the AP African American studies course after Florida rejected the course on grounds it violated state laws barring the teaching of Critical Race Theory and certain sexual topics.

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

Winter Storm Power Outage Map as Blizzard Plunges 850,000 Into Darkness

Over 850,000 homes were without power in the early hours of Thursday morning as a coast-to-coast winter storm knocked down utility poles and ice coated power lines.

Meanwhile, thousands of flights have been canceled, many traveling either to or from Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois, where the National Weather Service (NWS) had predicted freezing wind chills and blizzards.

According to PowerOutage, a live data aggregator, as of 3.48 a.m. ET, there were nearly 650,000 customers without power in Michigan alone, out of 5.2 million homes. Illinois had over 104,000 homes without power, and almost 45,000 were in the dark in Wisconsin.

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

Woman Speaks Out About NY Law That Doesn’t Allow Mace to be Shipped to State: ‘Deprived of Fundamental Rights’

New York Post columnist Rikki Schlott is raising awareness about a New York law that doesn’t allow pepper spray to be mailed to any city or county in the state.

State law allows pepper spray to be used and carried for self-defense but doesn’t allow it to be shipped to a New York address. The only type of spray that can be mailed directly to the state is animal mace.

Schlott says the law directly puts New Yorkers at risk because they aren’t able to defend themselves from potential acts of violence.

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

Campus Watch: UBC Prof Says Not Wearing Masks is Racist, Ableist and Classist

University of British Columbia medicine professor Dr. Amy Tan says that not wearing masks is an act of racism, ableism and classism.

The B.C. scholar, physician, and self-described anti-racism consultant made the comments on Twitter Tuesday when quote tweeting a user sharing similar sentiments.

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

Canadian ISIS Facilitator Denounces Extremism, Gets 14 Years

The facilitator of a Canadian ISIS cell renounced violent extremism on Thursday as he pleaded guilty to four counts of terrorism and was sentenced to 14 years.

Awso Peshdary, 33, told the court he believed it was “God’s favour to me” that the RCMP put a stop to his terrorist activities by arresting him in 2015.

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

Canadian Premiers Tell PM Justin Trudeau They Won’t be Sharing Citizens’ Medical Data With Federal Government

All 12 premiers in Canada have signed a joint letter saying that their territories and provinces will not be sharing healthcare data with the federal government. The federal government made sharing the data a requirement for its increased healthcare funding to provinces.

“In a joint letter to the Prime Minister, signed by all premiers, we pledged the following,” the letter states. “While enhanced broader data sharing will now be explored and undertaken, to reflect capacities and needs in each of our jurisdictions, individual personal health information cannot and will not be exchanged.”

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

Google Rolls Out Tests That Block News Content for Some Users in Canada

Google has launched tests that block access to news content for some users in Canada in response to the Canadian government’s online news bill. Bill C-18, or the Online News Act, would require platforms like Facebook and Google to negotiate deals that would pay news publishers for their content. The bill is currently before the Canadian Senate for debate.

The company told TechCrunch that the tests impact “a small percentage” of Canadian users. The tests limit the visibility of Canadian and international news, and affect all types of news content.

“We’re briefly testing potential product responses to Bill C-18 that impact a very small percentage of Canadian users,” a spokesperson for the company told TechCrunch in an email. We run thousands of tests each year to assess any potential changes to Search. We’ve been fully transparent about our concern that C-18 is overly broad and, if unchanged, could impact products Canadians use and rely on every day. We remain committed to supporting a sustainable future for news in Canada and offering solutions that fix Bill C-18.”

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

Half of Canadians Think AI Will Outsmart Humans: Poll

One in two Canadians believes artificial intelligence (AI) may outsmart humans, according to a new poll.

The Leger poll released on Thursday shows 52% agree AI may become so powerful that it outsmarts humans, and 60% say the prospect of having AI in their life is scary.

Most (75%) said the technology lacks the emotion or empathy to make good decisions, many (72%) said AI is susceptible to hacking or fraud, and half (50%) thought it was susceptible to structural bias and discrimination.

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

Are the Germans Already Looking to Abandon Ukraine? Huge Protest This Weekend — Led by the Far-Left and Kremlin Apologists — Will Demand Berlin Stops Arming Kyiv… As Polls Show Public Support Falling

Earlier this month, far-left politician Sahra Wagenknecht and feminist Alice Schwarzer launched what they called a ‘manifesto for peace’ criticising the government’s approach to the conflict.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Biden Attended Private Mass on Ash Wednesday in Warsaw Hotel

U.S. President Joe Biden attended a private mass to commemorate Ash Wednesday at an improvised chapel next to the Presidential suite in the Marriott hotel in Warsaw.

