Robert Card, the suspected gunman who killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, has been found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Meanwhile, the bowling alley where Mr. Card murdered seven of his victims is reportedly a gun-free zone.
In other news, the statue of Robert E. Lee that formerly stood in Charlottesville, Virginia, was melted down in a secret ceremony, video recordings of which were posted on the Internet. The metal from the statue will reportedly be cast into another work of art, possibly a statue of George Floyd.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, Insubria, JW, LP, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, 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.
ANZ has compiled a new graph showing how the Reserve Bank is bracing for a jobless rate of 4.5 per cent to bring inflation under control. Here’s what 137,927 job losses will mean for your career.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Prices Rise More Than Expected as Inflation’s Grip on Economy Persists
The cost of goods and services rose 0.4 percent for a second consecutive month in September, challenging the view that the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes are still bringing down inflation.
The personal consumption expenditure price index was expected to cool slightly from the prior month.
Over the past year, the index is up 3.4 percent. That is unchanged from the August reading, data from the Commerce Department showed Friday. The Federal Reserve says it wants to bring PCE inflation down to two percent, a rate not seen since President Joe Biden took office in early 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Raises Interest Rates for Fourth Time in Half-Year as Inflation Struggles Persist
Russia’s Central Bank on Friday raised its key lending rate for the fourth time in half a year in an effort to bring down surging inflation.
The bank raised the rate to 15%, up 200 basis points. The interest rate in the first half of the year was 7.5%.
“Current inflationary pressures have significantly increased to a level above the Bank of Russia’s expectations,” the bank said in a statement.
It said seasonally adjusted price growth in the third quarter exceeded an annualized 12% and inflation for the year is expected to be about 7%. The bank said it expected inflation to fall to about 4% in 2024.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“I Made a Number of Larger Mistakes”: SBF Takes the Stand Friday, Admits “A Lot of People Got Hurt”
In what could be the world’s most obvious admission and largest combined understatement ever, Sam Bankman-Fried took to the stand to testify in his own trial on Friday, admitting to the court making “a number of larger mistakes”.
While testifying on Friday, Financial Times reported that Bankman-Fried said he thought him and his team, “might be able to build the best product on the market” and “move the [cryptocurrency] ecosystem forward” by forming FTX.
At first he said there was “a ton of excitement, a ton of demand” for crypto, but that “the banks weren’t involved, the brokers were not involved”. FTX “turned out basically the opposite” of his goals of being the best product on the market, he said, noting “a lot of people got hurt”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An outside political group backed by billionaire liberal donor George Soros is continuing to finance almost all of Matt Dugan’s campaign for Allegheny County district attorney, while longtime incumbent DA Stephen A. Zappala, Jr. is getting considerable support from labor unions, according to new financial filings.
The campaign finance reports submitted to the county’s Elections Division on Friday provided the first clear financial picture of the race, less than two weeks before the Nov. 7 general election. Mr. Dugan, the county’s former chief public defender, beat Mr. Zappala in the May Democratic primary. But they face a rematch after Mr. Zappala, a lifelong Democrat, won the GOP nomination as a write-in.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
As Suspect Search Continues, All Shooting Victims Identified
LEWISTON, Maine — The search for Robert Card entered its second full day after Wednesday night’s mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, left 18 people dead and 13 other people with injuries.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin, on eight counts of murder, Col. William Ross with the Maine State Police said.
Maine’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said all 18 people killed in the attacks had been identified, however their identities were not immediately released.
Shocked and fearful residents in several communities are being told to remain in their homes as hundreds of heavily armed police and FBI agents search for Card.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
At Harvard, There Are 2,600 More Administrators Than Undergrads
Harvard University employs about 1,352 full-time administrators for every 1,000 undergraduate students enrolled at the university, an analysis conducted by The College Fix found.
This is more than a nine percent increase from the 2013-14 school year, when there were 1,240 administrators per 1,000 students, according to the analysis, which used data provided by Harvard to the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s Green Energy Flop: Automakers Realize Americans Are Not Buying EVs
American automakers are quickly learning that Americans are not buying electric vehicles (Evs) at the rates they expected.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Uses Cheat Card AGAIN to ID Only Two Pre Approved Reporters With Questions
Joe Biden again used a cheat card Wedneday with the names and faces of just two reporters that were allowed to ask him pre approved questions.
The reporters were from PBS and USA Today.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bowling Alley Where Maine Attacker Fatally Shot 7 is a Gun-Free Zone
The bowling alley where Robert Card allegedly shot and killed 7 people has a sign on the front door announcing the premises are gun free.
The location, formerly called Sparetime Recreation, is now called Just-in-Time Bowling Alley.
John Lott Jr.’s Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) noted that the sign says, “We kindly ask that you refrain from bringing firearms in this building and we would appreciate it if you left them in your vehicle. Please keep our atmosphere family friendly.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In an interim staff report published on Friday, the Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government outlined civil liberties abuses performed by the Internal Revenue Service and showed that the IRS ceased its unannounced visit policy after Congressional oversight.
“History has shown how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), with its vast power to reach into the lives of Americans, has the tremendous potential to violate the civil liberties of American citizens. As Justice John Marshall noted over two-hundred years ago, the ‘power to tax involves the power to destroy.’ The Committee’s and Select Subcommittee’s oversight demonstrates that Justice Marshall’s warning is as potent now as it was then,” the report states.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dean Phillips to Challenge Biden for 2024 Democrat Nomination
House Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN) has entered his bid for the 2024 presidential election and will be challenging President Joe Biden, 80, in the Democrat primary.
Rep. Phillips, who previously stated he would not face off against Biden, made the announcement on Thursday and told CBS News: “I will not sit still, I will not be quiet in the face of numbers that are so clearly saying that we’re going to be facing an emergency next November.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DHS’ CISA Agency Flagged Hunter Biden Laptop Story on Day One
Fresh documents reveal that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — The Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity division — was immediately attentive to the information leaked from Hunter Biden’s laptop reported by the New York Post in 2020, and censored the same day. CISA, which has previously cooperated with private sectors to identify and control perceived election misinformation on social media platforms, rapidly disseminated the “Obama conference call leaked to Burisma:Biden emails” article within its ranks the same day it became public on October 14, 2020. This discovery stems from heavily concealed emails liberated through Freedom of Information Act litigation pursued by America First Legal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A man was illegally carrying a handgun after he drove through the streets of a New York town in a car covered in swastikas, a Palestinian flag and pro-Hamas messages just blocks from a planned pro-Israel rally, officials said.
Hani Saleh, 47, was arrested Wednesday in White Plains at South Lexington Avenue and Quarropas Street after cops pulled over his Volkswagen, according to the White Plains Police Department
The vehicle sported a Palestinian flag along the top, according to photos obtained by Fox News Digital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive — Poll: 60% of Voters Want Groups Who Support Hamas Investigated
A new poll indicates that 60% of American voters want organizations that support Hamas to be investigated, and four in five agree that the Palestinian group is a terrorist organization.
