Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/21/2023

Rasmus Paludan, the leader of Stram Kurs in Denmark and Sweden, has been banned from entering the UK. Mr. Paludan had announced his intention to burn a Koran in Wakefield in the North of England.

In other news, Greta Thunberg has been awarded an honorary doctorate in theology by the University of Helsinki.

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

Thanks to Dean, DV, László, McN, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Steen, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

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

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

Financial Crisis
» EU Merchants Brace for a Cashless Future? Impending Regulations Could Force the Acceptance of Digital Euro
» Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Takes a Stand Against Digital Currency: Here’s Why He’s Pushing for a CBDC Ban
» How a Queensland Farmer Who Become a Billionaire Financier With a Fleet of Jets and Rubbed Shoulders With Royalty Was the First Domino in a Chain of Financial Disasters That Brought Down Banking Giant Credit Suisse
 
USA
» Biden Administration Limits China Investments by Semiconductor Chip Subsidy Recipients
» Biden Fails to Dismiss Censorship Collusion Lawsuit
» Bipartisan Trio Introduces Bill to Ban Lawmakers From Owning and Trading Stocks in Renewed Push
» Breaking: President Trump to be Indicted Tomorrow, Expected in NY Court Next Week: Report
» Busted: Rolling Stone Editor-in-Chief Spiked Reporting on Friend Getting Arrested for Child Porn
» California Targets Law-Abiding Gun Owners and Loses Again
» Chicago Carjacker Tries to Steal Stick Shift Car, Gets Busted Because He Can’t Drive it
» Dershowitz: Bragg’s Trump Probe ‘Worse Than Al Capone’, Soros Trying to ‘Corrupt’ Justice System
» DeSantis Touts His Potential to Beat Biden if He Runs for President: ‘I Think He’s Failed the Country’
» Donald Trump Jr. And Others Blast DeSantis Response to Looming Donald Trump Arrest: ‘Pure Weakness’
» Ex-CDC Director: Gain-of-Function Will Trigger ‘Brutal’ Pandemic
» Exclusive — Elise Stefanik: Alvin Bragg Must ‘Testify Before Congress, Under Oath’
» Georgia Prosecutors Considering RICO and Conspiracy Charges Against Trump
» Georgia Democrat Lydia Glaize: ‘Parents Are Not Qualified to Make Decisions’ on Schools
» Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles is Caught Collecting and Selling Personal Data
» John Solomon Sues DOJ, National Archives Over Access to Declassified Trump-Russia Probe Memos
» Judge Upholds Supreme Court Precedent by Blocking California Handgun Safety Rule
» Kidnapped Seattle Man Escapes From Trunk of Burning Vehicle After Driver Crashes Into House
» Lake City Police Department Searching for Man Accused of Stabbing Victim With Pitchfork
» Lindsey Graham Bets on a Trump Victory in 2024
» Manhattan DA Downgrades Felonies in NYC While Potentially Upgrading Trump’s Charge to Felony
» Nevada Governor Blasts Biden for Locking Up Mineral-Rich Land: ‘A Historic Mistake’
» North Carolina House Advances Ban on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
» Official: Mountain Lion Claws Man in Hot Tub in Colorado
» Person Died by Suicide in Ballard Shooting, Medical Examiner Rules
» Philadelphia to Pay $9.25 Million to 343 George Floyd Protesters for ‘Physical and Emotional Injuries’
» Rand Paul Calls for Anti-Trump NY DA Alvin Bragg to be ‘Put in Jail’
» Roaming Mobs of Teens Clash in San Francisco Mall Brawls as Bystanders Caught in Crosshairs: ‘I’m Very Scared’
» Squatters Torment Homeowners Across US With No Resolution in Sight: ‘It’s a Problem’
» Texas Bill Would Ban Gain-of-Function Research, Fine Violators, Require Leak Mitigation Plans
» Texas Blacklists HSBC Over ‘Boycott’ of Fossil Fuels
» This Blue City Wants to Ban New Gas and Auto Service Stations Over Climate Change
» TikTok Data Trackers Installed on State Government Websites, Review Finds
» Video: Reporter Asks White House Press Sec. If Trump Will Use Waco Anniversary to “Foment Anti-Government Sentiment”
» Video: Reporter Shouts at White House Press Sec. for Promoting TV Show Instead of Taking Questions
» VP of Atlanta Media Nonprofit Unmasked as Violent Extremist Antifa Member Who is Organizing an Armed Militancy Camp
 
Canada
» Alberta to Argue Against Federal ‘No More Pipelines’ Bill Wednesday
» BC Pharmacist Suspended for Faking COVID Vaccination to Avoid Mandates
» Bill C-18 is ‘Wildly Misguided, ‘ Says Technology Prof
» Johnston to Deliver Decision on Interference Public Inquiry in May
» Telford to Testify on Foreign Interference
 
Europe and the EU
» 18 European Countries Sign Joint Ammunition Donation for Ukraine
» Britain’s Top Police Force is No Longer Capable of Protecting the Public, Bombshell Report Reveals
» Danish Far-Right Leader Banned From UK Over Threat to Burn Quran in Wakefield
» Danish Quran-Burning Politician Banned From Entering UK Ahead of Planned Ramadan Stunt
» Democracy? Slovakia’s Decision to Send Jets to Ukraine Rejected by Majority of Slovaks
» Farmers Party Leader Tells Dutch PM to Drop Nitrogen Policy as Pair Meet to Discuss Shock Election Results
» German Authorities Investigated Late Pope Benedict XVI on Suspicion of Being Accessory to Abuse
» Germany’s Left Pushed ‘Woke’ Election Law Overhaul; At Least 50% of Party Candidates Must be Female, Voting Age Lowered to 16
» Greta Thunberg Awarded Honorary Doctorate in Theology by University of Helsinki
» ‘Macron Has Taken the Republic Hostage’ — As France Descends Into Chaos, Marine Le Pen Vows to Lower French Pension Age if She Becomes President
» Middle-Class Background of German Schoolgirl Murderers is Revealed as TikTok Video of Their 12-Year-Old Victim Having Fun With One of Her Killers Before They Fell Out ‘In Bullying Row’ Emerges
» Poland’s First Nuclear Power Plant to be Active by 2033
» Polish Diplomacy in Crisis After Ambassador to France Claims Poland Will Declare War on Russia if Ukraine Loses
» Polish PM Defends Nation State and Remains Defiant on German Reparations Claim
» Polish Traders Up in Arms as Another German Supermarket Chain Opens in Poland
» UK: Farage: ‘Getting Our Entire Country Back on Track’ Much Bigger Than Brexit
 
Balkans
» With Crowded Jails, North Macedonia Adopts Pandemic Amnesty
 
Israel and the Palestinians
» Evangelical Christians Urge Netanyahu to Scuttle Ultra-Orthodox Bill Banning Christian Proselytizing
 
Russia
» ‘It’s All Over for the iPhone’ — Russian Officials Told to Get Rid of American Cellphones
» Poland Will be Forced to ‘Enter the War’ if Ukraine Fails to Defend Itself Against Russia, Warsaw’s Ambassador to France Warns
» Putin to Xi: We Will Discuss Your Plan to End the War in Ukraine
» Russia Threatens Canada With ‘Most Serious Consequences’ After Trudeau Govt’s ‘Regime Change’ Comments
» Sweden Sending Police Officers to Ukraine to Investigate Russian War Crimes
 
South Asia
» India: Muslims Attack Shitala Mata Jagran Prog in Central Kolkata. Police Fail to Arrest Anybody
» Shocking Moment an Entitled Tourist Loses it at Bali Locals After They Blocked Off the Road for a Religious Ceremony Before They Drag Him Back to His Motorbike in a Headlock
 
Australia — Pacific
» Australia’s Most Wanted Gangster and His Wife Are Ordered to Hand Over $200k in Cash, A Ford Ranger and $1.5million Home — as Cops Seek to Extradite Him From Turkey
» No Surprises Here! Sydney Has Officially Been Named as the Second Least Affordable City in the World — See the Other Cities That Scraped Into the Top 10
» Stan Grant is Slammed for Brutally Shutting Down Internationally Respected Barrister on Q+A: ‘Always Talking Over the Top of Him’
» Teenager Accused of Stabbing BWS Bottle Shop Worker to Death Was on Bail After an Earlier ‘Bladed Weapon’ Assault, Court Hears
» The Huge Tent City That Has Emerged Amid Australia’s Housing Crisis — and Many of Them Have Full-Time Jobs: ‘A New Class of Homeless People’
 
