After I came home from church this afternoon a line of clouds rolled through the area. There was some thunder and a modest amount of rain, but nothing significant. Then the electricity went out, and stayed out for a number of hours. That’s why there’s nothing but a news feed tonight. There will be other things tomorrow.
The most significant news story I noticed is that the ratings of the remaining Fox News personalities — Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Jesse Watters, for example — have steadily declined since Tucker Carlson was fired. It appears that Mr. Carlson was propping up the rest of the channel, so that when his fan base departed, all the other luminaries lost out.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, JW, LP, Reader from Chicago, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
“It Was Weird”: Video Shows ‘Mysterious Lights’ Hovering Over Las Vegas
The public’s fascination with UFO sightings and potential signs of alien life has soared in recent years. The Department of Defense has played a significant role in fueling this public curiosity by sharing videos that show unidentified objects hurtling through the sky.
According to Bloomberg data, the number of news stories across all media outlets featuring “UFO videos” has exponentially jumped since late 2019, with multiple spikes in 2020 and 2021.
The latest footage of what appears to be a UFO, not released by the Pentagon but by a civilian in Las Vegas, shows mysterious lights hovering in the night sky over the metro area last Thursday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrat Cities Have Biggest Homicide Rate Problem, Study Finds
The Democratic Party aggressively promoted the idea of ‘defunding the police’ after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officer in 2020, which was supposed to improve public safety. A few years later, a new study found the homicide rate in Democrat cities is on the rise and a sign progressive policies are failing.
In a study published by WalletHub, researchers found “homicide rates have risen by an average of roughly 10% in 45 of the most populated U.S. cities between Q1 2021 and Q1 2023, and are still rising.”
The cities with the biggest homicide rate problems include Memphis, Tennesse; New Orleans, Louisana; Richmond, Virginia; Washington, DC; and Detroit, Michigan. Democrat mayors lead all five cities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump Jr. tore into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for remaining silent on Fox News’ firing of Tucker Carlson, accusing him of being ‘afraid to cross Paul Ryan.’
‘It’s been almost a week since Fox News fired Tucker Carlson & Ron DeSantis STILL hasn’t found the courage to say a word about it. Wonder why?’ Trump Jr. wrote on Twitter.
‘We already know he flip-flopped on Ukraine because of his donors, so i guess it’s unsurprising that he’s afraid to cross Paul Ryan & Fox.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jeffrey Epstein’s newly-released private calendar revealed he had scheduled meetings with a slew of prominent individuals, including the current CIA director, after he was convicted as a sex offender.
The documents contain emails and scheduled meetings with now-CIA Director William Burns, Bard College president Leon Botstein, Obama’s White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler and professor Noam Chomsky.
The meetings were scheduled between 2013 to 2017 after the pedophile had served time in jail in 2008 for sex crimes involving a teenage girl.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illinois Gun Shops See Surge in Sales After Federal Judge Placed Injunction on Firearm Ban
A recent federal ruling by the Southern District of Illinois on a gun law had a massive impact on local gun sales, shop owners reported on Saturday.
Judge Stephen Patrick McGlynn issued a temporary injunction on Friday against the enforcement of a gun law that would ban some semiautomatic weapons, penalize individuals who carry or possess certain “assault weapons” and require citizens to register with the Illinois State Police should they possess a weapon.
McGlynn ruled that the law, which was signed in January, “did not just regulate the rights of the people to defend themselves; it restricted that right, and in some cases, completely obliterated that right by criminalizing the purchase and the sale of more than 190 ‘arms.’“
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Major Blue States Hemorrhaging Tax Base as Red States Reap Rewards
Illinois, New York and California have been hemorrhaging high-earning residents who have packed their bags for states such as Texas, Florida, Arizona and North Carolina in recent years, according to newly released IRS data.
Major blue states have been losing a large amount of adjusted gross income (AGI) as it moved across state lines, according to IRS statistics from 2021 noted by the Wall Street Journal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Manhunt for Texas Shooting Suspect Runs Into “Dead End; “ Authorities Offer $80k Reward
Authorities are hoping that an $80,000 reward will help locate a Texas man who allegedly shot his neighbors after they asked him to stop firing his gun.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Northern California Town on Edge After Second Fatal Stabbing in Week
DAVIS, Calif. — The FBI has joined the investigation of two fatal stabbings in Davis that occurred last week, a rare outbreak of violence that has stoked fear and anxiety in the usually laid-back Northern California college town.
