Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group in Russia, is presumed dead after his plane crashed north of Moscow, killing all ten people on board. The top leadership of the Wagner Group was reportedly wiped out in the crash.
In other news, a Pittsburgh man who started shooting after being served with an eviction notice died during a shoot-out with police following an hours-long standoff.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, JW, LP, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
Germany Facing Zero Growth — Bundesbank
German economic output stagnated in the second quarter of 2023 after contracting in the two previous quarters, and growth is expected to remain muted in the near term, the Bundesbank reported on Monday.
“Economic output is likely to more or less stagnate again in the third quarter of 2023,” the central bank wrote in a monthly report.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
12-Year-Old Arrested for Armed Carjacking Attempt in D.C
A 12-year-old boy has been arrested in Washington D.C. for allegedly attempting an armed carjacking.
The child was arrested and accused of carjacking a woman in Southeast.
After D.C. police arrested the suspect, the victim spoke with reporters about the incident.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Armed Customer Who Shot, Wounded Robber at Michigan Convenience Store Will Not Face Charges
The Michigan gas station customer who calmly shot an attempted armed robber in July while holding a six-pack of beer will not be charged, according to the prosecutor.
Cordelius Anthony Martin, 35, a repeat offender with an extensive criminal record, was met with seven bullets by a law-abiding customer when he attempted to rob a Stone Lake Marathon gas station in Cassopolis, MI. Martin has been arraigned on charges of armed robbery, assault with intent to rob while armed, and felonious assault, according to Wood TV 8.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
At Least 9 People Shot, Suspect Down at Trabuco Canyon Bar
TRABUCO CANYON, Calif. (KABC) — Nine or more people were shot at a bar in Orange County and the suspect is wounded or possibly dead at the scene, sheriff’s officials tell Eyewitness News.
A massive law enforcement presence was responding to Cook’s Corner, a well-known biker bar and grill on Santiago Canyon Road in Trabuco Canyon.
The incident was reported just before 7:30 p.m. according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The suspect was described as down at the scene, but it was not clear if the individual was still alive.
Images from the scene indicated at least two bodies on the ground covered by sheets.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Gates: Every Person on Earth Should ‘Prove Their Identity’ With ‘Digital ID’
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is calling on nations around the world to adopt his “global solution” for “digital ID” to ensure that every single person on Earth “proves their identity.”
In a post on Twitter/X, Gates lamented that there are “850 million people” still left in the world who “lack ID that proves their identity.”
According to Gates, the Modular Open-Source Identification Platform (MOSIP) is a “global solution” for rolling out digital IDs for the entire human race.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BlackRock Turned Down Record Number of Climate Proposals Amid Inflation, ESG Pushback
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, voted against the vast majority of shareholder proposals related to climate and social issues during the 2022-2023 proxy voting season, the company reported Wednesday.
Overall, BlackRock turned down 742 of the 813 proposals it voted on and 373, or 93%, of the social and climate proposals it faced, according to the company’s 2023 Investment Stewardship report published Wednesday morning and shared with FOX Business. The trillion-dollar asset manager explained that it has seen a higher number of low-quality shareholder proposals, largely due to federal guidance issued by the Biden administration in 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In an interview with Tucker Carlson on Wednesday as other Republican candidates gathered for the RNC primary debate in Milwaukee, 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump blasted Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Stacey Abrams who have denied their election loses and did not face indictments like he has.
Carlson asked Trump how he remains “so cheerful” when he’s been indicted so many times in the last few months, to which Trump said, “I think it’s a lot easier because I’m so high in the polls, because it means that people get it.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
President Donald Trump’s absence loomed large on the Milwaukee debate stage on Wednesday, and Fox News hosts Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier asked the candidates their thoughts on the four indictments Trump is currently facing.
“We are going to take a brief moment and talk about the elephant not in the room,” Baier said, broaching the topic, before asking the candidates if they would support Trump were he to become the nominee. Baier asked for a show of hands.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
As the RNC debate got underway in Milwaukee, 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump instead sat down for an interview with Tucker Carlson, saying he thinks Biden wont make it to the 2024 election.
Trump said that Democrats are “sick people” that “hate our country,” adding that the US is “very fragile.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa has decided to reinstate its requirement for masks at its facilities due to a rise in the number of COVID-19 positive cases among patients over the past three weeks. This rule applies to all individuals using their facilities, including patients, visitors, and staff members. Kaiser Permanente, which is the primary healthcare provider in Sonoma County, is taking this step as the media appears to be pushing the narrative that mask mandates and lockdowns are returning nationwide.
Local outlet KSRO was the first to break the news.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Former Trump Attorney Jenna Ellis Turns Herself in to Fulton County Jail
Jenne Ellis, who has worked as legal representation for former President Donald Trump, turned herself in Wednesday to Georgia’s Fulton County Jail.
