Gates of Vienna News Feed 5/15/2023

Two police officers were wounded and three civilians were killed during a mass shooting in Farmington, New Mexico. Meanwhile, a group of robbers in Chicago committed ten armed robberies in the space of thirty minutes.

In other news, the Italian car manufacturer Ferrari announce that it has no plans to switch to electric vehicles, and will continue to make internal combustion engines.

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

Thanks to Davis, Dean, DV, Fjordman, JW, LP, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

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

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

Financial Crisis
» Biden’s Top Economic Advisor Admits Biggest Fear Among U.S Business Leaders is ‘Catastrophic’ Debt Default
» Big Banks Hits With Huge FDIC Fees Hike Amid Banking Crisis
» German Retailers Seek to Open 1,000 Stores in Poland Off of Consumers’ Response to High Inflation
» Vice Media Files for Bankruptcy to Enable Sale to Lenders Including Soros and Fortress
 
USA
» “It’s Just Not Safe”: Decades-Old Baltimore Business Closes Shop Because of Crime, Blames Democrats
» American Fast-Food Chains Use Seaweed, Soy, and Even Wood to Beef Up Menu Items, Study Reveals
» At Least 5 Whistleblowers Come Forward Against Biden Family
» Biden Misses Deadline to Hand Over Censorship Collusion Documents
» CBS Segment Highlights How Adding Bugs to the Food System ‘Could be a Game-Changer’ to Fight Climate Change
» Chicago’s New Mayor Compares Cop’s Murder With Death of Armed Teen Shot by Police
» Congressman Gerry Connolly’s Staffers Attacked With Metal Baseball Bat
» Daniel Penny’s Lawyer Fires Back at Critics Accusing Client of Racial Motivations: He Was Protecting Everyone
» Daughter of Late Chicago Cop Frustrated by Crime Surge: ‘Not the City He Was Sworn to Protect’
» Democratic Party Convention Descends Into ‘Complete Chaos’ in Minnesota
» Eighth Horse Dies at Churchill Downs as Concerning Trend Continues
» Elon Musk Subpoenaed by US Virgin Islands in JPMorgan Chase-Jeffrey Epstein Lawsuit
» Facial Recognition Software to be Used on Kids in West Virginia Schools
» Farmington Mass Shooting: 2 Officers Injured, 3 Civilians Dead and Several Others Injured
» FBI Responds to Scathing Durham Report on Trump-Russia Probe, Touts ‘Dozens of Corrective Actions’
» FBI, DOJ’s Trump-Russia ‘Collusion’ Probe Was ‘Seriously Flawed, ‘ No Basis in Evidence When Opened: Durham
» Feds Squeeze Top Democrat Senator, Expand Criminal Probe With New Round of Subpoenas
» Fire Breaks Out at Marathon Refinery in Texas; 1 Worker Dead
» GOP Lawmakers Say FBI Was ‘Weaponized’ Against Trump in Light of Durham Probe Findings
» ‘I Am Alive and Healthy’: George Soros Takes to Twitter to Prove He’s Alive — and Hasn’t Had a Heart Attack After Internet Rumors
» IRS Removes Investigative Team From Hunter Biden Probe in Move Whistleblower Claims is ‘Clearly Retaliatory’
» Las Vegas Police Say Son Accused of Stabbing Mom to Death on Mother’s Day
» Legal Fund for Accused NYC Subway Choker Daniel Penny Tops $2M — With Kid Rock Chipping in
» Man Dies After Getting Stuck in Machine at Paper Mill
» Most COVID Patients Who Died in Hospital Were Killed by Ventilators, Study Finds
» New York’s Obsolete COVID Vaccine Passport App Still Costing Taxpayers $200k Per Month: Report
» Newsmax Beats CNN and Chris Wallace Had Lowest Rated Hour Since Launching Show
» Rumble Acquires Live Podcasting App CallIn
» Superintelligence is Positioned as a Free Speech Version of ChatGPT
» Trump Says There ‘Must be a Heavy Price to Pay’ for Comey, Democrats After Release of Durham Report
» Vatican to Determine if ‘Miracle’ Happened at Conn. Church Where Parishioners Reported Multiplying Hosts
» Video: Armed Group Allegedly Commits 10 Robberies in 30 Minutes in Chicago
» Violent Mother’s Day Weekend in Chicago Ahead of New Progressive Mayor’s Swearing In
 
Europe and the EU
» Czech PM Vowed Not to Increase Taxes Before Doing the Exact Opposite
» EU Cannot Punish Someone for Raping an Animal, Commission Says
» Ferrari Says No to EVs: Will Stick to Traditional Combustion Engines
» French Healthcare Staff Who Refused COVID Jab Allowed Back to Work
» French Police Say it Was a Mistake to Block Telegram
» Germany Should at Least Consider Poland’s Claim for War Reparations, Says Top SPD Politician
» Hungary Outraged by Leaked Ukrainian Plans to Blow Up Vital Oil Pipeline
» ‘Jet Coalition’: Ukraine and Britain Announce Joint Effort to Get Ukraine Western Fighters
» Newly Launched Finnish Nuclear Plant Sees Electricity Prices Plunge by 75 Percent
» Poland: Ruling Conservative PiS Party Promises Big Increase in Child Benefit and Abolition of Highway Tolls Before Election
» Polish President Inspects Armed Forces During Country’s Largest Military Exercise, Anaconda 23
» UK: ‘Move Them Out of the Way, I’ve Got Money to Make!’: White Van Driver’s Fury as Just Stop Oil Zealots Spark Rush Hour Chaos With London Slow-March
» UK: Extinction Rebellion Disrupts Rees-Mogg and Braverman Speeches
» UK: Zelensky Meets PM as More Ukraine Weapons Pledged
 
Middle East
» Twitter Censors for Turkey’s Government in the Election Build Up
 
Russia
» China Sends Ex-Russian Ambassador on ‘Peace Talks’ Mission to Ukraine
» Russia’s Ukraine Invasion Must End in Failure Like Afghanistan, Says Estonian PM
» Ukrainian Troops Gird for Counteroffensive They Hope Will End War
» We Bet on Ukraine’s Victory Meloni Tells Zelensky
» White House: Russia Looks to Purchase More Attack Drones From Iran After Depleting Stockpile
» Zelensky, in Private, Plots Bold Attacks Inside Russia, Leak Shows
 
South Asia
» Zero Tolerance: State Elections Crackdown on Hate Speech on Social Media in Malaysia
 
Far East
» 78-Year-Old US Citizen Sentenced to Life on Spying Charges in China
 
Australia — Pacific
» Heartbreaking Moment Mum Bursts Into Tears as She Begs Treasurer Jim Chalmers for Help — and Points Out a Massive Flaw in Key Budget Policy for Parents
» We’re on Centrelink and the Dole is Fine — I’m Even SAVING Money! Welfare Recipients Open Up About the Reality of Life on JobSeeker as They’re Handed More Cash: ‘Life’s Been Pretty Good’
» Wild Footage Captures Cameraman Being Hit and Shoved to the Ground While Reporting on a Home Invasion
 
Immigration
» 1.5M ‘Gotaways’ Have Slipped Into the US Under Biden — Three Times as Many as During 3 Years of Trump
» Chairman of Homeland Security Committee: Mayorkas Has “Intentionally Violated” Law and “Lied to Congress Under Oath”
» French Senator Fined for ‘Racial Slander’ in Tweet Criticizing Mass Immigration
» Illegal Immigrant Faces Life After Beheading Girlfriend With a Machete Inside Car in Minnesota
» Kathy Hochul Complains New York ‘Bursting at the Seams’ With Illegal Immigrants
» Migrants to be Housed in 6 More NYC School Gyms — Outraged Parents Say Plan is ‘Just Insane’
» Migrant Crossing From Africa to Italy Soar by 300% So Far This Year
» New Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Says City ‘Traumatized by Violence’ Has ‘Enough Room’ for Migrant Surge
» Senator Hawley: Democrats “Want the Chaos” at the Border
» Shocking Footage Lays Bare US Migrant Crisis After End of Title 42 as El Paso Processing Center is Bursting at the Seams With Six Times Its Max Capacity…
» White Britons Could Become Minority in Elementary Schools, Expert Says
» Will There be a White Minority in British Schools Within 30 Years?
 