In the most recent attack, officials say a young man was slain Saturday after a confrontation at a park about a mile from the UC Davis campus. Officials and friends identified the victim as Karim Abou-Najm, a graduating senior at UC Davis who had taken to social media recently to express his excitement at landing a job working as a software engineer.
News of his death sent a shiver through the rural community of nearly 70,000 — about half an hour’s drive west of Sacramento — many of whom were still reeling from the stabbing last week of a well-known local figure. Police stepped up their patrols and asked the FBI to help in their investigation.
A source who was briefed on the investigation said the FBI and the Department of Justice will be helping to expedite DNA analysis from both crime scenes.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
RFK Jr: JFK Was ‘Fighting’ to End ‘Military-Industrial Complex’ When He Was Killed
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has warned that his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, was trying to end the “military-industrial complex” when he was assassinated.
Speaking during a new interview with Piers Morgan, RFK Jr. also stated that his father, Robert F. Kennedy, was also battling the same forces when he was killed.
The topic of his uncle and father was brought up when Morgan asked Kennedy, a Democrat 2024 presidential candidate, what impact it had on him to lose them both at such a young age.
“I think it had impact on the world,” Kennedy responded.
“I think my father and uncle were fighting against the emergence of the military-industrial complex.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
San Francisco Whole Foods Hit With 560 Calls of Violence, Drugs, Vagrants Before Closing: Report
Workers at a San Francisco Whole Foods Market were routinely threatened with weapons before the crime-plagued store announced it was shuttering after a little more than a year in business.
Records of 568 emergency calls to the Market Street store over 13 months showed chaotic incidents, including vagrants throwing food, yelling, engaging in fights and attempting to defecate on the floor, according to the New York Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sean Hannity’s Ratings Plunge After Tucker Carlson’s Fox News Exit
Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Tucker Carlson’s exit from Fox News appears to be impacting more than just the timeslot that he hosted for years on the network.
Carlson’s finale a week ago drew 2.65 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The data shows that Brian Kilmeade’s substitute hosting gig for “Fox News Tonight” saw ratings of 2.59 million on Monday, 1.7 million on Tuesday, and 1.33 million on Wednesday, respectively. Last Wednesday, Carlson drew about 3 million viewers, Nielsen figures show.
But the 9 p.m. Fox News program hosted by Sean Hannity drew about 2.5 million on Monday, 2 million on Tuesday, and 1.7 million on Wednesday night, according to Nielsen. In comparison, Hannity drew about 2.6 million viewers the Wednesday a week before, the ratings show.
Laura Ingraham’s “The Ingraham Angle” drew 2.156 million on Wednesday, April 19. But this past Wednesday, two days after Carlson was confirmed gone, her show drew 1.55 million viewers.
Jesse Watters’ show also saw a decline. For Wednesday, it saw an audience of 1.558 million, but a week prior, it generated 2.1 million.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Second Amendment Advocacy Groups Sue Washington Over ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban
Washington state has been slapped with two lawsuits from gun rights advocacy groups after Democratic Governor Jay Inslee signed a ban on “assault weapons” into law.
Inslee signed three gun control bills into law on Tuesday. House Bill 1240 took effect immediately and banned the manufacturing and sale of many types of semiautomatic rifles.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen. Ron Johnson: Antony Blinken ‘Lied Boldface to Congress’ Over Contact With Hunter Biden
GOP Senator Ron Johnson joined “Sunday Morning Futures” to discuss the investigation into the Biden family business dealings and Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s alleged contact with Hunter, expressing his belief that Blinken ‘lied boldface’ to Congress — not just about his contact with Hunter Biden, but “so much more.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sheriff Commends Store Clerk Who ‘Put a Swift End to Dirtbag’s Crime Spree’ by Shooting Him 8 Times
Flagler County, Florida, Sheriff Rick Staly commended a Georgia convenience store clerk who shot a robbery suspect eight times. Qwinntavus Kwame Jordan robbed a Flagler County Circle K Friday morning and fled toward Georgia on I-95.
Cops in Florida and Georgia chased Jordan causing him to abandon his vehicle. Jordan fled on foot and ran into a convenience store brandishing a gun. Big mistake.