Immigration
» Border Patrol Agents Encounter 1 Million Illegal Migrants So Far in FY 23
» Bulgaria Reports “Unprecedented” Surge of Illegal Migration
» Canada: $88 Million to Quarantine Unvaccinated Roxham Road Border Crossers
» German Police Search for Kazakh Migrant Accused of Deadly Stabbing Attack on Father of 4 in Munster
» UK: Tudor-Style Manor With ‘Beautiful’ Rural Views, Four-Star Lake-Side Retreat and Country House With Acres of ‘Tranquil’ Grounds: Inside Asylum Seeker Hotels Housing 51,000 Migrants That Are Costing Taxpayers More Than £6m-a-Day
 
Culture Wars
» Breaking: Georgia Legislature Bans Child Sex Changes
» Dan Wootton: By Backing a Group That Believes Boyhood Should be ‘Fluid’ And Families Have Become ‘Gender Factories’, Prince Harry and Meghan Have Just Joined the War on Men Plaguing Our Society. Their Woke Extremism is Dangerous
» Fox News Host: “I Love a Good Drag Show”
» Internet Archive Strikes Back, Defies Claims of Hurting Book Sales, Defends Access to Digital Library
» Kamala Harris Offers Her ‘Gratitude’ To Tiktoker Dylan Mulvaney for Performing ‘Girlhood’ For 365 Days
» Premier of Australian State Raises Trans Flag Outside Parliament in Solidarity With Trans Activists
» Richard Dawkins Declares There Are Only Two Sexes as Matter of Science: ‘That’s All There is to It’
» Trans-Identified Biological Male Wins Women’s Cycling Event in New York, Towers Over 2nd, 3rd Place Competitors on Podium
» ‘Woman of the Year’: Trans-Identified Male Lawmaker Who Advocates for Child Sex Changes Honored by USA Today
» Wyoming Governor Refuses to Sign ‘Draconian’ Bill Barring Biological Males From Women’s Sports
 

EU Merchants Brace for a Cashless Future? Impending Regulations Could Force the Acceptance of Digital Euro

While plans to usher in centralized, government-controlled money are receiving some pushback in the US, the consensus seems to be in favor of introducing a central bank digital currency (CBDS), i.e., the digital euro.

And now the question is how exactly to proceed, including by determining strategic objectives.

In the eurozone — made up of the 20 (out of 27) EU members that have adopted the euro — merchants might find themselves under obligation to accept a future European Central Bank (ECB) digital currency.

This is information from a paper that eurozone finance ministers were expected to discuss on Monday. The obligation proceeds from granting the EU CBDC the same status as cash, making it a legal tender.

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

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Takes a Stand Against Digital Currency: Here’s Why He’s Pushing for a CBDC Ban

While elites around the world — those in political power and in control of top financial institutions — are very much rallying around the plans to introduce central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), in Florida, the state’s governor has a different take on where things should be headed.

In fact, radically different — Governor Ron DeSantis thinks CBDCs should be banned.

Addressing a press conference from behind a podium that had the words “Big Brother’s Digital Dollar” attached to it, DeSantis repeated what critics of the CBDC push keep saying.

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

How a Queensland Farmer Who Become a Billionaire Financier With a Fleet of Jets and Rubbed Shoulders With Royalty Was the First Domino in a Chain of Financial Disasters That Brought Down Banking Giant Credit Suisse

Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse collapsed and will be bought out by competitor UBS. The seeds of its destruction were sowed in the billions it lost when Greenhill Capital crashed in 2021.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Biden Administration Limits China Investments by Semiconductor Chip Subsidy Recipients

The Biden administration laid out new restrictions on investments in China by companies that receive subsidies for semiconductor production in the U.S. through last year’s bipartisan CHIPS Act.

The new limits, alongside export controls , are the latest blows dealt by the United States in a tech war between the two countries.

The Commerce Department announced on Tuesday that it was implementing guardrails for recipients of funding from the CHIPS Act that would penalize companies for investing in expanding chip manufacturing in countries such as China, Russia, or North Korea. The CHIPS Act , which Congress passed last summer to provide funding to help the United States build more chips, will offer more than $53 billion in grants to companies growing their local chip plants in the U.S.

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

Biden Fails to Dismiss Censorship Collusion Lawsuit

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) civil rights group has announced that a federal judge has rejected a motion to dismiss a First Amendment lawsuit, Missouri v. Biden, where the government is accused of involvement in censorship.

“The Court finds that the complaint alleges significant encouragement and coercion that converts the otherwise private conduct of censorship on social media platforms into state action, and is unpersuaded by defendants’ arguments to the contrary,” the decision reads.

The Biden White House thus failed to stop the legal challenge which alleges collusion between the government and Big Tech to suppress information they disapproved of concerning the pandemic and US elections.

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

Bipartisan Trio Introduces Bill to Ban Lawmakers From Owning and Trading Stocks in Renewed Push

A bipartisan trio of lawmakers introduced a bill on Tuesday that would ban members of Congress and their spouses from investing in individual stocks, a move that the authors say is necessary to restore public trust in the institution.

The Bipartisan Ban on Congressional Stock Ownership Act was introduced by Democratic Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the Chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, along with Reps. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., and Ken Buck, R-Colo., who are both members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

The bill would ban members of Congress from owning and trading individual stocks, bonds, futures, and other securities, with a $50,000 fine for each violation of the law. Members of Congress would still be able to own diversified investments such as mutual funds and ETFs.

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

Breaking: President Trump to be Indicted Tomorrow, Expected in NY Court Next Week: Report

Donald Trump is set to be indicted on Wednesday, but won’t appear before a judge in New York until next week, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.

A source familiar with the proceedings told the Mail that there will be no arraignment this week. The former president, who is currently in Florida, is expected to be formally charged tomorrow, where the Manhattan District Attorney’s office will contact Trump and his Secret Service detail to make arrangements for his surrender.

The New York Police Department and Metro Police Department have put a large number of officers outside of the courthouse in anticipation of the arrest. Officials in New York City and Washington, DC are preparing for possible unrest and demonstrations after Trump’s call for his supporters to “protest, protest, protest” in response to the possible indictment over alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels.

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

Busted: Rolling Stone Editor-in-Chief Spiked Reporting on Friend Getting Arrested for Child Porn

A new report has revealed that the man who edited Rolling Stone’s initial story on the FBI raid of ABC producer James Gordon Meek, who was later revealed to have been charged with possessing child pornography, removed all references to the charge from the report, and was an associate of the accused producer.

On October 18, former Rolling Stone journalist Tatiana Siegel broke the news that the FBI had raided Meek’s home in April and that the Emmy award-winning ABC producer had disappeared from the public eye.

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

California Targets Law-Abiding Gun Owners and Loses Again

California has once again been caught overreaching on gun control, losing another court case in its quest to punish law-abiding gun owners for the crimes of the criminals that the state and its subordinate jurisdictions won’t prosecute.

In 2013, California updated its 2001 Unsafe Handgun Act to mandate that new pistol models include “microstamping technology.” According to Stephen Gutowski, “In theory, microstamping would enable a gun to leave identifiable marks on every spent casing with the goal of helping police solve crimes. However, there has never been a production gun in the world that has implemented the theoretical technology.”

This meant, in practical terms, that California had banned the sale of handgun models made after 2013. As Judge Cormac Carney noted, “Since 2013, when the microstamping requirement was introduced, not a single new semiautomatic handgun has been approved for sale in California.” Because it was a clear attempt at violating the Second Amendment, he issued a preliminary injunction that would block the law.

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

Chicago Carjacker Tries to Steal Stick Shift Car, Gets Busted Because He Can’t Drive it

A Chicago carjacker got busted when he tried to steal a car that he didn’t know how to drive.

The crook, 25-year-old Andrew Moran, can’t drive a stick shift but the car he jacked had a manual transmission.

The thug tried to drive away but couldn’t get the car to work so he bailed and fled on foot.

