Hamas spokesmen say that the group killed six Israeli soldiers in a bomb explosion in Gaza. Meanwhile, Egypt is proposing a multi-stage truce to end the war between Israel and Hamas.
In other news, a 600-pound alligator was caught near a shopping mall in Florida that was filled with Christmas shoppers.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Caroline Glick, Conservative Tree House, Dean, Dora, JW, LP, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
Biden’s Massive Spending is Making Housing Unaffordable, Atlanta Fed Warns
The massive spending agenda of President Joe Biden and the Democrats is driving the huge cost of living rates that are impacting many Americans, experts are warning.
The issue is specifically impacting the real estate market.
Biden’s push for huge government spending has contributed to higher interest rates across the board, putting mortgages for average Americans out of reach.
High-interest rates on debt made up the biggest increase in home unaffordability in September.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
How BlackRock Triggered Global Energy Crisis
While most of the world’s population has been suffering from the impact of the global energy crisis, it hasn’t been bad news for everyone.
Most people are bewildered by what is behind the energy crisis.
Prices for oil, gas, and coal have been simultaneously soaring around the world.
The issue has forced the closure of major industrial plants producing everyday products such as chemicals, aluminum, or steel.
Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration and the European Union have insisted that all is because of Putin and Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
This is not the case, however.
The energy crisis is a long-planned strategy of Western corporate and political circles to dismantle industrial economies to advance the dystopian green agenda of globalist entities such as the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Despite the Democrats’ “Putin Price Hike” narrative that’s peddled by the corporate media, the energy crisis was initiated well before February 2022, when Russia launched its military action in Ukraine.
In January 2020, on the eve of the economically and socially devastating Covid lockdowns, Larry Fink of BlackRock, the CEO of the world’s largest investment fund, issued a letter to Wall Street colleagues and corporate heads regarding the future of investment flows.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
600-Pound Alligator Caught Near Mall Filled With Christmas Shoppers
LEE COUNTY, Fla. — As people were Christmas shopping Thursday afternoon at a mall in Estero, Florida, officials removed a large alligator hanging out nearby.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday deputies were called out to Coconut Point Mall about an alligator.
The alligator was approximately 12 feet long and 600 hundred pounds, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office released a video that showed about six people moving the alligator, according to WFLA. The alligator was put into the back of a pickup truck.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted the sheriff’s office and was able to get the alligator to safety, the news outlet reported.
“There truly is never a dull moment while on patrol here in Lee County,” the sheriff’s office said.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
AI Discovers a New Class of Antibiotics After Scouring 12 Million Compounds
Antibiotics have saved countless lives and are a crucial tool in modern medicine. But we’re losing ground in our battle against bacteria. In the middle of the last century, scientists discovered whole new classes of antibiotics. Since then, the pace of discovery has slowed to a trickle, and the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has grown.
There are likely antibiotics yet to be discovered, but the chemical universe is too big for anyone to search. In recent years, scientists have turned to AI. Machine learning algorithms can whittle enormous numbers of potential chemical configurations down to a handful of promising candidates for testing.
To date, scientists have used AI to find single compounds with antibiotic properties. But in a new study, published yesterday in Nature, MIT researchers say they’ve built and tested a system that can identify whole new classes of antibiotics and predict which are likely safe for people.
The AI sifted over 12 million compounds and found an undiscovered class of antibiotics that proved effective in mice against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a deadly strain of drug-resistant bug.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Admin, DoD Sued for Canceling ‘Sound of Freedom’ Film Screenings
A lawsuit was filed Thursday by the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project to compel the Biden administration and the Department of Defense (DOD) to produce all records concerning screenings of the hit movie Sound of Freedom after U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) abruptly canceled screenings without explanation earlier this year.
As Breitbart News reported, the screenings were called off after two journalists from The Military Times contacted Southcom about the planned events.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Christmas Eve, former Republican President Donald Trump sent a message to all Americans wishing them a “holy” and “joyous” Christmas season.
Trump provided meaningful sentiments about the “true miracle” of the birth of Jesus Christ, the reason for the season, and gave praise to the “many blessings God has bestowed upon us.” For this, Trump asserted that the phrase “Merry Christmas” will forever reign.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Tucker Carlson Drops Surprise Christmas Interview With Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood
On Sunday, journalist Tucker Carlson tapped into an unforeseen source to offer some perspective on the 2024 Presidential Election in a surprise Christmas episode for his show “Tucker on X.”