The service was given by a Polish priest, Fr. Wieslaw Dawidowski, who wrote of the experience in a social media post.

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

European Commission Bans TikTok From Staff Work Devices

The European Commission’s IT service has asked all employees of the EU executive to uninstall Chinese-owned TikTok from their corporate devices, as well as the personal devices using corporate apps, citing data protection concerns.

Internal Markets Commissioner Thierry Breton told reporters he had spoken to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about data privacy concerns about the video-sharing app.

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

Father of 2 Sisters Murdered in Double Honor Killing in Pakistan Arrested in Spain

The father of Aneesa and Arooj Abbas, two Pakistani sisters living in Spain who were shot dead by their own family members in a suspected honor killing last May, has been arrested by authorities near Barcelona for his involvement in the attack.

Ghulam Abbas was arrested by the Mossos d’Esquadra and the National Police Force at his family’s former residence in the Catalonian city of Terrassa on Wednesday.

Six other members of the family had already been arrested shortly after the double murder and remain in custody in Pakistan.

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

German Mayor Reaches Agreement With Road-Blocking Climate Protestors

The German city of Hannover has reached an agreement with climate activists to stop blocking roads, after its mayor announced Thursday that he supports several of their demands.

Mayor Belit Onay said he held talks with representatives from the group Last Generation in recent days to stop them gluing themselves to roads — a tactic that has enraged many motorists. The group says its goal is to highlight the need for tougher action against global warming but the protests have sparked fierce criticism among some in Germany who say they’re dangerous and harm the climate cause.

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

Macron Mulling Withdrawal of Putin’s Legion of Honour Award

At the end of Jacques Chirac’s term in 2007, France and Russia still maintained cordial relations. During his speech at a tripartite summit, the French president had even mentioned bilateral relations that were “excellent in all respects, particularly in the fields of energy, infrastructure and aeronautics”.

Jacques Chirac and Vladimir Putin had notably brought about a rapprochement thanks to their common opposition to the war in Iraq in 2003. Russia was a member of the G8, the club that brought together the richest countries in the world, and even organised the G8 summit in St Petersburg in 2006, French broadcaster France Info reminded its audience.

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

Majority of Women Remain Unmarried by the Age of 34 in Anti-Family Britain

A majority of women between the ages of 16 and 34 have never married in Britain. as more young people are putting off starting families to achieve economic goals, or outright rejecting matrimony.

In the latest blow to the state of the traditional family in the UK, the once-in-a-decade census has revealed that a majority of women in every age group from 16 to 34-years-old have remained unmarried while the number of people overall getting married has fallen to its lowest level on record, the Office for National Statists (ONS) said on Tuesday.

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

Poland Signs Agreement for Preliminary Work on Nuclear Power Plant With U.S. Westinghouse

Poland’s Ministry of Climate has signed an agreement with the U.S. Westinghouse Electric Company and Westinghouse Electric Poland for preliminary work on the construction of a nuclear power plant in the country.

The signing ceremony was attended by Poland’s Climate Minister Anna Moskwa, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pawel Jablonski, and U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski.

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

Swedish Military Intelligence Warns of ‘Palpable’ Russian Military Threat

Sweden’s Military Intelligence and Security Service (MUST) has warned that a possible conflict with Russia is at the highest level since the Cold War, but also arguing NATO security guarantees have made Sweden safer.

Major General Lena Hallin, the head of MUST, spoke out this week on the issue saying that the situation regarding possible conflict with Russia was the most serious it is been in decades.

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

‘War is Coming to Britain’ By 2030: UK Defense SEC

British defence secretary Ben Wallace has predicted that the United Kingdom will be at war yet again by 2030, warning officials and citizens alike that the nation must invest in its military and prepare for the impending conflict.

Wallace’s comments come as the UK continues to ramp up support for Ukraine in the war-torn nation’s quest to thwart Russian aggression.

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

Death Toll From Turkey, Syria Earthquake Tops 47,000

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The death toll from the massive earthquake that hit parts of Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6 continues to rise as more bodies are retrieved from the rubble of demolished buildings.

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck the already battered province of Hatay this week damaged or demolished more buildings, compounding the devastation.