Culture Wars
» Dave Chappelle Performs in San Francisco, Shreds ‘Woke’ City: ‘What the F**k Happened to This Place?’
» DeSantis Signs Bill Banning Funding for Diversity Programs at Florida Public Colleges
» Family Pursues Legal Action Against School After it ‘Censored’ Son for ‘There Are Only Two Genders’ Shirt
» It Had to Happen
» Jada Pinkett Smith’s Woke ‘Queen Cleopatra’ Netflix Show Has Worst Audience Score in TV History
» JK Rowling Exposes Trans Activists Pushing Fake Story About Children Being ‘Upset at Her Views’
» LGBT1984: UK Parliament Staff Told to Police ‘Preferred Pronoun’ Usage — Report
» Miller Lite Downplays ‘Woke’ Ad Following Bud Light Dylan Mulvaney Disaster
» Muslim Students Attack LGBTQ Sensitivity Training in Belgium, Spit on LGBT Flag, Chant ‘Allah Akbar’
» Poll: Huge Numbers of Teenagers Being Taught About BDSM, How Women Can Have Penises
» WHO Pushes “Early Childhood Masturbation” for Toddlers, Encourages Questions About Gender Identity for Kids Aged 4
 

Biden’s Top Economic Advisor Admits Biggest Fear Among U.S Business Leaders is ‘Catastrophic’ Debt Default

One of President Joe Biden’s top economic advisors has admitted that American business leaders are becoming increasingly fearful that the federal government will default on the U.S. national debt.

Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council, said Sunday that U.S. business leaders’ chief concern is the looming threat of a “catastrophic” debt default rather than inflation or recession.

On Sunday, Brainard told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that the country’s top business leaders have told her that the default is their biggest concern.

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

Big Banks Hits With Huge FDIC Fees Hike Amid Banking Crisis

America’s biggest banks are being hit with huge hikes in Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) after several recent banking failures.

The FDIC said big banks will bear billions of dollars in extra fees to replenish a deposit insurance fund used to bail out banks in March.

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

German Retailers Seek to Open 1,000 Stores in Poland Off of Consumers’ Response to High Inflation

German retail chains Woolworth Deutschland and Aldi Nord are expanding rapidly in Poland, with a goal of opening 1,000 stores in the coming years.

Woolworth Deutschland plans to open its first three Polish stores in May, a company’s spokeswoman recently announced, while Aldi Nord withdrew from the Danish market last year to focus on the “main markets of development in Europe: Belgium, Poland and France,” revealed Finn Tang, Aldi’s CEO in Denmark, last December.

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

Vice Media Files for Bankruptcy to Enable Sale to Lenders Including Soros and Fortress

Once a digital media darling, Vice Media Group on Monday filed for bankruptcy protection after years of financial troubles.

A consortium of Vice’s lenders which includes Fortress Investment, Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital is looking to acquire the company following the filing.

The digital media trailblazer, once valued at $5.7 billion and known for sites including Vice and Motherboard, had been restructuring and cutting jobs across its global news business over recent months.

The group set to buy the company will provide $225 million in the form of a credit bid for most of Vice Media’s assets, the company announced on Monday, along with significant liabilities.

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

“It’s Just Not Safe”: Decades-Old Baltimore Business Closes Shop Because of Crime, Blames Democrats

In cities stretching from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, New York City, Chicago, and numerous cities along the West Coast, progressive leadership has failed to enforce law and order. These crime-ridden metropolises are experiencing an exodus of businesses of all sizes due to a tidal wave of thefts.

The latest incident comes as a mom-and-pop business, operating in Baltimore City for more than four decades, has been forced to shutter operations because of numerous armed robberies.

Jody Rosoff, the owner of Doc’s Smoke Shop in Baltimore’s Highlandtown neighborhood, told local media Fox 45 that she has been robbed at gunpoint for the second time in six months and just recently had to shoot an intruder.

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

American Fast-Food Chains Use Seaweed, Soy, and Even Wood to Beef Up Menu Items, Study Reveals

An exclusive investigation by Daily Mail might make you reconsider your next order of fried chicken at American fast-food chains.

The investigation reveals these restaurants infuse their chicken with additives, preservatives, and other proteins to keep costs low. Some of these menu items are described as “premium” or “all-white-meat,” but far from it, instead include ingredients such as seaweed and even wood pulp.

The report said there are more than 120 ingredients hidden within chicken burgers or nuggets at fast food restaurants.

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

At Least 5 Whistleblowers Come Forward Against Biden Family

At least five whistleblowers have come forward to allege wrongdoing by the Biden family in connection with business schemes and corresponding coverups.

The whistleblowers are in addition to the multitude of witnesses that Republican members of Congress have interviewed behind closed doors.

The whistleblowers range from an IRS agent to an Obama administration stenographer, encompassing alleged corruption in Ukraine and Mexico, along with the FBI and DOJ.

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

Biden Misses Deadline to Hand Over Censorship Collusion Documents

The Biden Administration’s State Department has failed to meet the deadline to provide documents related to the “misinformation” and censorship efforts by its controversial Global Engagement Center (GEC). The House Foreign Affairs Committee demanded the documents in a letter sent on May 1.

The GEC has come under fire from Republicans after it was revealed that it funds the Global Disinformation Index, an organization that provides blacklists of media outlets to advertisers.

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

CBS Segment Highlights How Adding Bugs to the Food System ‘Could be a Game-Changer’ to Fight Climate Change

“CBS Saturday Morning” featured a segment suggesting adding insects into a diet could provide benefits for a growing world affected by climate change.

To counter meat, soybean derived proteins or other high-carbon foods, the segment described efforts by climate experts and scientists to explore farming bugs to protect the planet.

“We all know how important insects are for the environment, but climate researchers say bugs could be a game changer in the fight to protect the planet in ways you may not have imagined,” host Dana Jacobson said.

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

Chicago’s New Mayor Compares Cop’s Murder With Death of Armed Teen Shot by Police

Chicago’s new Democratic mayor, Brandon Johnson, during his Monday inauguration speech, compared the recent murder of a city police officer to the 2021 shooting death of an armed teen by police.

Johnson, who has come under fire over his past comments expressing support for the “defund the police movement,” told the crowd at the inauguration, “The tears of Adam Toledo’s parents are made of the same sorrow as those of Officer Preston’s parents.”

He was referencing 24-year-old Chicago police officer Areanah Preston, who was tragically shot to death outside her South Side home on May 6 after returning from a night shift, and 13-year-old Adam Toledo, who was shot by a police officer while armed during a foot pursuit in March 2021.

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

Congressman Gerry Connolly’s Staffers Attacked With Metal Baseball Bat

Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly said a person armed with a baseball bat attacked members of his staff in his district office in Fairfax, Virginia, this morning.

Connolly released the following statement: “This morning, an individual entered my District Office armed with a baseball bat and asked for me before committing an act of violence against two members of my staff.