Actor Kevin Spacey sat down with Carlson and shared his two cents as he reprised his iconic role-playing the legendary character Frank Underwood in the hit Netflix show “House of Cards,” which was nearly immediately recognizable due to the character’s famous southern drawl.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Catholic University Offering ‘Safe Haven’ for Jewish Students Amid Rise in Anti-Semitism
As Jewish students across the country experience growing anti-Semitism, a Catholic school in Ohio is expanding opportunities for such students to transfer.
Following Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of Israelis, Franciscan University of Steubenville has opened its campus to welcome new Jewish students who have been subjected to bigotry around the U.S.
“But with too many universities preaching tolerance but practicing prejudice, we feel compelled to do more,” Franciscan president Father Dave Pivonka said in a press release. “We are witnessing a very troubling spike in antisemitism and serious threats against Jewish students. We want to offer them the chance to transfer immediately to Franciscan.”
According to the statement, Franciscan has put forward scholarships and an expedited transfer process for Jewish students to transfer immediately despite the university already having record attendance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Citizens Urged to Prepare as 2024 Election Riot Season Draws Near
As the 2024 election draws near, many are expecting corporate media outlets to be dominated by reports of widespread rioting in Democrat-led cities across the country.
As we’ve seen in America’s recent major election cycles, these leftist riots have almost become key components in Democrats’ campaigns.
It is now impossible to ignore that the Left has opted to replace the traditional politics of constitutional government with the revolutionary politics of “disruption.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gov. Gavin Newsom critized fellow Democrats for considering blocking former president Donald Trump from California’s 2024 presidential primary ballot, saying that, “we defeat candidates at the polls.”
“There is no doubt that Donald Trump is a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy,” Newsom said in a statement. “But in California, we defeat candidates at the polls.”
“Everything else is a political distraction,” Newsom said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hundreds Protest War in Gaza as LAPD Blocks Group From Entering Beverly Center
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (KABC) — Hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters gathered in Beverly Hills on Saturday to call for an end to the war.
They were met with counter-protesters supporting Israel. While tensions were high, with pushing and shouting, police did not report any major incidents.
The group gathered in Beverly Hills and eventually made their way to the Beverly Center.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Far left outlet The Atlantic ripped Harvard University for not doing enough to hold its president Claudine Gay responsible for her recent scandals, particularly her plagiarism scand
The Atlantic’s contributing writer Eliot Cohen, who received his Ph.D. from Harvard and was a former administrator there, blasted the school’s board in a Friday article, claiming that it should be in a “tougher spot” for not holding Gay accountable for plagiarism.
He declared that Gay’s alleged behavior, which he argued was “indisputable,” is “disqualifying” for her leadership role and that she needs to leave her office.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Killed in ‘Targeted’ Shooting at Florida Shopping Mall
The suspect left the gun behind after fleeing the scene, officers said
A man has died in a “targeted” shooting at a shopping mall in central Florida two days before Christmas, police said.
Police chief Mike Balken told reporters that the man was killed after he was shot multiple times in a common area at Paddock Mall in Ocala, about 79 miles north-west of Orlando.
A woman also was shot in the leg. She was treated at a local hospital and is expected to recover, Mr Balken said.
The suspect fled the scene and left behind the firearm.
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
Lawyers representing New York City called on a federal judge to drop a lawsuit filed by ex-bodega clerk Jose Alba after murder charges against him were dropped.
Jose Alba, a former bodega worker, was attacked while working behind the counter on July 1, 2022, by 35-year-old Austin Simon as well as his girlfriend, Tina Lee. Alba grabbed his knife and fatally stabbed Simon. Alba claimed self-defense, but murder charges were later filed against him.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office would later drop the charges after an outcry in public support for Alba, which included Mayor Eric Adams.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Calls are growing for Harvard to dismiss President Claudine Gay or for her to resign as allegations of plagiarism continue to plague the elite university leader.
Gay, who recently made headlines for refusing to say whether calling for genocide of Jews was against Harvard policy during a congressional hearing, was accused this month of plagiarizing several of her past academic writing.
On Tuesday, Harvard received a new complaint detailing “dozens of additional cases in which Gay quoted or paraphrased authors without proper attribution,” the Washington Free Beacon first reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Outrage in Chabad: Tunnel Discovered Under Chabad Headquarters
Chabad discovered a tunnel under the Hasidic World Center in Crown Heights. Posing a danger to the building’s foundations, it was decided to close the women’s section above the tunnel.