The Rasmussen poll, conducted October 23-25 among 888 likely voters, found that 78% of respondents answered “yes” when asked: “Should the Palestinian group Hamas be considered a terrorist organization?” Only 8% said “no,” and 15% said “not sure.”
When asked, “Should American organizations that support Hamas be investigated by federal authorities?”, 60% said yes, 19% said no, and 21% were not sure.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Facebook Loses Billions as Zuckerberg’s ‘Metaverse’ Bleeds Company Dry
Facebook’s parent company Meta is continuing to show multi-billion dollar losses as founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s “Metaverse” bleeds the company dry.
Since 2019, Meta has lost billions of dollars a year, increasing year over year.
Zuckerberg has placed a huge bet on his Metaverse plans, which now looks like a huge money pit.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has invested billions of dollars a year into Zuckerberg’s Metaverse dream without seeing any returns.
Metaverse is a virtual-world version of the Internet that users access by wearing virtual reality headsets.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fauci to be Honored With ‘Ethics’ Award
Former top U.S. federal health official Dr. Anthony Fauci is to be honored with a prestigious award for “ethics.”
Fauci, Democrat President Joe Biden’s former chief medical advisor, will be honored with the 2024 Inamori Ethics Prize by the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence at Case Western Reserve University.
In announcing the award, Case Western Reserve President Eric W. Kaler lauded Fauci.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gaetz Says Johnson Speakership Proves ‘MAGA is Ascendant’ in GOP, ‘Swamp is on the Run’
Authored by Caden Pearson via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Wednesday declared the election of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) as House speaker a sign of the strength of the “MAGA movement” in the GOP and the waning power of the “swamp.”
After a three-week leadership void in the House, the GOP conference chose Mr. Johnson as their speaker nominee; he went on to win 220 votes in the first floor ballot on Wednesday.
Mr. Gaetz, who led the motion to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the former speaker, touted Mr. Johnson’s victory as exemplary of the growing power of the “MAGA movement” on Capitol Hill.
“The swamp is on the run. MAGA is ascendant. If you don’t think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then you’re not paying attention,” Mr. Gaetz declared during an interview on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast on Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gavin Newsom Vows ‘Long-Term, Stable, and Strong’ Partnership With Chinese Communist Party
Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged that California will have a “long-term, stable, and strong” partnership with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Newsom made the vow after meeting with CCP dictator Xi Jinping in China on Wednesday.
The governor declared that under his leadership, California will be the Communist regime’s “long-term, stable, and strong partner.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Georgia Lawmaker Proposes Paying Teachers $10K to Carry Guns in School: ‘Better Than No Options’
A proposal under consideration in the Georgia legislature would pay teachers thousands of dollars a year to carry guns at school in an effort to make schools safer, according to supporters, but critics believe the move could make classrooms potentially more dangerous.
Georgia Republican State Senator Clint Dixon introduced the bill in the state House, which would give teachers the $10,000 stipend if they voluntarily took a firearms course and carried a gun in school, according to a report by Fox 5 in Atlanta.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Speaker Mike Johnson Says $14.5 Billion in US Aid to Israel Will Come From Budget Cuts
New House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was elected this week by a Republican majority, made comments about his intentions for American spending in overseas wars on Thursday, when he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he supports a $14.5 billion expenditure for Israel, but that the US “cannot be dropping money out of helicopters.”
But for Johnson, that money will have to come from somewhere else in the budget, it cannot just be added on to what is already being spent. Johnson told Hannity that the funds on the table are “a very specific number tied to very specific measures.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘I Will Kill You, Jew’: 9-Year-Old Boy Threatened With Knife in Brooklyn Playground
A Jewish 9-year-old boy was allegedly threatened with a knife as the suspected shouted “I will kill you, Jew,” in what is the latest antisemitic incident in New York City, according to the New York Post.
The Post reports:
The sickening scene unfolded at a playground at KIPP AMP Middle School and MS 354 Monday evening in Crown Heights, according to the NYPD and the victim’s mother, who said her daughter was also targeted in the attack…
Police and sources said the man also screamed “Heil Hitler” at the boy, but Sundroy, who was at the park with her six children, said that was actually directed at her daughter.
During the attack, several people also shouted “Allahu Akbar” in front of the children, according to Sundroy and police sources.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Larry Elder Ends 2024 Campaign, Endorses Trump: ‘Time to Unite to Beat Biden’
Conservative radio host Larry Elder has ended his 2024 presidential campaign and announced he is endorsing President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination instead.
In a statement announcing his move, Elder called on his supporters to “unite behind [Trump] to beat Joe Biden!”
Elder launched his presidential campaign in April, but low fundraising hauls and near-zero numbers in the polls made his 2024 bid one of the biggest longshots in the crowded GOP field.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maine Mass Shooting Suspect Found Dead, Sources Say
The man suspected in Wednesday’s massacre that killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, has been found dead, sources told the NBC10 Boston Investigators Friday night.
Robert Card was the subject of a dayslong manhunt that followed mass shootings at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar and Grille.
Specific details were not immediately available, but multiple told the NBC10 Boston Investigators there was no longer a threat. Four senior law enforcement officials told NBC News that Card had been found dead.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Dragged Out of Hillary Clinton Event After Asking About Bill’s Trips to Epstein Island
Former Democrat US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in for a rude awakening on Friday when her speech was interrupted by an individual demanding answers into the Clinton family’s relationship with deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Hillary Clinton was campaigning in Houston, Texas for Democrat Mayoral candidate Sheila Jackson Lee when independent journalist Alex Rosen interrupted her speech, which left both Clinton and attendees stunned.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Masked Bandits Crash Into Alfa Romeo on LA Freeway, Stage Armed Robbery of Driver
On Tuesday, a criminal gang of masked thieves pulled off a shocking robbery heist on a Los Angeles freeway in broad daylight. The gang of thieves intentionally rammed their vehicle into another driver, and then robbed the driver after causing him to crash on the side of the road.
Video footage captured by another driver who witnessed the incident unfold shows a Dodge Grand Caravan pursuing a black Alfa Romeo on the I-10 Santa Monica Freeway around 1:30 pm on Tuesday, according to Fox News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Michael Cohen Walks Back Claim Trump Asked Him to ‘Inflate’ Numbers
After the first day of Michael Cohen’s testimony, President Donald Trump told reporters that he would be returning to court on Wednesday.
In 2019, allegations made by disgraced lawyer Cohen spurred the attorney general’s office to investigate President Trump.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Mexico Gov. Wants More Gun Control After Maine Shootings
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) reacted to the Wednesday night firearm-based attacks in Maine by calling for gun control.
Grisham has been in the news recently for issuing an order banning concealed carry, even by licensed concealed carry permit holders, in larger New Mexico cities like Albuquerque. Her order banned the open carry of firearms too.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York Supreme Court Reinstates All Employees Fired for Being Unvaccinated, Orders Backpay
A New York state Supreme Court ordered all New York City employees who were fired for not being vaccinated to be reinstated with back pay.
