Ukraine celebrated Christmas on December 25th, rather than the Orthodox January 7th, for the first time. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government denied Russia’s claim that its forces gained control of the town of Maryinka.
In other news, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted that a Trump presidency would be bad for climate change.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, LP, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
2 GOP Lawmakers Targeted in Christmas Day Swatting Calls as Police Investigate
Two Republican lawmakers were the target of swatting calls on Christmas Day, according to posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y. was the first target of a swatting call Monday.
The congressman posted a comment about the ordeal on X, formerly known as Twitter.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
24% of Americans Say They Know Someone Who Died From COVID Shot
A troubling number of Americans say that they know someone who died from Covid mRNA injection side effects, a new poll has revealed.
According to a recent Rasmussen Reports poll, more men (51 percent) than women (44 percent) said someone they know personally has been killed by the shots.
Political affiliation did not play a major role in the answers, however.
A full 25 percent of Republicans said they knew someone personally who died from side effects of the COVID-19 jab.
Meanwhile, an almost equal 24 percent of Democrats and unaffiliated voters said they personally knew someone who died from side effects of the injections.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
At Least 18 Shot in Chicago During First Two Days of Christmas Weekend
At least 18 people were shot, two of them fatally, during the first two days of the Christmas weekend in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s (D) Chicago.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Controversial Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King — who had claimed he aided in the release of two US citizens that were kidnapped by Hamas and has accused Israel of genocide — had his Instagram account blocked Monday.
King, who has 6 million followers on the Meta-owned site, posted a video message through a friend’s Instagram account announcing he was deactivated by the social media platform.
King condemned what he called “genocide” and “war crimes” committed by Israel in its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which was launched in retaliation after Hamas terrorists killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and abducted about 250 on Oct. 7.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Jack Posobiec’s Family Swatted Again, This Time on Christmas Day
Jack Posobiec’s family was swatted on Christmas Day. This is the second time his family was swatted in only a few days.
This time, the harasser who called the police claimed that Posobiec had shot his wife and children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California City Cancels Pride Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month
The city of Huntington Beach, California, one of the last conservative strongholds in the deep-blue state, has voted to cancel all of the separate month-long celebrations for various identity groups in favor of a celebration of the common history of the town.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Approves ‘Toilet-to-Tap’ Water Program for Households
Californians will soon be able to drink tap water derived from human waste matter after officials approved new “toilet-to-tap” regulations, the New York Post reports.
Officials say that this will help the drought-prone state with its dwindling water supply.
Water agencies will take wastewater from households and treat it for pathogens and viruses. Once treated, the water will be recycled and pumped back into the water supply for households.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A self-proclaimed “Christmas Lawyer” faces losing his legal license after he criticized a judge who banned his festive home display, which featured a live camel and 700,000 bulbs, allegedly calling the justice “corrupt” and a “hateful anti-Christian bigot.”
Jeremy Morris was informed the Idaho State Bar has “probable cause to proceed with formal charges” against him for accusing federal Judge B. Lynn Winmill of corruption following an ongoing legal battle with the West Hayden Estates Homeowners Association.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former Trump Aide Asks Judge to Dismiss ‘Half-Baked’ Hunter Biden Laptop Civil Case
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, accuses Ziegler and his company — Marco Polo USA — and 10 unidentified associates of spreading “tens of thousands of emails, thousands of photos, and dozens of videos and recordings” from the laptop that were considered “pornographic.”
Ziegler’s legal team alleges that Biden’s lawsuit is “aimed at chilling the valid exercise of the constitutional rights of freedom of speech.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Quietly Considering a Run for New York City Mayor: Report
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is reportedly weighing the option to run for mayor in New York City if current Mayor Eric Adams decides to step aside.
According to Page Six, Cuomo has been quietly polling his chances for a successful campaign and is “leaning towards” running.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Harvard’s governing board is facing calls from faculty to resign, as critics say the university’s reputation has taken a “substantial hit” over its response to President Claudine Gay’s plagiarism scandal and how she handled a congressional hearing on antisemitism.
Faculty members have urged the Harvard Corporation, the university’s secretive board, to resign or apologize — and one professor has proposed that state lawmakers should appoint one seat to represent the public, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portland Police said an “altercation” occurred between the victim and suspect on the MAX train platform near Providence Park. The victim later died at the hospital.