A tunnel has been discovered under the Hasidic World Center 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, New York.
The tunnel had been dug for several months at least, as Chabad suspects that several men are responsible for the digging that began during the Covid-19 pandemic, in order to enter a building that was locked.
Others in Chabad claim that the tunnel was dug during the last year by a number of Mexican workers.
Due to the danger to the foundations of the building, it was decided to close the women’s section above the tunnel. The diggers hid the dirt and debris in a mikvah that had not been used for years.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Prince Andrew ‘In Torment’ as Name ‘Set to Appear’ in Jeffrey Epstein Court Docs
Prince Andrew is said to be bracing for an uncomfortable New Year after learning his name will appear alongside those of over 170 people with ties to Jeffrey Epstein in a trove of soon-to-be unsealed court documents.
The Duke of York is “totally tormented” over the anticipated release in January of the documents filed in a since-settled defamation lawsuit Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre brought against the convicted pedophile’s madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, back in 2015, The Daily Mail reported Sunday.
“Andrew’s name is in there,” a source told the Mail. “He is beside himself with this latest development and everyone close to him is concerned for his mental wellbeing.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestinian Protesters Confront Democratic Lawmakers, Shut Down Chicago Interstate
A massive group of pro-Palestinian protesters in Chicago confronted lawmakers at their homes on Saturday and temporarily shut down an interstate to express support for Palestinians in Gaza.
The group, led by the “U.S. Palestinian Community Network,” first stopped at the home of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., in the city of Evanston, the group said on Instagram.
The demonstrators also confronted U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., at his home in Chicago, where they shouted chants of “Long live Palestine!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen. Graham Reveals Main Snarl to Bipartisan Deal on Border and Ukraine
Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday said President Biden’s policy of allowing migrants to stay in the US while waiting for asylum is what’s holding up a bipartisan deal on Ukraine aid and border security.
Republicans have long been critical of the Biden administration’s so-called “parole” policy, which lets migrants enter the US and remain here while their asylum requests play out in court.
Senate negotiators for both sides struggled to rectify their differences on the asylum policy — and ultimately couldn’t come to an agreement — before adjourning for winter break, Graham said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Far-left Washington Post activist Taylor Lorenz is giving Christmas a miss for the fourth year in a row, citing coronavirus concerns over “selfish” people who still refuse to wear masks for dumping the celebration.
Lorenz made the announcement while responding to a Threads user who was recommending coronavirus mitigation methods for social gatherings.
The reporter lamented in her post that those who refuse to wear masks participate in “the social murder of disabled people”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Texas mother of four fatally shot a teenage home invader who tried to break into her daughter’s bedroom window and now faces eviction as the case heads to a grand jury.
Aleah Wallace, 25, said she was cleaning her living room when she heard someone, identified as 14-year-old Devin Baker, attempting to break into her rental home around 3 a.m. on Dec. 14, according to Fox 4.
“I went, and I stood in the hallway. And I could see him standing at the window, lifting it up. I just shot,” Wallace told the outlet.
It was the second time Wallace’s house was targeted by burglars in less than 24 hours.
The teen allegedly tried to sneak through Wallace’s 8-year-old daughter’s window, according to the outlet.
Baker, who also lived with his family at the apartment complex, died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump’s Lawyers Deliver Opening Brief in Bid to Toss Out Jan. 6 Case Following SCOTUS Win
Fresh off its win at the Supreme Court, Donald Trump’s legal team made its opening brief late Saturday to an appeals court, seeking to quash his federal election subversion indictment with claims of presidential immunity.
In a late Saturday filing, Trump’s team effectively argued that the courts can not hold him accountable for carrying out his official duties while president, and therefore, his four-count indictment for alleged 2020 election subversion must be scrapped.
“President Trump has absolute immunity from prosecution for his official acts as President. The indictment alleges only official acts, so it must be dismissed,” Trump’s lawyer John Sauer wrote in a lengthy briefing to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Union Square Protest Led to 3 Adults, 1 Minor Arrested
(KRON) — Four people have been arrested after the Union Square pro-Palestine protest on Saturday.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, officers were facilitating a group that was exercising First Amendment rights at Market and 5th streets. Once the group moved to Union Square, SFPD says, “several people began to commit crimes ranging from assault to felony vandalism and causing property damage.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WEF’s ‘C40 Cities’ Agenda Seeks to Enslave America
In recent years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has massively expanded its influence over governments worldwide, including the United States.
WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab openly gloats that he has installed his so-called “Young Global Leaders” in the cabinets of major Western nations, including the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, and New Zealand, among others.
By seemingly taking a page out of George Soros’ playbook, the WEF extended this agenda by infiltrating local governments.
WEF-allied operatives are now in powerful and effective positions as powerful state and city officials.
This slow-walked power-grab has enabled the WEF to make significant gains in ushering in a key element of Schwab’s “Great Reset” agenda — “C40 Cities.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CBC Blames Teleprompter for Guest Anchor Declaring That ‘Israel Started the Hamas War’
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) went to a long-unused X account to proclaim that the guest host of the network’s “Power & Politics” didn’t mean to say, “Israel started the Hamas war.”
It was all the teleprompters’s fault, according to Canada’s state media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austrian, German Police on Alert Due to Christmas Terror Threat — Report
Several suspects have reportedly been arrested in Vienna and western Germany.
Austrian, German, and Spanish police were on high alert at cathedrals in several cities due to concerns that Islamists were planning a terrorist attack on Christmas or New Year’s Eve, with several suspects already arrested in Vienna and Germany, according to German reports.
According to the Bild, several suspects were arrested in the Ottakring district of Vienna, while another was arrested in Saarland, Germany.
The arrested suspects are Tajiks allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, the branch of ISIS in south-central Asia, according to the report.
| — Hat tip: Conservative Tree House | [Return to headlines] |
European voters are base, hormone-driven creatures who can be manipulated through fear and this may lead to a right-wing surge in the 2024 European Union elections if they ignore the “lucid” left, Commission Vice-President and bloc Foreign Affairs boss Josep Borrell appears to make implicit in remarks to a left-wing newspaper.
More than 400 million eligible voters will be able to cast ballots in the next European Union election in June 2024, one of the largest elections on earth. While the European Parliament isn’t the sole deciding factor in the direction of travel of the Union — it remains dominated by the Commission, after all — veteran Spanish socialist politician Josep Borrell is evidently concerned. Speaking to Britain’s The Guardian newspaper following a speech on the challenges faced by Europe, Borrell felt motivated to launch an apparently ill-natured attack on right-wing politics, accusing them of being base and primitive in nature.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Farage-Founded Reform UK Party to Challenge Tories Every Seat in Next Election
The Nigel Farage-founded Reform UK party has confirmed its intentions to put forward candidates in every parliamentary constituency in the next general election, which will likely cement the widely predicted defeat of Rishi Sunak’s Tory Party at the ballot box.
The conservative populist Reform UK party has already recruited some 440 candidates to stand for parliament in the next general election — which is expected to take place in the UK next year — and plans to have the other 190 candidates confirmed by the end of February so that the party can challenge in all 630 constituencies in England, Scotland and Wales, with the party opting not to compete in Northern Ireland, which is dominated by local parties.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Several Suspected Islamists Arrested Over Christmas Terror Attack Plot on Cologne Cathedral
Several suspected Islamist terrorists have been arrested in Germany and Austria over alleged planned attacks during the Christmas holiday season including at the Cologne Cathedral, which was searched by police with explosive-sniffing dogs on Saturday evening.
According to a report from Bild, Germany’s largest-circulation newspaper, police have arrested several suspected terrorists said to be from Tajikstan and who allegedly planned to carry out terror attacks in Europe on Christmas or New Year’s Eve. The suspected Islamist terrorists are believed to have connections to the “Islamic State in Khorasan Province” an offshoot of ISIS primarily located in Afghanistan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Heightened Security and Terrorism Threats Cast a Shadow on Christmas Eve in Cologne
This Christmas Eve around the Cologne Cathedral has markedly lost its sense of serenity. Due to a specific terrorism warning, the police have significantly heightened security measures since Saturday.
Uniformed officers, barricades, and control stations are ubiquitous. Nonetheless, the nighttime searches of the cathedral yielded no explosive materials, and the sniffer dogs did not alert, reports BILD.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ireland: Man Dead, Another Injured After Shooting in Dublin
One man has died and a second man has been seriously injured following a gun attack in west Dublin tonight
The shooting took place at a restaurant on Blanchardstown’s Main St.