The court found Monday that “being vaccinated does not prevent an individual from contracting or transmitting COVID-19.” New York City Mayor Eric Adams claimed earlier this year that his administration would not rehire employees who had been fired over their vaccination status.
NYC fired roughly 1,700 employees for being unvaccinated earlier this year after the city adopted a vaccine mandate under former Mayor Bill de Blasio.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nolte: Disgraced CNN Attracts Pathetic 687K Viewers During White Hot News Cycle
An insane House Speaker’s race and a full-blown war in the Middle East did nothing to save disgraced CNN’s humiliation in the ratings.
Tee hee.
It’s been a week of news, unlike any week of news I can remember in some time. The race to see who will become Speaker of the House had more twists, turns, stops, starts, ups, downs, zigs, and zags than anyone would believe in a fiction novel. (By the way: I wrote one of those, it’s getting great reviews, and you should read it.) Stuff like the Speaker’s drama used to be CNN’s bread and butter — a crazy political story racing towards an unexpected finish.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYC Developers Rip Judge in Trump Case — and Some Predict Ex-Prez Will Win on Appeal
New York real estate developers slammed the judge who stripped Donald Trump of his business empire for allegedly inflating the prices of his properties — with some predicting the decision will be overturned on appeal.
Justice Arthur Engoron issued a summary judgment last month calling for a receiver and the canceling of the Trump Organization’s business certificates after state Attorney General Letitia James filed a $250 million civil fraud lawsuit against the former president.
His ruling was temporarily paused by an appeals court at the start of trial, which continued this week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pentagon CFO’s Chief of Staff Has Family Ties to Islamic Terrorism
by Daniel Greenfield
In 2019, Yousra Fazili addressed a congressional hearing to complain about the arrest of her cousin by Indian authorities. The woman who now serves as Chief of Staff for the Pentagon Comptroller claimed that her cousin was the innocent victim of oppressive Indian authorities.
According to the daughter of Kashmiri Muslim immigrants, her cousin Mubeen Shah had been arrested under India’s Public Safety Act even though he was “not a politician or a dissident, he isn’t a freedom fighter, or even a kid in the street throwing stones. He’s just a businessman. His life’s work has focused on bringing economic opportunity to Kashmir.”
In reality, as the Hindu Post noted, Shah had “lionized Kashmiri jihadists, agreed with a description of convicted terrorists as ‘inspirations for the youth,’ and promised that ‘we all are ready to spill our blood’“ to keep the region Muslim. On Facebook, Shah appeared to have posted a picture describing Mohammad Afzal Guru, an Islamic terrorist tied to the ‘The Army of Muhammad’, which is affiliated with Al Qaeda, as the “Pride of Kashmir”. Guru had been executed for his role in a December 2001 attack on the Indian parliament.
Fortunately for Shah, he had his Fazili family deeply embedded in America’s political establishment. Yousra’s sister, Sameera Fazili had been brought in as a senior policy advisor to Obama’s National Economic Council. And when Biden took office, she became the deputy assistant to the president and the deputy director of the National Economic Council.
When Shah was arrested, Sameera and Yousra Fazili “dialed friends in the State Department” and the State Department demanded information about him from the Indian government. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a radical leftist sympathetic to Islamic terrorists, agitated for his release.
Soon Shah was out and Yousra Fazili was in, joining her sister in a high-level position in the Biden administration. Where Sameera had worked on the economic side of things, Yousra became the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs three years after agitating on behalf of a terrorist supporter…
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Report: NJ School District Bans Halloween Festivities, Citing ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’
Students in a New Jersey school district have been barred from Halloween festivities during school hours in the name of “diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Earlier this month, superintendent of New Jersey’s South Orange and Maplewood school district, Dr. Ronald G. Taylor, explained to parents in a letter that Halloween would not be celebrated during school hours in an effort to promote “diversity, equity, and inclusion meaningfully,” The New York Times reported.
The district’s rationale behind the decision is “making sure no one feels excluded,” NBC New York reported. It is also purportedly aimed at protecting religious students who don’t celebrate Halloween or who cannot afford a costume.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Republicans Move to Intervene in Democrat-Backed Lawsuit Challenging North Carolina Election Law
FIRST ON FOX — The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) are seeking to intervene in the Democrat-led lawsuit challenging the Tar Heel state’s newly enacted election law.
North Carolina’s Senate Bill 747 provides “appropriate safeguards and transparency while still offering voters ample opportunities to cast a ballot,” according to the RNC and the NCGOP’s court filing.
The law, which aims to strengthen voter ID, allow for poll watchers and tighten the deadline to return mail-in ballots, was enacted on Oct. 10 after the state’s GOP-controlled state legislature voted to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto.
Moments after Republicans voted to override the veto, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the state’s Democratic Party filed a lawsuit claiming that the law is “a direct assault on the ‘most fundamental’ right to vote” and leads to “vote suppression.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Robert E. Lee Statue Melted in Secret, ‘Symbolic’ Ceremony, to be Remade Into ‘Inclusive’ Public Art
The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee that once stood in Charlottesville, Virginia, was secretly melted down at a ceremonial event.
After both cultural and legal battles, the statue of Lee that sparked the infamous Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally was reportedly melted in a secretive ceremony in order to ensure the safety of those involved. The Washington Post reported that the statue met its end “in a 2,250-degree furnace” when it was “secretly melted down” to become a new piece of public art.
Footage of Lee’s likeness being melted went viral across social media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Scientists Unveil ‘Air Vax’ to Combat Vaccine Hesitancy
A group of leading American scientists has unveiled a new “Air Vax” which uses airborne aerosols to deliver mRNA vaccines straight into people’s lungs.
The new system was developed by researchers at Yale University.
The scientists developed the “Air Vax” to combat vaccine hesitancy as the new method bypasses the need for injections as it can be pumped into the air and used to vaccinate large crowds of people at once via the air they are breathing.
The mRNA in “Air Vax” is encapsulated into polymer nanoparticles, according to reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle Homeless Offender Released From Custody After Allegedly Chasing Man With Axe
A prolific offender in Seattle who is charged with starting a giant drug encampment fire in August has been released from custody again.
Paris Alcantara was released for “sentence served,” according to the Washington State Automated Victim Information and Notification Service, following his most recent arrest in September after he allegedly chased a man with an axe through a park while yelling “I’m going to f*cking kill you.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Several Major Automakers Scale Back Electric Vehicle Production: ‘People Are Finally Seeing Reality’
Several major automakers have just announced that they are scaling back production of expensive electric vehicles (EVs) amid declining consumer interest and slow sales.
In a seemingly coordinated move, Ford, Honda, and General Motors all announced significant rollbacks of EV production.
General Motors recently announced it would be slowing electric vehicle production after losing nearly $1 billion from the autoworkers’ strike.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The US Depleted Artillery Shell Reserves in Israel to Arm Ukraine. Now What?