Here’s a look at the key developments Thursday from the aftermath of the earthquake.

Death Toll Tops 47,000

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has raised the number of fatalities in Turkey from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake to 43,556.

The combined death toll in Turkey and Syria now stands at 47,244.

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

ISIS Forces Boys to Impregnate Women at Syrian Refugee Camp: Report

It has been revealed that a number of boys, some as young as thirteen, have been forced to impregnate ISIS women at a refugee camp in northeastern Syria.

The alleged incidents took place at Camp al Hol, which is home to nearly 8,000 foreign women and children associated with the terror group. With no men around, many of the women turned to sexually exploiting the younger males in the camp in an attempt to repopulate the dismantled caliphate. In addition to boys, pregnancies at the camps have been attributed to illicit relationships between ISIS women and guards.

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

Turkey Blocks Popular Online Forum to Block Criticism of Earthquake Response

Turkish authorities blocked one of the most popular online forums Eksi Sozluk and fined several television stations over criticism of the response to the recent earthquakes.

Access to Eksi Solozuk, an online forum similar to Reddit, was restricted this week. Telecommunications watchdog BTK said the platform was blocked without providing a reason.

“The reasoning for the ban remains unknown to us, and we are trying to gather information from officials,” Eksi Sozluk’s board member Ilhan Tasci tweeted.

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

Breaking: Biden Admin Promises Additional $10 BILLION in Economic Aid to Ukraine

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday announced that the Biden regime has greenlit an additional $10 billion in economic assistance for Ukraine. The total US economic and military aid that has been sent to the wartorn nation now surpasses $115 billion to $200 billion over the past year.

“Providing economic assistance has made Ukraine’s resistance possible by supporting the home front, funding critical public services, and helping keep the government running. In the coming months, we expect to provide around $10 billion in additional economic support for Ukraine,” said Yellen.

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

NATO Criticised for Tweet Comparing Ukraine Conflict to Harry Potter

NATO has been criticised for a bizarre tweet comparing the Ukraine conflict to Harry Potter and Star Wars.

The tweet sent via NATO’s official Twitter account is a quote claimed to be from a soldier in the Ukrainian army.

It reads, “This war will shape the continent. It will set rules and draw frontiers. Books will be written and studies done on the reality we face today. We are Harry Potter and William Wallace, the Na’vi and Han Solo. We’re escaping from Shawshank and blowing up the Death Star. We are fighting with the Harkonnens and challenging Thanos. Ukraine is hosting one of the great epics of this century.”

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

One Year Into Ukraine War, China Says Sending Weapons Will Not Bring Peace

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 23 (Reuters) — China told the United Nations on Thursday that one year into the Ukraine war “brutal facts offer an ample proof that sending weapons will not bring peace,” just days after the United States and NATO warned Beijing against giving Russia military support.

“Adding fuel to the fire will only exacerbate tensions. Prolonging and expanding the conflict will only make ordinary people pay an even heftier price,” China’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Dai Bing told the U.N. General Assembly.

Western powers have provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in weapons since Russia invaded. The United States and NATO have in the past week accused China of considering supplying arms to Russia and warned Beijing against such a move. China has dismissed the accusations.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

PM Orban’s Warning: Russia Cannot Win Because the Entire West is Behind Ukraine, And Russia Cannot be Cornered Because it Has Nuclear Weapons

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Russia cannot win because the whole of the Western world has lined up behind Ukraine, but at the same time, Russia is a nuclear power, and a nuclear power cannot be cornered, because it could start a nuclear war.

These two facts are setting the world up for a potential tragedy, according to Orban, and are the reason for his determined pro-peace stance and calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Orban made the remark during a meeting of MPs of his Fidesz governing party in the summer resort city of Balatonfüred. During the meeting, he said the Hungarian government has no reason to change its pro-peace stance because the Hungarian national interest still requires that the country should stay out of this war.

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

Ukraine Calls on Countries to Ban Sales of New Video Game Atomic Heart

Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation said that it will send a letter to gaming platforms Valve, Sony, and Microsoft to ban the sale of the new game Atomic Heart in Ukraine.

The recently released game by Mundfish studio is allegedly sponsored by Russian publisher Gaijin and Anatoliy Paliy, the top manager of Russian energy company Gazprom, according to Ukrainian blogger OLDboi.