The dead man, 20s, is believed to be one of the gunmen and appears to have sustained fatal stab wounds.
A man in his 40s suffered gunshot wounds and is in a critical condition in hospital
A firearm has been found at the scene.
The latest gangland gun attack took place at Browne’s Steakhouse just after 8pm as customers including families with children were eating out on Christmas Eve.
A father and son who were also in the restaurant and known to gardaí were the targets of a gunman who arrived and fired several shots at them as customers screamed and ran.
Frightened parents rushed out carrying young children from the scene.
A man in his forties was shot and seriously injured.
He was driven to Connolly hospital by a relative and is in a critical condition.
The gunman was tackled at the scene and fatally injured.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Slovakia Detains Individual for Allegedly Planning to Replicate Prague Attack
Slovakian authorities report the apprehension of a 64-year-old man in Zilina who allegedly threatened to carry out a massacre resembling Thursday’s mass shooting in Prague, reports BBC.
The individual, detained after alerting emergency services about his intentions to replicate the Prague incident, now faces potential prosecution for causing public alarm, which carries a maximum two-year prison sentence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Two Arrested in London Over Theft of Banksy ‘Stop Sign’ Painting
LONDON (AP) — A second suspect was arrested in the alleged theft of a work by the elusive street artist Banksy of a stop sign adorned with three military drones, London police said Sunday.
A man in his 40s was in custody on suspicion of theft and criminal damage, the Metropolitan police said. A suspect in his 20s who was arrested Saturday was released on bail.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police in Serbia Fire Tear Gas at Election Protesters
BELGRADE, Serbia — Riot police in Serbia fired tear gas to prevent hundreds of opposition supporters from entering the capital’s city council building on Sunday in protest of what election observers said were widespread vote irregularities during a general election last weekend.
Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic said it was an attempt to overthrow the government orchestrated from abroad. He said more than 35 people were arrested and more detentions would follow.
“This was an attempted violent takeover of the state institutions of the Republic of Serbia,” Vucic told the pro-government Pink TV.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
14 IDF Soldiers Killed in Gaza Combat as Israel Pays ‘Heavy Price’ From Continued Hamas Resistance
TEL AVIV, Israel — Fourteen Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in Gaza over the weekend, the Israeli military said Sunday, in some of the bloodiest days of battle since the ground offensive began and a sign that Hamas is still putting up a fight despite weeks of brutal war.
The mounting death toll among Israeli troops is likely an important factor in Israeli support for the war, which was sparked when Hamas-led terrorists stormed communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostage. The war has devastated parts of Gaza, killed roughly 20,400 Palestinians and displaced nearly 85% of the besieged territory’s 2.3 million people.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza said 166 people were killed in the coastal enclave over the past day.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Caroline Glick: Standing Up to the American Colossus
The Biden administration is working assiduously to block Israel from defeating Hamas or contending coherently or effectively with the growing existential threats it faces from Iran and Iran’s Lebanese and Yemeni proxies. To force Israel to stand down, President Joe Biden’s top advisers are descending on Israel one after another to pressure and coerce Jerusalem to limit its military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and the Red Sea.
Last week National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was here to hector Israel’s leaders. Sullivan devoted most of his efforts to demanding that Israel move quickly from major combat operations in Gaza to more limited operations directed against specific “high value targets.” The idea is that Hamas can be left in place, more or less, and Israel can just seek a terror master or two to kill and declare victory.
The United States is using the Security Council as an additional cudgel to force Israel to comply with its militarily self-defeating edicts. If Israel doesn’t obey, the United States will permit a U.N. Security Council resolution requiring Israel to stand down to pass, and then Israel will face international sanctions if it continues fighting.
To maintain U.S. support, a senior administration official told the Israeli media last week, Israel needs to massively resupply Gaza and allow life to return to normal for the Palestinians in Gaza (who overwhelmingly support Hamas).
One of Sullivan’s chief demands was that Israel expand the so-called “humanitarian aid” entering Gaza, and permit that aid to enter Gaza directly from Israel. Once Israel buckled to U.S. pressure on that score and opened the Kerem Shalom crossing for additional trucks of supplies to Hamas, the administration began demanding that Israel permit the renewal of “commercial traffic” to Gaza. “The Israelis understand that the more aid that gets in, the more time they’ll have to continue operations in Gaza,” the U.S. official said.