“The individual is in police custody and both members of my team were transferred to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Right now, our focus is on ensuring they are receiving the care they need.

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

Daniel Penny’s Lawyer Fires Back at Critics Accusing Client of Racial Motivations: He Was Protecting Everyone

A lawyer representing Daniel Penny, the 24-year-old Marine veteran who was charged in the New York City subway chokehold death of an erratic Black homeless man, insisted Monday in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Judge Jeanine Pirro that race did not play a factor in his client’s actions and that claims to the contrary are “not based on the facts.”

Pirro asked attorney Steve Raiser Monday on “The Five” to address critics who accuse Penny of having acted with racial motivations during the May 1 altercation.

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

Daughter of Late Chicago Cop Frustrated by Crime Surge: ‘Not the City He Was Sworn to Protect’

Chicago residents are set to welcome their incoming mayor, Brandon Johnson, as he is sworn into office on Monday officially taking over control from Lori Lightfoot.

But not all residents are excited about the ultra-progressive transition as the city continues to battle rampant crime and drug problems.

Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell spoke with Chicago-area residents at Rosie’s Home Cookin’ in Naperville, Illinois, just outside the Windy City, about their sentiments regarding Johnson’s leadership.

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

Democratic Party Convention Descends Into ‘Complete Chaos’ in Minnesota

The leader of Minnesota’s Democratic Party says he is calling an emergency meeting this week to “ban individuals engaged in violent assaults” from its ranks after a tense confrontation erupted over the weekend at an event to nominate candidates for a Minneapolis City Council seat.

The showdown between supporters of Minneapolis Council Member Aisha Chughtai and her challenger, Nasri Warsame, on Saturday has been surrounded by allegations of assault from both campaigns ahead of the November election.

Video shows the incident began after a crowd of Chughtai supporters took the stage in preparation for her speech, which caused an uproar among Warsame supporters. Some Warsame supporters then jumped on the stage, shouting, banging on tables and waving signs. The Ward 10 convention ultimately was adjourned without a nominee being chosen.

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

Eighth Horse Dies at Churchill Downs as Concerning Trend Continues

A troubling trend at Churchill Downs continued on Sunday, as another horse died to make it eight since April 29.

The first seven died leading up to the Kentucky Derby’s race on May 6, and according to multiple reports, 3-year-old Rio Moon “suffered a catastrophic injury to his left foreleg a few strides after the wire” and was euthanized on Sunday.

The sixth and seventh horses — 3-year-old Chloe’s Dream and 3-year-old Freezing Point — died after sustaining injuries on May 6 during the races ahead of the main run, with the trainer for Chloe’s Dream telling the Associated Press that “he just took a bad step out there” and the trainer for Freezing Point saying that “he just got bumped in the backstretch.”

Those deaths prompted Churchill Downs to release a statement, where it said that the incidents are believed to be “anomalies” but added that they’re “unacceptable.”

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

Elon Musk Subpoenaed by US Virgin Islands in JPMorgan Chase-Jeffrey Epstein Lawsuit

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is facing a subpoena from the U.S. Virgin Islands in relation to its lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, who it wants to hold liable for sex trafficking acts committed by Jeffrey Epstein.

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

Facial Recognition Software to be Used on Kids in West Virginia Schools

Four school boards in West Virginia have announced that they will install facial recognition technology provided by Rank One Computing.

Speaking to West Virginia Public Broadcasting, the state’s Department of Education director of preK-12, Jonah Adkins, said that the system would allow school boards to create their own databases, which will be stored locally on servers located at the schools.

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

Farmington Mass Shooting: 2 Officers Injured, 3 Civilians Dead and Several Others Injured

FARMINGTON, N.M. — Multiple agencies are investigating after a shooter left several injured and multiple dead in Farmington.

Farmington Police say a shooter killed 3 civilians and injured 2 police officers. Police also say 4 other people were injured in the mass shooting.

Police say the suspect confronted officers and was killed.

The two officers who were injured were with the Farmington Police Department and New Mexico State Police. They are currently being treated for their injuries at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington.

Police Chief Steve Hebbe said in a statement that the shooter had fired at least 3 different weapons, including an AR style rifle.

During the incident, the police chief said the suspect also fired at multiple homes and cars. He noted the suspect traveled at least a quarter of a mile in the neighborhood the incident occurred.

Police have not released any information on the identity of the suspect, other than he was 18-years-old.

           — Hat tip: Davis [Return to headlines]
 

FBI Responds to Scathing Durham Report on Trump-Russia Probe, Touts ‘Dozens of Corrective Actions’

The FBI responded Monday to the scathing report by Special Counsel John Durham that found the Department of Justice and FBI “failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law” when it launched the Trump-Russia investigation.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the agency touted what it said were “dozens of corrective actions” already implemented as a result of the Durham investigation.

“The conduct in 2016 and 2017 that Special Counsel Durham examined was the reason that current FBI leadership already implemented dozens of corrective actions, which have now been in place for some time. Had those reforms been in place in 2016, the missteps identified in the report could have been prevented,” the FBI said.

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

FBI, DOJ’s Trump-Russia ‘Collusion’ Probe Was ‘Seriously Flawed, ‘ No Basis in Evidence When Opened: Durham

The FBI investigation of former President Donald Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia in 2016 was “seriously flawed” and had no basis in evidence, special counsel John Durham said in a report released Monday.

Durham concluded his four-year review with a scathing indictment of official bias in the probe, which fueled Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of Trump’s theorized conspiracy with the Kremlin to win the White House.

“It is the Office’s assessment that the FBI discounted or willfully ignored material information that did not support the narrative of a collusive relationship between Trump and Russia,” Durham wrote.

“Similarly, the FBI Inspection Division Report says that the investigators ‘repeatedly ignore[d] or explain[ed] away evidence contrary to the theory the Trump campaign… had conspired with Russia… It appeared that … there was a pattern of assuming nefarious intent,’“ he added.

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

Feds Squeeze Top Democrat Senator, Expand Criminal Probe With New Round of Subpoenas

The criminal probe into Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is heating up as investigations into the top Democrat lawmaker are expanded.

New subpoenas were issued by the federal grand jury looking into Menendez’s shady dealings.

Menendez stood trial for corruption a few years ago but got a break with a hung jury.

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

Fire Breaks Out at Marathon Refinery in Texas; 1 Worker Dead

TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) — A fire at a Marathon Petroleum refinery near Houston on Monday caused visible flames and left at least one worker dead, the company said.

Marathon said the cause of the morning fire was under investigation. Aerial footage from Houston television stations showed crews trying to put out flames at the Galveston Bay refinery, which is along a stretch of Texas coast that is heavily populated by petrochemical facilities.

Neither the company nor authorities immediately said whether anyone else was injured.

           — Hat tip: MM [Return to headlines]
 

GOP Lawmakers Say FBI Was ‘Weaponized’ Against Trump in Light of Durham Probe Findings

Republican lawmakers demanded “consequences” and argued the FBI was “weaponized” against Donald Trump in the wake of findings by special counsel John Durham’s probe that the bureau lacked evidence to launch a “seriously flawed” investigation into the former president’s alleged collusion with Russia in 2016.

The 76-year-old former president himself called the evidence in Durham’s report, released on Monday, proof that “the American Public was scammed” when the FBI opened an investigation into his campaign over since debunked allegations that it was colluding with Russia.

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

‘I Am Alive and Healthy’: George Soros Takes to Twitter to Prove He’s Alive — and Hasn’t Had a Heart Attack After Internet Rumors

George Soros has taken to Twitter to confirm he is alive and that hasn’t had a heart attack, despite internet rumors.