Sheriff Staly said: “I commend our Real Time Crime Center team for quickly developing suspect information and his vehicle and thank all the agencies that assisted in apprehending this armed and dangerous fugitive.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Soros Family Gives Early Financial Support to Montana ‘Moderate’ Jon Tester
The Soroses last month nearly maxed out campaign contributions to Tester, each giving $2,800, according to campaign finance disclosures, making the red-state Democrat the only candidate to whom both father and son have contributed this election cycle. Though the two pour millions of dollars every year into a variety of left-wing causes, their direct political support so far this cycle has been sparse. The elder Soros has given to only two candidates aside from Tester, Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.), both of whom are politically safe. His son Alexander Soros has given to only Tester and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.), who this cycle is targeting Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I., Ariz.), a former Democrat, from the left.
Tester’s support from the Soros family highlights the political tightrope he will have to walk in his bid for reelection. Tester, considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the 2024 cycle, will need to raise money from major Democratic donors in what is likely to be one of the most expensive Senate races of 2024. But the senator, who recently said that he brings a “dirt-under-your-fingernails perspective to Washington,” will have to avoid embracing left-wing policies unpopular in the Big Sky Country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ezra Levant asked Brian Peckford a few questions on the leader of the opposition. “I’d like to ask you, first of all, for your assessment of Pierre Poilievre as a prospective Prime Minister. And second of all, your prediction. What are your thoughts on Poilievre? And would he be a good PM and do you think he’s got a chance?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada’s Health Officials Knew COVID Jabs Would Not Prevent Transmission Before Gov’t Mandates
(LifeSiteNews) — Briefing notes from Canada’s top health agencies show that before imposing COVID mandates government officials knew that those with the jabs could spread the virus just as easily as those without the shots.
As first reported by The Epoch Times, briefing notes from Health Canada (HC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reveal that officials in the fall of 2021, before most strict COVID travel mandates were put in place, were aware the mRNA jabs did not stop viral transmission.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Last year, Rebel News brought you a series of reports from a Reclaiming Canada Conference hosted by a non-partisan, pro-democracy organization called We Unify. This year, event organizers say the conference, which was originally created to recognize Canada’s 2022 Freedom Convoy, will be bigger than ever.
“You are invited to join Canadians from across the country to help us form a national strategy in order to advance our freedom and to repair the damage stemming from political and societal dissonance” We Unify’s website reads.
The three-day event will take place in Victoria from May 26 to May 28 and features a jammed packed lineup of over 30 keynote speakers and panelists.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian House Committee Votes Unanimously to Investigate Trudeau Foundation Funding
OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — Canadian MPs from the House of Commons Public Accounts committee voted unanimously on Monday to start an investigation into how the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation is funded after a report last month showed the foundation received a large donation alleged to be connected to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In a 10-0 vote, MPs also said that the Canada Revenue Agency should probe the foundation’s funding, with one MP noting, according to Blacklock’s Reporter, the foundation is “supported by public funds.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Edmonton Church Slapped With 80k in Pandemic Fines Files Appeal Paperwork
The Democracy Fund has filed written materials seeking leave to appeal the decision convicting Church in the Vine and Pastor Tracy Fortin of occupational health and safety offences.
Fortin was convicted in April 2022 of constructing OHS inspectors seeking to inspect the church for COVID compliance while worship services were ongoing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hold the Line: A Feature Interview With Tamara Lich
Last week on The Ezra Levant Show, Ezra hosted a special feature interview with Tamara Lich, author of the best-selling book Hold The Line, who shared her experiences as the spiritual leader of the trucker convoy in Canada.
As a grassroots uprising against government overreach, the trucker convoy faced enormous challenges, not in the least having their crowdfunding attempts seized or frozen by the government.
However, Lich explained that the convoy’s independence only served to strengthen its resolve and inspire the nation. The government’s response, invoking the Emergencies Act, only further exposed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a tyrant and set the stage for his eventual downfall.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘I Stand With Josh Alexander’ International Walkout Protest Planned for May 17
(LifeSiteNews) — An “international walkout protest” in support of Canadian Catholic high school student Josh Alexander, who was banned from attending classes last year for saying there are only two genders, will be held next month across North America.
Liberty Coalition Canada (LCC) announced last week its “I Stand with Josh Alexander” international walkout protest will be held at 10 a.m. May 17 in one’s local time zone.