Biden and his advisers know that the term “humanitarian aid” is a euphemism for resupply of Hamas. They know that the goods entering Gaza are transferred to Hamas, which distributes supplies first to its terror cells and units, then to apparatchiks. After Hamas terrorists and agents are supplied, the “humanitarian aid” is hawked to civilians on black markets at a massive markup.
So, by forcing Israel to permit “humanitarian aid” to enter Gaza, Biden and his top officials are compelling Israel to fortify Hamas’s position as the undisputed ruler of the region, who decides who gets what, when and under what circumstances.
This U.S. policy undermines Israel strategically and tactically in two additional ways…
| — Hat tip: Caroline Glick | [Return to headlines] |
Egypt Proposes Multi-Stage Truce to Resolve Israel-Hamas Conflict
Soon after these reports surfaced, Netanyahu released a statement saying “We will continue to fight until the complete victory over Hamas”
Israeli officials have acknowledged a recent proposal from Egypt that aims to broker a truce and secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Gazan terrorists.
While initial reports suggested that Israel is open to considering the proposal, Prime Minister Netanyahu soon after released a statement in which he announced that the war in Gaza will be intensifying, until Hamas will ‘no longer be a threat to Israel’
They Egyptian plan began with a humanitarian pause, extending over two to four weeks, during which hostilities would cease. In exchange, Israel would receive 40 hostages, prioritizing vulnerable demographics such as women, minors, and elderly individuals, particularly those in poor health. Simultaneously, Israel would potentially release 120 Palestinian security prisoners falling within the same categories. This period would witness the withdrawal of Israeli tanks and the facilitation of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Footage Reveals Intricate Two-Level Hamas Headquarters Where 5 Hostages’ Bodies Were Found
Eerie video surfaced Sunday revealing the intricate two-level underground headquarters of Hamas’ Northern Brigade where the bodies of five hostages were found.
The footage, released by the Israeli army, shows off the massive underground hub discovered dozens of meters deep in Gaza’s Jabaliya neighborhood, which has seen some of the most intense fighting of the war in recent weeks.
The video features Israeli soldiers first uncovering a weapons stash hidden inside a building — which houses an elevator shaft to the complex tunnel system below.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hamas Claims to Kill 6 Israeli Soldiers in Gaza Bomb Explosion
Palestinian resistance group Hamas claimed Sunday to have killed six Israeli soldiers in a bomb explosion in the central Gaza Strip.
The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said several other soldiers were injured when an anti-personnel bomb was detonated in Juhor al-Deek town, south of Gaza City.
Hamas said its fighters also attacked three Israeli tanks with anti-armor shells in Qasa’ib and Jabalia al-Balad in the northern Gaza Strip.
The claim came hours after the Israeli army said that 14 soldiers were killed in clashes with Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours.
Early Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the Gaza war despite its “very heavy price” on the army.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Netanyahu Vows to Fight on in Gaza; Islamic Jihad Joins Cairo Talks
CAIRO/JERUSALEM, Dec 24 (Reuters) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to fight deeper into Gaza after his troops endured one of the worst days of losses of their ground war, while militant group Islamic Jihad joined talks in Cairo, a sign diplomacy was still alive.
The arrival of a delegation in Cairo headed by Islamic Jihad’s exiled leader Ziad al-Nakhlala followed talks attended by Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in recent days. Islamic Jihad, while smaller than Hamas, is also holding hostages in Gaza.
The militant groups have so far said they will not discuss any release of hostages unless Israel ends its war in Gaza, while the Israelis say they are willing to discuss only a temporary pause in fighting.
But neither side has publicly walked away from talks that Washington last week described as “very serious”, even as fighting has intensified throughout the Gaza Strip since a truce collapsed at the start of December.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Iran Threatens to Close Mediterranean Sea Alleging U.S. Gaza ‘Crimes’
The Mediterranean Sea could be “closed” indefinitely by Iran if the U.S. and Israel continued “crimes” in Gaza, an Iranian state report Saturday warned.
According to Reuters, no exact disclosure was made of exactly how Tehran would seal off the expansive waterway.
In the past Iran has sent armed ski boats out on patrol into contested waters, however the results have been mixed with the U.S. Navy in particular simply ignoring its Iranian counterparts and their threats of impending doom.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pentagon Says Iranian Drone ‘Attack’ Hit Chemical Tanker in Indian Ocean
A drone launched from Iran struck a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean early on Saturday, the US Department of Defense said.