‘Rumors that I had a heart attack are completely false. I am alive and healthy,’ he posted on Monday morning.

The bizarre claim that billionaire George Soros had died began trending on Twitter overnight — despite the fake story coming from an account with only three followers.

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

IRS Removes Investigative Team From Hunter Biden Probe in Move Whistleblower Claims is ‘Clearly Retaliatory’

WASHINGTON — The IRS on Monday removed the “entire investigative team” from its long-running tax fraud probe of first son Hunter Biden in alleged retaliation against the whistleblower who alleged a coverup, The Post has learned.

The purge allegedly was done on the orders of the Justice Department, the whistleblower’s attorneys told Congress in a letter.

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

Las Vegas Police Say Son Accused of Stabbing Mom to Death on Mother’s Day

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says a man is accused of killing his mom on Mother’s Day.

According to police, at approximately 6:25 a.m. Sunday, LVMPD Dispatch received a report of an unresponsive female at a residence in the 6100 block of Caprino Avenue, near Smoke Ranch and Jones.

Arriving officers located a woman suffering from apparent stab wounds in the backyard of the residence, police said. Medical personnel responded and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.

[…]

The investigation determined that the victim’s son, identified as 49-year-old Aaron Cooney, stabbed his mother multiple times, police said.

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Legal Fund for Accused NYC Subway Choker Daniel Penny Tops $2M — With Kid Rock Chipping in

The defense fund for accused Manhattan subway choker Daniel Penny surpassed $2 million on Monday — including a $5,000 contribution from controversial rocker Kid Rock.

The campaign on GiveSendGo stood at more than $2.2 million on Monday evening, with other generous donations coming from political commentator Tim Pool, who chipped in $20,000, and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who donated $10,000, according to the site.

“Mr. Penny is a hero,” Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, wrote on the site. “[Manhattan District Attorney] Alvin Bragg is a POS — Kid Rock.”

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

Man Dies After Getting Stuck in Machine at Paper Mill

WHITING, Wis. (WSAW/Gray news) — A 40-year-old man has died after he became stuck in a paper machine at Mativ Inc. Paper Mill in Whiting, Wisconsin.

The incident was reported around 1 p.m. Sunday.

Sheriff’s deputies and emergency personnel arrived on the scene and performed lifesaving measures, but the man died as a result of his injuries.

           — Hat tip: Roger [Return to headlines]
 

Most COVID Patients Who Died in Hospital Were Killed by Ventilators, Study Finds

A bombshell new study has revealed that most Covid patients who died after being admitted to hospital were killed by ventilators and not the virus.

The analysis, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, studied patients who died in the hospital during the early phase of the pandemic.

Since the pandemic first emerged, the use of ventilators was often seen as the end of the road as patients rarely recovered after being placed on one.

However, evidence now suggests that ventilators caused patients’ conditions to rapidly deteriorate, ultimately resulting in them becoming fatally ill.

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

New York’s Obsolete COVID Vaccine Passport App Still Costing Taxpayers $200k Per Month: Report

ALBANY — The pandemic may be officially over but New York is still paying an eye-raising fee of $200,000 per month to maintain a state vaccine passport that nobody uses.

The Excelsior App was supposed to cost New York a mere $2.5 million when it debuted in the spring of 2021 as a way for New Yorkers to show their COVID-19 vaccinations as the state lifted pandemic restrictions on restaurants and live event venues.

But costs since then have ballooned to $64 million, the Albany Times Union reported Sunday.

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

Newsmax Beats CNN and Chris Wallace Had Lowest Rated Hour Since Launching Show

CNN continues to struggle in the ratings despite the one-day bump former President Donald Trump’s town hall delivered. Trump delivered ratings for the network but the audience did not stick around.

How bad is it for CNN? Newsmax just beat them in primetime. CNN had 335,000 average total viewers from 8 to 11 p.m. on Friday. Newsmax had 357,000 primetime viewers Friday. Ouch.

Fox News and MSNBC averaged 1.44 million and 1.08 million total average viewers in prime time. In the key 25-54 age demographic, CNN had 87,000 average viewers. Fox had 109,000 and MSNBC had 98,000 average viewers.

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

Rumble Acquires Live Podcasting App CallIn

Rumble, the video platform for creators, has announced its acquisition of CallIn, a podcasting and live streaming platform. The acquisition, which will see CallIn’s founder, David Sacks, join Rumble’s board of directors in June 2023, is expected to bolster the suite of tools available to creators on Rumble.

CallIn, founded by technology entrepreneur and investor David Sacks and technology entrepreneur Axel Ericsson, offers its users an experience to create, discover, and consume both live and recorded content. The CallIn app, known for amalgamating features of social audio and video with podcasting, aligns with Rumble’s goals of being the co-to place for creators.

Rumble is already home to several popular podcasts such as The Dan Bongino Show and Russell Brand’s Stay Free.

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

Superintelligence is Positioned as a Free Speech Version of ChatGPT

An AI researcher has developed an AI chatbot, like ChatGPT, that aims to not have political bias. According to Arvin Bhangu, his AI chatbot, Superintelligence, supports free speech.

Bhangu noted that ChatGPT is more likely to refuse answering a query that would appear to support conservatives.

“There’s a lot of political biases. We’ve seen where you can ask it give me 10 things Joe Biden has done well and give me 10 things Donald Trump has done well and it refuses to give quality answers for Donald Trump,” Bhangu said to Fox. “Superintelligence is much more in line with the freedom to ask any type of question, so it’s much more in line with the First Amendment than ChatGPT. No biases, no guardrails, no censorship.”

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

Trump Says There ‘Must be a Heavy Price to Pay’ for Comey, Democrats After Release of Durham Report

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump said Monday that former FBI Director James Comey and Democrats need to be held accountable for spending years investigating alleged collusion between Trump and Russia now that Special Counsel John Durham has released a report that says the Trump-Russia probe never should have been launched.

“I, and much more importantly, then American public have been victims of this long-running and treasonous charade started by the Democrats — started by Comey,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “There must be a heavy price to pay for putting our country through this.”

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

Vatican to Determine if ‘Miracle’ Happened at Conn. Church Where Parishioners Reported Multiplying Hosts

The Vatican is reviewing claims of a “miracle” at a Catholic church in Connecticut after parishioners reported that Communion hosts mysteriously multiplied at a March Mass.

The Archdiocese of Hartford investigated the claims at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Thomaston and is sending the results to the Holy See in Rome, the Hartford Courant reported last week.

The reported miracle occurred at a March 5 Mass, when a parishioner assisting with Communion reported that there was a shortage of hosts — wafers used during the ritual to symbolize the body of Jesus Christ — only to then find there were plenty.

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

Video: Armed Group Allegedly Commits 10 Robberies in 30 Minutes in Chicago

Chicago law enforcement said armed robbers were involved in ten holdups over the course of 30 minutes on Sunday.

The incidents happened on the West and Northwest Sides, and police said a group of four men wearing ski masks and hoodies targeted several people while riding in a grey Hyundai Elantra, according to CWB Chicago.

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

Violent Mother’s Day Weekend in Chicago Ahead of New Progressive Mayor’s Swearing In

A bloody Mother’s Day weekend in Chicago left more than two dozen people shot and multiple murdered as Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson prepares to be sworn in as the city’s 57th mayor on Monday.

The violence occurred between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 pm. Sunday, according to Chicago police data.

In total, there were at least 21 reported shooting incidents and 27 shooting victims, which included at least six juveniles. Police said at least six people were fatally shot while one person was stabbed to death.