Ellis posted to Twitter after her booking, sharing verses from the Bible along with her mugshot.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CNN ‘Climate’ Reporter Praises Biden’s Maui Visit: ‘Empathizer-in-Chief’
CNN’s “climate correspondent” Bill Weir has heaped praise on Joe Biden over the Democrat president’s controversial visit to Maui, Hawaii earlier this week.
According to Weir, Biden proved himself as an “empathizer-in-chief.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DOJ Pressures Mar-a-Lago IT Director to Change Testimony, Flip on Trump
The Mar-a-Lago IT director involved in classified documents indictment against President Donald Trump has flipped his testimony to implicate Trump. This about-face comes after the IT director was sent a target letter by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Yuscil Taveras, who was said to be “Trump Employee 4” in the classified documents indictment in Mar-a-Lago, worked as the IT director at the former president’s club.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
X will soon remove the headline and text while retaining just the lead image from links to news articles shared on the platform, Musk said in a post late on Monday.
“This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics [sic],” the billionaire businessman said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Epstein Victim Accuses Prince Andrew of Raping Her Friend
A victim of deceased child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has accused Britain’s Prince Andrew of raping her friend.
The allegation has been made by Lisa Phillips in a new documentary called “Secrets of Prince Andrew,” which does a deep dive into the British royal’s links to Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
The doc examines accusations of rape made against Prince Andrew by Phillips and her fellow Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
According to Phillips, her friend, who has not been named, was raped by Andrew on Epstein’s notorious private island in the Caribbean, Little St. James — aka “Pedophile Island.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A man was assaulted by alleged members of Antifa in Portland on Saturday during the “Fash Free Festival” at Colonel Summers Park in the city’s eastern district. The “radicalization & recruiting event” was hosted by Rose City Antifa to claim victory after two alleged Antifa defendants were found “not liable” in the civil jury trial of journalist Andy Ngo v. Rose City Antifa, et al earlier this month.
Bennett Haselton, of Seattle, WA, was brutally bear-maced by black-clad Antifa members during the event, according to video footage. Haselton, who is a left-leaning moderate Democrat and is critical of Ngo, arrived to counterprotest the event with a sign that read: “Andy Ngo is wrong but so is beating people up.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fauci Praises Lockdowns’ Effectiveness in Forcing Public Compliance
Dr. Anthony Fauci has praised lockdowns as a great tool for forcing the public to comply with the authoritarian agenda of tyrannical governments.
During an appearance at a university virtual event titled, “Pandemic Lessons and Role of Faculty in Pandemic Preparedness with Dr. Anthony Fauci,” the former top federal health official gloated about the effectiveness of lockdowns when trying to force the public to get vaccinated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FEMA Officials Staying at Taxpayer-Funded $1000-Per-Night Luxury Hotels in Maui
Officials with Democrat President Joe Biden’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are staying in taxpayer-funded luxury hotels in Hawaii amid recovery efforts following the devastating Maui wildfires, according to reports.
FEMA officials are staying at lavish $ 1,000-per-night hotels on the “other side” of Maui, the Daily Mail is reporting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fox News has come under fire after releasing guidelines restricting media outlets from airing more than three minutes of clips from the first Republican Primary debate. According to a debate guide issued by Fox News, for seven days following the debate, no media outlet can broadcast more than three minutes of excerpts from the event in any one program, covering both video and audio clips.
Critics, including Ben Shapiro of The Daily Wire, have labeled the move as “crazy” and likened it to how sports games are protected. This move is seen as a controversial decision, especially given the significance of the debate material, involving presidential candidates who might represent the nation at its highest levels.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GA Man Who Stabbed New Wife to Death 10 Days After Their Wedding Convicted in 15 Minutes
HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — A 24-year-old man accused of stabbing his wife to death learned his fate earlier this month.
Fifteen minutes. That is all the time it took for a Houston County jury to render a verdict in the case of Matthew Jamal Kendrick, 24.
Kendrick’s case transpired on January 22, 2022, after officials said he made a 911 call stating that he stabbed his wife, Shateria Watkins, 20.
The stabbing happened in the Creekwood Park parking lot in Perry, Ga. According to Perry Police, Kendrick claimed self-defense, saying that Watkins tried to run him over with his car.
During the investigation, the Perry Police Department retrieved a video from one of the park’s cameras, that reportedly showed Kendrick and Watkins inside Kendrick’s parked car.
Police said Kendrick got out of the parked car, forcefully pulled open a car door and stabbed his wife, Watkins nine times.
Watkins then drove away and to her house, according to authorities.
Perry officers found Kendrick near the park and arrested him. Police said at the time, he had blood on his hands. Authorities were able to find the murder weapon a short distance from where Perry was arrested.
The police said the knife and the blood on Kendrick’s hand matched Watkins’s DNA.
Five months prior to the murder, police said, the couple had an incident when Kendrick discharged a gun during an argument.
Houston County authorities said the two were married for only 10 days before the fatal stabbing.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Gingrich: Biden’s Behaviour in Maui Was “Just Plain Frightening”
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich encapsulated Joe Biden’s jaw droppingly disastrous fly by of Maui on Monday, calling it “beyond just being heartless.”
