A schoolboy yelling “Allahu Akhbar” attacked two of his classmates with a box cutter in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. Meanwhile, several culture-enriching youngsters stabbed a French father, calling him “dirty white” and “gwer” (which is a variant of the Turkish word “gavur” and the Arabic “kafir”).
In other news, a village councilor in Ukraine detonated grenades at a meeting, wounding 26 people. Medics attempted to resuscitate the man who threw the grenades, who is said to be a member of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party.
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.
Gavin Newsom’s California Drowns in $68 BILLION Deficit, Defaults on $20 Billion Loan From Fed
It has been revealed that California is drowning in a $68 billion budget deficit which has resulted in the state defaulting on a $20 billion loan from the federal government.
The multi-billion dollar deficit comes under Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom’s leadership and is so extreme that Newsom’s Department of Finance has called for a spending freeze across state agencies. Newsom’s administration has made a similar decision only once before which was at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when revenue began to plummet, KCRA News reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German People Will Pay for Budget Crunch
Opposition parties have lambasted the German government for its 2024 budget which is certain to raise inflation, putting an even larger burden on households, while aid for Ukraine will be expanded.
Germany’s three-party coalition of the social democratic SPD, the Greens and the liberal FDP announced an agreement on Wednesday on a budget for next year after a month of wrangling following a constitutional court ruling that upended the government’s financial plans.
The ruling left a €17 billion hole in the budget, which the government has decided to fill through cuts and tax hikes. “The government will stick to its goals … but we must do so with less money which means cuts and savings,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland to Witness Massive Minimum Wage Hike of 18% Next Year
In Poland, a landmark increase in the minimum wage is set for January 2024. This hike represents an 18 percent rise, the second-largest in more than 20 years, placing Poland among the top in Europe for minimum wage rates. However, questions are now arising about potential impacts on unemployment and the informal economy.
The minimum wage in Poland, when compared to other European countries, prompts the question: Will this increase lead to higher unemployment? The minimum wage is set by politicians, not the free market, which means it often does not align with the economy’s growth pace, including employee productivity. This discrepancy can disrupt the labor market and other economic processes, and artificially increase inflation, such as when producers must raise their product prices due to higher production costs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A number of law enforcement agencies in Atlanta and Georgia have come together to offer a reward of up to $200,000 for information leading to the arrest of suspects behind a number of arson attacks in and around the state capital allegedly carried out in protest over the construction of the Public Safety Training Center known as “Cop City.”
The Atlanta Police Department is leading the charge, with Chief Darin Schierbaum hoping that a financial incentive will entice people with knowledge of the attacks and their perpetrators to come forward.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden DOJ’s Gun Law Blueprint Will Impact Ability to Defend Yourself: Gun Rights Groups
Gun rights groups are posturing to defy the Justice Department’s model legislation published this week that gives states a framework for codifying gun storage rules.
On Wednesday, the DOJ published a framework aimed at helping “more states enact sensible gun-safety laws,” and includes requirements for securing firearms kept in residences and vehicles and requirements for reporting of lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Admin Finalizes Most Restrictive Offshore Oil Drilling Plan in US History
The Biden administration on Friday finalized a plan to dramatically curb the number of offshore oil and gas lease sales over the next five years as it continues to aggressively push green energy development.
The Department of the Interior’s (DOI) five-year offshore oil and gas leasing program schedules just three Gulf of Mexico lease sales through 2029, marking the fewest number of sales ever included in such a plan, which the agency is mandated to issue periodically. According to the DOI, holding the sales will enable future offshore wind leases under an Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provision that tethers the two.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boycott Harvard: Early Applications Plunge 17% as Hate Fills the Leftist Campus
Harvard College is led by controversial president Claudine Gay, who has single-handedly done more damage to the school’s reputation than anyone else in its nearly 500 years of existence.
Gay’s failure to tackle antisemitism on campus has been a major wake-up call for parents nationwide who aspire to send their children to the elite school. Parents quickly realize the school no longer prioritizes excellence through education but instead pushes toxic woke narratives and political indoctrination that is harmful to Western society.
New data from Bloomberg shows that a huge blowback is just beginning: The college received 17% fewer applications for early admission from high school seniors this year. Applications this year for non-binding early admissions were 7,921 versus 9,553 last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Mom of 6-Year-Old Boy Who Shot Virginia Teacher Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison
The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher in a Virginia classroom earlier this year has been sentenced to two years in prison on child neglect charges, ABC News reports.
Deja Nicole Taylor, 25, has been sentenced by a judge to two years in prison after pleading guilty to child neglect charges in August.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Timcast Hits Top of iTunes Charts for Cover of ‘Together Again’
On Friday, YouTubers Tim Pool and producer Carter Banks unveiled a surprise cover of Smokey Mike & The god-king’s “Together Again.” The cover has since reached the top of the charts on iTunes, debuting as the #1 song.
“It’s no surprise that we hit #1 in only a few hours. Together Again by Smokey Mike And The god-king is the best song ever written. We are just riding their coattails,” said Tim Pool on X.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Michigan Appeals Court Rules Trump Can Remain on 2024 Primary Ballot
A Michigan appeals court ruled on Thursday that Trump can remain on the 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot.
In a unanimous decision, the appeals court wrote, “Who to place on the primary ballot is determined by the political parties and the individual candidates,” according to The Messenger.
In regards to Trump being on the 2024 general election ballot, the court said that was still too early to rule on.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestinian protestors from various activist groups including the Democratic Socialists of America blocked 8 bridges across the US for the 8th night of Hannukah Thursday evening.