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

Czech PM Vowed Not to Increase Taxes Before Doing the Exact Opposite

“We are not going to raise people’s taxes, even though there is a certain demand here,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala declared on Nov. 11 last year in an interview for Blesk.

He stated that the only exception would be the so-called “war tax,” or tax on extraordinary profits imposed on energy companies, refineries, and banks. Although experts from the government’s National Economic Council (NERV) have long pointed out that there is no way to consolidate the public budget without raising taxes.

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

EU Cannot Punish Someone for Raping an Animal, Commission Says

The European Union does not have the power to implement laws punishing someone for raping an animal, the Commission has said.

A member of the European Commission has said that the EU has no powers to punish people for raping animals, saying that the controls for such legislation lie solely in the hands of member states.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Ferrari Says No to EVs: Will Stick to Traditional Combustion Engines

Legendary Italian car maker Ferrari has no intention of phasing out combustion engines and going fully electric or hybrid anytime soon, promising Sunday to keep making the eight and 12-cylinder engines it has made its trademark at least until the end of the 2030s.

The chief of the Italian manufacturer told the BBC in an interview it would be “arrogant” to dictate to customers what they can buy while at the same time walking away from the company’s heritage.

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

French Healthcare Staff Who Refused COVID Jab Allowed Back to Work

Healthcare workers in France suspended after refusing to get vaccinated against Covid-19 were allowed back to work on Monday following a government decree over the weekend.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

French Police Say it Was a Mistake to Block Telegram

Telegram links, t.me, which usually open accounts, groups, and channels, on the platform, were blocked in France for a few hours on Saturday. The blocking was a result of a police request to internet service providers.

The police usually send blocking requests to ISPs for child abuse content and terrorism. The request it sent on Saturday applied to all t.me links, not just specific accounts.

Those attempting to open the links were redirected to a webpage on the Ministry for Interior’s website on the blocking of child abuse material.

The police confirmed to Le Monde that they wanted to block child abuse sites sent in messages on Telegram. However, an error in the blocking request resulted in all t.me links being blocked.

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

Germany Should at Least Consider Poland’s Claim for War Reparations, Says Top SPD Politician

The German federal government’s decision to dismiss out of hand Poland’s request for World War II reparations was arrogant and should be reviewed, a long-serving lawmaker for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Germany has claimed.

Dietmar Nietan, an MP and the coordinator for Polish-German affairs in the German government, told Polish news outlet Interia.pl that he doesn’t think the claim for reparations is a hopeless cause.

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

Hungary Outraged by Leaked Ukrainian Plans to Blow Up Vital Oil Pipeline

Hungarian media is abuzz with angry reactions after a leak obtained by The Washington Post revealed that Ukraine was planning to blow up the Druzhba oil pipeline that transports crude from Russia to Hungary.

According to the leaked documents, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed at a February meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Yuliya Svyrydenko that Ukraine should blow up the pipeline in order to incapacitate the part of the Hungarian energy infrastructure reliant on Russian oil.

Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs reacted in a tweet with a short question: “How is it possible that Ukraine is plotting against a NATO country??”

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

‘Jet Coalition’: Ukraine and Britain Announce Joint Effort to Get Ukraine Western Fighters

Kyiv appears to have dropped its campaign to get British fighter jets flying over Ukraine, instead taking the UK’s assistance in getting the more common, U.S.-made F16 Falcon instead.

Volodymyr Zelensky made a ‘surprise’ visit to the United Kingdom on Monday morning, meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for what the Ukrainian leader said would be “substantive negotiations”.

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

Newly Launched Finnish Nuclear Plant Sees Electricity Prices Plunge by 75 Percent

The commencement of regular output from a much-delayed Finnish nuclear reactor in April saw electricity prices in the country decrease by more than 75 percent.

The Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) nuclear plant completed the transition from testing to regular output last month to become Finland’s first new nuclear plant in more than four decades. It is expected to produce up to 15 percent of the country’s power demand.

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

Poland: Ruling Conservative PiS Party Promises Big Increase in Child Benefit and Abolition of Highway Tolls Before Election

Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) has unveiled a range of new social policies in the lead-up to this year’s national election, including a 60 percent increase in the child benefit, free prescription drugs for seniors, and an end to highway tolls.

The new program initiatives were unveiled this weekend at the ruling conservative’s convention in Warsaw, entitled “The program hive” — a reference to the ruling party’s image of being hardworking.

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

Polish President Inspects Armed Forces During Country’s Largest Military Exercise, Anaconda 23

Polish President Andrzej Duda inspected the Polish Armed Forces at the Central Air Force Training Range near the northern town of Ustka on Saturday, as Poland’s largest joint military exercise with NATO troops, known as Anaconda 23, took place.

The Polish leader stressed the importance of security in the face of “unprecedented times” and the proximity of war. He called for the public to remain calm and stated that the authorities are drawing the proper conclusions from security challenges.

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

UK: ‘Move Them Out of the Way, I’ve Got Money to Make!’: White Van Driver’s Fury as Just Stop Oil Zealots Spark Rush Hour Chaos With London Slow-March

Just Stop Oil eco zealots have ignited fury by taking to the streets of London for a second time today, just hours after their first protest was ‘swiftly’ stopped by police.

Some 25 activists, wearing hi-vis jackets and armed with orange banners and megaphones, slowly marched through Hammersmith towards Kensington.

The protest was the group’s second of the day, following a rush-hour demonstration that caused traffic mayhem in the City of London financial district and triggered outrage from exasperated motorists.

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

UK: Extinction Rebellion Disrupts Rees-Mogg and Braverman Speeches

Extinction Rebellion staged protests at a right wing conference in London organised by the US-based National Conservatism movement.

Jacob Rees-Mogg was unexpectedly joined onstage by a man warning about fascism. Later on, Home Secretary Suella Braverman was interrupted as she began a speech on conservatism and immigration.

The protesters — who Extinction Rebellion say were protesting about “increasingly dangerous rhetoric” from senior politicians — were ejected from the hall.

The home secretary joked that the protests were “audition day for the shadow cabinet”.

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

UK: Zelensky Meets PM as More Ukraine Weapons Pledged

The UK will send hundreds of air defence missiles and armed drones to Ukraine on top of the Storm Shadow cruise missiles announced last week.

The move means the UK is going further than any other country in providing weapons with the potential to tip the battlefield in Ukraine’s favour.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky met the UK’s Rishi Sunak as part of his tour of Western allies.

Mr Zelensky said it was important for the West to send fighter jets as well.

But the prime minister said providing fighter jets was “not a straightforward thing”, although he did say the UK would form “a key part of the coalition countries” providing that support.

Ukraine is continuing to prepare for a much-anticipated counter-offensive against Russian forces.

Last week, Mr Zelensky told the BBC his country needed more weaponry before it could launch the attack.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Twitter Censors for Turkey’s Government in the Election Build Up

Just a day before the presidential election, Twitter blocked some content in Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been President since 2014, was seeking re-election. A runoff vote will take place on May 28th.

“In response to legal process and to ensure Twitter remains available to the people of Turkey, we have taken action to restrict access to some content in Turkey today,” Twitter’s Global Government Affairs account tweeted on Friday.

“We have informed the account holders of this action in line with our policy. This content will remain available in the rest of the world,” it added.

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

China Sends Ex-Russian Ambassador on ‘Peace Talks’ Mission to Ukraine

The Communist Party of China confirmed that a delegation led by former ambassador to Moscow Li Hui would begin a tour on Monday of several European states, including Ukraine and Russia, in an attempt to galvanize “peace talks” between Kyiv and its Russian invaders.