PORTLAND, Ore. — It was just before 6:30 Sunday night when Portland Police officers responded to reports of a man who had been stabbed in Southwest Portland. Officers found him on the MAX train at the Goose Hollow station off Jefferson Street and 18th Avenue.
He later died at the hospital. Police are still searching for the suspect.
The next morning on a wet and dreary start to Christmas day, neighbors took caution.
“I think it’s very sad that someone would go to such lengths to murder someone on Christmas Eve. Any time is terrible, but it breaks my heart,” said Carmen Minor, who lives in the neighborhood.
“That’s the crazy part: Christmas Eve? Really? You’re going to say, ‘Let me stab someone on Christmas Eve?’“ added Vaughn Hutchins, who also lives nearby.
The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) said there was an altercation between the victim and the suspect at the Providence Park MAX station platform off Morrison Street and 18th Avenue. Afterward, the victim somehow got onto the train and ended up one stop away at the Goose Hollow station. That was where the police responded around 6:30 Sunday night.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Police are investigating following a fatal crash Saturday that involved a stolen truck hauling a trailer with an excavator on it. Police were not allowed to pursue due to restrictions placed on police pursuits by Washington Democrats.
On Saturday at 6:55 am, Kent police were dispatched to the area of 12000 SE 236th ST for reports of a driver fleeing from a truck and trailer in a ditch.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One Dead Following Stabbing on Portland’s TriMet Max Train
One person is dead after a stabbing on the light rail in Portland.
Video from the scene showed the floor of a TriMet Max train car covered in blood.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestinian Protesters Chant in Front of Biden Administration Officials’ Homes on Christmas Day
The sounds of not-so-friendly carolers were heard singing on Christmas morning, as dozens of Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the respective Virginia and Washington, D.C., homes of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Sullivan and Austin are two of President Biden’s top foreign affairs advisers.
The groups could be seen outside the officials’ homes early Christmas morning as a large police presence also moved in.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
They’re out to “cancel” Christmas.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters converged on Midtown Monday, lugging a blood-red mock Nativity scene and chanting “Christmas is canceled here.”
“Long live the intifada,” the crowd of about 500 demonstrators yelled, using the Arabic word for “rebellion” or “uprising,” as they mobbed the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree where revelers were enjoying the holiday.
“While Ur Shopping Bombs are Dropping,” read one of the signs carried by the protesters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Revealed: Nikki Haley Bought Luxury $2.4 Million Mansion Shortly After Joining Boeing Board
It has been revealed that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley purchased a multi-million dollar waterfront mansion on an island in South Carolina shortly after joining the board of Boeing.
Haley has since resigned from the board. She bought the residence in Oct. 2019, just five months after joining the board of Boeing and shortly after leaving her post as US Ambassador to the UN in the Trump administration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Straphanger Beaten, Stabbed and Robbed in Christmas Eve Scuffle at NYC Subway Station
A Big Apple straphanger was beaten, stabbed and robbed by a rowdy group of strangers during a beef at a Bronx subway station on Christmas Eve, cops said Monday.
The 44-year-old victim was on the mezzanine level of the Moshulu Parkway station around 5:30 p.m. Sunday when he inadvertently bumped into a woman who was with the group, sparing a dispute that turned violent, according to police.
Five people pummeled the man and stabbed him “multiple times” before making off with his phone, cops said.
The victim was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, police said.
The NYPD released a surveillance photo of the perpetrators, who were described as being between 20 and 25 years old.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Washington Democrats Move to Regulate Tire Standards to Mitigate Climate Change
Washington Democrats are looking to make tires more expensive for consumers in an effort to combat climate change.
The state’s Department of Commerce will be requesting that the Democrat-controlled Legislature give the agency the authority to regulate tire efficiency.
According to the Washington State Standard, low-rolling resistance tires that regulators want to push are typically more expensive than budget tires but they claim that it could save a driver money on gasoline over the lifetime of the tires.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maxime Bernier Found Guilty of Violating COVID Lockdown Orders During Saskatoon Freedom Rally
Canadian populist Maxime Bernier has been found guilty of violating COVID lockdown restrictions in Saskatchewan during a pandemic freedom rally.
According to a provincial court judgment released this month, Bernier rallied in Saskatoon in May 2021 as part of his “Mad Max Saskatchewan Tour.” At the time, he contravened a ban on public gatherings exceeding ten people.
Over 40 attendees received fines, but Judge Quentin Douglas Agnew wrote in his decision that all but seven defendants received a guilty verdict.