“Liberty Coalition is organizing this peaceful event to stand in solidarity with Josh Alexander. Josh and fellow protesters are demanding that all schools ban biological males from using female restrooms and change rooms,” the organization said in a press release.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jailed Canadian Pastor’s Van Spray-Painted With Anti-Christian Vulgarities, Satanic Symbol
CALGARY, Alberta (LifeSiteNews) — The van of Calgary Christian pastor Derek Reimer, who is currently in jail for protesting children’s drag queen story hours at a public library, was vandalized with an anti-Christian message and a Satanic symbol.
As per a Rebel News report, Reimer’s van, parked in front of his house, was vandalized on Tuesday morning. It was spray-painted with vulgarities along with an upside-down cross, a satanic symbol.
On the side of his van, in red, was painted, “Jesus is a [expletive],” with the front windshield bearing the upside cross.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Rules in Favor of Air Canada Passenger Arrested After Removing Mask Over Health Issue
CALGARY, Alberta (LifeSiteNews) — A Canadian man who was fined for non-compliance with a COVID mandate on an airplane because he had to take off his mask due to breathing issues has been acquitted of all charges.
In July 2021, Courtney Sailer was hit with a $5,000 fine after being arrested upon landing for violating the Aeronautics Act. He had failed to comply with crew members because he took off his COVID mask during his flight. Sailer, who suffers from asthma and anxiety, was having a tough time breathing.
The Democracy Fund (TDF) helped fund Sailer’s defense against his charges with the help of a lawyer. As noted in a press release last week, “a serious medical emergency in the seat behind” where Sailer was sitting “triggered his anxiety and caused him to feel that he could not get enough oxygen.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maxime Bernier, Brian Peckford File Federal Appeal in COVID Travel Mandate Case
(Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms) — The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is pleased to announce that on Thursday, April 13, 2023, lawyers for the Honorable Brian Peckford, the Honorable Maxime Bernier, and others, filed their written arguments in support of their appeal of the October 20, 2022 decision of the Federal Court that found their case was “moot.”
The Federal Court notified the parties that the constitutional challenges against the federal government’s travel mandate during the Covid-19 pandemic were struck for being “moot,” just eleven days prior to the start of the constitutional hearing, which had been scheduled for October 31, 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PSAC ‘Takes Over’ Interprovincial Bridge, Escalates Strike Antics
Federal servants, annoyed by ongoing collective bargaining with the Treasury Board, have moved to occupy an interprovincial bridge Friday to “disrupt the economy.”
Hundreds of disgruntled union members chanted they “are keeping this march safe” but “will be heard [by the federal government].”
“We deserve fair wages. We deserve a fair contract,” they said.
“Who’s got the power? We got the power,” they added as they occupied the Portage Bridge between Gatineau, Québec and Ottawa, Ontario.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PSAC Hypocrites Condemned the Freedom Convoy While Doing Much Worse to Inconvenience Canadians
After condemning last year’s Freedom Convoy and issuing a press release telling the “mob it’s time to go home,” Canada’s civil service union is now blocking access to homes, workplaces, and critical infrastructure as part of their strike actions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Risk Assessment Expert Slams Canada’s COVID Response at National Citizens’ Inquiry
Canada’s Covid response was not based on any kind of science, Risk Assessment professional Dean Beaudry told the National Citizens’ Inquiry (NCI) on April 26.
“I cannot imagine how we could have done a worse job,” Beaudry noted in astonishment at one point.
NCI is a Canada-wide citizen-led and citizen-funded initiative to investigate governments’ Covid-19 policies in a fair and impartial manner that is completely independent of the government. Through questioning led by lawyers, individual Canadians and experts are presenting evidence under oath to Independent Commissioners.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The trickling of information began in February 2022, when it is said that Ottawa Police Service (OPS) detective Helen Grus, who is a constable by rank, was suspended without pay for failing to disclose her COVID-19 vaccination status to the medical tyrant higher-ups.
The next day, Grus was suspended with pay for apparently breaching police database privacy when she attempted to probe for information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine status of mothers following a string of nine sudden infant and child death cases in the region, from June 2020 to January 2022.