Although the ongoing conflicts involving Ukraine and Israel are different in terms of geography, climate, and scale, there are weapons systems and ammunition that the armies of both countries need.
One of the most important of these is the 155 mm artillery shell, which has become something of a cult item in the war in Ukraine but is growing increasingly in short supply worldwide.
There is no capacity to produce industrial quantities. In the United States, production was set for years at 30,000 units, but the Ukrainians used up this quantity in two weeks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tim Scott Calls for Anti-Semitic Colleges to be Stripped of Pell Grant Funding
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is calling for American colleges that allow anti-Semitism to flourish on campus to “lose their Pell Grant funding.”
Scott, a Republican 2024 presidential candidate, slammed “woke” colleges and universities during a Friday interview on “American’s Newsroom.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tulane University has denounced a rally that was held without the school’s permission or approval and developed into a serious brawl that ended with three students being assaulted.
Video of the incident shows police and what appears to be school administrators trying to calm the competing crowds of protesters, who at times come to blows. The pro-Palestinian protesters also carry banners that read, “From the River to the Sea Palestine Will Be Free,” which many have interpreted and understood to mean a call for the end of Israel’s existence as a state.
“This rally was not approved or sanctioned by Tulane,” the statement from University President Michael A. Fitts read. “There were approximately 40 plainclothes and uniformed New Orleans, Tulane, Loyola and State Police officers, including mounted police, who made arrests.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine, Israel Funding Request Should be Split: House Speaker
WASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) — Newly elected U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said on Thursday that funding to support Ukraine and Israel should be handled separately, suggesting he will not back President Joe Biden’s $106 billion aid package for both countries.
Johnson, speaking in an interview on Fox News, has concerns about Ukraine funding in general, and believes any money for Israel will need to be funded by cuts elsewhere.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Fitness Trainer ‘Proud’ to Tear Down Posters of Kidnapped Israeli Kids
A fitness trainer told a cameraman he was “proud” to tear down a poster of kidnapped Israeli children as he entered Gold’s Gym in Venice, California.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when a man TMZ Sports identifies as fitness trainer and model Zaid Shaat began tearing down posters of Israeli children being held captive by the terrorist organization Hamas. Shaat was confronted by a cameraman who challenged him to explain why he was crumpling the posters and if he was proud of himself for doing it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Lawmakers Want to Punish Online Platforms for Allowing “Misinformation” Spread
The Canadian Parliament has become the latest global player in a widening tug-of-war geared towards constraining the tide of “misinformation” seeping into the digital landscape.
The House Ethics Committee in the North American province of Ottawa is calling for the imposing of stringent repercussions on tech giants whom they claim are complicit in disseminating “unverified” or “deceptive” content online.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The European Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee adopted a resolution on Oct. 25 with a report carrying far-reaching treaty changes drafted by the so-called Verhofstadt Group, a team led by the Belgian Eurofederalist Guy Verhofstadt.
The plenary vote is planned for Nov. 22 and will formally trigger the procedure to amend the existing treaties.
Polish MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, who was a member of this Verhofstadt Group until July, explains in this exclusive interview with Remix News why this latest attempt to transform the European Union into an undemocratic superstate, which he describes as a silent putsch with communist roots, has a real chance to succeed if it is not stopped fast.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish President Andrzej Duda announced on Thursday he is facing a dilemma after the liberal and centrist opposition wishing to form the next government revealed it hadn’t yet signed a coalition agreement and incumbent conservative Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki assured him that he would amass a parliamentary majority to ensure he can continue to govern.
Duda explained that it was the established custom for the president to ask the leader of the largest party to form the government and he had heard from the present ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, which topped the poll and won the most seats, that it was willing and ready to do that.
However, he acknowledged that there was another candidate, opposition leader Donald Tusk, who seemed to have the backing of three parties that now have a majority in the new parliament and admitted he was conflicted on what course of action he should take.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
All Three Missing Italian-Israelis Are Dead Says Tajani
Nir Forti, 29, third Italian victim of Hamas’s October 7 attack
(ANSA) — ROME, OCT 24 — Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said that all three Italian-Israelis who were missing after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 are dead.
Tajani said Monday that Liliach Le Havron, 66, was confirmed to have died after Hamas attacked the kibbutz she lived at with her husband.
Her spouse, Evitar Kipnis, 65, had already been confirmed as being among the victims.
Later on Monday Tajani said that Nir Forti, a young man whose family said he was shot in the chest before disappearing after a rave party near the Gaza border, was dead too.
“Unfortunately Nir Forti is also dead,” Tajani said via X.
“He was the last of the three missing Italian-Israelis.
“I feel his parents’ pain.
“I met them during a visit to Tel Aviv.
“To die at the age of 29, barbarically killed by terrorists, is profoundly unjust.
“I pray for you, young Nir”.
It had initially been thought that the three Italian-Israelis were among the hostages being held by Hamas.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
‘Big Babies’: Italian Mom Wins Court Battle to Evict Her ‘Parasite’ Grown Sons From Home
She’s ready to cut the cord.
An Italian mother fed up with her grown sons’ freeloading ways has won an unusual court case to have the pair of “parasites” evicted from her home.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Calls Scottish Leader ‘A Blatant Racist’
Twitter/X owner Elon Musk has labelled the Scottish First Minister “a blatant racist”, leaving the comment on a video of a speech Humza Yousaf made in Parliament complaining about the number of white people in prominent positions.
In the video, which is a few years old, Yousaf, now the leader of the country, states “most senior positions in Scotland are filled almost exclusively by people who are white” going on to give examples like the Lord Justice Clerk, Solicitor General, and other senior political figures, claiming it is “not good enough.”
Elsewhere in the speech Yousaf, claimed that “we have to accept the reality and the evidence that is in front of us, that Scotland has a problem of structural racism.”
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EU Foreign Policy Summit Sees Demands to Limit Ukraine Involvement
The ongoing war between Hamas and Israel sucked up most of the oxygen in Brussels this week as EU leaders locked horns over the right language to use at an unusually busy European Council summit from October 26th-27th.
The crisis in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, as well as lingering tensions in the Balkans—nevermind the potential for fresh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan—contributed to a jam-packed foreign policy agenda, with Eurocrats still licking their wounds after the disunity over what line to take regarding the carnage in Palestine.
After agreeing to condemn Hamas’s attack on Israel and affirm Tel Aviv’s right to defend itself, EU leaders moved onto the salient topic of migration, with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo now pushing for a more proactive deportation policy for illegal migrants in light of the recent attack in Brussels on Swedish football fans by a Tunisian illegal immigrant.
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Finland Completes Construction of Eastern Border Pilot Project Barrier
The Finnish Border Guard has announced that the Eastern border pilot project barrier has successfully been completed, with the authorities activating the nearly three-kilometre-long barrier in Pelkola.