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

TikTok Under Fire for Banning ‘Pro-America’ Company: ‘Blatant Move of Conservative Censorship’

Chinese-owned TikTok is under fire for banning and seizing funding from conservative-owned Mammoth Nation over what it dubbed suspicious activity, a move the company’s spokesperson is slamming as “conservative censorship.”

The social media platform reportedly pre-approved an advertisement from Mammoth Nation but flagged it as suspicious activity shortly thereafter, claiming it was selling ammunition.

National spokesperson for Mammoth Nation Drew Berquist denied those claims on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends First” Thursday, saying TikTok then proceeded to press the company for advertising funding to keep it running.

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

Shocked Tenants of Meriton Apartment Complex Wonder Where They’ll Live After the Real Estate Giant Raised Their Rent by 45 Per Cent a Week

Residential development giant, Meriton, sent tenants of its apartment complex at Waterloo in inner Sydney a notice on Tuesday that their rent would be increasing by 45 per cent.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Google Criticizes Brazil’s Pre-Censorship Orders, Complies With Them Anyway

Google disagrees with a decision by Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court (STF) to remove the Worker’s Cause Party (PCO) channel on YouTube. The tech giant argued that removing the channel amounts to pre-censorship.

STF’s Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered YouTube and other social media platforms to remove PCO’s accounts. Google went to court, but Moraes’ decision was upheld by STF’s panel.

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

Crime Jumps in Germany’s Most Populous State, Non-Germans Vastly Overrepresented in Serious Offenses Like Murder and Rape

Crime figures in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), increased by 13.7 percent compared to last year, and in the case of serious crimes like murder, non-Germans were vastly overrepresented.

The jump in crime saw an increase of 1.37 million offenses compared to 2021, according to NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU), who announced the figures on Tuesday.

The report highlights that areas such as violent crime saw a startling jump. The category of “murder and manslaughter,” for example, saw a 23.4 percent rise, resulting in 380 cases.

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

Did You Know: Hungary Has a ‘Stop Soros Law’ To Outlaw Illegal Immigration

Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros had recently courted controversy for falsely accusing the Modi government of colluding with the Adani Group. While he has drawn the wrath of Indians for eyeing a colour revolution in the country, it must be mentioned that he is equally unwelcome in his home country.

As per reports, the Hungarian government wanted to limit the power of George Soros, who is infamously known to create unrest in countries through his Open Society Foundation (OSF). PM Viktor Orban is of the view that the billionaire is orchestrating a campaign to destroy Hungary via illegal immigration.

Orban had famously said, “We are fighting an enemy that is different from us. Not open, but hiding; not straightforward but crafty; not honest but base; not national but international; does not believe in working but speculates with money; does not have its own homeland but feels it owns the whole world.”

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

Failed Somali Asylum Seeker Jailed in Scotland for Raping Woman as She Slept

A failed Somali asylum seeker has been jailed for six years in Scotland after raping a woman as she slept in a flat in Glasgow.

During the trial, the High Court in Edinburgh heard how 42-year-old Abdul Ibrahim had removed his victim’s clothing before raping her at an address in the south-west Glaswegian district of Govan.

The attack occurred on Sept. 23, 2020.

Ibrahim had continuously denied the charge of rape and was ultimately convicted after a trial.

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

Migrant Crisis: EU Countries Receive One Million Asylum Applications, Four Million Ukrainian Refugees Last Year

Last year, nearly a million people applied for asylum status within the European Union along with around four million Ukrainians who sought refuge from the Russian invasion of their country.

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) announced this week that a total of 966,000 asylum applications were registered across the European Union, Switzerland and Norway in 2022, a number not seen since the height of the migrant crisis in 2015 and 2016, and a full 50 per cent higher than 2021.

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

More Than 8,600 Afghan Migrants Reached the UK by Boat Last Year — a Six-Fold Increase on 2021, Report Reveals

The Refugee Council said the contrast showed the Government needs to ‘urgently rethink its approach and expand access to refugee visas’.

The figure for Afghan nationals arriving to the UK by boat having crossed the channel rose to 8,633 last year, it was shown, with almost three-quarters getting here between August and December.

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

New Fast-Track Asylum Process in Britain Dubbed ‘An Amnesty in All But Name’

More than 12,000 asylum seekers in Britain will be permitted to bypass an immigration interview and be granted refugee status on the basis of a new fast-track questionnaire.