In Seattle, over 100 activists blocked all lanes of the University Bridge and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
They were joined by the radical group Jewish Voices for Peace, which is shunned by mainstream Jewish groups and has ties to terrorist organizations. Activists wore shirts stating “Jews for ceasefire now” even though many of them were known activists from other protests who were not Jewish. Protesters sang, “Hannukah oh Hannukah come light the menorah, down with apartheid…”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago to Move Away From School Choice, Center Neighborhood Schools to Rectify ‘Structural Racism’
The Chicago Board of Education passed a resolution Thursday that seeks to move away from school choice and bolster the city’s neighborhood schools to address “long-standing structural racism and socio-economic inequality.”
“While the strategic plan will be developed in partnership with our entire CPS community, we are centering equity and students furthest from opportunity,” said Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education President Jianan Shi.
He went on to say, “As such, this moment requires a transformational plan that shifts away from a model that emphasizes school choice to one that elevates our neighborhood schools to ensure each and every student has access to a high-quality educational experience.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cornel West Says Biden is ‘Running Out of Gas, ‘ Predicts He Will Drop Out of 2024 Race
Dr. Cornel West has cast doubts on whether Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee, suggesting in a recent interview with Politico that the president may not have the ability to make it to 2024.
West, who began his presidential ambitions as a candidate for the Green Party but recently dropped them in favor of running as an independent, said he wouldn’t be surprised if Biden called it quits and let a Democrat from what he deemed the “B-Team” take over as head of the party.
“I’m not even sure whether I’ll be running against Biden,” West told Politico reporters and editors. “I think he’s going to have an LBJ moment [and] pull back.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Death to Pedos: DeSantis Supports Execution for ‘Sexual Battery’ Against Children Under 12
While California lawmakers are trying to protect pedophiles, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday threw support behind his state’s decision to seek the death penalty for a man indicted for the sexual battery of a child.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
It has been revealed that Seattle law enforcement personnel had been ordered to allow anti-Israel demonstrators to seize control of a major bridge during rush hour traffic on Thursday evening.
In addition, the United States Coast Guard had reportedly agreed to hold boat traffic ahead of the demonstration. The activists shut down the drawbridge for more than 3 hours, which caused significant traffic delays with miles-long backups.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A former top FBI official who led the agency’s New York counterintelligence division, and played a key role in the Trump-Russia collusion probe, has been sentenced to 4 years in prison for colluding with Russia — and he may face an even longer sentence under a second indictment for hiding $225,000 in payments from a former Albanian intelligence officer.
Charles McGonigal, 55, was arrested in January and slapped with two separate indictments — one in New York and one in Washington, with the New York case related to taking nearly $200,000 in bribes from Russian oligarch Oleg V. Deripaska to investigate a rival oligarch, and the Washington case concerning the Albanian money.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eye-Ball Scanning Digital ID Company Worldcoin Integrates With Reddit, Telegram, and More
Worldcoin, the eye-ball scanning protocol co-founded by Sam Altman, is cracking open a wider integration network by adding support for platforms such as Minecraft, Reddit, Telegram, Shopify, and Mercado Libre to its World ID offering. This comes on the back of the cohesive upgrades it has already sealed with Discord, Talent Protocol, and Okta’s Auth0.
Digital ID systems, like the one used by WorldCoin, raise significant privacy concerns due to the sensitive nature of the biometric data they collect and store. The other issue is that identity becomes immutable.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
How the U.S. Keeps Funding Ukraine’s Military When it Says it’s Out of Money
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has been increasingly pressuring Congress to pass stalled legislation to support Ukraine’s war against Russia, saying that funding has run out.
On Tuesday, however, President Joe Biden touted a new military aid package worth $200 million for Ukraine.
Money is dwindling. But the announcement of more weapons being sent to Kyiv just underscores the complexity of the funding. So has the money run out? Or are there still a few billion dollars floating around?
It’s complicated.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
A law firm will cease on-campus recruiting of Harvard Law students due to the university president’s recent congressional testimony, telling Fox News Digital the move will be in place until there is a “sea change” on campus.
Edelson PC law firm founder Jay Edelson penned a letter to Harvard Law’s director of recruitment and operations saying that the firm will not be participating in the university’s upcoming Spring Interview Program. The Spring Interview Program, which begins Jan. 29, facilitates opportunities for employers to interview prospective students on campus.
The firm added that it will also skip a larger on-campus interviewing event in August, according to Reuters. Edelson told Reuters in an interview that the event is where major law firms often hire many of their summer associate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lenient Sentence for Teen Involved in Fatal Minneapolis Carjacking Prompts Outrage
A Minnesota man admitted in court on Thursday that he played a role in a fatal carjacking in Minneapolis, but relatives of the victim were angered by the plea agreement that will allow the man to soon walk free.
Husayn Braveheart pleaded guilty to one count of attempted assault in the first degree — inflicting great bodily harm. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said the plea agreement calls for a 4 1/2-year sentence. But with credit for time served while awaiting trial, Braveheart could be released soon.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mississippi Man Charged With Vandalizing Satanic Temple’s Display Inside Iowa Capitol Building
Des Moines, Iowa — A Mississippi man has been charged with criminal mischief for allegedly vandalizing the Satanic Temple of Iowa’s Baphomet display in the Capitol building Thursday.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety says 35-year-old Michael Cassidy of Lauderdale, Mississippi, was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. He has since been released.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Arrest Protesters Who Blocked Bridge in Philadelphia
Philadelphia — Police arrested protesters who blocked traffic on a Philadelphia bridge.
About 200 protesters were on the bridge over Interstate 76 near the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Thursday afternoon.
They were calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.