The same has emphasised that continuous monitoring and analysis were carried out throughout the construction of the pilot fence and noted that the authorities will now be immediately informed about those who cross the border in the future, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Based on the experimental period of the operational use of the short barrier fence, the whole formed by the road, the fence, and the technical control is the modern era of border security.
Finnish Border Guard
The patrols in the pilot fence area have increased their mobility. New monitoring technology has also been implemented, enhancing the authorities’ ability to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the situation in the region.
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France Blames Russian Fake News for Bed Bug Scare
France is blaming the country’s bed bug scare on disinformation propagated by Russia.
Paris has been thrown into something of panic over fears that the city is in the midst of a bed bug plague, with insect infestations widespread and not slowing down.
The bugs even became a topic of debate in the country’s parliament, and the story had international repercussions when Algeria said it would take measures to ensure the pests weren’t spread to its territory.
But now French intelligence has said the real problem is Russian fake news propaganda.
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French Government Ignored Notre Dame Fire Warnings and Has Learned Nothing Since, Decries Historian
Top French art historian is publishing a report on the 2019 Notre Dame fire and says not only could the blaze have been avoided, but no real lessons have been learned since, meaning other historic buildings remain vulnerable.
Didier Rykner, French historian and journalist who is editor of La Tribune de l’art and whose report on the near total loss of the cathedral of Notre Dame in 2019 was published this month has spoken out on the continuing danger to such world-class heritage buildings. Leveling his criticism at the French government this week, he warns governments are more dedicated to imposing new ecological standards on ancient structures than protecting them from being consumed by fire during renovation work.
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Germany: Israeli Ambassador Condemns Green Party-Linked Foundation
Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, has leveled sharp criticism against the Green Party-affiliated Heinrich Böll Foundation after it was revealed that the organization provided financial support to and cooperated with left-wing extremist, antisemitic Palestinian NGOs.
The Green Party-affiliated foundation, which receives most of its funding from German taxpayers, worked together with and provided large sums of money to the Palestinian NGOs Al-Haq and Addameer, two groups with links to the Marxist-Leninist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and which have been classified as terrorist organizations by Israel, the daily Berliner Zeitung reports.
The PFLP has been classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union as well.
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Hungary Seeks Swedish Explanation Ahead of NATO Approval
The Hungarian government has yet to approve Sweden’s bid to join the NATO military alliance and now a government minister is calling on Sweden to explain the deterioration of relations between the two countries in recent months ahead of any possible yes vote on the issue in the Hungarian parliament.
Gergely Gulyas, Minister of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, stated on Wednesday, October 25th, at a press conference that a Hungarian approval of Sweden’s application to join the NATO alliance is not as clear as it once was, broadcaster SVT reports.
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Hungary Boosts Family Support to Raise Birth Rate
Hungary’s conservative government has announced plans to broaden its programme of supporting families to encourage them to have more children. Announcing the latest initiative on Wednesday, October 25th, Minister of Culture and Innovation Janos Csak said that married couples intending to buy a new home will be able to apply for a loan of HUF 15 million (€39,000) if they have one child, HUF 30 million (€78,000) for two children, and HUF 50 million (€131,000) for three children. These loans come with a modest 3% interest rate. First-time homeowners need to pay 10% up front, families planning to renovate or expand their homes need 20%.
“The core essence of this initiative is to ensure that every desired child can be born,” Balazs Orban, Political Director of the Prime Minister tweeted.
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Italy: Buttafuoco Named New Venice Biennale Chief
Waspish writer works for range of dailies, ‘takeover’ says Left
(ANSA) — ROME, OCT 26 — Cultural and political journalist and writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco was named new chairman of the Venice Biennale Foundation Thursday replacing Roberto Cicutto when the latter’s term ends in March.Buttafuoco, 60, was named by rightwing Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano and the opposition claimed the appointment was a sign of a continuing rightwing takeover of key cultural posts like state broadcaster Rai, which the government says is a traditional part of Italy’s spoils system.Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI) party said the appoitment marked the “breaking of another glass ceiling”, at a body where leftist placemen and cronies have allegedly traditionally been appointed.The eclectic Buttafuoco, one of Italy’s top public intellectuals and a practising Muslim, was a far-right activist in his youth like Premier Giorgia Meloni but both have since espoused more traditionally conservative or rightwing positions.Buttafuoco, indeed, writes for leftwing daily Il Fatto Quotidiano, a fierce Meloni critic, and another liberal daily that staunchly opposes the premier, La Repubblica, as well as for centrist daily Il Foglio and business daily Il Sole 24 Ore.Buttafuoco’s mooted candidacy as Sicily governor at the head of a rightwing ticket was allegedly scuppered by Meloni because of his recent conversion to Islam, which he explained as a return to tradition.A witty, waspish and provocative writer, his books include Fogli consanguinei (2003), Le uova del drago (2005), L’ultima del diavolo (2008), Fìmmini (2009), Il lupo e la luna (2011), Fuochi (2012), Il dolore pazzo dell’amore (2013), Buttanissima Sicilia. Dall’autonomia a Crocetta, tutta una rovina (2014), I cinque funerali della signora Göring (2014), Il feroce saracino (2015) and La notte tu mi fai impazzire (Skira, 2016).Former centre-left leader, Rome mayor and current cinema association ANICA President Francesco Rutelli told ANSA that BUttafuoco “is a never banal intellectual and he is sure to promote the richness and pluralism of what is one of the greatest cultural institutions in the world, and amongst the oldest.”Historically, the strength of the Biennale has been being a great instrument of freedom.”I am certain that Buttafuoco, a free spirit, will be able to continue this and interpret it in the best way”.
Culture Undersecretary, art critic and polemicist Vittorio Sgarbi said the appointment “is extraordinary news, not only for the quality of the man, but for the originality of his thought, and his conversion to Islam, too, is a guarantee of originality in its relationship between the history of the West and its decline which envisages dialogues by affinity, the restitution of shared values, and not conflicts. Long live Buttafuoco!”
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Italy: Respect Needed With Countries Like Tunisia, Egypt — Meloni
Sometimes respect lacking with Tunisia, no to paternalism — PM
(ANSA) — ROME, OCT 26 — Respect is needed with countries like Tunisia and Egypt, Premier Giorgia Meloni said on arriving at the extraordinary EU summit on the Middle East in Brussels on Thursday.
“I have said this and I reiterate it, you can’t think of talking to another nation with a paternalistic or superior approach,” she said.
“If you decide to talk about a strategic partnership you must show respect and that has been missing with Tunisia at times.” Tunisia rejected a first tranche of EU aid under a memorandum of understanding signed by Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte earlier this year describing it as charity.
EU sources said Tunis had expected more.
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Italy: Priest in Sicily Arrested for Demanding Funeral Fee
Clergyman accused of extortion
(ANSA) — ROME, OCT 25 — A priest has been arrested in Sicily for allegedly demanding families pay to have him preside over the funerals of their loved ones.