Of those considered not guilty, Agnew couldn’t prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that they attended the event. In his 38-page decision, he claims those defendants attended the event only in passing or had been misidentified.
However, Bernier told the court in September 2022 that he attended the rally. “Yes, I was there,” he told CTV News at the time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
More Federal Tax Hikes Expected for 2024
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is warning Canadians of major tax hikes next year that will leave them with less in their pockets.
According to their 2024 New Year’s Tax Changes report, payroll and carbon taxes are set to jump again, as is the escalator tax on alcohol.
Like 2023, the new year will see taxpayers pay more for less as the average Canadian family will pay 46.1% of its budget in taxes, according to the Fraser Institute. That is up from 43% this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Only 15% of Canadians Have Gotten a COVID Booster Shot This Fall
Only 15% of Canadians have received the latest COVID booster shots this fall season, new government data show.
The latest shots are meant to be specific to the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant of the virus that is still circulating. But while 83.7% of the Canadian population has received at least one dose of any COVID vaccine, only 14.6% got jabbed with the latest booster.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘They’re Trying to Scare Other Canadians From Protesting’: Lawyer Keith Wilson on Tamara Lich Trial
Keith Wilson is a Canadian lawyer who supports freedom so much that he was willing to travel to Ottawa to help ensure the Freedom Convoy protest in 2022 acted peacefully and lawfully.
Arriving in Ottawa shortly after the protest got underway, he remained in the nation’s capital until the Emergencies Act was invoked, and the protest was forcefully brought to an end by a massive police response.
Keith joined last night’s episode of The Ezra Levant Show to reflect on the protest and the aftermath that is still unfolding from the anti-mandate demonstration.
The arrest of two Freedom Convoy organizers, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, was the government “trying to send a message,” Keith told Ezra. “They were trying to scare the other protesters into leaving. Why is this trial going on for a year? They’re trying to scare other Canadians from protesting and challenging government.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Claims a Trump Presidency Would be Bad for Climate Change
In an interview with the CBC, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that a second Donald Trump term would “slow down the world’s progress” on climate change.
When asked how the Trudeau government was preparing for the possibility of another Trump presidency, Trudeau said, working with the US “is always a challenge” regardless of the administration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: Court Dismisses Case Against Doctors Who Euthanized Woman for Autism
A judge has dismissed a civil case against the doctors who euthanized a patient with autism against the wishes of her family.
The family is seeking justice for their loved one, a victim of euthanasia.
However, the family suffered a devastating setback after a judge dismissed a civil case against the doctors who committed the euthanasia.
In 2010, Tine Nys was euthanized by a team of three doctors in Belgium.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium Breaks Electronic Payment Records With 14 Million Transactions in a Day
In Belgium consumers in the country conducted over 14 million transactions, both in physical stores and online. This surge in electronic payments surpassed the previous record set just a few weeks ago on December 1, 2023, when 13.8 million transactions were recorded.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Berlin Braces for New Year’s Eve: 4000 Police Deployed
4000 police officers will be on duty in Berlin on New Year’s Eve to be prepared for possible unrest and attacks. As reported by BILD, police President Barbara Slowik announced that it will be the largest police operation on New Year’s Eve in decades.
During New Year’s Eve, 2000 to 2500 Berlin police officers will be on duty, supported by forces from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and the Federal Police. The number of patrol cars will be increased from the usual 150 to 220. Additionally, 500 Federal Police officers will be positioned at S-Bahn stations and main train stations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary: Budapest Wins Best European Christmas Market a Record-Breaking Four Times
The Christmas market held in front of Budapest’s downtown St Stephen Basilica has won the title of Europe’s Best Christmas Market in the online poll of the European Best Destination travel portal. The success is unprecedented in the history of European Christmas markets, with no location winning the prestigious award four times.
Budapest has now been ranked first in Europe for Christmas four times, ahead of London, Vienna and Prague, among others.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Farmers Are Ready to Resume the Border Blockade With Ukraine in January
Polish farmers plan to resume the blockade of border checkpoints with Ukraine after the New Year, according to the RAR agency.
Polish authorities have not yet responded to the conditions set by truckers.
“The protest is suspended but not over. If there are no guarantees, we will resume the blockade from January 2 or 3 next year,” said representatives of the farmers’ organization.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
According to calculations by Forbes magazine, Iga Swiatek was the highest-earning female athlete in the entire world in 2023. The Polish tennis player earned a total of $23.9 million from her on-court achievements and off-court activities. Following her in the list is Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who amassed $22.1 million.