“The motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker was struck at approximately 10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) today in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles from the coast of India, by a one-way attack drone fired from Iran,” a Pentagon spokesperson told Reuters.
The incident highlights escalating regional tensions and new risks to shipping lanes after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: Chinese-Owned TikTok Refused Ads About Israeli Hostages
TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media company whose role in spreading anti-Israel and antisemitic propaganda has come under scrutiny, refused an ad promoting awareness of the plight of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, deeming the ad “too political.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Australia is set to add four million people — or the equivalent of Brisbane, Adelaide and Darwin combined — within the coming decade, even as immigration slows to pre-pandemic levels.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
During the broadcast at Melbourne ‘s Sidney Myer Music Bowl, hosts David Campbell and Sarah Abo were drowned out by chants of ‘Free Palestine ‘.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Yell Abuse, Storm Live TV Christmas Celebrations
An annual Christmas celebration in Melbourne, Australia, was briefly interrupted Sunday night after pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the stage during the live broadcast and tried to hijack events.
News.com.au reports children performing were rushed from the Sidney Myer Music Bowl stage to safety after several protesters carrying Palestinian flags appeared from nowhere to interrupt the show.
Local network live television coverage were filming hosts when the anti-Israel incident unfolded in the Victorian state capital.
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Denmark: Repatriation Plans for Ukrainian Refugees Post-War
Ukrainian refugees residing in Denmark will be required to return to Ukraine after the conclusion of the war, according to Minister of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad.
Minister of Immigration and Integration, Kaare Dybvad Bek, now finds himself at a crucial juncture, tasked with navigating the intricacies of integration, temporary residency, and the eventual repatriation of these individuals to their war-torn homeland, reports BNN.
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On Wednesday, an illegal immigrant who had been deported back to Nicaragua five times was sentenced to 19 years in prison by Judge Alison Hatheway, for raping a disabled woman in Ohio.
The 40-year-old German Mathews pleaded guilty in November to rape, felonious assault, and kidnapping claiming that he was “possessed by a demon” at the time of the attack.
The assault took place on April 29, when Mathews pushed the woman down a hill before beating her and raping her. A witness called the police immediately who arrived while the assault was still in progress.
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Around 10,000 people led by Mexican activist Luis Rey Garcia Villagran left the southern Mexican border town of Tapachula for the long march north as those already at the US border finish their journey
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Disney Doomed After Forcing ‘Woke’ Agenda Onto Audiences
The Walt Disney Company is continuing to pay the price for trying to force its divisive leftist ideology onto the public.
Disney executives hoped that its newest animated film, “Wish,” would represent a culmination of 100 years of pop culture ascendancy.
The movie was expected to be a hit that could rival classics such as “Beauty and the Beast” or “The Little Mermaid.”
The movie’s style, story, and songs all deliberately pay homage to those great classics of yesteryear.
It was a clear attempt to garner as much nostalgic goodwill as possible for the company’s centennial.
However, “Wish” was also injected with Disney’s poisonous brand of “woke” ideology.
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Heart Disease Soars in Transgenders Taking Hormones, Study Finds
The risk of heart disease is soaring among the growing number of transgenders being prescribed life-altering hormone drugs.
The cross-sex hormone therapies are being heavily promoted by Democrats and other leftists.
Worryingly, the Left is campaigning to ensure that children can have “access” to these so-called “gender-affirming” treatments.
However, the drugs are not just deformative and destabilizing, but also deadly.
A new study published in the peer-reviewed European Journal of Endocrinology revealed that male transvestites taking feminizing hormones are 93% more likely to suffer heart disease than other men.
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Hospital Scraps Christmas Eve as Paid Holiday, Replaces it With Juneteenth
A Georgia hospital has announced that it is scrapping Christmas Eve as a paid holiday for workers and will be replacing the Christian day with Juneteenth.
Emory Healthcare will be sacrificing traditional Christian values to instead, promote the new “woke” god of “diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Hospital officials revealed that beginning in 2024, Juneteenth will replace Christmas Eve as a paid holiday, The Washington Free Beacon reported.
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Italian Parish Erects Nativity Scene With Lesbian Virgin Mary
ROME — A Catholic parish in southern Italy has exhibited a Nativity scene featuring the Virgin Mary together with another woman in place of Saint Joseph.