But Moran’s low IQ hadn’t finished failing him yet.

When he fled the scene, he kept the keys to the car he left behind.

The keys had an Apple AirTag attached making it easy for the police to track him down.

Which they did in short order.

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

Dershowitz: Bragg’s Trump Probe ‘Worse Than Al Capone’, Soros Trying to ‘Corrupt’ Justice System

Harvard professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz says Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s reported efforts to criminally charge former President Trump over the paying of hush money to an adult film actress is “worse than Al Capone” — referring to how law enforcement finally got the Chicago businessman and alleged gangster behind bars for tax evasion.

“This is worse than Al Capone, because in Al Capone’s case, at least they got him on legitimate income tax violations,” Dershowitz said about the prosecution of the mobster who was sentenced in 1931 to 11 years in prison for not paying taxes.

The adult film actress, Stormy Daniels, was paid $130,000 during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign for an alleged affair years earlier that Trump has denied.

Dershowitz said the Trump probe is also worse because the prosecutor “had to make up a crime” by pursuing a misdemeanor and a felony, both of which were beyond the statute of limitations and were not prosecuted by the previous district attorney nor the Justice Department.

Dershowitz also suggests Bragg’s probe is politically motivated or at least targets Trump specifically.

“The law should first find out there’s a crime, and then try to find out who did it, not the opposite,” Dershowitz, a Democrat who defended Trump in his first impeachment trial, said Monday on “Just the News, No Noise.”

He also criticized Democratic megadonor George Soros for trying to “corrupt the American system of justice” by funding the campaigns of progressive prosecutorial candidates.

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

DeSantis Touts His Potential to Beat Biden if He Runs for President: ‘I Think He’s Failed the Country’

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is framing his plan to defeat President Joe Biden should he ultimately decide to toss his hat into the 2024 presidential race.

During an interview with Fox Nation’s Piers Morgan, which will air Thursday on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” DeSantis pointed to his massive reelection victory in Florida last year as the formula for him to prevail in a potential matchup with Biden.

“I won with independents by 18 points,” he told Morgan, “and so that will be the same formula that we would take, and honestly forget about me, I think anybody should take the formula like that nationally.”

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

Donald Trump Jr. And Others Blast DeSantis Response to Looming Donald Trump Arrest: ‘Pure Weakness’

Donald Trump Jr. and others criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for dismissing the rumors of a looming indictment of former President Donald Trump at the hands of leftist Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as a “manufactured” circus that he wants no involvement in, concluding that the governor is displaying “weakness.”

DeSantis weighed in on the news of the looming indictment during Monday’s press conference, stating that he is aware of the rumors of the indictment but has not seen any “facts” yet.

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

Ex-CDC Director: Gain-of-Function Will Trigger ‘Brutal’ Pandemic

Former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield has warned that dangerous gain-of-function research will trigger the next pandemic and it will be “much more brutal” than anything that came before it.

Redfield issued the warning during Monday’s broadcast of Hill.TV’s “Rising.”

Some experts have predicted that the next pandemic will emerge from animal spillover, such as bird flu jumping to humans.

However, Redfield disagrees and says he believes that the next pandemic will come “from gain-of-function research or intentional bioterrorism.”

And that the next pandemic “will be much more brutal to the world than Covid was.”

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

Exclusive — Elise Stefanik: Alvin Bragg Must ‘Testify Before Congress, Under Oath’

ORLANDO, Florida — House Republican conference chairwoman Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) told Breitbart News exclusively that she believes Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should be called to testify before the U.S. Congress as soon as possible under oath to explain his decision to pursue what she called “political” charges against former President Donald Trump.

“I think we should hear Alvin Bragg testify before Congress, under oath, about his vision and the fact that this is wildly political and the fact that this was not pursued by federal courts and the fact that the Department of Justice passed on this,” Stefanik said in an interview at the House GOP retreat. “I also want to hear his answers about funding from George Soros. I want to hear his answers about the crime crisis in New York. So, at the same time like I said that you have him lowering felonies to misdemeanors you have something that is beyond the statute of limitations and is a political witch hunt. So I absolutely want to hear Alvin Bragg testify before Congress.”

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

Georgia Prosecutors Considering RICO and Conspiracy Charges Against Trump

Democrat prosecutors in Georgia are considering bringing racketeering and conspiracy charges against President Donald Trump, according to reports.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat, wants to pursue Trump and others on his team over efforts to contest the results of the 2020 election.

A Georgia special grand jury met for seven months in Atlanta and heard testimony from 75 witnesses.

If Willis wants to bring charges, she will take her recommendations from the special grand jury to a regular grand jury.

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

Georgia Democrat Lydia Glaize: ‘Parents Are Not Qualified to Make Decisions’ on Schools

Democrat Georgia State Rep. Lydia Glaize has declared that she believes parents cannot be trusted to “make decisions” on their children’s schools.

Speaking before the Georgia House of Representatives on Monday, Glaize, who represents District 67, raised questions about whether families are sufficiently educated to decide where their children should attend school.

Glaize argued that parents who didn’t attend higher education “are not qualified to make those decisions.”

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

Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles is Caught Collecting and Selling Personal Data

Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has been caught selling drivers’ personal information without their consent and without the option to opt out. Last year alone, the BMV made around $25 million from selling personal information, according to WRTV.

Asked if the BMV sells personal information, a BMV employee said to WRTV: “No. Well, you’re not supposed to. Can’t tell you for sure what they do, but they’re not supposed to!”

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

John Solomon Sues DOJ, National Archives Over Access to Declassified Trump-Russia Probe Memos

Just the News Editor-in-Chief John Solomon sued the Justice Department and National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) on Tuesday, alleging they have wrongly kept from public inspection hundreds of pages of documents chronicling the FBI’s bungled Russia collusion probe that were declassified by former President Donald Trump.

Solomon’s suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. with help from the nonprofit America First Legal public interest law firm. It alleged that the two federal agencies were violating the Presidential Records Act by keeping the declassified Russia probe documents out of the Archives’ official collection for the Trump presidency.

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

Judge Upholds Supreme Court Precedent by Blocking California Handgun Safety Rule

A federal judge blocked a California law requiring certain mechanical safety features for semiautomatic handguns , marking another law subject to scrutiny after a Supreme Court ruling last year required firearm laws be “consistent” with the nation’s historical tradition of regulation.

U.S. District Court Judge Cormac Carney, an appointee of President George W. Bush, wrote Monday that the state’s rules for new handguns are unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. He wrote that the restrictions have disallowed approval of new semiautomatic handguns for sale since 2013 and that Californians are forced to purchase older and potentially more dangerous models.

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

Kidnapped Seattle Man Escapes From Trunk of Burning Vehicle After Driver Crashes Into House

On the morning of March 16, a bizarre scene unfolded in the Seattle neighborhood of Ravenna after a vehicle crashed into a home an burst into flames. While the car sat ablaze, a 63-year-old man emerged from the trunk while the driver, believed to be forty-five years his junior, fled the scene.

The suspect, who the older man claimed assaulted him before stealing his vehicle and forcing him into the trunk, remains at large.

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

Lake City Police Department Searching for Man Accused of Stabbing Victim With Pitchfork

The Lake City Police Department (LCPD) is looking for a man who allegedly stabbed a person with a pitchfork.

Police say on March 20, they responded to Northwest Palm Drive around 8:30 a.m. this morning and found a 49-year-old suffering several stab wounds in the head and neck area.

After further investigation, police concluded that Ryan Paul McCartney was the suspect and threw a pitchfork at the victim after a verbal altercation occurred.

LCPD says McCartney then left the area on foot. An active warrant for attempted second degree murder is currently out for McCartney and he is considered dangerous according to police.

Police are asking anyone who knows the whereabouts of McCartney to call 911.

           — Hat tip: McN [Return to headlines]
 

Lindsey Graham Bets on a Trump Victory in 2024

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is optimistic that former President Donald Trump will reclaim the Oval Office in a 2024 rematch with President Joe Biden.

During an appearance on “The Daily Show” on Monday night, the South Carolina lawmaker put money behind his sentiment, wagering $20 with former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., that Trump would triumph. Franken was hosting the program temporarily as the network looks to replace former host Trevor Noah, Politico reported.