The earnings figures compiled by Forbes were derived from official data. Estimates for off-court earnings were based on industry insider discussions and include income from endorsements, licensing, memorabilia sales, and business ventures that include stakes in various companies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report Warns Delayed Anti-Obesity Policies Threaten Health of English Children — the Guardian
A government-commissioned report has unveiled alarming consequences for the health of children in England, attributing the risk to the postponement of anti-obesity policies until 2025. According to The Guardian, the independent study underscores the normalization of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and high-fat, sugary, and salty products in children’s diets, especially among families with lower incomes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rising Threat of Organized Waste Crime in Sweden
Organized crime in Sweden’s waste industry is surging, according to Dagens Nyheter.
Environmental crimes globally, including illegal waste management, yield massive profits estimated at $110-280 billion annually in 2018, ranking it as the fourth most lucrative crime internationally.
The 2021 law enforcement report highlights waste crime as a “complex and multifaceted” aspect of organized crime with Kristian Halldin suggesting its similarity in Sweden.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico strongly criticized the opposition’s obstruction of the state budget discussion in parliament, accusing them of wanting to undermine stability and social security. Despite their efforts, the budget was eventually approved. Fico labeled the opposition’s political program as dangerous and asserted that the dissolution of the special prosecutor’s office faced no hindrance, as reported by Parlamentnilisty.cz.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: King Charles Urges Public to ‘Protect the Earth’ in Green-Themed Christmas Address
In his second Christmas address to the nation since ascending to the throne, King Charles III beseeched Britons and those worldwide to “protect the earth”, continuing his longstanding green agenda advocacy.
In a pre-recorded Christmas address filmed in Buckingham Palace, King Charles said: “To care for this creation is a responsibility owned by people of all faiths and of none. We care for the Earth for the sake of our children’s children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Police Investigate Suspected Arson Attack on Conservative MP’s Office on Christmas Eve
London’s Metropolitan Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on the office of a Conservative member of parliament on Christmas Eve, which they believe was done “deliberately”.
At around 7 pm on Christmas Eve, a fire broke out in the North London office of Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer after an outside shed was apparently intentionally set on fire.
Freer, who has represented the constituency since 2010, said according to The Telegraph: “The police are still investigating and checking out CCTV footage. Until the suspects are caught we won’t know the motivation.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Met Office has predicted temperatures will reach highs of 15.3C on Sunday in south-west London , but are unlikely to reach the hottest on record which was 15.6C in 1920.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Croatia Records Highest-Ever Christmas Spending
According to the national broadcaster HRT, trade unions in Croatia have declared this year’s Christmas shopping to be the most expensive ever.
The unions point out that the most extravagant holiday basket in Croatia costs a total of 417 euros, whereas the most economical one amounts to 98 euros.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Serbia: Belgrade Protests: Demonstrators Begin Street Blockades
In the center of the Serbian capital, Belgrade, mass protests have erupted in response to dissatisfaction with the results of the parliamentary and municipal elections held on December 17. Protesters, identifying themselves as “Students Against Violence,” demand that the authorities disclose the voter lists.
On the streets of Bircaninova and Knez Mihailova, several hundred activists have blocked traffic, carrying placards with slogans about “electoral theft.” The participants in the protest, estimated to be fewer than a thousand people are mainly students, but also citizens of middle aged and older age groups are also present.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hamas Rejects Egyptian Proposal to End War With Israel, Refuses Free Elections in Gaza
Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups operating in Gaza have rejected an Egyptian-led truce proposal with Israel that would see the militants relinquish power in return for an end to the war, sources say.
The terrorists, who conducted the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, have refused to take part in one of the biggest conditions laid out by negotiators in Cairo on Sunday: an end to Hamas’ reign in Gaza by forming a Palestinian parliament and holding free elections, according to two Egyptian security sources.
The terrorist organizations instead reiterated that the only thing they’re ready to discuss is a prisoner swap that would see more than 100 Israeli hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel’s jails.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A priest on CNN attempted to link the “story of Christmas” to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, sparking intense backlash on social media.