This is a result of new rules introduced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s administration in an attempt to clear the backlog of asylum applicants, some of whom have been waiting more than two years for a decision on their application.

The Home Office will soon introduce the fast-track process, which will see asylum applicants who arrived in Britain before June last year handed a 10-page questionnaire to fill out detailing their circumstances.

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

Ron DeSantis Calls Out Republicans on Immigration

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took aim at some Republicans on Thursday while speaking about a new legislative proposal in response to what he calls President Joe Biden’s “border crisis.”

Speaking to reporters, DeSantis was asked about his new legislative proposal and if it was planned in Florida’s last legislative session.

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

Soaring Costs: UK Set to Pay $2.5 Billion to House 150,000 Migrants

The UK taxpayer is set to pay over $2.5 billion on looking after 150,000 migrants currently waiting for their asylum claims to be processed.

The backlog for migrants seeking asylum in Britain has reached an all-time high, with their now being 150,000 people in the UK waiting for their claims to be processed by authorities. The claim comes as the government seeks to slash the backlog of migrants waiting to be processed by simply rubber-stamping applications en masse.

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

UK Schoolgirls Protest at School Gates After 4 Afghan Asylum Seekers Cleared of Unproven Rape Return to Class

Teenage girls in England held a protest outside the gates of a school in Kent on Tuesday, demonstrating against an alleged rape of a fellow student involving four Afghan asylum seekers on the school’s premises.

The incident saw four suspects, all of whom were Afghan asylum seekers determined to be of school age, arrested by police, who conducted an investigation into the alleged assault.

In a statement, Kent Police revealed the suspects had been released without charge.

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

UK: Exclusive: Met Arrested 1,470 Migrants From Asylum Fast-Track Nations in 2022, 41 for Rape

London’s Metropolitan Police arrested 1,470 people in 2022 from five states whose asylum claims will now be fast-tracked without officials even talking to them, Breitbart Europe can reveal.

The figures obtained by Breitbart Europe show the number of foreign nationals, not including dual nationals, detained by Britain’s largest police force for a so-called first arrest offence — the “original reason for the[it] arrest, though the Detainee could later be dealt with for further and / or other Offences”, the force explained — in 2022.

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

Yuma Sheriff: Illegal Crossings Jumped From 40 Per Day to 1k After Biden Reversed Trump Policies

Leon Wilmot, sheriff with the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, told the U.S. House Judiciary Committee that illegal encounters have gone from “an average of 40 per day” to over 1,000 per day along the river corridor in Yuma, Arizona, after the Biden Administration reversed Trump administration border policies.

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

BC Workshop for 14-Year-Olds on How to Access Transgender Surgeries

A British Columbia secondary school is promoting a workshop this week for students between 14-year-olds to 19-year-olds on how to access “gender affirming care,” which includes life-altering surgeries.

As part of its Gender Junction Workshops series, Revelstoke Secondary School will hold a Zoom conference on Feb. 25 advertised to “gender diverse and gender creative youth.”

The workshop will cover a range of topics including “navigating coming out, transitioning and accessing gender affirming care, acquiring gender affirming gear, self advocacy and where to direct your parents, caregivers and teachers for support.”

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

It’s All Bull***t

Roald Dahl’s books are being censored and re-written to ‘protect children’.

Meanwhile, books literally depicting graphic porn and LGBT sex acts are being placed in school libraries.

‘Protect children’? Yeah, right.

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

School District Forced to Pay Over 100k in Legal Fees After Banning Moms From Exposing Pornographic Materials

A school district was forced to pay over $100,000 in legal fees after banning moms from exposing pornographic material at school board meetings.

Forsyth County School District [FSC] agreed to pay attorney’s fees in a federal lawsuit brought by a group of parents who were censored at school board meetings.

The group, called the Mama Bears, claimed in the federal lawsuit that their First Amendment rights were violated and won the case due to the legal representation of the Institute for Free Speech.

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

Tennessee Republicans Vote to Make Drag Shows Felonies

Tennessee is just one procedural vote away from becoming the first state to effectively ban public drag performances in the state, setting the stage for a potentially precedent-setting free speech battle in the courts.

On Thursday, Tennessee lawmakers officially passed joint legislation to create a new felony offense for anyone engaging in an “adult cabaret performance” on public property or in any location where the performance “could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.”

If signed by Republican Governor Bill Lee, Tennessee will become the first state to criminalize drag shows in public from a list of more than a dozen states to have sought similar bans.