After all, Grus was part of the child sexual assault and abuse squad at the OPS, a squad that is mandated by law to investigate all incidences of sudden and unexplained death in newborns, infants and children under the age of five.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tamara Lich Says Exposing the ‘Narrative That Was Crafted’ in Ottawa Was One of the Greatest Things
“As the convoys converged in Ottawa, a handful of voices became known as, if not the organizational leaders, at least the spiritual leaders of the convoy,” said Ezra. “And I think by far the woman with the most following and who best reflected the goals of the convoy was Tamara Lich. As you know, Tamara was arrested, held in prison for a month and a half on an incitement to mischief charge.”
Ezra added that she was persecuted by a zealous prosecutor known for his hefty donations to the Liberal Party, and yet she maintained her composure and good faith the whole time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tamara Lich on Organizing the Freedom Convoy, Which Province Showed the Most Support
The Freedom Convoy was the largest Canadian civil liberties demonstration in a generation, as truckers and their supporters from across the country converged on Ottawa for nearly a month in protest of COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates.
At the heart of the convoy was Tamara Lich, an unassuming trucking logistics specialist who became the face of the protest.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Unveiling the Truth About Assisted Dying in Canada
A newly released docuseries aims to uncover the truth about doctor-assisted suicide in Canada. Produced by UnveilTV, “MAiD in Canada” features interviews with medical experts, disability advocates, legal experts, veterans, and other leading voices to explore the reality of Canada’s assisted dying regime. Series producer Andrew Kooman and director Daniel Kooman joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss the inspiration behind the project, and what they hope it may accomplish.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk: Euro Hate Speech Laws Are a ‘Massive Attack Against Freedom of Speech’
Elon Musk has condemned forthcoming hate speech laws in one EU country as being a “massive attack against freedom of speech”.
Tech billionaire and Twitter CEO Elon Musk said that impending hate speech laws in Ireland are a “massive attack against freedom of speech”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eco-zealots from the controversial climate activist group Just Stop Oil have been holding secret training sessions in a plot to bring London to a standstill in a single day of mass action.
Leaders of the eco-fanatic group ran mindfulness training sessions for rookie activists to help them cope with being yelled at by furious members of the public, as they plan a summer of mayhem.
The group also told budding protestors to take inspiration from the suffragette movement in the early 20th century — calling on its members to throw rocks, break windows as well as ‘using fire and arson and so on’.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
JUST Stop Oil activists whinged they are running out of protest banners because irate motorists keep stealing them.
The eco-zealots have caused mayhem blocking roads and disrupting sporting events.
But an urgent alert has been issued to followers warning they are running out of pennants.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Death Toll Rises as Ukraine Ramps Up Attacks on Russian Border Towns
Casualties have risen after intense shelling of a Russian village in the Bryansk region near the Ukrainian border, an attack which happened Saturday, with emergency responders initially citing two killed.
The casualty count as been revised as rescuers comb through rubble of a residential building. Four civilians have died and another two wounded “as a result of the actions by Ukrainian nationalists,” governor Aleksandr Bogomaz announced Sunday.
Authorities declared a state of emergency in the village of Suzemka, where the strike took place. It lies a mere 10km from Ukraine.
The governor further said the wave of Ukrainian strikes hit a residential area, according to CNN:
Unverified video posted on Bogomaz’s Telegram channel shows people emerging from a damaged building at night.
A person can be heard on the video saying, “They pulled a woman out. They’re still checking for a kid. Not sure. Horrible.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: Italian Weapons Supplied to Ukraine Are ‘Not Battle Ready’
Weapons provided to Ukraine from the NATO country of Italy are reportedly not battle-ready, according to Kyiv sources speaking to the Financial Times.
The effectiveness of Europe’s military hardware has been called into question again after every one of the 20 howitzer artillery guns supplied to Ukraine from Rome was deemed not to be battle ready at the time they were supplied, a source inside the Ukrainian defence ministry told the Financial Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Zelenskiy Says Ukraine is Preparing Next Steps Amid Pitched Battles in Eastern Regions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy marked the 400th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion, saying in his evening address on March 30 that his country is preparing its next steps but did not explicitly mention an anticipated counteroffensive.
Zelenskiy noted that 400 days have passed since the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022, and said Ukraine has come a “colossal way” through its struggle, citing the recapture of areas of the Kharkiv region and the city of Kherson, along with the ongoing defense of the eastern city of Bakhmut and the Donbas region in general.