On Christmas morning Monday, Father Edward Beck was asked about the “pain and suffering” taking place all over the world during the holiday season and to address those who are feeling “hopeless.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Francis’s address never mentioned Israel or Gaza by name, but he made numerous references to war, arguing that justice would not come ‘from a show of force’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Iranian Leaders Say Israeli Missile Strike Killed Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Adviser
Iran’s state media says an Israeli airstrike outside Damascus in Syria on Monday killed an Iranian senior adviser in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Reuters reported that three security sources confirmed the death of Sayyed Razi Mousavi, who was responsible for coordinating a military alliance between Iran and Syria.
State television interrupted programming to announce the death of Mousavi and described him as one of the oldest advisers for the IRGC in Syria.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Says it Shot Down Russian Fighter Jets and Drones as the Country Officially Marks Christmas
Ukraine’s air force on Monday reported that it shot down two Russian fighter jets during the night along with two cruise missiles and 28 Shahed-type drones.
The report said the attacks were aimed at southern and central regions of Ukraine, but that no casualties were immediately known.
It said that 31 drones were launched in all, but details of what the three that weren’t intercepted may have struck weren’t given.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Like many nations worldwide Ukraine has traditionally marked Christmas on January 7th according to the Julian calendar, but is celebrating on December 25th for the first time this year, a report notes.
Ukraine is signaling its difference from Russia in a new way, by departing from the Orthodox tradition of observing the Julian calendar and Christmas on January 7th and celebrating the ancient holiday according to the Gregorian calendar on December 25th instead. As a report on the change by British state broadcaster the BBC notes, the change was made in law by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky back in the summer.
Zelensky claimed then that by changing the date, Ukraine could “abandon the Russian heritage”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Denies Russian Claim of Forces Gaining Control of Maryinka in East
Russian forces have gained full control of Maryinka, a town in eastern Ukraine, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin, one of Russia’s most significant gains since the capture of Bakhmut in May.
Most accounts of Maryinka, southwest of the Russian-held regional centre of Donetsk, describe it as a ghost town.
Putin said control of the town, which was once home to 10,000 people, will allow the Russian forces to move enemy combat units away from Donetsk.
“Our troops (now) have the opportunity to reach a wider operational area,” he said in a video of the exchange between him and Shoigu posted online by a Kremlin journalist.
Ukrainian military on Monday denied Russia’s claims that its forces had seized the regional centre Maryinka in eastern Ukraine, as announced earlier by Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu.
“It’s not correct to talk about seizing Maryinka,” Ukrainian military spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun told Ukrainian national television.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
China is feared to be stealing artificial intelligence technology to carry out massive cyberattacks on the US and elsewhere.
The FBI is increasingly concerned about the dictatorship’s frequent high-profile data thefts from American corporations and government agencies.
Sophisticated AI would allow China to boost the scale and effectiveness of what it could collect and, crucially, analyze, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Japanese Researchers Say Omicron Variants Were Man-Made
A Japanese study has concluded the Omicron variants of COVID-19 variants are so different, they defy natural processes and must have been intentionally made.
The study was conducted by Japanese virology professors Atsushi Tanaka and Takayuki Miyazawa of Osaka Medical University and Kyoto University.
In a 25-page paper called Unnaturalness in the Evolution Process of the SARS-CoV-2 variants and the possibility of deliberate natural selection, Tanaka and Miyazawa traced the variant’s origins by studying viral sequences found “in the wild” that had been deposited into public databases.
The goal of the virologists was “to clarify the evolutionary processes leading to the formation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants, focusing on Omicron variants with many amino acid mutations in the spike protein among SARS-CoV-2 isolates.”
Instead they discovered something else: many separate Omicron subvariants that could not have arisen naturally. The existence of these variants and the order of their appearance demonstrate large-scale lab creation and release of COVID-19 viruses.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
W3D Constructions Pty Ltd, which operates out of Surfers Paradise and is owned by Ross Wolbers, entered liquidation on December 7.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Woman Invokes Wrath of Fellow Airline Passenger After Being Photographed Doing This ‘Disgusting’ Act
A woman flying in business class has been roasted after being snapped with her feet resting on the headrest of a passenger in front of her.
The moment occurred on Fiji Airways flight from Sydney to Nadi.
A disgruntled passenger shared the image on Facebook over the weekend and attracted several comments.
Social media reactions were divided, with some condemning the woman’s carefree act as “disgusting” and saying cabin crew should have intervened.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Christians in Nigeria will celebrate Christmas this year facing a relentless onslaught of jihadist terrorism seeking to eliminate them from the country, experts told Breitbart News, with little support from their government.