“I think this visit to Maui frankly is just plain frightening,” Gingrich said, adding “How can you have a commander-in-chief who is totally out of touch with reality, who makes up a story which is a lie, who has no understanding of the scale of the disaster which has occurred, who has literally has no empathy for the human beings around him. And I think, and of course as you point out, can’t even stay awake.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Giuliani Mugshot Released After He Turns Himself in on Trump-Georgia 2020 Case
A mugshot of Rudy Giuliani was released Wednesday after the former New York City mayor turned himself in at an Atlanta jail on charges connected to alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Giuliani, 79, was indicted last week along with former President Donald Trump and 17 others. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said they participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to subvert the will of the voters after the Republican president lost to Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pieces published by both The New York Times and The Atlantic on Monday argued that America’s current election process is problematic and should be altered.
The New York Times piece, a guest essay originally titled “Elections Are Bad for Democracy,” by contributing opinion writer Adam Grant, went so far as to argue that American’s voting system should be replaced by a system of randomly choosing political leaders by lottery.
The Times removed the original headline for the piece and replaced it with “The Worst People Run for Office. It’s Time for a Better Way.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
How to Stream the Republican Primary Debate for Free on Rumble
The stage is set for a big event in American politics as the GOP faces off with eight candidates vying for the 2024 presidential nomination in the first election debate tonight.
The celebrated Midwest city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a political battleground in its own right, is set to host this crucial face-off. However, noticeably absent from the roll call is former President Donald Trump, who, despite reigning as the current front-runner in the GOP, has chosen not to attend.
In an era where the digital landscape is constantly evolving, it’s a significant win for free speech advocates that Rumble, the free speech video platform, has secured the streaming rights to the first Republican primary debate of the 2024 election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Hundreds of Rounds’: Pittsburgh Man Who Fired at Police Dies Following Hours-Long Standoff
The Pittsburgh man who fired at law enforcement after being served an eviction notice is now dead following an hours-long standoff that involved the exchange of “hundreds of rounds.”
Authorities have identified the deceased suspect as William Hardison, though no information pertaining to how he died has been released.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley has warned that the Democrats’ plan to block President Donald Trump from getting on the ballot in many states is “the single most dangerous constitutional theory” he has seen.
Democrats are hoping to block Trump using the 14th Amendment.
Turley said: “I think this is the single most dangerous constitutional theory I have seen pop up in decades.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Throws Book at Ex-Puerto Rico Mayor: Over 3 Years in Prison for Bribery Conviction
The former mayor of the municipality of Humacao, Puerto Rico, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison after being convicted for his role in a bribery scheme.
Reinaldo Vargas-Rodriguez, 49, received cash payments for awarding municipal contracts to two companies.
The issue was something President Donald Trump warned about when he feuded with Puerto Rico politicians after a hurricane.
Vargas-Rodriguez, of the New Progressive Party, was the mayor and highest-ranking government official in the municipality of Humacao.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A judge has rejected Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s request for a temporary restraining order against YouTube after his videos were censored by the Big Tech giant during his presidential campaign.
“The Court finds that the First Amendment claim is unlikely to succeed on the merits because Google and YouTube are not state actors,” Judge Trina Thompson wrote in the order. “Second, Plaintiff was not, and will not, be irreparably harmed if a temporary restraining order is not issued because he does not demonstrate urgency or that he will not be able to share his videos through other sites and methods.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A lawsuit has been filed against the city of Los Angeles and the LA Police Department after the identities of hundreds of undercover officers were “negligently” released and ended up on anti-cop websites.
Over 300 of the impacted officers took legal action in April, alleging the city “incorrectly produced the complete roster of LAPD officers, including current undercover officers and officers with previous undercover assignments” when asked for information via two California Public Records Act requests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Major Hollywood Studio Brings Back Mask Mandate for Employees
Major Hollywood movie studio Lionsgate has brought back a mask mandate for nearly half of the company’s employees at its main office.
The mask mandate is being enforced at Lionsgate’s office at 2700 Colorado Ave. in Santa Monica.
The change was announced by Lionsgate/Starz Response Manager Sommer McElroy in an email to employees.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maui Residents Were Blocked by Barricades While Trying to Escape Deadly Wildfires
The fires in Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui tore through the community with virtually no warning. Sirens that are meant to alert residents of tsunamis were not sounded as officials believed that sounding the warnings would cause more harm than not. Yet residents say that if they had just another 10-15 minutes lives would have been saved.
“We needed like 10 more minutes, and we could have saved a lot of kids,” said Nate Baird to the AP, who escaped from the fires with his wife and two children. “If we’d just had like a 10— or 15-minute warning.” The children were the ones who alerted Baird about the fires, saying that the air smelled like s’mores.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Middle-Age Crisis: 35-50 Year-Olds Turn to Booze, Bud, and ‘Shrooms’
In the land of the ‘free’ and the home of the distraught: New research reveals an alarming number of middle-aged Americans are drowning their troubles away in binge drinking and getting higher than a kite to pass the time.