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

Manhattan DA Downgrades Felonies in NYC While Potentially Upgrading Trump’s Charge to Felony

While the Manhattan district attorney is pursuing a possible felony indictment against former President Donald Trump on a charge stemming from an alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, the Democratic prosecutor downgraded half of his felony cases to misdemeanors last year.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is reportedly targeting Trump in a grand jury probe into an alleged hush money scheme involving Daniels, an adult film actress who received $130,000 near the end of the 2016 presidential campaign so she wouldn’t disclose her alleged 2006 affair with Trump.

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid Daniels the $130,000, and Trump reimbursed him through installments.

Bragg could argue that Trump falsified business records after federal prosecutors in a case against Cohen said that Trump’s company “falsely accounted” for Trump’s reimbursement of Cohen as legal expenses, The New York Times reported. Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor in New York, but it could become a felony if Trump’s “intent to defraud” included an intent to conceal or commit a second crime.

The second crime could be an improper campaign contribution from Cohen to Trump’s campaign since it was to benefit his candidacy, according to the Times.

However, despite potentially upgrading a misdemeanor to a felony in Trump’s case, Bragg has a history of downgrading felony charges to misdemeanors in New York City.

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

Nevada Governor Blasts Biden for Locking Up Mineral-Rich Land: ‘A Historic Mistake’

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo heavily criticized President Biden for his designation of a new national monument in Nevada, arguing it would negatively impact residents for generations.

On Tuesday, Biden announced he would establish the so-called Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in southern Nevada, a region that includes Spirit Mountain and used as a sacred space by Indigenous tribes, according to the White House. Lombardo, though, said he had contacted Biden about the 506,814-acre monument designation in his state, but never received a response.

“Since I took office, the Biden White House has not consulted with my administration about any of the details of the proposed Avi Kwa Ame national monument which, given the size of the proposal, seems badly out of step,” Lombardo, who took office in January, said in a statement.

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

North Carolina House Advances Ban on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

North Carolina’s public schools, colleges and universities would be prohibited from requiring a student to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 under a bill that advanced Tuesday in the state House.

Promoted by Republican sponsors to protect free choice, the proposal would also ban state agencies, cities and counties from denying employment to someone who refuses to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit proof they have already done so. Private businesses could still opt for mandates.

The proposal passed the House Health Committee Tuesday after some Democrats questioned the need for it given that religious and medical exemptions are already common. The bill must clear two other committees before it can be voted on by the full House.

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

Official: Mountain Lion Claws Man in Hot Tub in Colorado

NATHROP, Colo. (AP) — Wildlife officials said Monday they are searching for a mountain lion that clawed a man’s head while he was sitting in a hot tub with his wife at a rental home in central Colorado.

The man was soaking in the in-ground hot tub in a wooded subdivision west of Nathrop on Saturday night when he felt something grab his head, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He screamed at the mountain lion and started splashing water while his wife shined a flashlight at the animal.

Authorities said it retreated to the top of a hill and continued to watch the couple.

           — Hat tip: Roger [Return to headlines]
 

Person Died by Suicide in Ballard Shooting, Medical Examiner Rules

The person who died on Monday after a shooting involving several law enforcement officers died by suicide, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Tuesday.

Records show the 29-year-old went only by one name, Eucytus. The medical examiner ruled Eucytus’ cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.

King County sheriff’s detective David Easterly was hospitalized after the exchange of gunfire Monday morning at a Ballard apartment building while deputies attempted to serve an eviction notice. Easterly remained in critical condition Tuesday, according to hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg.

All three deputies serving the notice fired shots, said Meeghan Black, a spokesperson for the King County Independent Force Investigation Team. It’s standard procedure to have two or three deputies at civil proceedings such as servicing eviction notices.

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Philadelphia to Pay $9.25 Million to 343 George Floyd Protesters for ‘Physical and Emotional Injuries’

Philadelphia has now agreed to pay $9.25 million to more than 300 people who claimed that they suffered “physical and emotional” injuries during the violent protests following the death of George Floyd.

A photo from Emma Lee at local WHYY shows protesters gathered along the Interstate 676 with traffic stopped, and police arresting them. Dashcam footage was also released.

The city reportedly announced the details of the settlement in a class-action lawsuit that focused on the events of May 31 and June 1, 2020, according to the New York Times.

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

Rand Paul Calls for Anti-Trump NY DA Alvin Bragg to be ‘Put in Jail’

Republican Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has called for George Soros-installed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to be “put in jail” over the New York Democrat prosecutor’s efforts to arrest President Donald Trump.

Sen. Paul also blasted the potential indictment of Trump as a “disgusting abuse of power.”

Paul’s comments come amid a heated legal battle between Trump and Bragg, who is reportedly planning to indict the 45th president.

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

Roaming Mobs of Teens Clash in San Francisco Mall Brawls as Bystanders Caught in Crosshairs: ‘I’m Very Scared’

Mobs of teenagers have clashed in a string of violent San Francisco mall brawls, caught on video in one melee attacking and stomping each other as well as seemingly innocent onlookers.

San Francisco police told Fox News Digital in a statement that three separate incidents took place at the Stonestown Galleria mall from March 15 to March 17 that involved groups of juveniles attacking each other or bystanders.

“On Friday, several youths were pepper sprayed by other youth,” the department said. “Officers responded to the scene and the youth dispersed from the area. Officers discovered one youth suffering from injuries as a result of the physical altercation.”

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

Squatters Torment Homeowners Across US With No Resolution in Sight: ‘It’s a Problem’

Homeowners across the country tormented by squatters find themselves tied up in lengthy and expensive legal battles to get control of their properties back — and one expert warns many others can find themselves victims.

Attorney Jim Burling told Fox News Digital that any home unoccupied for a stretch can be a target of squatters.

“I think it’s a fairly big problem and I think it’s pretty hard to avoid,” said Burling, who is vice president of legal affairs for Pacific Legal Foundation. Burling said squatters took over a neighbor’s home after the owner died and eventually had to be removed by police.

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

Texas Bill Would Ban Gain-of-Function Research, Fine Violators, Require Leak Mitigation Plans

As state and federal institutions balk at the release of documents that could unveil a fuller picture of gain-of-function research preceding the emergence of COVID-19, a conservative Texas lawmaker is going on the offensive against such research in the Lone Star State.

institutions of higher education or those funded by taxpayers from conducting GoF research on “potentially pandemic pathogens” (PPP) or funding entities that do so. State funds would be revoked for violation.

Such research “is happening in our own backyard and I have heard there may be a direct connection with Wuhan and the COVID-19 virus,” Hall said in a press release Monday, also citing “a concern that these viruses can also be mutated to create biological weapons.”

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

Texas Blacklists HSBC Over ‘Boycott’ of Fossil Fuels

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced the addition of banking giant HSBC to his list of firms deemed to be “boycotting” energy companies and therefore subject to divestment of state funds.

Hegar said the bank’s updated policy restricting financing of oil and natural gas was cause for its addition to the list, which brings Texas’s blacklist to a total of 11 global financial firms, including investment giant BlackRock.

“HSBC’s new energy policy is a prime example of a broader movement in the financial sector to push a social agenda and prioritize political goals over the economic health of their clients. HSBC’s policy clearly makes the firm a suitable candidate for listing under Texas law,” Hegar said in a statement Monday.

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

This Blue City Wants to Ban New Gas and Auto Service Stations Over Climate Change

The City Council document that includes the ordinance defines automobile service stations as a business “engaged in the sale of motor fuels and in supplying goods and services generally required in the operation and maintenance of automotive vehicles and the fulfilling of motorists’ needs.” It adds that “major automotive repairs, painting, body and fender work are prohibited.”

New gas stations and service stations will also be required to have at least two charging stations for electric vehicles and be 1,000 feet from existing stations unless they are part of a large retail center, according to the ordinance.

Louisville, a Denver suburb with about 21,000 residents, currently has five gas stations with a sixth recently approved for construction.

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

TikTok Data Trackers Installed on State Government Websites, Review Finds

More than two dozen websites operated by state governments were found to have web-tracking code installed by TikTok’s parent company, revealing the extensive efforts made by the China —affiliated business to collect user data.