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

Russia’s Ukraine Invasion Must End in Failure Like Afghanistan, Says Estonian PM

‘The war will end when Russia understands it has made a mistake,’ Kaja Kallas stated.

Russia must retreat from Ukraine like Moscow did in Afghanistan in the 1980s, Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Monday.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Ukrainian Troops Gird for Counteroffensive They Hope Will End War

DNIPROPETROVSK REGION, Ukraine, May 15 (Reuters) — Ukrainian soldiers training for a counteroffensive against Russian forces said on Monday they felt ready to launch the assault which they hope will end the war.

Members of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade practiced setting up and packing away their mortars as the sun beat down on them in fields in the southern region of Dnipropetrovsk.

“We are getting ready for the counteroffensive, so that we can finally end this war,” said a 28-year-old serviceman who goes the call sign Dykyi, or ‘wild’ in Ukrainian.

           — Hat tip: JW [Return to headlines]
 

We Bet on Ukraine’s Victory Meloni Tells Zelensky

(ANSA) — ROME, MAY 13 — Italy is betting on Ukraine’s victory in the war against the Russian invasion, Premier Giorgia Meloni told a joint press conference after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome Saturday.

“At the end of February I was in Kyiv. On the 26th (of February) we held a big conference for the reconstruction of Ukraine to show that our nation wants to play a leading role in the reconstruction and that we are betting on Ukraine’s victory,” she said. (ANSA).

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

White House: Russia Looks to Purchase More Attack Drones From Iran After Depleting Stockpile

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday said Russia is looking to buy additional advanced attack drones from Iran for use in its war against Ukraine after using up most of the 400 drones it had previously purchased from Tehran.

The Biden administration last year publicized satellite imagery and intelligence findings that it said indicated Iran sold hundreds of attack drones to Russia. And for months, officials have said the United States believed Iran was considering selling hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia, but Washington did not have evidence a deal was consummated.

“Iran also continues to provide Russia with one-way attack UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Since August, Iran has provided Russia with more than 400 UAVs primarily of the Shahed variety,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

“Russia has expended most of these UAVs, using them to target Ukrainian critical infrastructure inside Ukraine. By providing Russia with these UAVs, Iran has been directly enabling Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine,” Kirby told reporters.

           — Hat tip: McN [Return to headlines]
 

Zelensky, in Private, Plots Bold Attacks Inside Russia, Leak Shows

THE DISCORD LEAKS | U.S. intercepts reveal the Ukrainian’s leader’s aggressive instincts, a marked contrast to his public-facing image as the stoic statesman weathering Russia’s brutal onslaught

In a meeting in late January, Zelensky suggested Ukraine “conduct strikes in Russia” while moving Ukrainian ground troops into enemy territory to “occupy unspecified Russian border cities,” according to one document labeled “top secret.” The goal would be “to give Kyiv leverage in talks with Moscow,” the document said.

In a meeting in mid-February with Deputy Prime Minister Yuliya Svrydenko, Zelensky suggested Ukraine “blow up” the Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline that provides oil to Hungary. “Zelenskyy highlighted that … Ukraine should just blow up the pipeline and destroy likely Hungarian [Prime Minister] Viktor Orban’s industry, which is based heavily on Russian oil,” the document says.

In detailing the conversation, intelligence officials concede that Zelensky was “expressing rage toward Hungary and therefore could be making hyperbolic, meaningless threats,” a qualification that does not accompany the other accounts of Zelensky suggesting bold military action. Though Hungary is nominally part of the Western alliance, Orban is widely considered Europe’s most Kremlin-friendly leader.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Zero Tolerance: State Elections Crackdown on Hate Speech on Social Media in Malaysia

The Malaysian authorities will monitor social media closely for “hate speech” and “fake news” following the announcement of elections in six states, according to Communications and Digital Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching. A special task force was set up to tackle the issue in December. The Selangor state assembly will dissolve on 26 June, with elections scheduled to take place within 60 days, by 26 August. Teo said she would work with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and the police, and warned the public to verify news through groups such as “Sebenarnya.my” and “MyCheck Malaysia.my.”

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

78-Year-Old US Citizen Sentenced to Life on Spying Charges in China

(The Hill) — China sentenced a 78-year-old U.S. citizen to life in prison on spying charges Monday after the man was detained more than two years ago.

John Shing-Wan Leung, who also holds a permanent residence in Hong Kong, was detained by China’s counterintelligence agency in Suzhou, a city in the east of China, on April 15, 2021, according to a post on the city’s website. The details of the charges against him were not released.

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

Heartbreaking Moment Mum Bursts Into Tears as She Begs Treasurer Jim Chalmers for Help — and Points Out a Massive Flaw in Key Budget Policy for Parents

An unemployed mother who relies on Centrelink benefits has burst into tears while pointing out a crucial flaw in Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ Federal Budget promises to parents.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

We’re on Centrelink and the Dole is Fine — I’m Even SAVING Money! Welfare Recipients Open Up About the Reality of Life on JobSeeker as They’re Handed More Cash: ‘Life’s Been Pretty Good’

On Monday, Daily Mail Australia travelled to several Centrelinks across Sydney to speak to actual JobSeekers for their real-life experience of life on the dole.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Wild Footage Captures Cameraman Being Hit and Shoved to the Ground While Reporting on a Home Invasion

The 7News cameraman had been filming outside a home in Melton South, Melbourne, on Monday where a violent home invasion had taken place when he was approached by two men.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

1.5M ‘Gotaways’ Have Slipped Into the US Under Biden — Three Times as Many as During 3 Years of Trump

More than 1.5 million illegal migrants have slipped into the US since Joe Biden took office — more than three times the number recorded during the last three years of Trump’s presidency, Department of Homeland Security data shows.

A staggering 530,000 so called ‘gotaways’ — illegal immigrants known to have entered the country but not been caught — have been recorded since last October, according to US Border Patrol.

The number is set to beat 2022’s record figure of 600,000 gotaways and the 389,000 people Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted had made their way into the country undetected in 2021.

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

Chairman of Homeland Security Committee: Mayorkas Has “Intentionally Violated” Law and “Lied to Congress Under Oath”

GOP Congressman Mark Green, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, has blasted Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for lying about the security of the border and violating the law as record numbers of illegal immigrants crossed the border last week.

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” to discuss the 83,000 crossings just last week alone, and Mayorkas’ assertion that the numbers have dropped, Rep. Green noted “What the secretary failed to say is that this week has seen more crossings than any time, any week in our history. Yes, there was some anticipation, and so people started coming across at higher numbers, in fact, record-breaking numbers, at the first part of the week.”

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

French Senator Fined for ‘Racial Slander’ in Tweet Criticizing Mass Immigration

A French senator was ordered to pay a fine of €1,000 on Friday after a Marseille court ruled that his tweet from July 2021 claiming that “immigration is killing the youth of France” was akin to racial defamation.

Stéphane Ravier, who was a National Rally senator at the time of the tweet before joining Éric Zemmour’s Reconquête in 2022, had posted a photo of a young salesman at a phone store killed with a knife the day before in Seine-et-Marne, accompanying it with the following message: “Theo, 18, murdered yesterday by a Senegalese in #ClayeSouilly. Immigration is killing the youth of France.”

The public prosecutor in Marseille ruled that the crime of racial defamation was well characterized in the message. It had been reported to the prosecutor’s office by the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (Licra)

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

Illegal Immigrant Faces Life After Beheading Girlfriend With a Machete Inside Car in Minnesota

An illegal immigrant from Cuba has been convicted of first-degree murder for beheading his girlfriend with a machete in Minnesota after striking her with a dumbbell inside a car.