The University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future (MTF) found binge drinking, marijuana use, and hallucinogen consumption among middle-aged adults 35 to 50 (prime-age workers) hit record highs in 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Names of Maui’s 1,000+ Missing to be Released by FBI Later This Week
The total number of people missing in Maui has increased to over 1,000 as a result of fires tearing through the island. With a death count of 115 and rising, the names of those missing will be released this week.
The fires to hit Maui were the deadliest blaze of the last century in the United States. Crews have searched everywhere in the destruction to find those that are missing. One in four children are likely missing from school as classes resume.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Evidence Proves Biden Pressured Ukraine to Fire Top Prosecutor to Benefit Himself
New evidence has emerged that proves Democrat President Joe Biden was acting against the wishes of the U.S. government when he pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in 2015.
It has long been known that Biden strongarmed Ukraine’s then-President Petro Poroshenko to fire Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.
Biden has publicly gloated about using a $1 billion loan from the Obama Administration as leverage to force Poroshenko’s government to comply.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pittsburgh Public Safety: ‘Active Shooting Situation’ in Garfield Neighborhood
People are being asked to avoid the area of Broad and North Mathilda streets in Garfield.
PITTSBURGH — A large police presence continues to respond to what Pittsburgh Public Safety is calling “an active shooting situation” in the city’s Garfield neighborhood on Wednesday.
The public is being asked to avoid the 4800 block of Broad Street and North Mathilda Street. A social media post by Pittsburgh Public Safety said, “This is an extremely active situation with shots continuing to be fired. Please avoid the area at this time.”
Sources say sheriff’s deputies were serving an eviction notice when someone inside the home started shooting. One deputy is injured, but conscious and alert, according to sources. It’s unclear how the deputy was injured.
The suspect has fired at officers and shot down two police drones, sources told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.
Dozens of police vehicles have responded to the area, including the Allegheny County SWAT team. Pennsylvania State Police were being called in as well.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Robert F Kennedy Jr Puts Biden on Notice by Surging in New Poll
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. just put President Joe Biden on notice by surging among Democrat primary voters, a new poll has revealed.
Kennedy has seen a boost in Biden’s strongest state.
Biden bet it all on South Carolina four years ago and doubled down this year.
For putting him over the top four years ago, Biden rewarded South Carolina by making them the state to hold the first Democrat primary.
That means huge money for local TV stations, political consultants, and other Democrat donors.
But in doing so, Biden angered New Hampshire and Iowa Democrats who historically went first.
Those states are not backing down and may even keep Biden off the ballot.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle Starts Hiring Unarmed ‘Alternate Response Teams’ to Respond to 911 Calls
911 calls in Seattle could soon be answered by unarmed “crisis responders” instead of police officers through a new “alternate response team” spearheaded by a Democratic council member.
Councilwoman Lisa Hebold announced on Friday that they are beginning to hire the first six new positions for a new pilot program to provide for unarmed “crisis responders” to respond to certain emergency calls.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Fertilizer Plant Completely Destroyed by Huge Fire
An American fertilizer plant in Texas has been completely destroyed by a huge fire, local authorities have confirmed.
The massive blaze at the American Plant Food Corporation fertilizer plant has now been contained, fire officials revealed.
The air quality has now been confirmed to be safe again as Hazmat crews continue to work to clean up the site of the fire that started on Monday night.
Firefighters are still working to clear the smolder, authorities said.
However, the fertilizer plant is a total loss with only the building’s foundations and some steel beams remaining, aerial images show.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tucker Carlson Asks Trump the Million-Dollar Question: “Do You Think They’ll Try to Kill You?”
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson upstaged Fox News and released a preview for his highly anticipated interview with former President Donald Trump tonight. In the clip Tucker asks Trump:
“Whatever happened to Mike Pence? Did Epstein kill himself? Do you think they’ll try to kill you? Why wouldn’t they try to kill you, honestly?”
Trump says in the clip, although we don’t know the exact question but it appears to be the one about taking him out, “They’re savage animals. They are, people that are sick.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tucker Carlson and President Donald Trump will air counterprogramming to Fox News’s first GOP 2024 primary debate tonight.
However, the executives at Fox News are reportedly furious with the move.
Carlson is not backing down and put the network on notice.
Chadwick Moore, Carlson’s biographer, said: “Sources inside Fox Corp say executives at both Fox News and the parent company are ‘incandescent’ over Tucker’s Trump interview.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video of Violent Robbery Proves Democrats Ruined Another Great American City
A shocking video has emerged of a woman being pistol-whipped and dragged across gravel by two thugs in broad daylight.
The violent incident occurred in Democrat-controlled Oakland, California.
Like every other Democrat-run city, Oakland has seen crime skyrocket after left-wing politicians and “woke” prosecutors stopped locking up habitual violent offenders.