A review of websites operated by over 3,500 companies and entities by Feroot Security found that 30 U.S. state websites contained tracking pixels from ByteDance. These pixels are regularly placed on external websites by tech companies to track the effectiveness of advertising efforts. However, the placement of such trackers by a Chinese-operated company attracted some scrutiny due to experts and lawmakers warning about the company possibly being forced to share its data with the Chinese Communist Party under current law.

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

Video: Reporter Asks White House Press Sec. If Trump Will Use Waco Anniversary to “Foment Anti-Government Sentiment”

A White House correspondent suggested Monday that President Trump is holding a rally in Waco Texas in order to reference the 30th anniversary of the 1993 siege there, and “foment anti-government sentiment.”

The reporter asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if Joe Biden has any concerns that Trump will take advantage of the anniversary of the event.

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

Video: Reporter Shouts at White House Press Sec. for Promoting TV Show Instead of Taking Questions

Extraordinary scenes unfolded Monday at the White House as the Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spent the briefing promoting a TV show instead of taking questions from reporters.

Jean-Pierre was flanked by the cast of the Apple TV show Ted Lasso for some reason that isn’t entirely clear (something to do with mental health), and proceeded to promote that show rather than undertaking the usual briefing.

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

VP of Atlanta Media Nonprofit Unmasked as Violent Extremist Antifa Member Who is Organizing an Armed Militancy Camp

The vice president of an Atlanta media nonprofit has been unmasked as a violent Antifa extremist and organizer of an armed militancy camp. River-Michael Les Sewell, 25, has repeatedly boasted about using his prior experience in the United States Armed Forces to teach his fellow far-left radicals how to inflict violence on those with opposing points of view, namely anyone who supports the city’s new police training facility.

Sewell “advocates for killing political opponents” and has repeatedly expressed support for domestic terrorist gunman Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, who was shot dead after shooting and injuring an officer when law enforcement raided the “Stop Cop City” encampment outside Atlanta, which is set up on the future site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.

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

Alberta to Argue Against Federal ‘No More Pipelines’ Bill Wednesday

The Alberta government will present arguments to Canada’s top court on Wednesday as it argues against what the province has dubbed the “No More Pipelines” bill.

The Supreme Court of Canada began hearings on Tuesday as the federal government asked it to overrule an Alberta Court of Appeal opinion that declared their 2019 Impact Assessment Act (IAA) to be unconstitutional.

Justice Minister Tyler Shandro says the legislation is a threat to the long-term economic prosperity of Alberta’s province, energy industry and the entire country.

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

BC Pharmacist Suspended for Faking COVID Vaccination to Avoid Mandates

Under the threat of losing his job for failing to comply with Covid-19 vaccine mandates and the plethora of other restrictions placed on the unvaccinated, a British Columbia pharmacist faked his vaccination records and has now paid the price in the form of a suspension.

Earlier this month, the College of Pharmacists of BC announced its 30-day suspension of Aftabahmed Shaikh after receiving a complaint.

The acknowledged statement of facts claims that in Aug. 2021, Shaikh “entered Covid-19 vaccination onto” his pharmacy’s records without actually receiving the shots.

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

Bill C-18 is ‘Wildly Misguided, ‘ Says Technology Prof

An information and technology expert says Bill C-18 is the wrong approach to channel cashflow back into Canadian journalism.

Brett Caraway, an associate professor of information and technology, told True North it’s senseless to ask tech giants like Facebook to pay when users hyperlink to Canadian journalism.

“I want to go in front of Parliament and ask, ‘Do you guys even know how the internet works?’“ the University of Toronto professor said.

Caraway understands the concern parliamentarians may have about supporting journalism, but said the bill is a terrible approach.

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

Johnston to Deliver Decision on Interference Public Inquiry in May

Former governor general David Johnston’s decision on whether or not to launch a public inquiry to investigate Beijing’s alleged election interference in previous Canadian elections will be made public in May.

A mandate for former governor general David Johnston’s role as independent special rapporteur on foreign interference has been disclosed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The PMO’s directive outlines that Johnston is responsible for making a determination on whether the Canadian government should launch a public inquiry into foreign interference, which is something the Conservatives have been calling for since the media stories on the issue were first published. The decision is expected to be announced by May 23, 2023.

Further to that, a full review of the allegations is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2023.

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

Telford to Testify on Foreign Interference

Katie Telford, the Prime Minister’s Chief-of-Staff, has agreed to appear in parliamentary committee to testify on recent allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections.

“While there are serious constraints on what can be said in public about sensitive intelligence matters,” wrote the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement, “Ms. Telford has agreed to appear at the Procedure and House Affairs Committee as part of their study.”

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

18 European Countries Sign Joint Ammunition Donation for Ukraine

A total of 17 EU member states plus Norway have signed a joint agreement on the procurement of ammunition to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities, the Brussels-based European Defense Agency (EDA) announced on Monday.

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden are the EU countries that have joined the initiative.

Under the agreement, the signing countries will seek to procure 155 mm artillery rounds in the short term on a fast-track basis and several types of ammunition in the longer term.

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

Britain’s Top Police Force is No Longer Capable of Protecting the Public, Bombshell Report Reveals

Britain’s top police force has failed to protect the public after decades of systemic failure and denial over its need to reform, a damning year-long review of the organization has found.

The 363-page report by Baroness Casey into the Metropolitan Police depicted a police force littered with incompetence, complacency, and “institutional” discrimination that has now lost the confidence of the British public.

In its conclusions, the report found there to be “systemic and fundamental problems in how the Met is run,” long-standing failures to ensure the integrity of its officers, and a decimation of front-line services with neighborhood policing de-prioritized and Londoners being put last.

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

Danish Far-Right Leader Banned From UK Over Threat to Burn Quran in Wakefield

A Danish far-right politician has been barred from the UK after threatening to burn a copy of the Quran in Wakefield.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat said Rasmus Paludan, founder of the anti-Islam party Stram Kurs, had been added to the UK’s immigration watchlist.

Mr Paludan had said he planned to burn the religious text in a public square in the West Yorkshire city this week.

It comes after four pupils at a Wakefield school were suspended over damage to a copy of the Quran.

In a video posted to Twitter on Sunday, Mr Paludan said he would travel to the city to “fight back” against “undemocratic forces”.

He claimed he intended to burn the Quran on Wednesday to coincide with the start of Ramadan.

Mr Paludan has held several previous protests in which the Islamic text was burned, with some leading to violent counter-demonstrations.

           — Hat tip: Steen [Return to headlines]
 

Danish Quran-Burning Politician Banned From Entering UK Ahead of Planned Ramadan Stunt

The anti-Islam politician whose Quran-burning escapades in Stockholm earlier this year resulted in a diplomatic storm between Sweden and Turkey has been banned from entering the United Kingdom ahead of a planned demonstration.

In a video circulating on social media, Rasmus Paludan, a dual Swedish and Danish national, pledged to burn a copy of the Quran on Wednesday in Wakefield, an English city in the north of England that has a large Muslim community, to coincide with the start of Ramadan.

He claimed his intended actions were in solidarity with an autistic 14-year-old school boy who reportedly received death threats earlier this month after dropping a copy of the Islamic holy book at a secondary school in the city.

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

Democracy? Slovakia’s Decision to Send Jets to Ukraine Rejected by Majority of Slovaks

Slovakia’s interim government decided to send its entire fleet of 13 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. However, not only is the majority of the Slovak population opposed to this decision, but an interim government that was ousted after a no-confidence vote only currently holds power as a “caretaker” government.

Polling from Ipsos shows 60 percent of Slovaks are opposed to sending weapons to Ukraine, and of that, more than a third, 37 percent, were of the opinion that the arms transfers would prolong the war. Only a quarter of Slovaks support the transfer of military equipment to the Ukrainians.

Similar results were also found in polls by Hungarian think tank Szazadvég in January and February, which showed that a clear majority of the Slovak population — 61 percent — oppose arms transfers to Ukraine, with only 31 percent in favor.

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

Farmers Party Leader Tells Dutch PM to Drop Nitrogen Policy as Pair Meet to Discuss Shock Election Results

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been told to drop his government’s controversial nitrogen emissions policy by Caroline van der Plas, the leader of the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) who stormed to victory in regional elections last week, as the pair met for the first time since the electoral success.