“This is the heroism of Ukrainians, which the world will not forget,” he said. “We are preparing our next steps, we are preparing our active actions, approaching victory…. We will not leave a single trace of Russia on our land, and we will not leave any enemy unpunished.”
Ukrainian military commanders have said a counteroffensive is not far off, but Zelenskiy indicated earlier this week that Kyiv is still waiting on “sufficient weapons” before mounting any major attacks.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
India: The Kerala Story: From Love Jihad to the Killing Field of ISIS
B Upendran | HENB | Thiruvananthapuram | April 30, 2023:: The story of Hindu plight under the terrible onslaught of Jihad has reached Kashmir to Kerala right now. After the controversial film, The ‘Kashmir Files’, another film ‘The Kerala Story’ has been made to expose the Islamic agenda in India and around the globe by a trick of ‘Love Jihad’. While The Kashmir File exposed the Jihadi onslaught to evict the Kashmiri Hindus mainly Pandits from the valley, now the film, ‘The Kerala Story’ is going to be related on May 5th to expose the conspiracy to victimize thousand of Hindu and Christian girls of Kerala in order to make them ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) terrorists and so on. When the Kishmir file was researched a lot to crack the agenda of the liberation of Kashmir through the killings and eviction of Hindus from the valley through the ghastly blood-shed; the makers of Kerala Story explored many things on how the Hindu and Christian girls of Kerala were forced to engage in the Islamic terrorism to keep the flag of ISIS high in the world of Jihad.
The movie written and directed by Sudipto Sen will be released in theaters across India in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam languages.
In short, The Kerala Story is an upcoming multi-lingual film directed by Sudipto Sen, and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah under the banner of Sunshine Picture. The plot follows the story of a group of women from Kerala who are converted to Islam and join the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The film has courted controversy for portraying itself as a real story and for making a claim that thousands of women from Kerala are being converted to Islam and recruited into ISIS.
The “The Kerala Story Teaser” released five months back just hinted then, “Heartbreaking and gut-wrenching stories of 32000 females in Kerala!” The movie buffs have been expecting a blast since then.
The trailer of The Kerala Story was released on April 26 and has led to reactions and controversies as the Producer and Director of the film aimed to tell the tale of how women from the Indian state of Kerala women were tricked through ‘Love Jihad” and trafficked to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the conflict zone of Syria. It is told by the Sunshine Picture in the official Trailer that, “A spine-chilling, never told before true story — revealing a dangerous conspiracy that has been hatched against India. The Kerala Story is a compilation of the true stories of three young girls from different parts of Kerala.”
The film stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, Siddhi Idnani, and others, which has created a huge sensation in advance…
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
The Victorian government is reportedly looking into new ways to boost its bottom line after a similar proposed tax last year was scrapped following backlash.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Shocking photos and stories have emerged about children being exposed to rampant drug abuse around Melbourne’s controversial injecting centre, which is next to a school.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Telegram Access is Restored in Brazil After Judge Strikes Down Censorship Order
Access to Telegram in Brazil was restored on Saturday after the platform was suspended on Wednesday for failing to hand over data that the Telegram CEO was unable to hand over.
However, the federal judge did not remove the $200,000 daily fine imposed on Telegram for noncompliance with the order to hand over the data.
In a statement, Judge Flavio Lucas said the suspension “is not reasonable, considering the wide affectation throughout the national territory of the freedom of communication of thousands of people who are absolutely strangers to the facts under investigation.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Despite thousands of boats bringing illegal migrants onto the shores of Britain, the government only managed to charge 82 suspected people smugglers last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
During opening remarks, Crown prosecutor Isobel Keeley painted the disturbing picture of the brutal death of a 13-year-old BC teen girl whose body was discovered in Burnaby’s Central Park on July 19, 2017. Keely laid out what evidence the prosecutors will be relying on in the effort to prove their theory that Ibrahim Ali dragged the child whilst walking the park trail into the bushes to sexually assault her and also strangle her to death.