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

UN Says That Censoring “Disinformation” And “Hate Speech” Will Protect “Free Speech”

The UN is openly embracing the agenda of mobilizing to fight against perceived online hate speech and disinformation. The latest was to organize an event called, Internet for Trust.

The unelected and well-funded organization whose purpose primarily is to facilitate conflict resolution in the real world and provide peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance in war-torn areas, is now increasingly following in the footsteps of other unelected, though less formal elite groups, like the WEF.

Now, we have announcements from one of its agencies, UNESCO — that is supposed to promote world peace and security through international education, arts and sciences cooperation, and protection of world heritage in forms of monuments, etc. — crafting its very own “guidelines” to regulate “hate speech” and “misinformation.”

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

3 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 2/23/2023

  1. The Russian Orthodox Church is the Politburo of modern Russia.

    Patriarch Kirill on the dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Islamic community of Iran: “I am convinced that we are called by God to joint actions”

    The day before, the chairman of the Organization for Culture and Islamic Relations of Iran, the Council for Religious Policy and Coordination of Interreligious Dialogue of Iran, Mohammad Mahdi Imanipur, arrived in the capital.
    https://rg.ru/2023/02/21/patriarh-kirill-o-dialoge-mezhdu-rpc-i-islamskoj-obshchinoj-irana-ubezhden-my-prizvany-bogom-k-sovmestnym-dejstviiam.html

    The Russian Orthodox Church treats Iranian Muslims with great sympathy and trust, Patriarch Kirill also noted.

    Orthodox and Muslims have a lot in common in their approaches to morality, the role of religion in public life, marriage, and interethnic relations, Patriarch Kirill noted. Despite the fact that polygamy is not allowed in Christian culture, but regarding the relationship between a man and a woman, love, marital fidelity and raising children, the positions of the two religions are similar.
    https://irp.news/iran-i-rossija-mogut-sozdat-sovet-religioznyh-liderov/

    ++++++++++++++++++++++
    The tobacco and vodka patriarch prefers not to notice the persecution of Christians in Iran. Just like stoning harlots and marriages for an hour.

    Orthodoxy of the Byzantine version is such a preparatory stage for Islamization. The Catholic territories have all returned to Christianity, but the transition from the Byzantine faith to Islam is irreversible from Egypt to Sarajevo.

  2. MARRIAGE STATISTICS UK and AUSTRALIA. Very few women get married in both countries and as Australia has copied the UK the drivers are the same;
    1. no financial advantage, get taxed more as a couple than single ref. capital gains tax.
    2. “single un married women” popping out 5 disabled unwanted kids can live a comfortable life on an average income, never working and nice subsidised housing in tropical QLD near the beach.
    3. Women are focussed on social media, appearance and want to spend all their time and money on looking good on facebook etc. Kids are messy and a husband is a handicap to getting lots of likes. Hear them screaming when they get older as they have spent all their money on hair dos, facials, clothes, beauty products and then find they have no super and are homeless. Men tend to query this wasteful spending. OMG!
    4. Marriage is no longer required to take half a man’s assets or more. Just have to be defacto for 2 years and their name is on the house LOL.

    Marriage no longer works FOR them due to the above government policies, being UNMARRIED does.

    I can see the % dropping further because the more people have children out of wedlock the more acceptable it becomes.

  3. “Almost a million asylum applications …”

    Western Europe and expecially Germany is a huge honey trap for opportunists. This includes the traitors among our own who profiteer from feeding the rest to the predators. Once the productive capabilities are gone, they and their invites have only each other left to consume. And that they will. Picture a tank full of starving sharks.

    It is sad both for the natives who lose their land and the minority of genuine refugees who came only for protection and would have done everything to prove their gratitude and respect for the hosts’ culture. That’s why the narrative about them puir wee refugees is even more dishonest than anything else in this morbid game of thrones.

    Can we win by watching the mayhem to its end from a vantage point or sanctuary? It requires getting out the good ones in ‘Atlas Shrugged’ fashion, but there is no Galt’s Gulch in the real world. We’ll have to blend in somewhere and keep the spirit alive until a time the enemies are so thoroughly wasted by their own doing that you actually can establish a core and rebuild from there. If a folk waiting millennia for that opportunity can do it, so can the rest of us. We just have to learn something we didn’t like before: becoming master manipulators. Brutal honesty doesn’t work, the only thing you’ll be remembered for is the brutal.

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