Don Vincenzo Cafra, the parish priest of a church in the province of Siracusa town of Sortino, is accused of extortion.
Carabinieri police arrested him after allegedly catching him red handed as he demanded money, around 100 euros, for a service.
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Morawiecki Accuses Brussels of Blackmailing Poland Into a Change of Government
If reports of Brussels no longer requiring milestones on the rule of law to be met if Donald Tusk becomes prime minister are true, then the Polish electorate has been blackmailed into voting for a change of government, incumbent Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has claimed.
Former Eurocrat and leader of the Polish opposition Donald Tusk told reporters in Brussels on Thursday that once he is in office and offers unspecified assurances to the European Commission that “the rule of law will return to Poland,” funding previously withheld from the governing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party will be released without the need to complete substantial legislative reforms.
However, he would not be drawn on what specific measures he would be taking to appease the Commission.
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UK: Labour in Crisis Over Israel Stance
Externally, the Labour Party appears to be flying; always ahead in the polls and well on the way to winning the next general election. Internally, it is in turmoil.
Rows have erupted over its response to events in the Middle East. The national Labour conference was in full swing during Hamas’ October 7th terrorist attacks on Israel. Leader Sir Keir Starmer was quick to call a spade a spade—or, in this case, to call an appalling terrorist attack an “appalling … terrorist attack”—and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the party has “no time” for supporters cheering on Hamas. Starmer also appeared to suggest that Israel “does have that right” to cut off water and electricity from Gaza—a stance he has since rejected.
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UK: University to Offer Master’s Degree in Witchcraft, Magic and Occult Science
A new master’s degree in witchcraft, magic, and occult science is scheduled to be offered September 2024 at the University of Exeter in England as faculty cite growing student interest.
The new program will explore “specific interests within the long and diverse history of esotericism, witchcraft, ritual magic, occult science, and related topics,” and “build interdisciplinary expertise,” according to the university website.
Students will study history, literature, philosophy, archaeology, sociology, psychology, drama, and religion to understand “the role of magic on the west and east,” The Guardian reported.
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Watch: Hamas Spokesman Walks Out of BBC Interview After Being Challenged Over Killing Families
British state broadcaster the BBC interviewed a Hamas spokesman who, when challenged on “killing people as they sleep”, terminated the discussion.
Ghazi Hamad, described by The Times of Israel as a “senior Hamas official,” was interviewed by the BBC in Beirut, where he lives, on Thursday, but threw his microphone on the ground and walked out after the conversation turned to the massacre of civilians by his organisation in October’s terrorist attack. In footage released by the broadcaster Hamad, who has been a frequent guest on BBC programmes going back decades, insisted the October 7th attack was purely military and not aimed at civilians.
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Blasts Hit Two Egyptian Red Sea Towns, Israel Points to ‘Aerial Threat’
CAIRO/JERUSALEM, Oct 27 (Reuters) — Projectiles hit two Egyptian Red Sea towns on Friday, sources and officials said, injuring six people and showing the risk of regional spillover from the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Israel’s foreign ministry said the missiles and drones, which its military identified as an “aerial threat” in the area of the Red Sea, were launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement “with the intention of harming Israel.”
Egyptian army spokesperson Colonel Gharib Abdel-Hafez said an “unidentified drone” crashed into a building adjacent to a hospital injuring the six in Taba, on the border with Israel, in the early hours.
Later, another projectile fell near an electricity plant in a desert area of the town of Nuweiba about 70 km (43 miles) from the border, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters, adding that they were still gathering more information.
There was no claim of responsibility.
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Tunisian University Calls on Muslims to Join Jihad Against Israel
A university in Tunisia, regarded as one of the historic centres of Islamic thought, has called on its students to support the jihad or holy war perpetrated by the terrorist group Hamas against the state of Israel.
The Ez-Zitouna University, which was founded sometime between the end of the 7th century and the beginning of the 8th century, released a statement on Facebook on October 12th regarding “Operation: Al-Aqsa Flood,” the massacre of over a thousand civilians by Hamas fighters on October 7th.
The release of the Arabic-language document went largely unnoticed in Western media until the Italian newspaper Il Giornale reported on it this week, translating sections of the statement that call on Muslims to engage in jihad.
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Guterres Comments on Hamas ‘Unacceptable’ Says Salvini
UN Secretary General said Oct 7 attacks did not happen in vacuum
(ANSA) — ROME, OCT 25 — Deputy Premier and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini has blasted United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres for saying that, while Hamas’s attacks on Israel on were appalling, they did not happen in a vacuum.
Guterres said the Palestinian people have suffered “56 years of suffocating occupation” adding that Israel’s bombing and blockage of the Gaza Strip was “collective punishment” of them.
Salvini said the comments were “serious and unacceptable,” adding there can be “no justification for terrorism”.
Salvini met a group of Israeli survivors and families of hostages held by Hamas on Tuesday.
Israel has called on Guterres to resign, saying his words were a justification of terrorism and murder.
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Internet is Cut Off in Gaza as Israel Steps Up Operations
Amid escalating bombing in Gaza by Israel’s forces, the region is now essentially cut off from the outside world as almost all communication networks are down.
With the absence of internet and phone connection, escalating the harsh reality of people and families becoming unreachable, concerns over censorship and free speech are rising exponentially.
The international internet monitoring body, Netblocks, had revealed through a recent post on X that there has been a “collapse in connectivity” as a consequence of the conflict. This digital blackout paints a gloomy picture of the situation on the ground, as the people of Gaza are unable to reach out to the world to share their experiences.
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Israel Launches Deeper Raids Against Hamas Inside Gaza
Israel launched expanded incursions into Gaza on Friday evening, sending tanks and special forces into the terrorist-controlled territory to take out specific targets and prepare the way for a possible full-scale ground invasion.
As the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire — and defeated an amendment that would have condemned Hamas — Israel continued taking the fight to the Palestinian terrorist group that launched the war by invading Israel and killing over 1,400 people Oct. 7.
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DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Internet and phone services collapsed in the Gaza Strip under intensified bombardment Friday night, largely cutting off its 2.3 million people from the outside world and each other, as Israel’s military said it was “expanding” its ground operations in the besieged territory.
The military’s announcement signaled it was moving closer to an all-out invasion of Gaza, where it has vowed to crush the ruling Hamas group after its bloody incursion in southern Israel three weeks ago
Frequent explosions from airstrikes lit up the sky over Gaza City after nightfall Friday, when the black-out in internet, cellular and landline services hit.
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Israel Intensifies Gaza Bombardment as Internet and Phone Services Go Down
Intense bombing in northern Gaza as Israeli military says ground forces expanding operations on besieged enclave.
Israel has intensified its bombardment of the beseiged Gaza Strip as internet and mobile communications services collapsed in the Palestinian territory.
An extended series of large explosions on lit up the sky over Gaza City after nightfall on Friday, and an Al Jazeera correspondent said northern Gaza was being pounded by air raids and artillery.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said it had completely lost contact with its operations room in Gaza and all its teams operating on the ground.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel increased air raids “in a very significant way” and that ground forces were “expanding their activity” in Gaza.