The group blocked the westbound lanes, leading Pennsylvania State Police troopers to arrest 32 of them.
The arrested protesters were charged with disorderly conduct and released.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California authorities are searching for a suspect who allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl in her bedroom for 5 hours while her parents slept nearby, according to KTLA.
The incident occurred on Dec. 2 in the Blair Hills neighborhood of Culver City. The victim’s parents said the suspect snuck into the home through an unlocked door. Culver City is about 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive — A Republican state attorney general is asking members of Congress to probe a Justice Department grant that he says benefits a “radically progressive” George Soros-linked group responsible for training prosecutors in ways to implement a soft-on-crime approach to their work.
Missouri’s Attorney General Andrew Bailey sent letters to congress Wednesday to urge both Republican and Democrat lawmakers “to further investigate and eliminate funding for programs that are counter-productive to public safety” and that “aid or encourage prosecutors to abuse discretion by refusing to bring criminals to justice.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rewarding Obesity, Southwest Giving Free Second Seats to ‘Customers of Size’
Southwest Airlines is receiving a mix of praise and scorn over a policy giving obese passengers free seats to hold their overabundant girth. Basic economics suggests that it will result in healthy passengers subsidizing the humungous. Worse, some thin passengers will get booted from flights to make room.
Southwest didn’t announce its “Customer of Size” policy with fanfare. Rather, it came to wide public attention after fat TikTokkers started educating each other on how to take advantage of it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rudy Giuliani Ordered to Pay $148 Million as Defamation Trial Wraps Up
Rudy Giuliani has been ordered to pay $148,169,000 to two women he falsely accused of committing election fraud in the 2020 election.
The former New York City mayor, and Donald Trump ally and former personal lawyer, was on trial for the defamation of two Georgia election workers this week at a federal court in Washington, D.C.
Giuliani had accused Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, of fraud while advancing former President Trump’s unproven claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
San Francisco Hits Record Overdose Deaths
San Francisco on Thursday hit a one-year record for overdose deaths as fentanyl continues to plague cities across the United States.
Between January 1 and November 30, 752 people in the city died from a drug overdose, according to preliminary data San Francisco’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released Thursday. The previous record for overdose deaths in a year was 726, which the city hit in 2020, ABC 7 News reported.
Over 81 percent of those deaths involved fentanyl, while about 51 percent and 46 percent involved methamphetamine and cocaine, respectively. Smaller proportions of those who overdosed also used medicinal opioids and heroin. Those numbers are consistent with previous data on deaths occurring from January to October.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sarah Lawrence Alum Sue School for Allowing Sex Cult Run by Parent on Campus
Survivors of the Sarah Lawrence sex cult are suing the college for damages, claiming that officials failed to investigate an adult sexual predator and convicted kidnapper living in his daughter’s dorm room, according to Fox News.
Had college officials questioned why a 50-year-old man had been alone in the sophomore dormitory or had enforced the college’s no-pet policy, then victims could have been saved from the sex-trafficking scheme, the plaintiffs allege in the suit.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
TikTok Permanently Banned Glenn Greenwald’s System Update Show Last Week and Refuses to Say Why
The TikTok account of a popular show hosted by journalist Glenn Greenwald was permanently banned, sparking debate over censorship practices on social media platforms. The account, primarily used for posting show clips, was banned for allegedly violating TikTok’s community guidelines, specifically the integrity and authenticity policy.
“Your account was permanently banned due to multiple violations of our community guidelines,” the notice from TikTok said, giving little detail about why.
“We could not get any kind of an answer on why it is that our account is banned, but we know that it’s permanently banned,” Greenwald said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Virginia authorities arrested two adults after seven elementary school students were poisoned after eating fentanyl-laced gummy bears, according to the New York Post.
One of the seven students brought a bag of gummy bears to Central Elementary School and shared them with his fourth-grade classmates at lunch. Five of the students were transported to the hospital, including two by ambulance, according to the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Dallas Hill told CNN that the sickened students developed symptoms that included nausea, vomiting, headache, and muscle spasms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Thursday, citizen action group Let’s Go Washington turned in over 400,000 signatures to the Washington Secretary of State’s office, hoping to put Initiative 2113 on the ballot to restore the ability for police to pursue suspects.
Initiatives in the Evergreen State are required to gather 325,000 verified signatures to qualify for the ballot.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Democrat Lawmaker Pushes for “Secure Digital ID Biometrically Synced to Your Smartphone”
During a recent House Financial Services Committee hearing, several government officials shared updates on their work on digital ID and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) — two types of technology that have the potential to give the government unprecedented levels of control and surveillance power.
Several Democrats also praised these technologies and criticized lawmakers who are pushing legislation that would shut down CBDCs.
Digital IDs received an enthusiastic endorsement from Rep. Bill Foster (D-Il), who positioned them as a way to mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence (AI). He also praised digital ID systems in other countries, such as India, Estonia, and Korea.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Democrats Continue to Deny Evidence of Government Pushing Big Tech to Censor Americans
During a hearing titled “Censorship Laundering Part II: Preventing the Department of Homeland Security’s Silencing of Dissent” this week, Democrats once again denied or downplayed the large amounts of evidence showing that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had pressured Big Tech to censor.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) opened the hearing by providing an overview of some of the most egregious examples of government agencies pressuring Big Tech companies to censor.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
White House Staffers Hold Vigil to Demand Biden Call for Ceasefire in Gaza
On Wednesday, President Biden’s staffers gathered outside the White House to demand a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Palestine’s Hamas.