Alexis Saborit, 44, was found guilty Thursday of attacking 56-year-old America Mafalda Thayer with the 8-pound dumbbell in the city of Shakopee near Minneapolis on July 28, 2021.

Several people witnessed the gruesome attack, which ended with him decapitating her with a machete.

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

Kathy Hochul Complains New York ‘Bursting at the Seams’ With Illegal Immigrants

Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., blasted the migrant crisis plaguing her state, insisting that New York state and New York City is “bursting at the seams” caring for illegal immigrants.

Hochul appeared on MSNBC’s “Politics Nation” Saturday afternoon to discuss the ongoing border crisis which people have expected to continue following the expiration of the Title 42.

Though officials across border communities have stated that they did not receive the surge in migrants that they were expecting following the end of the policy, Hochul suggested that the crisis is continuing in her state.

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

Migrants to be Housed in 6 More NYC School Gyms — Outraged Parents Say Plan is ‘Just Insane’

At least six more Big Apple schools are set to start temporarily housing migrants in their gyms, prompting all hell to break loose Monday among parents frantic over safety and potential learning disruptions.

“To bus people to our school and expect the community to absorb them is just insane,” fumed Virginia Vu, a PTA member and parent at Brooklyn’s MS 577 in Williamsburg — adding some parents have already threatened to at least temporarily pull their kids out of the sixth-through-eighth grade school.

“We care about asylum-seekers, and we’re proud our city is a ‘sanctuary city’ — but housing asylum seekers on school grounds is absolutely unacceptable,” she said.

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

Migrant Crossing From Africa to Italy Soar by 300% So Far This Year

The number of illegal migrants attempting to reach Italian shores from North Africa sky-rocketed by 292 percent in the first four months of the year, new figures released by the Frontex border agency on Monday revealed.

New arrivals using the Central Mediterranean route into the European Union reached 42,165 between January and April with 14,474 attempted crossings in April alone.

The figure is a record high since Frontex began collecting data in 2009, surpassing the previous migrant crisis of 2015-2016.

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

New Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Says City ‘Traumatized by Violence’ Has ‘Enough Room’ for Migrant Surge

Chicago’s new progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a speech after he was sworn into office Monday that the Windy City has “enough room” for migrants surging across the border.

“We don’t want our story to be told that we were unable to house the unhoused or provide safe harbor for those who are seeking refuge here. Because there’s enough room for everyone in the city of Chicago whether you are seeking asylum or you are looking for a fully funded neighborhood,” Johnson said.

“We don’t want our story to be that Chicago became so traumatized by violence and despair that our residents felt they had no other choice but to leave. And so better days ahead Chicago. Our stories get to reach beyond this moment. And I’m grateful to be working with a body of government that is committed to that transformation,” he added.

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

Senator Hawley: Democrats “Want the Chaos” at the Border

Senator Josh Hawley urged Friday that the Biden administration is intending to “collapse the immigration system” on purpose and that “they want the chaos” at the border.

“I think the plan is exactly what you’re seeing, they want the chaos,” Hawley told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, adding “The plan is to try to collapse our immigration system completely, collapse the courts collapse the asylum process, overrun the border.”

“That is the plan. That’s what they want. They want the chaos,” The Senator reiterated, adding “If you thought the fentanyl problem in this country is bad. You thought it was bad in my state, where it’s the number one cause of death in the state of Missouri for young people. Just wait because they are about to turn it on full throttle.”

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

Shocking Footage Lays Bare US Migrant Crisis After End of Title 42 as El Paso Processing Center is Bursting at the Seams With Six Times Its Max Capacity…

— while a THIRD busload is dropped off outside Kamala Harris’ DC home

Migrants can be seen packed into an overflowing Texas processing center in shocking footage that lays bare the spiraling southern border crisis splitting America at the seams.

The video, from Border Patrol’s Central Processing Center in El Paso, shows 750 migrants — who are mostly men — in just one room waiting to be vetted on their way into the US.

The room, which was built for just 120, was littered with makeshift beds and blankets as agents struggled to contend with the huge influx of asylum seekers.

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

White Britons Could Become Minority in Elementary Schools, Expert Says

White British children could soon be a minority within the country’s elementary schools, one expert has said.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Will There be a White Minority in British Schools Within 30 Years?

White children in British schools could become a “declining minority” by 2060 as sky-high immigration continues to irreversibly change the racial demographic across the U.K., a leading Oxford demographer has claimed.

Dr. Paul Morland, a leading demographer at Oxford University, suggested that, in line with previous research on changing U.K. demographics, it is highly likely urban areas and young children would comprise a majority of people currently referred to as ethnic minorities.

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

Dave Chappelle Performs in San Francisco, Shreds ‘Woke’ City: ‘What the F**k Happened to This Place?’

Comedian Dave Chappelle shredded San Francisco during a performance in the “woke” Democrat-controlled crime-infested city.

While performing at the Masonic late last week, Chappelle slammed the city’s rapid decline caused by electing woke local officials.

Chappelle’s remarks were revealed in an SFGate report from Dan Gentile.

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

DeSantis Signs Bill Banning Funding for Diversity Programs at Florida Public Colleges

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Monday banning state funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the state’s public universities, staging the event at New College of Florida, which the governor has transformed into his own conservative higher education experiment.

A New College board revamped by DeSantis abolished the school’s DEI office, and the college’s interim president recently fired the diversity dean, a precursor to what other Florida universities could experience under SB 266, which was a centerpiece of DeSantis’ aggressive legislative agenda this year.

As he gears up for a run for president, DeSantis has emphasized a culture war agenda against so-called “woke” policies, and universities have been a major focus. The governor has decried a campus culture that he views as overly focused on issues of racial, gender and LGBTQ equity.

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

Family Pursues Legal Action Against School After it ‘Censored’ Son for ‘There Are Only Two Genders’ Shirt

The Morrison family is preparing to file a lawsuit against Nichols Middle School (NMS) for allegedly violating their son Liam’s First Amendment rights after he was told in late March to take off a shirt that said “There are only two genders.”

Attorneys on behalf of NMS informed the Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI), the organization representing the Morrison family, last week that it would continue to prohibit Liam from wearing the shirt to school after he told them he was planning on wearing it again on May 5.

The 7th grader wore a “There are censored genders” T-shirt to school in response but was told to take it off almost immediately after school started.

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

It Had to Happen

Is it really about ‘representation’, or is it about indoctrination?

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

Jada Pinkett Smith’s Woke ‘Queen Cleopatra’ Netflix Show Has Worst Audience Score in TV History

Jada Pinkett Smith’s new Netflix docudrama series, Queen Cleopatra, has the worst audience ratings in television history.

The show has a shocking 1% approval score.

The show caused a huge backlash in Egypt by portraying Cleopatra as a black woman.

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

JK Rowling Exposes Trans Activists Pushing Fake Story About Children Being ‘Upset at Her Views’

JK Rowling exposed pro-transgender activists for copying and pasting messages about made-up stories of children they said were “upset at her views.”

The Harry Potter author shared various examples of different accounts posting the same messages to Twitter that claim they are parents of a transgender daughter who is “heartbroken” over Rowling’s views on gender.

“My trans daughter used to love your books, but after you became a bigot she cried and asked me ‘daddy, why do people hate those who are different from them?’ I don’t know baby, I don’t know,” one of the tweets said.