In the northeast, Nigerian Christians have endured decades of attacks by Boko Haram, the Islamic State-affiliated terrorist organization committed to killing Christians and forcing young girls into sex slavery “marriages” with their fighters. In the central Middle Belt, jihadists belonging to the majority-Muslim Fulani ethnic group regularly conduct raids on Christian communities, burning down entire villages and occupying land historically populated by Christian majorities. The objective in both cases is the genocide of Nigerian Christians and the establishment of a sharia “caliphate” system.
International Christian Concern named Nigeria the world’s top oppressor of Christians in its 2023 report — the world’s most dangerous place to be a Christian — as a result of the “20-year genocide against Christians” there by Boko Haram, the Fulani, and other jihadist elements.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nicaraguans Face a Dark Christmas of Communist Repression as War on Christians Continues
Millions of Nicaraguans will spend Christmas under the growing repression of communist dictator Daniel Ortega, who has arrested and banished members of the Catholic Church, prohibited Catholic festivities, and intimidated Christians into silence.
Nicaraguans are a majority Catholic people. Out of the country’s roughly 6.35 million citizens, 50 percent identify as Roman Catholic and 33.2 percent identify as Evangelical Christian. Another 2.9 percent identify as practitioners of other religions.
Ortega, who himself claims to be Catholic, has maintained a fierce animosity against the Catholic Church throughout the four decades of Sandinista rule in Nicaragua, declaring a “war” against the Vatican in 2022 and openly stating that he has never held any respect for the Church’s bishops.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Fans Rally Around Peruvian Football Club Honoring Saint John Paul II
A football club from Peru has captured the hearts of Polish fans due to its special connection to a man venerated by the Polish people.
Juan Pablo II College Chongoyape, a team from the small Peruvian city of Chongoyape with a population of around 19,000, has become a topic of excitement in Poland.
This surge of interest is not due to their athletic prowess in Peru’s lower football leagues, but because the team was created in tribute to Saint John Paul II, the Polish pope. The saint’s image is proudly displayed on the team’s shirts and club emblem.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Migrant Caravan Leader Says 15,000 Asylum-Seekers Could Reach US Border
The radical activist leading the latest massive migrant caravan from Mexico to the US was once sentenced to 40 years in prison and has already led tens of thousands of asylum-seekers to the border.
Luis Garcia Villagran, a self-proclaimed Evangelical Christian who hails from Mexico, was at the forefront of a mass migration once again this week, bringing an estimated 8,000 migrants on a Christmas Eve march through Mexico to a US border already in crisis — and predicting the number of asylum-seekers could easily nearly double to 15,000 along the way.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Red southern states such as Texas and Florida saw a significant population boom this year, while northern liberal states saw their losses offset by an influx of migrants.
The country’s population grew by 1.6million over the last year, bringing the nation’s total to 334.9 million. The growth was mostly driven by southern states, with 87 percent of the increase coming from just Texas, Florida and South Carolina, according to new Census Bureau numbers.
Amid the migrant crisis at the border, Texas saw the biggest increase nationwide between July 2022 and July 2023, with nearly half a million new residents. The Lone Star state was followed by Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, which also saw outmigration from other states in the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Rescue Ship Sea-Watch Saved 118 People on Christmas Eve
Volunteers from the Sea-Watch organization rescued 118 people in two operations on Christmas Eve off the Libyan coast. Among them were 32 children and unaccompanied minors with the youngest being just three years old, according to the German aid organization, as reported by Spiegel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
2023 is a Year of Record Cold Temperatures — Media Blackout
During 2023, the corporate media has been dominated by reports of allegedly record-breaking heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts.
According to the media, this is all the result of the so-called “climate crisis.”
In 2022, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned us it was “code red for humanity.”
This was due to supposed “global warming” caused by CO2 emissions from human activities.
In 2023, Guterres upped the ante when he introduced his latest ultra-hyped rhetoric and declared: “The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived.”
The UN chief made the fearmongering statement during the hot weather in the summer for maximum effect.
Around the same time, the media pushed the claims that July was the hottest on record.
This conveniently coincided with reports of “apocalyptic” wildfires in the Mediterranean (Spain, Greece, and Italy), the U.S., Hawaii, and Canada.
Of course, we are supposed to assume that wildfires didn’t exist before the Industrial Revolution and imagine that average temperatures have been recorded for millions of years, and not just the past 150 years.