They held a candlelight vigil for those who had been killed in the conflict and obscured their identities behind masks and sunglasses as they publicly shamed their boss, Joe Biden.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Woman Sentenced to Life With Parole for Killing Man During Citizen’s Arrest
A Georgia woman who was found guilty of killing a stranger during an attempted citizen’s arrest that went fatally wrong was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, a Clayton County judge ruled on Friday morning.
Hannah Payne, 24, who was handcuffed and wearing her green prison uniform, was emotional during the sentencing in Clayton County on Friday as a family friend and co-worker took the stand to speak on her behalf.
They asked for leniency from the judge while the victim’s family requested a life sentence for Payne without the possibility of parole.
Payne was convicted earlier this week of felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and three charges of weapons possession during a crime.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
You Know About George Soros, But This Foreign Megadonor May be Even More Dangerous
If you’ve paid even the most fleeting of attention to American politics in the last two decades, the name “George Soros” is all but certain to be a familiar one to you. Soros has given billions of dollars to fund the most radical left-wing groups in America, and much of the crime wave that has swept this country in recent years is attributable to big-city prosecutors whose campaigns he helped fund.
But there is another foreign billionaire who has done at least as much as Soros and quite possibly more to advance the radical Left in recent years, including illegal campaign donations to major Democrats in Congress, hundreds of millions of dollars in donations to left-wing groups that then helped fund dozens of other influential Democrats, and more hundreds of millions to lefty enviro, social and economic policy, and voter registration groups. It’s likely not an exaggeration to say, for example, that the Center for American Progress would have nowhere near its existing influence without him.
Let me tell you about Wyss… No, actually, I’m going to let Scott Walter, president of the Capital Research Center (CRC), do that with his recent testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Denmark Widens Terror Investigation That Coincides With Arrests of Alleged Hamas Members in Germany
Copenhagen, Denmark (AP) — Denmark is holding two people in custody and four others are the target of a terrorism investigation, a prosecutor said Friday, in a case that coincided with an arrest in the Netherlands and several in Germany of alleged Hamas members.
Authorities in Germany said three people arrested there were suspected of preparing for attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe. Danish authorities said that one person was arrested in the Netherlands, but it wasn’t clear if there were any ties to the Hamas investigation in Germany.
Denmark hasn’t cited an alleged Hamas link in its investigation. The two people being held in Denmark were ordered to remain in pretrial detention until Jan. 9. Danish media identified them as a man in his 50s and a 19-year-old woman.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Dirty White’ — Thugs Stab Young French Father 9 Times, Leave Him With 40 Stitches
A young French father was stabbed by four to five perpetrators nine times and had a bottle broken over his head, with the men screaming “dirty White” and other racist remarks during the attack.
The victim, Nicolas, was at Le Victoria bar in Moselle on Dec. 9 when he went to the bathroom. During that time, someone told Nicolas, “You pushed me,” to which Nicolas, even though he believed he had not done anything, simply apologized to the man. Immediately, one of the perpetrators pulled out a knife. Nicolas responded by hitting him, but another one of the man’s friends pushed Nicolas to the ground. Others then joined in to attack him.
Nicolas was beaten and stabbed multiple times. He told the police that during the attack, the men yelled, “Dirty White,” and said, “Hit him, the gwer (an Arabic slur for White people.)”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Council: Little Optimism for Big Ukraine Deal
The year’s last European Council Summit (EUCO) in Brussels began on Thursday, December 14th, but what was originally planned as a two-day meeting is expected to go way over time as consensus will be hard, if even possible, to reach on the two most important issues on the agenda: €50 billion military support and the start of accession talks with Ukraine. Despite the enormous pressure, Hungary remains adamant in its position to represent the interests of Hungarians first.
Mainstream media would have you believe that the only obstacle standing between Ukraine and fast-tracked EU membership is Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban, who will veto the next step of Kyiv’s accession process because he’s secretly working for Putin—or he’s Putin himself.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU’s AI Act Slammed as Innovation Killer
The EU’s attempt to regulate AI technology is already coming under fire days after lawmakers agreed on the language for the world’s first regulatory framework for the emergent field following a marathon negotiating session that ended Friday.
Eurocrats were quick to laud a provisional deal on the so-called AI Act, brokered between the European Parliament and Council, that includes limitations on the use of artificial intelligence by law enforcement agencies as well as strict risk categorisation for any new products in the AI family.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
First Black Czech MP Laughed Loudly as His Rape Victims Testified, Says Judge During His Sentencing
During the trial of former Czech MP Dominik Feri, who has been sentenced to three years of prison for raping two women and attempting to rape a third, the presiding judge said that he laughed so loudly during the testimony of his rape victims, that his laughter could be heard in the courtroom where they were delivering their testimony.
Feri was separated from his victims in another room while they delivered their testimony, but he was listening to them on his audio device.
“He laughed so loudly that it could be heard in the courtroom. Two victims mentioned this as a significantly unpleasant circumstance during their testimony. The defendant has the right to a defense, but not in such a blunt and insensitive way,” stated Judge Lenka Hajkova of the District Court for Prague 3, who found Feri guilty along with two other colleagues.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Bearded Hero Fights Off Home Invaders With Medieval Longsword, Celebrated With Wave of Memes
A Frenchman from the town of Montargis has become a national folk hero after he armed himself with a medieval longsword from his collection and began battling a gang of robbers who broke into his house.
In a video interview with news portal La Bonne Droite, Cédric Gallineau recounts that the incident began when he awoke one night and heard muffled sounds in his garage. After telling his wife to call the police, Gallineau, who is a collector of medieval swords, marched to select the appropriate longsword from his collection.