Evidence that is said to be heard over the coming months of the trial will include a forensic pathologist’s testimony, which the Crown says proves the child was strangled, and that semen was found in her anus and vagina that was a DNA match to that of Mr. Ali.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: 21K Venezuelan Migrants in 12 Days Crossed Border Into One Texas Sector
BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A Texas Department of Public Safety official told Breitbart Texas that Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents took nearly 21,000 Venezuelan migrants into custody during a 12-day period. The spokesman compared the current Venezuelan migrant surge to that of the 2021 Haitian migrant crisis in Del Rio, Texas. During the 2021 crisis, nearly 20,000 Haitian migrants crossed into Del Rio from Mexico during a 17-day period.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The FBI confirmed more than 250 law enforcement officers are hunting for an illegal immigrant who shot and killed five people on Friday, insisting they would not rest until he was caught.
Francisco Oropesa, 38, opened fire after his neighbors in Cleveland, Texas, asked him to stop firing the gun in his back yard.
He marched into their house and turned his gun on his neighbors, killing five people aged between eight and 31.
The FBI initially used the wrong photo in their wanted poster, but on Sunday corrected it.
They also corrected the spelling of his last name, which was initially Oropeza.
A $55,000 reward was increased to $80,000.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mayor Lori Lightfoot Asks Texas Governor to Stop ‘Inhumane’ Practice of Busing Migrants to Chicago
CHICAGO (WLS) — Mayor Lori Lightfoot sent a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday, asking him to stop busing migrants to Chicago.
As Abbott’s administration plans to resume busing migrants through the U.S., Lightfoot said Chicago is at maximum capacity for shelter space, service and resources after welcoming more than 8,000 migrants since August 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nearly 9 in 10 in New Poll Hold Feds Responsible for Border Crisis, Most Expect States to Fix
Almost 87% of Americans blame the federal government for the border crisis, according to a new poll conducted by the Trafalgar Group for Convention of States Action.
“With local and state government law enforcement resources overwhelmed by the large increase in illegal immigrants and asylum seekers needing assistance and increased drug cartel activity,” respondents were prompted, “do you believe it is the responsibility of states or the Federal government to handle these increased costs at the southern border?”
Among Republicans, 91% said it was the federal government’s responsibility. Surprisingly, only slightly fewer Democrats, 83%, gave the same response.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Strengthens Its Border Fence With Russia to Keep Migrants Out
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the razor wire fence along the border with the Russian exclave Kaliningrad would be reinforced again.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has announced that the razor wire fence along the border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad would be further reinforced.
He said it was necessary to prevent the illegal crossings of migrants.
Morawiecki spoke on Saturday during a trip to the town of Bartoszyce, located about sixty kilometres from Kaliningrad.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Australia: Watch: Parents Stand Up to Council and Trans Activists Over Drag Storytime
Hundreds of concerned parents and ratepayers gathered at Monash Council in Melbourne to voice their opposition to an upcoming Drag Storytime event. The event, planned for May 19th at Oakleigh Library, is targeted towards children aged one to six years old.
Parents at the protest expressed their dissatisfaction with the event, questioning the appropriateness of exposing young children to adult-themed content.
Many of them argued that children in the specified age range should be allowed to simply enjoy their childhood without being exposed to potentially confusing topics.
While the protest was taking place, a small counter-protest in support of the Drag Storytime event also formed. However, this group was significantly outnumbered and largely unwilling to engage in dialogue with the opposing side.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bud Light is being criticized after pandering to lost customers with a county-themed commercial and preventing viewers from offering feedback by disabling the comments on YouTube.
The commercial, which debuted during the Thursday NFL Draft and was later published to YouTube, shows four friends opening cans of Bud Light at a country music festival as the song Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band plays.
It is one of a number of commercials released by the company since the partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney at the beginning of April caused sales to plummet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Furious Christian groups have set up counter-events and protests outside SatanCon in Boston, which has been billed as the ‘largest Satanic gathering in history’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Leaked Video Shows Toronto Police Dept. Being Trained in Woke Gender Ideology
TORONTO (LifeSiteNews) — A leaked video obtained by Rebel News has revealed that Toronto Police Service (TPS) officers are being made to undergo training in gender ideology by the service’s former interim chief himself.
The video, obtained by Rebel News, highlights the force’s “Gender Diversity Trans Inclusion Initiative” or “GDTI,” and features former interim TPS police chief James Ramer going over a “trans and gender-diverse” training regiment for his officers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A 12-year-old student was allegedly sent home from school after he refused to change his T-shirt that said, “There are only two genders.”