Father Vitaliano Della Sala, the pastor of the parish of Saints Peter and Paul in the southern province of Avellino, said he created the provocative crèche scene to underscore the changing shape of families and the need for a more inclusive Church.
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Polish, Ukrainian Bishops Join Growing Coalition Against Vatican’s Same-Sex Blessings Document
Following the Vatican’s publication of Fiducia Supplicans — a document outlining when individuals in same-sex or otherwise “irregular” couples can be blessed — the worldwide Catholic Church has seen battle lines forming around its application.
While early disputations came from African prelates in countries such as Nigeria, Zambia, Cameroon, and Malawi, now Eastern European leaders have joined in dissent.
“Since practicing sexual acts outside marriage, that is, outside the indissoluble union of a man and a woman open to the transmission of life, is always an offense against the will and wisdom of God expressed in the sixth commandment of the Decalogue, people who are in such a relationship cannot receive a blessing,” the Polish Episcopal Conference wrote in response to the declaration.
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United Nations Has Been Pushing to Reduce Global Population for Decades
In the decades since its inception in 1945, the United Nations (UN) has been increasingly pushing its globalist agenda onto sovereign countries around the world.
The unelected bureaucratic organization has been slowly advancing its plan to install itself as a single global authority with complete control over humanity.
Like other globalist entities such as the World Economic Forum (WEF), the UN’s vision for the future involves members of the public living in “15-minute cities,” with their every move being logged by digital IDs and controlled with “digital cash,” all while being “dominated” by artificial intelligence (AI).
However, the globalist vision for the future, in which a handful of elites control everything, doesn’t include of the global population of billions, most of whom would now be considered “useless” after being replaced by AI.
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WEF Pushes to Control Every Aspect of Public Life
The World Economic Forum (WEF) and its founder Klaus Schwab are pushing to usher in their globalist agenda that seeks to control every aspect of public life.
In 1971, Schwab took $6,000 in seed money and transformed the WEF from a humble gathering of economists into the world’s most exclusive club for global elites.
The WEF started as a “not-for-profit” organization but now rakes in a staggering $390 million, annually.
A new book from investigative journalist Seamus Bruner has shone a light on the WEF’s agenda and how Schwab has positioned himself as a global puppeteer.
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10,000 Research Papers Were Retracted in 2023, Breaking Annual Records
It was a bad year for science publishing with more than 10,000 research papers being retracted, setting a new record for the most retractions in a single year. The results suggest this is just a fraction of the dodgy papers still out there.
According to recent analysis conducted by Nature, the number of retractions issued in 2023 has surpassed previous annual records, with the worse offenders being from large research-publishing nations such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Russia, and China. These countries have had the highest retraction rates over the last two decades.
The publisher Hindawi, a London-based subsidiary of Wiley, has been responsible for most of the retractions to date. This year, the publisher has retracted over 8,000 articles due to what it believes are compromises to the peer-review process. This investigation was prompted by internal editors and research-integrity investigators who raised concerns about irrelevant references in thousands of papers, as well as incoherent text.
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Thank you for your important work, history will remember you as one strong man trying to hold together western civilization. Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas.
https://twitter.com/FarazPervaiz3/status/1738134613267190201
The Government of Pakistan has declared the following English words incorrect. So start using the correct word from today If not, they may accuse you a blasphemous.
and was securing the rear entrance as an alley gater.
600-Pound Alligator Caught Near Mall Filled With Christmas Shoppers
One could interpret that 2 ways.
here’s a feel good story from Zerohedge…….
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/its-all-one-big-status-acquisition-hustle-and-half-country-likes-it-way
“here’s a feel good story from Zerohedge…….”
(excerpted from that article) “The old politics of right versus left, and Republican opposed to Democrat have now given way to a new existential struggle: Americans must choose between civilization—or its destroyers.” – Victor Davis Hanson
“It’s like a Kafka novel where you wake up and the two year-olds’ve become the mommies…and they’re all authoritarian commies. But it’s not a novel, it’s not a mistake…it’s real, it’s the plan…it’s PAA’s “remaking America”…it’s Obamerica.” —posted to fb (June 2020)
PAA = President Affirmative Action (paraphrasing of T. Sowell’s “Barack Obama is America’s first affirmative action president”)