He then charged into his garage, where he stores a luxury car, and proceeded to swing his sword at the group of burglars. The men appeared to be shocked to learn they had entered the home of a bearded swordsman.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: New Bishop Resolves Crisis in Toulon; Ordinations Resume
Eighteen months after the Holy See suspended all priestly ordinations in the traditionalist-friendly French diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, the crisis has been resolved with the installation of a new ‘coadjutor’ bishop.
Msgr. Dominique Rey, the bishop of the diocese, had been under close surveillance by the Vatican after being accused of a “lack of discernment” in welcoming a wide variety of traditionalist communities.
The papal decision was accompanied by an apostolic visit lasting several weeks at the beginning of 2023. For many months, uncertainty hung over this southern diocese, reputed to be one of the most dynamic in France, with no signal from Rome as to the future of its bishop.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NATO Boss Tries to Bury the Hatchet With Slovak PM Fico
Slovakia’s new populist prime minister Robert Fico struck a pragmatic tone in Brussels on Thursday as he sat down for one-on-one talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg over Bratislava’s critical attitude towards military support for Ukraine.
In recent months, Slovakia has garnered international attention as Fico and his NATO-critical Smer party won the general election and formed a coalition government. This came after two years of political instability, partially driven by the economic impact of anti-Russian sanctions. Many Western pundits feared that the Central European country was on the cusp of a permanent anti-Atlanticist turn.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Conservatives Protest Attempts by New Government to Liquidate Public Media
The Polish Constitutional Tribunal will rule on Jan. 16 on whether it is possible to liquidate public media companies without legislation. PiS deputies have submitted a request to the court to rule that this would be unconstitutional since the existence of public media is guaranteed by the constitution.
On Thursday, the tribunal decided to issue an injunction blocking any action by the government in advance of the court’s Jan. 16 hearing.
According to the National Media Council, a body created during the term of office of the previous government to oversee the management of public media, any attempts by the government to bypass the council and dismiss the current boards of public media companies would be illegal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Will Tusk Really Oppose EU Treaty Changes? His True Intentions Will Soon Become Clear
In Donald Tusk’s speech to the Polish parliament, he said that “no one would get past him in the EU” and that he would oppose EU treaty changes that were unfavorable to Poland.
The problem, notes Law and Justice (PiS) MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, is that, whereas in May there were 13 countries opposing talking about treaty changes, that number by November had dwindled to Poland only.
If Tusk really means it, when he says he will oppose the treaty changes, he will have an opportunity to prove that on Dec. 18.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland’s Grain Embargo on Ukraine Will Continue Under New Agriculture Minister
The new Polish agriculture minister, Czeslaw Siekierski, believes that the embargo against Ukrainian grain must stay in place in order to ensure the security and quality of food. He argues that the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government was late to the party with measures to protect farmers from excessive imports from Ukraine, saying there was no strategy for dealing with the problem.
According to Siekierski, Ukraine’s food industry is not honoring the high quality standards that Poland has to meet inside the EU and that this has to be tackled by the EU to ensure a level playing field for Poland’s farmers and food industry.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Radicalized Polish 18-Year-Old Islam Convert Planned Suicide Bomb Attack on Police
Public prosecutors in Poland have charged an 18-year-old Pole who converted to Islam with participating in an organized group planning terrorist acts, including the use of explosives.
The man faces charges that could see him going to prison for 10 years after he was detained by the Internal Security Agency (ABW) in June.
His house was searched and evidence was found of a terrorist attack being planned on a police station in the town of Zabkowice Slaskie.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sanchez Jeered in EU Parliament Over Rule of Law Hypocrisy
There was a tumultuous reception for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday afternoon as the embattled socialist leader took to the podium to contest claims that he and his PSOE party are running roughshod over the rule of law with his amnesty deal with Catalan separatists.
Sanchez had originally been expected to sell his country’s record during the final months of the Spanish Council Presidency but instead lashed out at “populists” during his address to the Parliament.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Just before the beginning of the two-day EU summit, the European Commission has released €10 billion in cohesion funding to Hungary, after it found that the country had addressed the EU Commission’s concerns regarding the country’s judicial reform.
However, this ruling has infuriated Europe’s left-liberal mainstream. Former Belgian Prime Minister and current MEP Guy Verhofstadt went as far as saying he no longer backs von der Leyen, describing it as a “scandalous decision” to release the funds to Hungary.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The 14-year-old, who has not yet been named, chased two students in his class through the corridors of Collège De La Morinie in Saint-Omer, in the Pas-de-Calais region, on Wednesday morning
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Footage circulating on social media of a 13-year-old schoolgirl being savagely beaten by a group of youths in France has sparked a police investigation into the incident.
The shocking video shows an incident that occurred on Oct. 10 at around 6 p.m. in the 9th arrondissement of Lyon, according to Current Values journalist Amaury Bucco.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: University of Manchester Spent Over £1,400 Cleaning Up Just Stop Oil Graffiti
A freedom of information request has revealed that the University of Manchester spent £1,436 cleaning up the graffiti left on the Ali G building after a Just Stop Oil protest on October 12.
The graffiti was part of a series of protests targeting universities in October and November. Leeds, Exeter and UCL were among the universities targeted.
The Manchester protester, Ruby Hamill, was arrested soon after the incident in October by Greater Manchester Police.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Von Der Leyen: We Need Plan B if Hungary Vetoes Ukraine Funds Again
The second day of this week’s European Council Summit concluded on Friday, December 15th, but—as opposed to the quite hectic first day—there was no real breakthrough on any of the issues on the agenda, including the Migration Pact, Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession, or finding a unified position on the Israeli conflict.