Bruce Vuong, a Vietnamese national who owns an auto shop just blocks from where the woman was attacked, said:
“Oakland has become a warzone.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Yale Police Union Hands Arriving Students Grim Reaper Flyers About Crime Near Campus: ‘Good Luck’
The Yale Police Union in New Haven shared a bold public safety flyer, complete with an image of the Grim Reaper, with students arriving at the Ivy League university’s campus this week.
Yale and New Haven city officials criticized the “misleading” pamphlets, which say crime in the southern Connecticut city is “getting worse.”
“This weekend, the Yale Police Union, which is currently in contract negotiations with the university, handed out misleading pamphlets to Yale students as they moved into their residential colleges,” Yale said in a Monday statement. “These pamphlets included disturbing and inflammatory rhetoric about the safety of Yale’s campus and its home city of New Haven, aimed at creating fear among new students and their families.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Court Upholds Re-Education Punishment Against Jordan Peterson Over Tweets
A court in Ontario has delivered a ruling against celebrated psychologist and author, Jordan Peterson. The court upheld the prior decision by the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO) demanding Peterson attend a program aimed at cultivating professionalism within his public statements.
We obtained a copy of the ruling for you here.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Patriotic Student Society Undeterred After Antifa Ambush
A university branch of a right-wing Dutch student organisation has returned to its daily activities after being attacked by left-wing militants earlier this week. Members of the Groot-Nederlandse Studentenvereniging (GNSV), a Dutch fraternity for students with “national feeling” were forced to defend themselves after being set upon by a large gang of ‘antifascists’ at an introduction week at Radboud University in the city of Nijmegen in southern Netherlands.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU’s ‘Climate Pope’ Officially Resigns, Šefcovic Assumes Duties
Effective immediately, Brussels insider Maros Šefcovic will replace Frans Timmermans as executive vice president of the European Commission.
Timmermans, who formally resigned to pursue the premiership in the upcoming Dutch elections, is both lauded and reviled and has garnered a reputation as a staunch—some would say bullish—advocate of ever-more ambitious climate goals.
The European Commission announced the changing of the guard in a press statement on Tuesday, August 22nd.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Judge Gets 2-Year Suspended Sentence for Overturning Mask Mandates in Schools
A German family court judge was handed a two-year suspended sentence for attempting to overturn mask mandates at schools in Weimar in 2021.
The presiding judge of the Weimar District Court ruled in April 2021 that mask mandates were unconstitutional and were not only ineffective but dangerous to children’s mental and physical well-being.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In a fresh blow to free speech, American satirist and playwright C.J. Hopkins is facing a legal punishment in Germany that could send him to jail for 60 days or slap him with a 3,600 euro fine. The start of this legal tangle is rooted in Hopkins’ critique of the German health minister and using an almost invisible image of a swastika on a mask in a book, all in an attempt to lampoon the worldwide response to the global pandemic crisis.
Hopkins was charged with disseminating propaganda contents intended to further the objectives of an erstwhile National Socialist organization.
The judge, who had already rejected Hopkins’ free speech argument, delivered the punishment order, given the case’s non-jury misdemeanor status. As reported by Racket, Hopkins will, however, have the opportunity to argue for mitigation, though judgment has already been passed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Special Forces Raid Anti-NATO Activists, Seize ‘Kalashnikov’
Special forces raided the Cologne apartment of a couple at the centre of the dissemination of pro-Russian propaganda on Monday, August 21st. The couple was suspected of violating weapons laws and being in possession of a Kalashnikov machine gun.
Elena Kolbasnikova and her partner Max Schlund are both well-known activists previously targeted by media outlets for their fundraising efforts in aid of the Russian war effort in Ukraine as well as their vocal anti-NATO sympathies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German TV Star Canceled by Hello Fresh for Her Partner’s Alleged Support of AfD
A German TV star has been canceled as a promoter of the meal kit provider Hello Fresh because of her new partner’s alleged support of the conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which currently sits second in the national polls.
Iris Klein had a partnership agreement revoked by the Berlin-based company late last week after it emerged her new partner had reportedly been sympathetic to the conservative cause and expressed political views that the food company claims are not aligned with its values.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Top of NATO Membership, Finland is Also Negotiating a Defense Agreement With US
The terms of U.S. troops on Finnish soil are now being defined through the bilateral Finnish-American DCA (Defense Cooperation Agreement), and in some respects, this agreement may be even more important for the Finns than NATO membership.
The agreement specifies the rules for the stay of units, storage of equipment and investments in infrastructure, all of which was being negotiated in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine even before Finland decided to join NATO. Formally, at the official level, negotiations began last fall and will allow American forces to have access to a Finnish airport and harbor.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Warsaw’s Chopin Airport Records Its Best Ever July
Warsaw’s Chopin Airport serviced 1.9 million passengers last month as July brought record-breaking results to Polish airports.
Since the beginning of the year, the number of passengers has exceeded 10 million, indicating a strong likelihood of surpassing pre-pandemic figures. For comparison, in 2019 the Warsaw airport handled 18.86 million passengers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A plurality of Poles want to participate in the referendum planned on the date of the parliamentary election, Oct. 15, according to a new poll from UCE Research on behalf of Polish news outlet Onet.pl.