At van der Plas’ invitation, the meeting took place at De Landbouw restaurant in Wassenaar, an affluent suburb of The Hague on Tuesday. The BBB leader urged Rutte to admit defeat on his nitrogen emissions reduction policy which has resulted in nationwide protests among rural communities and propelled van der Plas’ party into amassing the highest number of seats in the Dutch Senate.

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

German Authorities Investigated Late Pope Benedict XVI on Suspicion of Being Accessory to Abuse

German prosecutors looking into historical cases of sexual abuse by clergy in the Munich archdiocese said Tuesday that they initially investigated the late Pope Benedict XVI on suspicion of being an accessory to abuse, but later dropped the probe.

Munich prosecutors examined 45 cases of possible wrongdoing by church officials that arose from a report into how the archdiocese handled abuse cases between 1945 and 2019.

The then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was archbishop there from 1977-1982, and the report by a law firm commissioned by the archdiocese and released in January 2022 faulted his handling of four cases during that time. Benedict, who died in December nearly 10 years after his retirement as pope, asked forgiveness for any “grievous faults” in his handling of abuse cases, but denied any personal or specific wrongdoing.

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

Germany’s Left Pushed ‘Woke’ Election Law Overhaul; At Least 50% of Party Candidates Must be Female, Voting Age Lowered to 16

Based on a new electoral reform act being pushed by Germany’s left-wing Social Democrats (SPD), the two biggest opposition parties in Germany, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Alternative for Germany (AfD), may be disqualified from even running their candidates for office.

Germany’s Bundestag president is calling for a radical “woke” electoral reform act that would require 50 percent of party list candidates to be female. In Germany’s election system, voters vote for a party, but the party chooses the candidates in a list format. For parties like the CDU/CSU, this list currently includes 141 men and 46 women, while for the AfD, it includes 72 men and 11 women.

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

Greta Thunberg Awarded Honorary Doctorate in Theology by University of Helsinki

The Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki has awarded Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg an honorary doctorate. The educational institution made the announcement on its website, stating that Professor Martti Nissinen intended to expand the faculty’s perspective on human rights.

In an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, Professor Nissinen said, “By selecting Greta as an honorary doctor, we are expressing our desire to be as brave and impactful as she is.” The honorary degree was granted to a total of 30 individuals from various parts of the world this year.

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

‘Macron Has Taken the Republic Hostage’ — As France Descends Into Chaos, Marine Le Pen Vows to Lower French Pension Age if She Becomes President

As France descends into deep turmoil over French President Emmanuel Macron’s decree to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a vote in parliament, French leader of the opposition National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, is promising a just pension reform if elected president.

She says that her version of pension reform will offer an equitable pension, unlike the one envisaged by Macron, which will bring justice to workers.

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

Middle-Class Background of German Schoolgirl Murderers is Revealed as TikTok Video of Their 12-Year-Old Victim Having Fun With One of Her Killers Before They Fell Out ‘In Bullying Row’ Emerges

Luise, 12, was found stabbed multiple times in secluded woodland in a crime that has shocked Germany after it emerged her attackers were a similar age.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Poland’s First Nuclear Power Plant to be Active by 2033

The Polish government expects to supply energy from nuclear power produced in the country by 2033, according to Energy Minister Anna Moskwa.

In an interview with the SuperExpress tabloid, the Polish minister remained convinced that Poland’s atomic energy plans are more advanced than ever, revealing that consultations with Latvia and Estonia over the plans were complete.

She did, however, say that talks still needed to take place with Germany, a neighbor that has been generally hostile to nuclear power production in Poland.

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

Polish Diplomacy in Crisis After Ambassador to France Claims Poland Will Declare War on Russia if Ukraine Loses

Poland will have no option but to declare war on Russia if Ukraine loses the ongoing conflict, Poland’s ambassador to France, Jan Emeryk Rosciszewski, said in an extraordinary interview on French television on Saturday.

The diplomat made the remarks during an appearance on the LCI telvision program, with the interview focusing on Poland and Slovakia’s decisions to deliver MiG-29 fighter planes to Ukraine. During the interview, the ambassador said that he could envisage a time when Poland would have to engage in the war in Ukraine.

“If Ukraine fails to defend its independence, we’ll have no choice but to enter the war,” he told viewers.

The Polish embassy in Paris later issued a statement in an attempt to walk back the remarks, tweeting how some media had misinterpreted the remarks by failing to give the context in which they were made.

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

Polish PM Defends Nation State and Remains Defiant on German Reparations Claim

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Germany on Monday to deliver a lecture at Heidelberg University titled “Europe at a historic turning point” in which he addressed his vision of a future Europe and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

He told attendees that Poland wanted to build a strong Europe but conceded the system of decision-making within the EU was increasingly less transparent.

This is why he argued there is a need to create a “Europe that was built on the strength of its nation-states, not a Europe built on their demise,” and claimed the strength of the European economy and culture is derived from its roots that are nurtured by the nation-states. The alternative to this is some form of “technocratic utopia” or “neo-imperialism,” Morawiecki warned, adding that the struggle for the freedom of nation-states did not end in 1989 “which is evidenced by what is happening beyond Poland’s eastern border.”

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

Polish Traders Up in Arms as Another German Supermarket Chain Opens in Poland

The Germans are already well established among Polish supermarkets, with Lidl, Kaufland, and Rossmann making big inroads, and Aldi is growing too. The next in line is Mix Markt, which currently has just three stores in Kraków, Tarnów and Opole, but it is planning many more.

Mix Markt’s offer is concentrated around “ethnofoods,” i.e., foods characteristic of different countries. It wants to attract customers from different cultures with its products, intending to take advantage of the growing migration from the east to Poland.

Polish traders are underwhelmed by the news, especially when it transpires that the new chain will be positioning itself as the “cheapest products in town.” They are already complaining that foreign chains enjoy an unfair advantage on the Polish market, and feel that Polish shopkeepers end up having to pay more taxes despite their dwindling influence in the market.

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

UK: Farage: ‘Getting Our Entire Country Back on Track’ Much Bigger Than Brexit

While UKIP and then the Brexit Party fought hard to win and safeguard the 2016 referendum the much bigger task of fixing the UK’s broken institutions and changing the priorities of the political class is just beginning, ‘Mr. Brexit’ Nigel Farage said.

Speaking at a semi-launch of the Reform UK party’s 2024 general election campaign in which several former Brexit Party Members of the European Parliament — including long-time Conservative MP and Brexit maverick Anne Widdecombe — announced they would be backing the party, Brexit leader Farage underlined the scale of the challenge ahead.

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

With Crowded Jails, North Macedonia Adopts Pandemic Amnesty

North Macedonia’s parliament has adopted a legislative amendment to pardon people facing imprisonment for violating COVID-19 safety rules

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — North Macedonia’s parliament has adopted a legislative amendment to pardon people facing imprisonment for violating COVID-19 safety rules.

Lawmakers late Monday voted 76-1 in favor of the amnesty which will affect more than 200 people currently facing trial as well as more than 90 people reportedly serving prison sentences.

North Macedonia had one of the highest fatality rates in the world from the coronavirus, in part due to late access to vaccines. It imposed strict penalties for safety violations, on charges of facilitating the transmission of an infectious disease and failure to comply with health regulations during a pandemic.

[Comment: “Amnesty” is just as ultra vires as sentencing dissidents of the NWO to imprisonment in the first place because they resisted the authoritarian “measures” that illegally violated their inalienable human rights. Pseudo-crimes are still being handled as real ones and pseudo-authority is still acting as if it is real — but with real consequences. The oppressive pseudo-reality seems to be still in place. It goes to show that the bad guys are still in power, they just retreated a bit. In other words the prisoners of the Corona-Gulag have only been let out to the yard from the barracks for an hour to play basketball — but the wired fences around the yard are still there and the gate is still closed with “Corona Macht Frei” written over it. The authorities obviously cannot admit that these are non-crimes because that would expose them as non-authorities. And criminals. However, once such an admission happens, the institutions prove to be illegitimate and the social order collapses or is at least seriously undermined. Thus there is no easy way out of this mess any more. (But of course my above opinion is based only on the “news” — so the situation may be different in Macedonia.)]