Regarding the €50 billion military assistance to Ukraine, however, EU leaders—including von der Leyen—have begun cautiously toying with the idea of somehow bypassing Hungary’s veto again, although no one is sure how to do it or if it is even possible.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Welsh First Minister Quits Ahead of ‘Extremely Difficult’ Decisions
All focus in the UK may currently be on Westminster, but news from Wales shows politics across the rest of the nation is not exactly plain sailing, either.
Mark Drakeford, the leader of Welsh Labour and the country’s first minister, announced on Wednesday that he is stepping down in March. The news came exactly five years and one day after he took office. Drakeford said his decision was based on the fact he never wanted to hold the post for more than half a decade, though reports have highlighted that the timing of his announcement was a “surprise.” Next year’s Welsh spending plans, which ministers say will be “extremely difficult,” will also be unveiled this month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two Al Jazeera Journalists Wounded in Israeli Attack in Southern Gaza
Two Al Jazeera Arabic journalists have been wounded while covering an Israeli attack on a school in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Wael Dahdouh, Gaza bureau chief for Al Jazeera Arabic, and cameraperson Samer Abudaqa were covering an earlier air strike at Farhana school in Khan Younis when they were wounded on Friday by shrapnel from an Israeli missile attack.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
US Knows Days of Supporting Israel’s Gaza War ‘Are Numbered’: Analyst
‘There is a growing concern among the American public and among people inside the administration that are demanding a cease-fire,’ says Zaha Hassan, human rights lawyer, fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The US has been one of Israel’s unwavering backers even as its devastating campaign left much of the Gaza Strip in ruins since Oct. 7.
But as the political repercussions of over 18,000 Palestinian deaths set in, some officials have started — ever so slightly — altering their language of unconditional support, with President Joe Biden going so far on Thursday as to urge Tel Aviv to be “more careful” to protect civilians.
Now, a group of US lawmakers, including over a dozen senators, are advancing legislation to condition security assistance to Israel on its commitment to abide by international law, particularly the laws of war, Zaha Hassan told Anadolu at the recent TRT World Forum in Istanbul.
The human rights lawyer and fellow at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said in the interview a “change” was in motion inside Congress, albeit slowly, as the incredible loss of life in Gaza is making public officials rethink their stance.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
US, Israel Discuss When to Scale Back Gaza Combat But Agree Fight Will Take Months, Envoy Says
The US and Israel have discussed a timetable for scaling back intense combat operations in the war against Hamas, even though they agree the overall fight will take months, an envoy said on Friday, amid growing American unease about the mounting death toll in Gaza.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the besieged enclave’s post-war future, which, according to a senior US official, could include bringing back Palestinian security forces driven from their jobs in Gaza by Hamas in its 2007 takeover.
American and Israeli officials have been vague in public about how Gaza will be run if Israel achieves its goal of ending Hamas control — and the idea, floated as one of several, appeared to be the first time Washington offered some detail on its vision for security arrangements in the enclave.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
UN Climate Summit Climaxes in Potentially Ruinous Commitments
On Wednesday, December 13th, the Dubai-hosted UN climate summit, COP28, concluded by presenting its final declaration. All 198 participating countries reached a non-binding deal which—in a world first—makes explicit mention of weaning countries off fossil fuel use.
Following two weeks of intense negotiations, the deal aims to reduce or wholly avoid the negative byproducts of climate change and was praised by COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber as “historic.” Amid the celebrations, delegates are avoiding the real implications of phasing out oil, gas, and coal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Full Russian Conquest of Ukraine is Possible, Claims ISW Report
Analysts at the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have assessed the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, stating that the complete conquest of Ukraine by Russia is not out of the question. This development could lead to significant implications for the United States, including the possible need to deploy forces in Eastern Europe.
The report highlights the high stakes for the U.S. in the Russia-Ukraine war, suggesting that the conflict’s outcomes may have broader consequences than commonly perceived. If Russia were to achieve victory in Ukraine, especially without U.S. and European military support for Ukraine, the weakened but victorious Russian forces could advance to the borders of NATO.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Moscow Will View Romania, Poland, Slovakia as Combatants if F-16s Deployed
The Western countries’ ‘fighter jet coalition,’ meant to supply Ukraine with fourth-generation F-16 fighters, might pose minimal risk to the UK and the Netherlands (the two countries who came up with the idea), but they are not the ones who will have to host the live training and the aircraft themselves—and possibly even lend their airstrips to launch missions.
During Wednesday’s OSCE meeting in Vienna, Konstantin Gavrilov, the head of the Russian Arms Control Delegation, warned three Eastern European countries against just that, saying that if the F-16s were to enter Ukraine from Polish, Slovak, or Romanian airspace, Moscow would have no choice but to consider these countries active participants in the conflict, the Romanian Hotnews wrote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Councilor Detonates Grenades at Meeting, Wounding 26, in Attack Captured on Video
A Ukrainian village councilor set off hand grenades at a meeting in an attack that was captured on video and left 26 people wounded, the country’s national police said Friday. The incident took place Friday morning at the headquarters of the village council of Keretsky, in western Ukraine’s mountainous Zakarpattia region.
A video posted by the police on Facebook showed a man dressed in black entering a council meeting during a heated discussion. The faces of the man and other people in the meeting are blurred in the clip.
The man then pulled three hand grenades from his pockets, released the safety pins and dropped them on the floor, triggering explosions as those in the meeting scream.
“As a result, 26 people were wounded, six of whom are in a grave condition,” the police statement said, adding that medics were trying to resuscitate the man who threw the grenades.