The polling firm indicates that 48 percent of interviewees said that they want to vote in the referendum, which features four key questions on Poland’s future, whereas 37.5 percent said they would not participate. This means that significant numbers of those who support opposition parties intend to vote in the referendum.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polls Predict Close Contest in Polish Election
The elections in Poland on October 15th could be a closely fought contest, according to the latest opinion polls. Projections by polling institutions IBRiS and United Surveys both suggest that only 2-3 percentage points separate the governing right-wing United Right and the opposition centrist-liberal Civic Coalition. Another recent poll, however, conducted by Social Changes, gives governmental forces a ten-point lead over the main opposition alliance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Right Gets First Chance to Form Government in Spain
The King of Spain, Felipe VI, has decided that the Right will get the first chance at breaking a possible stalemate and forming a new government for his kingdom.
Elections at the end of July resulted in a hung parliament for the Iberian country and a difficult decision for the head of state. Under Spain’s constitutional monarchy, proposing a candidate for president of the government (in effect, prime minister) to then be debated and voted on by the parliament belongs to the monarch.
The Partido Popular won the largest number of votes and notably more than the next winning party, the centre-left Partido Socialist Obrero Español (PSOE), but fell shy of a majority, even counting in the support of the conservative VOX. At the same time, despite its mediocre performance in the elections, the PSOE has every intention of forming another coalition government just like the one it held together for four years until the July elections.
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Slovak Election: Eurosceptic Party Wants Referendum on NATO Membership
Slovakia’s former Prime Minister Robert Fico vowed to keep his country within the European Union and NATO, were he to be reelected, after one of his potential coalition allies stirred up a debate by saying there should be a referendum on Slovakia’s NATO membership.
Milan Uhrik, the leader of the eurosceptic Russophile party Republika, confirmed over the weekend that his party wants to organise a referendum on quitting NATO in the next four years, reports Slovakian news agency TASR. Republika, which split from the overtly neo-Nazi People’s Party Our Slovakia in 2021, is currently backed by 9% of the voters, putting it in fourth place, according to the latest opinion poll published on Sunday, August 20th.
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UK Planes Are Still Running on Russian Jet Fuel, According to New British Ad Campaign
London-based green activist group Global Witness launched a citywide billboard campaign urging Britain to close the loophole that allows up to 5 percent of UK flights to still run on Russian fuel.
On the posters, Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured as a British commercial airline captain at an airport, flanked by two flight attendants represented as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt.
The poster draws attention to the fact that an estimated one in 20 British planes is powered by Russian oil, meaning that the British government continues to support Russia’s most important export despite sanctions.
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NHS bosses may have ignored warnings about baby killer Lucy Letby, but they did manage to put a lot of resources into ‘anti-racism’ training which mandates employees express white guilt to keep their jobs.
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We’ll Govern for 5 Yrs and I Won’t Let Italians Down — Meloni
ANSA) — ROME, AUG 23 — Premier Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday the government would rule for its full allotted five years and that she would not let Italians down.
“We have in front of is a horizon of (finishing) the legislative term, five years,” she said in an interview with Chi magazine out Wednesday.
“This is our strength, but also the element that charges us with the greatest responsibility towards the citizens.
“Because we feel, more than others, the burden of certain choices and the expectation that the Italians have of us.
“Here, perhaps this is the human element that I would like to emphasise: the Italians expect a lot from me and I do not intend to disappoint them”.
[Comment: Well, migrant landings at Lampedusa are a problem.]
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X to Introduce “Report EU Illegal Content” Button to Comply With EU Censorship Demands
X is planning to introduce a new “Report EU illegal content” button for the EU’s new censorship law to be enforced starting this week.
The new feature was found in X’s code by independent app researcher Nima Owji.
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Borrell Suggests High-Level Peace Talks in September
Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, floated the idea of a ministerial-level meeting in late September to discuss peace possibilities to end the war in Ukraine, Politico reported on Tuesday, August 22nd.
The foreign policy chief didn’t specify the details and only said that officials were “working on” a “high-level gathering” that will “probably take place” in September.
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How Russia Reacted After Prigozhin Plane Crash
Russia is a country full of surprises.
People here were shocked this summer after drones attacked the centre of Moscow on several occasions, causing explosions and damage to buildings.
Then, the Russian rouble took an unexpected tumble — briefly tipping the dollar rate to over 100 roubles.
Add to that, a failed mission to the Moon: Russia’s ‘Luna-25’ lander was lost in space, destroyed as it collided with the lunar surface last week.
But today, as the news broke that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane had fallen out of the sky, crashing in a fireball in Russia’s Tver Region, most people were far from shocked. In fact, most Russians were probably surprised it hadn’t happened sooner.
Speculation had been swirling for weeks in Russia about exactly what fate awaited Yevgeny Prigozhin. Exactly two months ago, the Wagner boss launched his brief mutiny.