He told residents of Gaza City to move south on Friday night, as Israeli escalating Israeli attacks battered the strip.
“In the last two hours, we could hear intensive air strikes and intensive artillery shells at the same time, which is something unusual — which means the strength of the fire is much more than in the previous days,” said Al Jazeera’s Safwat Kahlout, reporting from Gaza City.
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Rockefeller Brothers Fund Funneled Millions to Hamas, Other Terrorists
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) has funneled millions of dollars to Hamas and other deadly terrorist groups, according to a new report.
The RBF was founded by the five third-generation Rockefeller brothers: John, Nelson, Laurance, Winthrop, and David, all of whom are now deceased.
The organization portrays itself as a philanthropic foundation that seeks to “contribute to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.”
However, a new report reveals that it has contributed more than $3.4 million to Hamas and other terrorist groups since 2018.
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Sirens and Explosion Heard in Ashkelon as Israel Expands Gaza Ground Operations
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the Israeli military is “prepared on all fronts” to preserve the country’s security and will expand its ground operations tonight.
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Watch: Israeli TV Show Mocks BBC Reporting of Gaza Hospital Blast
Israeli comedians have mocked the BBC’s reporting of the al-Ahli hospital bombing in Gaza and its rush to blame Israel for the attack.
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Iran’s Top Diplomat: U.S. ‘Will Not be Spared From This Fire’ if it Continues to Support Israel
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian threatened further attacks against the United States and its interests at the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York on Thursday.
Iran is already launching rocket and drone attacks against bases housing American personnel in Iraq and Syria, using Shiite militia groups controlled by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). U.S. forces have been able to intercept most of these attacks, but dozens of minor injuries have been reported.
“I say frankly to the American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome expansion of the war in the region. But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire,” Amirabdollahian told the U.N. General Assembly.
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Pentagon: No Casualties in Strikes Against Iranian-Proxy Groups Attacking U.S. Troops
The Pentagon on Friday evening confirmed there were no casualties resulting from U.S. strikes in Syria in response to nearly two dozen attacks against American troops based in Iraq and Syria.
“We currently assess there were no casualties in the strikes,” Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said in a statement.
Further, Ryder said the strikes were “narrowly tailored” and “in self-defense” intended “solely to protect and defend U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria.
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Turkey Cancels Energy Cooperation With Israel
NATO member Turkey has suspended all energy agreements with Israel due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Ankara’s decision comes after a meeting between Turkish President Recep Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. The move could have monumental implications for both countries.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Scores of protesters gathered on the streets of Ukrainian cities on Friday to demand a cap of 18 months on mandatory military service, amid new suggestions of possible Ukrainian and international weariness with the 20-month war.
Both the warring sides are striving to keep their military momentum, though neither side is able to land a knockout blow, and the fighting is expected to drag on deep into next year.
The 18-month service limit would be the same maximum as before the war. It is currently open-ended for draftees. The protesters, who are part of a loose national network, want the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, to consider possible alternatives on service time.
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Shooting of Ex-Ukrainian Lawmaker Tsaryov Was SBU Operation — Kyiv Source
Oct 27 (Reuters) — The shooting of pro-Russian former Ukrainian lawmaker Oleg Tsaryov was a special operation conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), a source in the Ukrainian intelligence agency said on Friday.
Russia’s top investigative body said earlier it had opened a criminal inquiry into an attempt on the life of Tsaryov who Moscow officials said was shot and wounded in a late-night attack.
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Ukraine Claims it Has Entire Battalion of Russian Citizens Who Rebelled Against Putin
Ukraine claims to have formed an entire military battalion of Russian citizens who have revolted against Putin’s government and desire to fight on behalf of Kiev. Bloomberg and others this week have reported on the establishment of the ‘Sibir’ (or Siberia) battalion, made up primarily of Russians who’ve left their homeland and made it to Ukraine via third countries.
“There are many representatives of the Russian Federation, Russian minorities who are categorically opposed to the Putin regime […] and they are helping us in this fight,” National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) secretary Oleksiy Danilov explained. He claimed that in the future there will “not just one such battalion.”
“I can say that it exists in the ranks of the armed forces. This is something completely different, this is a completely different situation,” he added.
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Labor minister Tony Burke on Friday threw his support behind a Canterbury-Bankstown Council decision to fly the Palestinian flag, saying we need to grieve all lives lost in the Middle East conflict.
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‘Enough is Enough’: Albanese Talks to Biden About Assange
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has raised the plight of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in talks this week with United States President Joe Biden, stepping up efforts to find a way to release the Australian from jail.
Albanese discussed Assange in his private talks in Washington DC after making public calls in recent months for a resolution to the US charges against him for releasing state secrets.
The talks came as Assange’s brother, Gabriel Shipton, told this masthead that he feared for his brother’s life because of the impact of the detention on his mental health.
Shipton joined protestors outside the White House this week to raise awareness of the case at the same time Biden hosted Albanese at the residence.
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Coalition Senators Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Kerrynne Liddle raised concerns about the misconduct allegations at a Senate estimates hearing on Friday morning.
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Action, Not Prayer: Solving the European Migration Crisis
Europeans have heard enough promises on the topic of migration. What they want—and what they need—is action.
At this week’s event on “The Broken Gate of Europe,” hosted by The European Conservative, Bow Group Chairman Ben Harris-Quinney hammered home that Britain’s Tory party has promised to bring immigration down—to the tens of thousands, no less—for well over a decade. Net migration last year stood at a record 606,000. The more significant gross figure was 1.2 million.
And while London and Brussels have loosened ties since Brexit, they continue to share an inability to grasp—or, perhaps, a lack of interest in grasping—this issue.
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Australia: Why Anthony Albanese’s Immigration Policies Are Worsening the Housing Crisis
More than 400,000 migrants arrived in Australia over the year but only 168,231 new homes are being built over 12 months. Now a homelessness group is calling for big changes.
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Deadly Shootout, Explosion as Migrant Gangs Battle at Hungary-Serbia Border
At least three migrants were killed and another wounded during a gun battle in a village on the Hungary-Serbia border this week, according to reports.
The incident unfolded at around 4 a.m. on Friday in Horgos, a small town in Serbia.
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EU Summit Agrees on More Resources for Migrants — Meloni
(ANSA) — ROME, OCT 27 — The European Union has agreed on the need to earmark more resources for migrants, Premier Giorgia Meloni said at the end of an EU summit in Brussels Friday.
“Thinking in terms of a package there is the priority of migration, we have to work on the external borders and on accords with transit countries,” she said.
“Fresh resources must be pout into this chapter,” she said, saying that the while Council agreed on this need.
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Germany has become the latest major European country to begin openly talking about re-migration.