           — Hat tip: László [Return to headlines]
 

Evangelical Christians Urge Netanyahu to Scuttle Ultra-Orthodox Bill Banning Christian Proselytizing

WASHINGTON — Leading evangelical Christians are publicly urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scuttle legislation introduced by ultra-Orthodox members of his coalition that would punish Christian attempts to solicit conversion with imprisonment.

The legislation — introduced by United Torah Judaism MKs Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Asher — would apply to anyone who would attempt to persuade someone from changing their religious beliefs. The legislation, however, specifically notes that “the attempts of missionary groups, mainly Christians, to solicit conversion of religion have increased.”

The UTJ bill further outlaws sharing New Testament theology via online videos, online articles, social media, written literature and other forms of media. It further stipulates one year imprisonment for explaining faith in Jesus to an adult and two years imprisonment if discussing it with a minor.

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

‘It’s All Over for the iPhone’ — Russian Officials Told to Get Rid of American Cellphones

Reports suggest Russian officials have been told to get rid of their iPhones by the end of March, amid the sanctions war with the West over Ukraine and increasing tensions over competitor states’ using each other’s tech more broadly.

Mobile phones manufactured by Apple will no longer be allowed at the Presidential Administration, according to a report by Russian daily newspaper Kommersant [Businessman] which has also been picked up by the likes of POLITICO and Newsweek.

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

Poland Will be Forced to ‘Enter the War’ if Ukraine Fails to Defend Itself Against Russia, Warsaw’s Ambassador to France Warns

Jan Emeryk Rosciszewski said Poland would have to enter the war if Ukraine failed to defend itself against Russia as the basis of its ‘civilisation and culture’ would be threatened.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Putin to Xi: We Will Discuss Your Plan to End the War in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has said he will discuss Xi Jinping’s 12-point plan to “settle the acute crisis in Ukraine”, during a highly anticipated visit to Moscow by the Chinese president.

“We’re always open for a negotiation process,” Mr Putin said, as the leaders called each other “dear friend”.

China released a plan to end the war last month — it includes “ceasing hostilities” and resuming peace talks.

But on Friday the US warned the peace plan could be a “stalling tactic”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “The world should not be fooled by any tactical move by Russia, supported by China or any other country, to freeze the war on its own terms.”

He added: “Calling for a ceasefire that does not include the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest.”

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Russia Threatens Canada With ‘Most Serious Consequences’ After Trudeau Govt’s ‘Regime Change’ Comments

Russia summoned the Canadian ambassador on Monday to complain about “Russophobic” comments by the Trudeau government earlier this month about seeking “regime change”, with Moscow threatening “serious consequences” in return.

Canada is subverting international norms in diplomatic relations and international law, Russia — which invaded a sovereign country last year and apparently has no sense of irony — has alleged in an angry despatch through state media publisher TASS.

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

Sweden Sending Police Officers to Ukraine to Investigate Russian War Crimes

The Swedish government has announced it will be sending a delegation of police to Ukraine to investigate possible war crimes committed by Russian forces during the invasion of Ukraine.

Swedish Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer, a member of the centre-right Moderates, announced that he believed Russia had committed war crimes in the country. The announcement follows the issuing of an arrest warrant for President Putin by an international court on war crimes allegations.

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

India: Muslims Attack Shitala Mata Jagran Prog in Central Kolkata. Police Fail to Arrest Anybody

BJP and VHP raise a buzz to protect the worship rights of Hindus in Bengal.

Randrita Das | HENB | Kolkata | March 20, 2023:: In central Kolkata itself, the BJP and VHP showed their high resentment against the attack on Shitala Puja organized at College Street Bata xing. Opposition leader of WB State Assembly, Subhendu Adhikari took to Twitter about this. A BJP and VHP delegation went to the spot on Monday afternoon.

Adding the video of the attack, BJP state president Sukant Majumjudar wrote in a tweet, “During the rule of Mamata Banerjee, people don’t have the right to perform Shitala Puja on College Street in Khas (main) Kolkata, West Bengal? Is there an unwritten fatwa here? We want exemplary punishment for all those who led the incident of breaking this Jagran stage (of Shitala Mata Puja)”.

Adding a video of the night attack on the idol, Subhendu Adhikari tweeted, “This is the law and order situation in Central Kolkata. ‘Easily identifiable’ miscreants vandalized a ‘Jagaran’ in the heart of Kolkata with clear motives. Commissioner of Police Kolkata please take immediate action. Any inaction can be misconstrued as approval.” Subhendubabu added this tweet to Kolkata Police and Police Commissioner.

Many tweeted in response to this tweet of Adhikari. Gargi Mukherjee wrote, “Mini Pakistans already existed. This time big Pakistan will come out. Hindus are a minority in North Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, and two 24 Parganas. This time again we have to go to Assam, Odisha as refugees. We want a two-child law in the country immediately. Through the borders and waterways, they are coming with four women and twenty children and increasing like bloodworms. In Kolkata, the police cannot enter Khidirpur, Park Circus, Gardenrich during the day for fear, the common man is at a far distance.” This tweet of Gargi Mukherjee clearly hints upon the uprise of the Jihadi elements in West Bengal.

Dr. Ujjal Majumjudar wrote, “Why don’t the people of West Bengal like Shuvendubabu? This is the first time I have seen a political figure trying to show people the right direction by bringing many unknown issues before the public”.

It is told by the eye witness people, “At midnight 200 to 250 mullahs came and brutally beat Hindu women, Hindu brothers during the Jagran program of Shitala Mata all of a sudden, They even attacked the priest and the Jagran katha-kar (commentator).” The Shitala Mata Jagran program at College Street Bata has been conducted by the local Hindus for more than 50 years. Local people guessed that the attackers came from the nearby Muslim localities at Kalutola, Kalabagan, and Mohammad Ali Park.

Trinamool has claimed that no one from their party is behind this incident. It has been claimed by the police that adequate security measures have been taken at the spot as soon as the information was received. No complaints against anyone. The incident is being investigated yielding no arrest.

           — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari [Return to headlines]
 

Shocking Moment an Entitled Tourist Loses it at Bali Locals After They Blocked Off the Road for a Religious Ceremony Before They Drag Him Back to His Motorbike in a Headlock

An aggressive tourist was filmed screaming at religious security for trying to redirect him and his girlfriend away from a blocked road in Bali.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Australia’s Most Wanted Gangster and His Wife Are Ordered to Hand Over $200k in Cash, A Ford Ranger and $1.5million Home — as Cops Seek to Extradite Him From Turkey

Australian authorities are striving to have Masood ­Zakaria — a senior member of the notorious Alameddine crime network — extradited from Turkey after he was arrested last month.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

No Surprises Here! Sydney Has Officially Been Named as the Second Least Affordable City in the World — See the Other Cities That Scraped Into the Top 10

The NSW capital has been awarded the gong for a second year in a row in the the Demographia International Housing Affordability report.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Stan Grant is Slammed for Brutally Shutting Down Internationally Respected Barrister on Q+A: ‘Always Talking Over the Top of Him’

Geoffrey Robertson, a world renowned human rights lawyer, appeared on Q+A on Monday night alongside several other guests.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Teenager Accused of Stabbing BWS Bottle Shop Worker to Death Was on Bail After an Earlier ‘Bladed Weapon’ Assault, Court Hears

Harrowing details of a Darwin’s bottle shop worker’s final moments have emerged as his alleged attacker prepares to face court charged with murder.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

The Huge Tent City That Has Emerged Amid Australia’s Housing Crisis — and Many of Them Have Full-Time Jobs: ‘A New Class of Homeless People’

More than 50 families have moved into the tent city at Moruya, an idyllic beachside town on the NSW South Coast, with the need so high from locals that the holiday park is closed to tourists.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Border Patrol Agents Encounter 1 Million Illegal Migrants So Far in FY 23

Border Patrol agents at the besieged southern border have now encountered more than one million illegal migrants so far since the beginning of the fiscal year in October, the head of a key sector announced this week

Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Gloria Chavez announced on Monday that agents had reached a million migrant encounters overnight.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as a whole had reached the one million mark last month, but the Border Patrol numbers refer to those encountered entering between ports of entry.

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

Bulgaria Reports “Unprecedented” Surge of Illegal Migration

Illegal migration into Bulgaria has surged to “unprecedented” levels, according to officials.