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Medvedev Floats Annexing Break-Away Georgian Republics
Russia maintains solid popularity in the two break-away Georgian republics South Ossetia and Abkhazia, so Moscow may annex them in the future, argued Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and former President, in an article titled “Unlearned Lessons,” published by the Kremlin-aligned Argumenty i Fakty on Wednesday, August 23.
“The idea of joining Russia is still popular in Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Medvedev wrote in his opinion piece in the paper, floating the possibility of future annexation. “It could quite possibly be implemented if there are good reasons for that,” the former President added.
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Mercenary Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is Presumed Dead After a Plane Crash Outside Moscow
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military earlier this year, was presumed dead Wednesday after a plane crash north of Moscow that killed all 10 people on board.
Prigozhin was on the plane, according to Russia’s civil aviation agency, which cited the airline. The crash immediately raised suspicions since the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted the mutiny.
At the time, President Vladimir Putin denounced the rebellion as “treason” and a “stab in the back” and vowed to avenge it. But the charges against Prigozhin were soon dropped. The Wagner chief, whose troops were some of the best fighting forces for Russia in Ukraine, was allowed to retreat to Belarus, while reportedly popping up in Russia from time to time.
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Putin Vows to Put an End to Ukraine War Started by a West Desperate to Preserve Its Global Influence
The war in Ukraine materialized as a direct result of the West’s desire to maintain its hegemony in the world, and Russia will continue to seek an end to the conflict launched by Western powers, Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed.
Addressing fellow leaders of the BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa on Wednesday, the Russian leader discussed a wide range of issues affecting the geo-political landscape, including how the grouping of key economies could cement itself as an “authoritative structure” in world affairs and collaborate to deal with urgent global issues.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine traded drone attacks early Wednesday, officials said, with Kyiv apparently targeting Moscow again and the Kremlin’s forces launching another bombardment of Ukrainian grain storage depots in what have recently become signature tactics in the almost 18-month war.
Later Wednesday, the Ukrainian intelligence agency claimed it had destroyed a key Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system in occupied Crimea. If confirmed, it would be another embarrassing blow for Moscow, as Ukraine increasingly targets Russia’s assets far behind the front line in southern and eastern Ukraine.
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Ukraine Won’t Receive Dutch F-16 Fighter Jets Until End of 2024
Ukraine will have to wait for the promised Dutch F-16 jet aircraft until the end of next year, as some of the planes are currently still in active duty in the Netherlands, Hungarian daily Magyar Nemzet reports.
“The Dutch Air Force will first have to switch to the new F-35, a process that could take until the end of next year,” a spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Defense told the NRC Handelsblatt newspaper on Tuesday.
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Wagner Decries ‘Murder’ of Prigozhin Amid Reports Anti-Air Missile Struck Plane
Update(1605ET): At this point it’s looking like the entire top command of Russian mercenary outfit Wagner Group was aboard the private plane that was downed northwest of Moscow hours ago. Wagner itself is confirming Yvgeny Prigozhin’s death, with Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel Grey Zone calling it a “murder”.
“The murder/assassination of Prigozhin will have catastrophic consequences. The people who gave the order do not understand the mood in the army and morale at all. Let this be a lesson to all. You always have to go to the end,” the Wagner channel statement reads.
The bodies of Prigozhin and his second-in-command Dmitry Utkin, have reportedly been identified, according to statements which have been quick to come out of Russian media. Russian news agency TASS has also made it official: “Evgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin were on board the crashed Embraer plane, the Federal Air Transport Agency reported.”
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Wagner Mercenary Leader, Russian Mutineer, ‘Putin’s Chef’: The Many Sides of Yevgeny Prigozhin
His name was on the manifest of a passenger plane that crashed in Russia
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s fate has been entwined with the Kremlin for decades — as a trusted government contractor, and the head of the Wagner mercenary army that fought in Ukraine and has been blamed for doing Russia’s dirty work in Syria and Africa.
But when he turned his men toward Moscow two months ago, many inside Russia and beyond started wondering just how long he could last after drawing the fury of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Prigozhin cut a deal with Putin and the leader of Belarus for a safe haven for himself and the men involved in the rebellion. He was reported to pop up periodically in Russia, and appeared in a recruitment video earlier this week.
But then on Wednesday Russia’s civil aviation agency said he was aboard a plane that crashed north of Moscow, killing all 10 people on board.
Prigozhin’s Background
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Credlin blasted Facebook last week after her on-camera editorial about the true length of the Uluru Statement from the Heart was labelled ‘false information’.
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A ‘property’ listing on Gumtree is offering prospective renters in Western Australia to sleep in a parked van in the driveway of a home for $350 a week.
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The fate of Chalumbin, which borders on the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in Far North Queensland, rests squarely in the hands of Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.
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Farmers Up in Arms at Renewables Mega-Project Land Grab: ‘Taking Away Our Food Security’
Key Liberal National Party members have stood with Queensland farmers and landholders outside state parliament urging a rethink of large-scale renewables projects.