Liam Morrison, a seventh-grader at Nichols Middle School in Middleborough, Massachusetts, said he was taken out of gym class on March 21 and met with school staff who told him people were complaining about the statement on his shirt and that it made them feel “unsafe.” His comments were picked up by popular Twitter account LibsofTikTok.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One-in-Four High School Students Identify on ‘LGBQ’ Spectrum
Almost a quarter of American high school students identify on the “queer” spectrum, according to government data — a number that has more than doubled since 2015.
As curricula across the country feature “LGBTQAI+” content and “Social Emotional Learning” methods, the numbers of students who are identifying as something other than heterosexual is rising to levels more than double seen historically and even dwarfing rates seen among adults, according to data collected by Centers for Disease Control.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
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ELECTRICITY OUT – HOLY SPIRIT IN
https://swebbtube.se/w/nJdo6AgmCjPgi5om7fbzba
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EU disappointed with Elon Musk
In all totalitarian states, it is illegality that annoys those in power.
By Lars Hedegaard / snaphanen.dk
Elon Musk has not sufficiently complied with EU orders.
Despite repeated recommendations from Brussels to exercise more censorship against speech that goes against the EU’s ideology, Elon Musk, Twitter’s boss, has not taken sufficient action. Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission, is disappointed.
EU bureaucrats have threatened to ban the platform within the Union unless Musk complies with its censorship requirements. In December 2022, Thierry Breton, the EU’s Internal Market Commissioner, reportedly ordered Musk to abandon his plans to allow free speech on Twitter. Otherwise, he risked a ban on Twitter in the EU.
In response, Musk has tried to partially accommodate the censorship demands, stating that he does not intend to make Twitter completely free, but has promised to limit content that the EU considers offensive.
But as the Financial Times reported last December, this was not enough for Commissioner Breton, who demanded that Musk comply with every single one of the EU’s demands. And what are they?
We got an answer to that on Tuesday last week. Or rather: we got a nebulous answer that is an expansion of Germany’s law called NetzDG, which is designed to crack down on “illegal” speech and crack down on “hate speech”, “insults” and “misinformation”. If social media organizations fail to comply with the German law, they risk a fine of up to €50 million.
So that’s what Europe has come up with. The authorities have introduced a “unauthorized speech” rule that is so vague that no one knows if the police will be knocking on your door at 4am because you have said something illegal. And what is illegal is something the authorities decide on a case-by-case or person-by-person basis, depending on the political winds.
The Danish Penal Code contains a list of prohibited crimes for which you can be punished. Similarly, you might expect a law against unauthorized speech to contain a list of what not to say. But it is not that simple, because one day something is illegal and the next day it can be legal. A few years ago, you could get into trouble if you questioned whether vaccines and masks protected you from contracting COVID-19. Today, you can say it because it has now been proven to be a lie that cannot be hidden. All this is very confusing and we can only follow the latest opinions of the EU.
There is nothing surprising in that, because that is how it is in all totalitarian states. The illegality is what irritates those in power.
With the EU’s recently adopted Digital Services Act, the Union has introduced unprecedented surveillance of the internet and will subject 19 platforms to strict censorship by August 25. The censored platforms include Facebook, Google, Instagram, TikTok, Wikipedia and YouTube. If the 19 companies do not dance to Brussels’ tune, they risk being forced to hand over up to 6% of their global revenue and could be banned in the EU.
Totalitarian rules are always presented as the opposite of what they are intended to achieve. The Digital Services Act is thus marketed as an effort to protect freedom of expression. It was therefore in line with the Union’s understanding of freedom of expression that the Union signaled its satisfaction with Twitter’s initial decision to block President Trump.
As Commissioner Věra Jourová said last week, she would like to explain to Elon Musk that the EU is pro-free speech. “But in the EU, freedom of expression is not unlimited.”
You see what she means: if people were free to speak their minds, it could easily become a problem for those in power, who are recognized as wanting to stay in power at all costs.
*Senior EU official warns Twitter of moderation shortcomings
*EU warns Twitter about disinformation
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Maria Zeee Decodes the UN Emergency Response Report
https://swebbtube.se/w/wf1ZALVR2UhNWjo4p2qaoT
Is the new King of England, about to be crowned, a secret Muslim?
“In 1996, the grand mufti of Cyprus, shockingly, accused Charles III – the new British king – of secretly being a Muslim…”
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/king-charles-iii-five-things-islam-muslims
I appreciate your translations of the great Lars Hedegaard!