The number of illegal crossings being thwarted by Bulgarian authorities is up 30% since the beginning of the year, Acting Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Demerdzhiev revealed last week, Novinite reports.

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

Canada: $88 Million to Quarantine Unvaccinated Roxham Road Border Crossers

Canadian taxpayers coughed up nearly $88 million to pay for temporary quarantines for unvaccinated asylum claimants who arrived in Canada by illegally crossing Roxham Road.

The House of Commons committee on citizenship and immigration released data pertaining to November 2022 funding and expenditure details on Friday.

The webpage explains how Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has incurred expenses totaling $269.4 million from Apr. 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2022 to manage the illegal entry point at Roxham Road.

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

German Police Search for Kazakh Migrant Accused of Deadly Stabbing Attack on Father of 4 in Munster

A nationwide search has been launched for Kazakh migrant Yevgeni A. after he allegedly stabbed a man to death at a fair in Münster in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The police have released a mugshot of the 21-year-old Kazakh citizen and have urged citizens to come forward with any information about his whereabouts.

The victim, a 31-year-old father of four, became involved in an argument with the suspect on Saturday evening at the “Send” festival near a carousel. During the argument, Yevgeni A. is said to have to suddenly stabbed the father in front of his child and fiancée.

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

UK: Tudor-Style Manor With ‘Beautiful’ Rural Views, Four-Star Lake-Side Retreat and Country House With Acres of ‘Tranquil’ Grounds: Inside Asylum Seeker Hotels Housing 51,000 Migrants That Are Costing Taxpayers More Than £6m-a-Day

Tudor-style manors, four-star lakeside retreats and beachside resorts are among the hundreds of hotels being used by the government to house asylum seekers, it has been revealed.

Figures show the Home Office is spending a staggering £6.8million per day to cover the private accommodation costs of some 51,000 refugees, hiring out at least 395 businesses across the UK.

Outsourcer Serco provides around 109 hotels in England, while Gloucester-based Mears Group runs 80 hotels in north-east England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, reports the BBC.

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

Breaking: Georgia Legislature Bans Child Sex Changes

Georgia has become the latest state to pass a bill banning doctors from prescribing cross-sex hormones or conducting surgeries related to a gender dysphoria diagnosis on minors.

On March 17, 2023, SB 140 passed the state house with an amendment that allows for doctors to be sued civilly and criminally for violating the law. On Tuesday, the bill passed with the amendment in the State Senate and is heading to Governor Brian Kemp’s desk, where he is expected to sign. Monday Trans Rights activists filled the capital as the Governor issued remarks in support of the bill.

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

Dan Wootton: By Backing a Group That Believes Boyhood Should be ‘Fluid’ And Families Have Become ‘Gender Factories’, Prince Harry and Meghan Have Just Joined the War on Men Plaguing Our Society. Their Woke Extremism is Dangerous

DAN WOOTTON: As the couple’s true agenda is gradually revealed, it’s becoming obvious that destroying the British Royal Family is only the start of their ambition of a hard left revolution.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Fox News Host: “I Love a Good Drag Show”

Fox News is endorsing drag shows now in addition to child transgendism.

“I love a good drag show,” The Big Sunday Show co-host Julie Banderas said over the weekend, “but like, not for my first grader.”

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

Internet Archive Strikes Back, Defies Claims of Hurting Book Sales, Defends Access to Digital Library

The Internet Archive continues to legally defend its right to operate the Open Library — a project to digitize books and lend them for free.

The Archive, which considers itself a digital library and operates several important projects in this realm, was three years ago sued by four of the biggest publishers, who claim that making e-books available to people in this way is a form of “piracy” and will significantly negatively affect their profits.

On Monday, the case continued, with Archive’s legal representative maintaining the organization’s defense, namely, that this way of digitizing and lending books falls under the fair use rule contained in the copyright law.

And, said lawyer Joseph Gratz, the publishers — Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley, and Penguin Random House, who sued in 2020 — are yet to demonstrate that the Open Library will cause them “to lose a dime.”

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

Kamala Harris Offers Her ‘Gratitude’ To Tiktoker Dylan Mulvaney for Performing ‘Girlhood’ For 365 Days

Vice President Kamala Harris has written a heartfelt letter of gratitude to trans-identified celebrity Dylan Mulvaney, according to a photograph shared on the TikTok star’s Instagram page.

The letter, addressed to “Ms. Dylan Mulvaney,” opens with Harris expressing her warmest greetings as Mulvaney celebrates 365 days of “living authentically.” The photograph shows the letter to be dated March 13, the day that Mulvaney hosted a glitzy event to mark 365 days of giving an over-the-top performance of womanhood.

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

Premier of Australian State Raises Trans Flag Outside Parliament in Solidarity With Trans Activists

The Liberal Premier of Victoria, Australia, has raised the trans flag along with the Progress Pride flag outside the offices of the Victorian government in solidarity with the transgender community after a women’s rights event in Melbourne was protested by trans-activists and neo-Nazis.

Premier Dan Andrews tweeted a video of the flag raising with a message assuring the transgender community that “we’ll always respect you. And we’ll always have your back.”

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

Richard Dawkins Declares There Are Only Two Sexes as Matter of Science: ‘That’s All There is to It’

During a recent interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, famed atheist and biologist Richard Dawkins declared that “there are two sexes, and that’s all there is to it.”

He added that LGBTQ activists looking to discredit the reality of two biological sexes are pushing “utter nonsense.”

Dawkins further noted that those going after Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling for her commitment to the reality of two sexes are “bullies.”

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

Trans-Identified Biological Male Wins Women’s Cycling Event in New York, Towers Over 2nd, 3rd Place Competitors on Podium

A biological male has won a women’s cycling division in New York City.

At the Randall’s Island Crit #3 over the weekend, transgender athlete Tiffany Thomas was seen at the top of the podium while two women followed in second and third place. A crit race, or criterium, is a lapped, closed-circuit race that usually takes place in cities, according to Bicycling.com.

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

‘Woman of the Year’: Trans-Identified Male Lawmaker Who Advocates for Child Sex Changes Honored by USA Today

USA Today has honoured a trans-identified male who advocates for children to have access to experimental sex changes as Woman of the Year for the state of Minnesota.

Leigh Finke, who became the first transgender legislator appointed to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November, was selected as part of USA Today’s project to honor “local and national heroines who make a positive impact in their communities every day.”

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

Wyoming Governor Refuses to Sign ‘Draconian’ Bill Barring Biological Males From Women’s Sports

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) declined to sign a bill requiring student-athletes to compete based on their biological sex on Friday but said that he would allow the measure to become law.

Gordon informed the legislature Friday that the Student Eligibility in Interscholastic Sports Act would become law without his signature, decrying the bill as “overly draconian” and saying it “pays little attention to fundamental principles of equality.”

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

4 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/21/2023

  1. THE PREMIER OF VICTORIA IS DAN ANDREWS. He is a Labour Party politician and he is a socialist. Must be a typo.
    Lockdown Dan could be a communist as his motto is “your money is mine”. He’s making rules to make sure people keep none of their earnings.
    He stays in power as he gives payrises to all government employees who account for about 35% of the voting public. This include police, health workers, public servants (which number more than in California even though our population s one fifth), school teachers etc etc. He has bought off the construction industry by mass migration which requires massive building programs.
    He is Dictator Dan.

  2. Just imagine Rasmus Paludan would enter the country illegal, maybe even using the services of smugglers.

    And then, BANG, one morning he stands at Speakers Corner, burns a Quoran and disappears.

    I bet in such a case we would see a manhunt like no other.

    • This should be done to finally force the wankers in whatever British orifice is responsible for controlling the borders to finally start controlling the borders. Of course, if they were to find him after his stunt they’d just Tommy Robinson him, or more likely Julian Assange him for the rest of his life. I’d recommend quickly donning a mask before disappearing, or better yet, a burqa. It would be absolutely hilarious to see the tossers tossing every muslima in a burqa searching for him all the while a flash mob of enraged orcs descended upon those doing the tossing! Make their own stupidity in allowing multiculti work against them!

  3. North Macedonia had one of the highest fatality rates in the world from the coronavirus, in part due to late access to vaccines.

    ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

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