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A group of four-year-old children were forced to make ‘sorry’ cards apologising to Indigenous people for Australia’s colonisation by Europeans.
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A message sent on a Chinese messaging app played a crucial role in the armed rescue of a 19-year-old alleged kidnapping victim, which has led to six men being arrested.
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The Sneaky Trick That Could Stop Your Vote From Counting in Anthony Albanese’s Voice Referendum
Australian Electoral Commission’s $600,000-a-year boss Tom Rogers made the surprise admission in an attempt to clarify the voting process on Sky News Australia.
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Tragedy as ‘Fit and Healthy’ Adelaide Teen William Pfeiffer Dies in His Sleep
A teenager who died suddenly in his sleep last Sunday had no known previous medical history which could explain the tragedy.
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A migrant in Sweden filmed himself smashing windows of a Catholic church in Sweden while shouting obscene remarks, including threats to “rape Jesus.”
Swedish news portal Samnytt posted a video of the perpetrator from a location in a migrant-populated suburb of the capital Stockholm.
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Italy Seizes Third Migrant Rescue Ship in 48 Hours for Flouting Maritime Laws
Italy has seized its third migrant rescue vessel in the space of 48 hours for repeatedly violating the country’s maritime laws, which prevent ships from embarking on multiple rescue missions in a single voyage.
The German-operated Sea-Eye 4 vessel has been impounded at the Port of Salerno for 20 days, and its captain was fined €3,000 after conducting three rescue operations before returning to port.
The vessel joins a ship operated by the Spanish Open Arms charity that was seized on Tuesday and whose captain was fined €10,000 for bringing to shore 195 migrants in three rescue missions, and the Aurora vessel, operated by the German charity Sea-Watch, which was detained for taking migrants to an unapproved port.
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Treasury’s Intergenerational Report is predicting a plunge in Australia’s population growth pace during the next four decades as immigration moderated from record annual levels.
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Exclusive: ‘Europe is Not Being Conquered With Tanks and Rifles But Through Cultural Warfare’
In an exclusive interview with Remix News, Alejandro Peña Esclusa, who was Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez’s former opponent and imprisoned by Chavez for a year, warns that the same woke ideology poisoning Europe is also poisoning Latin America.
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Former Mexican Congressman is Convicted After “Misgendering” Transgender Politician
In an alarming judgment that has brought free speech in Mexico under scrutiny, Rodrigo Ivan Corte’s, a renowned pro-family advocate and former congressman, has been found guilty of multiple charges, including “gender-based political violence.” The punishment? A fine, forced apology, mandatory “gender violence” training, and perhaps most concerning, enrollment in a “sanctions registry.”
The supreme court of electoral affairs in Mexico ratified a lower court’s verdict, convicting Corte’s for crimes like “digital violence,” and “psychological violence.” These charges stem from his reference to member of congress Salma Luévano, a transgender woman, as a “man who self-ascribes as a woman.”
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A Maine hospital executive involved in diversity, equity and inclusion hosted an antiracist prayer service that had a group of White people apologize for their internalized racism as White people, according to a video reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Ryan Polly is a vice president of DEI at MaineHealth, a hospital system of over 20,000 employees. He has said the hospitals cater to overwhelmingly White patients, which is reflected by local demographics.
Polly refers to himself as a “minister” of a group called One Spirit. According to a video reviewed by Fox News Digital, which has since been scrubbed, Polly is shown teaching attendees how to be practitioners of antiracism through a prayer that he dedicated to “loving spirits who are known by many names.”
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Good news. Certain people are dying.
Maybe ajt and jb, and everyone named sing will die too.
That wood b nice
Migrant arrested after punching woman for wearing ‘short shorts’ near Moscow
https://www.rt.com/russia/581723-migrant-attack-woman-shorts/
Biden asleep at that Maui meeting will never to truly seen as empathy – no matter how much make-up is used.
Stay healthy people – the Ryan Polly’s of the American health system have plans. Naturally – for ‘equity’.
.
Scott Ritter:
2-Minute Topic,
China and the importance of Afghanistan.
https://swebbtube.se/w/itTYBkLdJGH2r7d6Cb1qsA
.
Douglas Macgregor:
Deep Penetrations!
https://swebbtube.se/w/5eC2J6VBmXTaqgast2pseq
watch also:
https://gatesofvienna.net/2023/08/contempt-for-the-governed/
Baron,
The GOV regulars have probably seen this but I just discovered it and find it very motivational. It’s a music video with the song “Winged Hussars” by the Swedish group Sabaton combined with footage from the movie “the Day of the Siege Sept 11 1683” about the Siege of Vienna.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuJk6MDUZFM
If the link doesn’t work, search youtube for “Sabaton-Winged Hussars” (the Knights SGC Archive version I think is the best).
This could be your GOV “Theme Song”!
My gosh, that group is amazing and the song is riveting. Makes me want to march along side with them.
Thank you for posting the link.