The police said the Ukrainian secret service (SBU) had opened a terrorism investigation. Police also opened a probe into the illegal handling of weapons.
The video released by the police came from a live video stream of the meeting provided by the town council on social media, which showed the man walking in more than 1.5 hours into the debate and standing momentarily by the door before taking the grenades from his pockets.
It then showed chaos inside the small room, which went dark and was filled with smoke, with injured people on the floor.
Authorities did not name the man but the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported that he was identified as Serhiy Batryn, a parliamentarian who is a member of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
A Ukrainian lawmaker has killed himself and injured dozens after detonating multiple grenades at a packed council meeting in the country.
The incident occurred during a Friday morning session meeting of the Kerets’ky village council in the Mukachevo region of western Ukraine, close to the border with Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia.
In footage posted by Ukrainian police on the Telegram messaging app, a man dressed in black can be seen standing at the door to the small room where the council meeting is taking place.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brazil to Mandate COVID-19 Shots for Kids as Young as 6 Months
Authored by Augusto Zimmermann via The Epoch Times
The Brazilian government via its Health Ministry has added the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to the country’s National Immunization Program (PNI) for children six months to five years old.
As reported by Agência Brasil, the new policy will take effect in 2024 and will require at least three doses of the vaccine.
Approved on Nov. 29 by the Senate’s Committee on Social Affairs, law proposal No. 826 is currently being analysed by the Educational Commission.
With the obligation, not vaccinating children will result in fines and loss of social benefits to their families.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
10 IEDs Found on Mexican Side of Border, Agents Urged to ‘Exercise Extreme Caution’
United States Customs and Border Patrol has urged agents to “exercise extreme caution” and be on the lookout for improvised explosive devices.
The warning comes after the Mexican military seized 10 IEDs on its side of the southern border earlier this week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Aldermen Block Plan to Put Question of Sanctuary City Status on the Ballot
Chicago aldermen voted to block a symbolic question that would have been placed on the March primary ballot asking whether voters wanted to end the city’s status as a sanctuary city.
The non-binding referendum asked the question, “Should the City of Chicago limit its designation as a Sanctuary City by placing spending limits on its public funding?”
It wasn’t even close. The vote was 31-16 in favor of keeping the city open to illegal aliens.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cyprus has renewed its calls for the European Union to declare parts of Syria safe for repatriation to ease the migrant crisis enveloping the Mediterranean island.
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou told Reuters that the Cypriot foreign ministry was planning to raise the matter with the European Commission in the coming days as Nicosia seeks to ease the burden of a rising asylum population in the new year.
“Starting a discussion to re-evaluate the issue of Syria is crucial for us,” Ioannou told the news agency.
“We have five times more migrants than any other frontline member state,” he added, the largest cohort of which originate from Syria.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The international community should leave hypocrisy behind and finally make it clear that there is a clear distinction between refugees and illegal migrants, and they should act accordingly, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó said on Wednesday at the UN’s Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.
Szijjartó said at the plenary session of the forum that “Hungary is under double pressure, with the war in Ukraine in the east and the protection of the external borders of the European Union in the south posing a serious challenge on the Western Balkan migration route, which is now the busiest.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Traffic Light Coalition Floundering on Deportations
The German governing ‘traffic light’ coalition of the Social Democrats, Greens and the liberal Free Democrats had promised to tighten the country’s asylum procedures, but new legislation appears to be in jeopardy as the Greens have made demands that could lead to even fewer deportations in the future.
The Repatriation Improvement Act has been blocked by the Greens, who are demanding that all foreign nationals be given lawyers at tax-payer expense to challenge their deportation decision, a move that could halt deportations, Berliner Zeitung reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Has Approved Almost 1 Million Family Reunifications Since 2015
Germany’s surging immigration population is greatly tied to family reunifications, which will reach a new high this year after nearly a million have entered the country through this procedure.
Even at a time when the vast majority of Germans have turned against mass immigration, the left-liberal government is racing to bring in more non-EU foreigners. By the end of November, the Federal Foreign Ministry under Green Party politician Annalena Baerbock had issued more than 120,000 visas to facilitate family reunification. Last year, the number of such visas totaled 117,000.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Asks EU to Reimburse Part of Its €1.6 Billion Border Defense Costs
Hungarian Finance Minister Mihaly Varga wrote a letter to EU budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn to reimburse part of the costs of its migration control efforts that benefit the whole of the European Union.
“Since 2015, Hungary has stopped 1 million illegal border crossings at the country’s southern Schengen border. Migration pressure is increasing, with Hungarian border guards dealing with 100,000 illegal migrants this year alone,” Varga wrote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ever since the Biden administration began bussing thousands of migrants to Chicago, the city’s black community has been less-than enthusiastic about their new neighbors.
Photos captured from the event pic.twitter.com/mp3946xI3L
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 11, 2023
“All of a sudden we have deep pockets for people who don’t pay taxes,” said one resident during a May town hall. “I understand helping people, but you start with your own home.”
“Savages, Rapists, Burglars”
In today’s episode of the left eating its own — meet Chicago NAACP President Teresa Haley, who took things one step further in a leaked Zoom call from October, in which she likened immigrants to “savages, rapists and burglars.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A minor has been arrested in Austria on suspicion of planning a terror attack on a synagogue in Vienna.
The 16-year-old suspect, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is understood to be an Austrian national with a Turkish migrant background living near Steyr, Upper Austria.