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Joint Polish-German Patrol Discovers Illegal Migrants Hidden Behind Double Truck Wall
A 33-year-old Belarusian national has been arrested in Poland for attempting to smuggle nearly two dozen illegal immigrants over the Polish-German border in a modified lorry.
Officers from the Polish Border Guard made the discovery on Oct. 20 during a road inspection on the A2 highway at the Polish-German checkpoint in Swiecko.
The truck, registered in Lithuania, had been modified to include a secret compartment within the cargo hold where the migrants were trafficked.
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Migrant Killer in Ireland Handed Two Life Sentences for Double Murder of Gay Men
A Muslim migrant has been handed two life sentences in Ireland for murdering two homosexual men, decapitating one and stabbing a third in the eye because of their sexual orientation.
The attack by Yousef Palani, a 23-year-old Kurd who arrived in Ireland at the age of six under a U.N. protection program, was described by Irish media outlets as “the worst homophobic attack in the history of the state,” and was denounced as “unspeakable” by the sentencing judge during his hearing earlier this week.
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Northern and Western Europe Are Drifting Toward Civil War, Hungarian Historian Warns
Western Europe is drifting towards a civil war of its own making as support of mass migration by liberal governments continues to fuel anti-Semitism, Hungarian historian Lasló Bernat Veszprémy has claimed.
Speaking to the Index news outlet, Veszprémy warned that although Muslim anti-Semitism and left-wing violence are also present in Europe, the rising migrant numbers are also stoking right-wing radicals.
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Those Who Back Mass Migration Are Supporting Terrorism, Claims Hungary’s PM Orban
Politicians in favor of unfettered mass immigration into the European Union are inadvertently supporting terrorism, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said upon his arrival at the two-day European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, Orban expressed his hope that Brussels would recognize the obvious link between terrorist acts in Europe and migration, and introduce new measures to address the growing security crisis.
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Watch: Another Surge of Train Migrants Arriving at Border Near Eagle Pass, TX
Following last month’s historic invasion of Eagle Pass, Texas, the number of migrants arriving by train is climbing again in Piedras Negras, Mexico.
More than 6,000 migrants are slamming Mexico’s southern border every day, and many are still hopping northbound trains, despite alleged efforts to prevent such activities.
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According to a memo obtained by Libs of TikTok, the law group informed members that the word “picnic” has “historical and offensive connotations,” and apologized for “any harm or discomfort” caused by its use.
The group’s view mirrors that of the University of Michigan’s IT department from several years ago: “Picnic” was included in a “Words Matter Task Force’s” list of offensive words and phrases along with “brown bag,” “blacklist” and “long time, no see” among others.
At the time, Reuters did a fact check on the alleged offensiveness of “picnic”; its verdict: It “does not originate from racist lynchings” but instead comes from the 300-plus-year-old French word “pique-nique,” meaning a potluck-like social gathering.
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Biden State Dept. Blasted for Celebrating ‘Intersex Day’
The Biden State Department has been slammed online after posting a statement celebrating ‘Intersex Awareness Day’.
The statement noted that the Department has a “commitment to promoting and protecting the human rights of Intersex persons globally,” with spokesperson Matthew Miller further laying out how “Intersex persons often face stigma and discrimination.”
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Disney Delays Woke ‘Snow White’ Reboot for a Year Following Backlash: ‘What a Disaster’
Social media was in a frenzy over the news Friday that Disney’s controversial upcoming live-action “Snow White” reboot will be delayed another year.
After seeing a new promotional image included in Disney’s announcement, many X users speculated that the movie was being rehauled after backlash to progressive elements that the Walt Disney Company and the film’s star, Rachel Zegler, claimed were being incorporated into the film.
The House of Mouse release declared, “Disney’s Snow White—a live-action musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film—is coming to theaters on March 21, 2025. The film — which stars Rachel Zegler — invites audiences back into the magical world of Snow White with beloved songs and recognizable characters such as the Evil Queen and, of course, Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, Bashful, Happy, Sleepy and Doc.”
Social media was in a frenzy over the news Friday that Disney’s controversial upcoming live-action “Snow White” reboot will be delayed another year.
After seeing a new promotional image included in Disney’s announcement, many X users speculated that the movie was being rehauled after backlash to progressive elements that the Walt Disney Company and the film’s star, Rachel Zegler, claimed were being incorporated into the film.
The movie had previously been set to be released on March 22, 2024.
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Michael Mikhail, 30, pleaded guilty to three counts of “surreptitiously making a visual recording of a person for a sexual purpose, in circumstances that gave rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy.”
The judge in the trial sentenced him to 15 months in jail.
Mikhail also admitted to recording multiple women who didn’t know him or know that they were the subject of pictures and videos that were sent to Pornhub — the web’s most popular porn site, based in Montreal.
He also secretly recorded his girlfriend having sex with him at his residence, The Hamilton Spectator reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: Female Jiu-Jitsu Contestants Quit Tournament After Being Forced to Fight Males
According to a report, women are abandoning the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament after being forced to compete against male-born transgender opponents.
Female-born athletes are up in arms after male-born “transgender” competitor Corissa Griffith took home four gold medals at a tournament in Georgia on Oct. 21, and they are responding in force, Reduxx reports.
The issue has been roiling Brazilian Jiu-Jitzu since Sept. when female competitor Taelor Moore told fans how upset she was to be suddenly confronted by a male-born opponent without being told beforehand.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
From the river to the Sea…
This land must be Islam free!
Vatican and Caritas organizations call for ‘orderly migration’ of 20 million climate refugees every year
https://unser-mitteleuropa.com/vatikan-organisationen-und-caritas-fordern-geordnete-migration-fuer-jaehrlich-20-million-klimafluechtlinge/
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In Russia there was a human rights activist Valentina Chupik. She worked on migration issues. She has now been deported and now lives in Urbana, USA. She received grants from Caritas for her “human rights” activities.
Ah yes, the ‘Gun Free Zone’. The most likely target of any mass murder to include the ones who want you to wear facemasks and show your vaccinated with the mass murder injected mRNA biological weapon.
Why do all those masskillers end up dead?
I mean in the context that they are killed offscreen, e.g. nobody saw it. We have just the word of the hunters.
Please let me clarify: It is better that somebody dangerous is killed somewhere remote where he cannot hurt anybody else.
BUT
It is suspicious.
Yes, I know, in a combat situation you fire for center mass, e.g. body (even though cops should be trained to hit arms and legs, not to mention Tasers and non-lethal ammo. And dont get me started on non-lethal gas-from the nice ones everybody knows to the ugly ones we hear maybe whispers) but so many masskillers, sorry, all of them end up dead.
I would say that statistics would say that at least one should be captured alive.
But of course, dead people cannot tell their side of the story.
I will bet you the farm that guy was on psychotropic drugs from the VA, it didn’t take much to set him off to do what he was trained to do.
Apparently, according to original reports( see post @ gateway pundit) re: Lewiston shooter, there were 2 gunshots to the back of his head. Also, he targeted places where conservatives went to relax.