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

LGBT1984: UK Parliament Staff Told to Police ‘Preferred Pronoun’ Usage — Report

Staff in the UK Parliament have reportedly been told to self-police their co-worker’s speech to conform with the leftist gender theories propped up by the increasingly dystopian British deep state.

A fifteen-page document detailing “gender-identity guidance” for civil servants working in the House of Commons and Lords has demanded that staff report on the “negative behaviours” of their colleagues, such as failing to use so-called preferred pronouns, according to The Telegraph.

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

Miller Lite Downplays ‘Woke’ Ad Following Bud Light Dylan Mulvaney Disaster

Miller Lite launched a marketing campaign for Women’s History Month in March that railed against beer ads focused on bimbos in bikinis — but appears to have made efforts to keep quiet about it following Bud Light’s disastrous Dylan Mulvaney tie-up.

Miller Lite’s Women’s History Month campaign, titled “Bad $#!T to Good $#!T,” was posted on March 7, pledging to clean up the brand’s past of sexist ads objectifying women — instead supporting female brewers by donating fertilizer they can use to “grow quality hops.”

But just two months after the campaign’s launch, the video is nowhere to be found on Miller Lite’s Twitter or TikTok accounts. Comments for Instagram posts on the campaign have been disabled, with no previous comment publicly visible.

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

Muslim Students Attack LGBTQ Sensitivity Training in Belgium, Spit on LGBT Flag, Chant ‘Allah Akbar’

A large group of Muslim students attacked an LGBTQIA+ association’s stand promoting diversity in society during the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), with the incident taking place outside the Atlas College of Science and Innovation in the city of Genk in Belgium.

During the incident, the two city municipal organizers and one volunteer from the LGBTQIA+ association OGWA (Ook Genks Wel Anders) had to flee, leaving their LGBT flag behind. One of the organizers said that more and more students arrived, and at one point, there were 100 students there.

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

Poll: Huge Numbers of Teenagers Being Taught About BDSM, How Women Can Have Penises

A poll of teenagers in the UK has found that more than half knew someone in school who wants to change their gender or who had already done so, while large numbers are being taught about BDSM and how women can have penises.

The survey, conducted by the Civitas think tank, lifts the lid on the shocking level of indoctrination 16 to 18-year-olds have been exposed to under the guise of sex education.

The numbers clearly indicate how deeply transgender activism has penetrated the education system.

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

WHO Pushes “Early Childhood Masturbation” for Toddlers, Encourages Questions About Gender Identity for Kids Aged 4

Backlash has ensued following the renewed focus on the World Health Organisation’s “sexuality education” guidance for schools to provide to children as young as four years old.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the guidance states that children under four should be encouraged to “ask questions about sexuality” and “explore gender identities.”

The 68-page report titled Standards For Sexuality Education in Europe, also calls for supplying information to toddlers about “enjoyment and pleasure when touching one’s own body, early childhood masturbation.”

The policy paper also states that kids between four and six years should “talk about sexual matters” and “consolidate their gender identity.”

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

6 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 5/15/2023

  1. .
    .
    From JyllandsPosten

    We mostly trust those who look like us.
    It’s not racism or any other evil, it’s culture.

    MIKAEL JALVING
    Historian, author, blogger

    The tolerance of ordinary people towards racial, sexual and religious minorities has never been greater in the Western world than now. Yet governments, politicians and activists claim that “hate crimes” against these groups are on the rise in our part of the world. This gives political and cultural elites a perfect excuse for mass surveillance, censorship and the use of blacklists in media, culture and academia.

    So writes American blogger and author Michael Shellenberger, and the man is absolutely right. Led by wok states like California, Canada and New Zealand, trans, bi and gay people are being hailed as heroes of freedom, just as all non-Christian white people are entitled to automatic respect and recognition.

    The trend is spreading like a pop song to Europe, whose institutions, businesses and civil society are rapidly adapting to ‘the times’, ‘societal developments’ and the so-called ‘big truths’ of climate change, patriarchy, racism, Islamophobia, colonialism and the tyranny of the white man in the name of aggrieved minorities – or simply the apocalypse.

    Rarely have so many smart people sung along with something so stupid. The planet has a way to survive, history has a way to continue, and respect is something that must be earned. Incidentally, the new era of tolerance very easily degenerates into its own opposite, as we see time and again.

    For example, should we tolerate those groups that want to ban the publication of dissenting views or restrict the freedom of assembly of people with wrong views? No, we shouldn’t, just as we shouldn’t tolerate some loud students disrupting school lessons or clans dominating neighbourhoods with their criminality. Tolerance is not at all superior, and this realisation leads us to O’Sullivan’s Law: “Any institution that is not explicitly conservative will eventually become left-wing”.

    John O’Sullivan (1813-1895) was more right than he realised. Nor could he have foreseen the content of the kind letter that recently arrived in my mailbox.

    The letter came from a concerned reader with a background in the merchant navy, who recalls that everywhere in the world one encounters conflicts between different ethnic and religious groups – and who adds: “We ourselves have spent 1,000 years trying to get along with the Germans, who are otherwise quite close to us.”

    He then makes an interesting confession, which I dare to reproduce: “I would have really liked to be a Greenlander, but even after many attempts I have not succeeded, and I would be ridiculed if I claimed it”.

    If only we could start there. By recognising it. Integration is indeed difficult, assimilation almost impossible. You can try to become Pakistani or Iranian if you really want to. Just learning the language is a brick wall, not to mention acquiring the culture, habits, norms, standards, norms, gender roles, all that doesn’t exist anywhere. Forget it. Cultures are not a smorgasbord, but very much closed boxes, codes, demarcated fields and spaces.

    Which leads the sailor to draw this conclusion, rarely heard on Danish soil, probably for fear of spoiling the good atmosphere at the dinner table: “When immigrants in Denmark say that after a few years they are Danes, it surprises me. Everywhere else you would be ridiculed for saying that.”

    This seems obvious to me. It is only in the West that we have come to see culture as a buffet. “We say to each other: “Just get them into the labour market and they will learn”. We cheer inwardly every time, because it sounds so good (well, if only it were true) and rejoice when immigrant girls apply to study law, pharmacy or dentistry.

    Culture is just not something you learn as a technical skill, it is something much more organic that you carry within you and that you can only to a small extent mould into your own image, let alone undo.

    If it were so easy to become Danish, Swedish, German, French, English or Scottish, we would not be talking about integration and assimilation at all. The terms, born out of powerlessness, were invented to hide how difficult it really is to become someone else.

    After decades of growing disappointment, we are dangerously close to the moment when we painfully realise that the debate on integration and assimilation has been an escape from reality. One can tolerate all sorts of things. But tolerance means less than trust between equals.

    No matter how much we believe in one thing or another, and no matter what the UN and the EU say, people are still cultural beings guided less by ideals than by accumulated experience and tradition. We trust most those who are similar to us. This is not racism or any other evil, it is culture.
    https://jyllands-posten.dk/debat/kommentar/ECE15797093/integration-er-opfundet-for-at-daekke-over-virkeligheden/

    • LN: Culture is exactly what the left wants to destroy. Culture stands in the way of one world government.


  2. .
    Message to the Woke Globalists

    (CPAC Hungary 2023, Terry Schilling)

    Excerpt from the May 4 speech on the topic “Woke Zone” by Terry Schilling, Executive Director of the American Principles Project, USA

    “We will not eat your bugs
    We will not sacrifice our children to your false gods, your sexual nurturing and perversion
    We’re not going to have anything implanted in our brains
    We won’t fight your cousin wars”

    https://rumble.com/v2nd7jo-botschaft-an-die-woke-globalisten-cpac-hungary-2023-terry-schilling.html

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