He was placed into custody last Thursday after authorities received information linking him to the potential planning of an Islamist terror attack.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Marion Maréchal Supports Immigration Referendum to Unite the French Right
After the triumphant adoption of the motion to reject the government’s immigration bill, France’s opposition parties aim to capitalise on this thunderous victory, which has seriously weakened the government. Marion Maréchal, head of the Reconquête party’s list for the European elections, is proposing a shared-initiative referendum so that the united Right can impose its own terms of the debate.
In an interview for the magazine L’Incorrect on December 11th, Marion Maréchal suggests using a Shared Initiative Referendum (Référendum d’Initiative Partagée, or RIP). This institutional mechanism allows citizens to submit a subject of their choice to a referendum, provided that they manage to secure the support of one-fifth of members of parliament in the first instance, and one-tenth of voters in the second. The support of 185 members of parliament, senators and deputies—totalling 925 politicians since 2015—is needed to present such a proposal. One-tenth of the electorate represents a critical mass of just over 4.8 million voters. These thresholds are very high, which makes it difficult to use this mechanism. Since no initiative has ever reached the second threshold, no referendum has ever been organised in France using this method.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Californian Values’ Stigmatising Families in the West
Concerns about the survival of the family in the modern world were the subject of MCC Brussels’ conference on Thursday, December 7th, entitled “The family in crisis.”
“Throughout most of the modern era, the idea that the family, in its conventional nuclear form, which served as a foundational institution of society in the West, was rarely challenged. Yet today, this institution and the ideals associated with it are frequently decried and described as outdated, discriminatory and oppressive,” according to Professor Frank Füredi, executive director of MCC Brussels—and author of this recent essay—as he set out the problem posed today by ‘Californian Values.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Christian Veteran Who Beheaded Satan Statue at Iowa Capitol to Face Additional Charges
On Friday, Michael Cassidy, the Christian veteran who was arrested after beheading the Satanic idol that was placed in the Iowa State Capitol by The Satanic Temple, revealed that additional charges may be brought forth against him.
“I’ve been notified of more potential legal charges unfortunately, so I’ve opened the legal fund donation back up,” Cassidy, who previously ran for Congress in Mississippi, wrote on X. “All donations in excess of what is directly related to my defense shall be donated to a Christian legal fund.”
According to the GiveSendGo page set up for Cassidy by The Sentinel, an additional investigation has been opened into Cassidy in relation to the beheading of the Baphomet idol.
Around $20,000 was raised by the campaign in less than three hours, the amount initially needed when he was facing just a count of fourth-degree criminal mischief.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former FBI agent turned whistleblower Kyle Seraphin shared an email sent to all FBI employees that instructs them to change the way they reference lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender persons and persons who identify with those gender identities and sexual orientations. This was important enough to the FBI to actually issue this directive.
“The FBI has officially adopted the LGBTQIA+ acronym in place of LGBTQ+. This change was proposed by the Bureau Equality, one of our nine Diversity Advisory Committees, and approved by FBI executive management to help promote a more welcoming workplace for members of our LGBTQIA+ community,” FBI Communications instructed everyone.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A mother took the stand anonymously in a federal court on Wednesday and wept over a Florida law that prevents her from giving her 12-year-old child puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones.
The pediatrician’s diagnosis came after the toddler “began gravitating towards girls’ toys and clothes.” The mom said that as a toddler, her child screamed and tore at his clothes on the way to preschool. This was further evidence, apparently, of the child being born in the wrong body.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Furious parents claim Melody Wiseheart shared a locker room with their daughters during the meet, which featured age groups from eight and younger to 16 and older.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Poland to Fast-Track Gay Marriage?
Poland’s new Europhile government may be poised to fast-track the legalisation of same-sex marriage following a legal diktat from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The Strasbourg-based ECHR issued their verdict on Tuesday, declaring that current Polish statutes, which recognize marriage as between a man and a woman, violate the “right to respect for private and family life” outlined under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in a six-to-one decision.
The ECHR, which is often accused of being a technocratic body used to impose socially liberal values on European nation-states, made the decision in response to a challenge by five same-sex couples.
While the ruling stressed that it could not force any nation state to legislate for or against same-sex partnerships, it did minimise the Polish state’s “traditional concept of marriage as a union of a man and a woman” that was given as one of the reasons not to recognise homosexual unions by the departing PiS government.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A trans-identified boy won first place in the regional ladies’ Irish dancing competition in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday. He is now headed to compete in the Irish Dancing World Championships which has enraged parents and dancers alike.
Irish dancing is a highly gendered sport and parents say they can’t comprehend how someone with a physical advantage can compete fairly against their daughters, the Daily Signal reports.
“Oh, my gosh. It’s going to make me cry,” said one mother of a dancer to the outlet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
__________________________________________________________
RENAISSANCE READINGS
Tolkien:
The Homer of the Anglosphere
https://www.amren.com/features/2023/12/tolkien-the-homer-of-the-anglosphere/
“First Black Czech MP Laughed Loudly as His Rape Victims Testified, Says Judge During His Sentencing”
In a way, it’s like “dog eat dog” situation over here:
They took young, tall black guy and made him the MP at 21 years of age and turned him into a “star” of the “globalist movement” – ban guns, finance LGBT, sponsor immigration, hate russia, and “get vaccinated”… He was the whole packaged deal.
And he would be pretty good in this role as well, as young people and impressionable young girls would vote for him just because he’s such a nice, smily guy…
…but the fame and fortune must have gotten right into his head and he messed up his rising star so badly, by forcing unsuspecting fun-girls into sex, what a shame
When mentally ill males insist on using girls’ changing rooms the girls’ normal male classmates need to invite them to use the boys’ changing rooms and then keep all other boys out.
That said, it’s absurd that adults do not have the backbone to draw the line at this kind of madness. There’s the real problem.