For causal uniformed corporate media viewers (non-Slay News readers), it would be easy to assume Guterres and the climate catastrophists were merely quoting facts.
However, the temperature data recorded for 2023 tells a very different story than the one promoted by Guterres et all.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
8 Times the Biden Administration Pushed the Transgender Agenda on Children
Normalizing gender dysphoria quickly became a top priority of the Biden administration, particularly in 2023. But perhaps what made it seem worse was the overt targeting of children, as the Democrat’s administration made clear several times throughout the year.
Here are eight instances of the Biden administration promoting — and even championing — gender confusion on society’s most vulnerable and sometimes going as far as scolding parents who oppose his agenda.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Madness Machine and the Making of an Evil Society
We talk a great deal about “evil”, but rarely about what it is or how we get there.
As mobs march through cities chanting for destruction in the name of a rotating list of causes, the question is one that is more important than ever
Evil isn’t a chuckling madman in the dark or followers with bloody knives capering around an altar and chanting about their love of evil. There are individuals and small groups that consciously embrace evil, but the essence of human goodness is that we want to be good and have to be tricked into becoming evil.
Most people are the heroes of their own stories, not the villains. Anyone who spends enough time around the criminal justice system or studying history knows that even the worst people are their own heroes.
How then do people turn evil?
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil,” Isaiah 5:20 warns. To become evil, we have to believe that evil is good… and that good is evil.
Good and evil can sound like abstractions, but they’re also behaviors. We strive for goodness by imitating virtue and we turn evil by hating virtue and imitating its opposite. Evil encourages us to despise heroism, loathe decency, and heap contempt onto any sort of principle, value, or conviction.
The message of evil is that goodness is both impotent and corrupting, while only rage fueling power is truly empowering.
That evil message is one that we now see everywhere.
A society in which everyone is a victim, and in which victimhood means perpetual rage, is an evil society.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Ayanna Pressley Encourages People to Celebrate Abortion for Christmas
While most were finishing last-minute Christmas presents for loved ones or making arrangements for Midnight Mass, Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Ayanna Pressley suggested abortion as a way to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada: No Jail Time Again Despite Fourth Criminal Conviction for ‘Trans Activist’ Jessica Simpson
On December 18th, at the Surrey Provincial Courthouse, Judge J. Solomon handed down the latest sentencing in the never-ending saga involving Jessica Serenity Simpson, formerly known as Jonathan Yaniv.
Simpson, a serial litigator with a troubling past, including sexually inappropriate behaviour with minors and physical attacks on Rebel News reporters, seems to have a fortunate streak with the courts. Despite being convicted of four criminal offences, the Simon Fraser University criminology student has yet to serve any jail time.
It wasn’t until the third conviction, where Simpson pleaded guilty to threatening to harm child protection activist Billboard Chris, that Simpson obtained a criminal record.
In this latest case, Simpson was found guilty of public mischief for falsely triggering a fire alarm and sentenced to 18 months probation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Campaign for Southern Equality organization has created a special project to help gender-confused minors get sex change operations if they live in a state that has banned the practice.
In an interview with STLPR, the director of impact for the organization, Allison Scott claimed, “Our country is in a time of crisis for youth having their health care removed.”
“We recognize that if we’re running a program that is scalable and sizable enough if we can support other states, then we thought it was the right thing to do,” she added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In July, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) approved a $600,000 Collaborative Health Sciences Program grant by the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) to study the effects puberty blockers have on a child’s brain.
According to documents obtained by the Daily Caller, the study was proposed in April to investigate the effects of cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers on rats. Those conducting the study hypothesized that the drugs lead to “lasting changes” in the developing brain.
A slideshow presentation to the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) said researchers expected to see “decreasing adolescent anxiety,” but also potential changes in “biomarkers associated with mental health risk, fertility, bone and kidney health.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WEF Demands World Leaders Advance ‘Great Reset’ Agenda
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has issued an alert to its globalist members and demanded that global leaders begin advancing the roll-out of the unelected organization’s “Great Reset” agenda.
The WEF issued an urgent summons to world leaders to develop strategies to expedite its globalist agenda.
The corporate-led group of powerful world influencers will meet later this year to “accelerate the implementation” of WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab’s plans.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
What a freaking goof this Trudeau is , He is embarrassing whole Canada..
Ukraine celebrated Christmas on December 25th, rather than the Orthodox January 7th, for the first time.
The Christian Orthodox Church is not about the soul, faith and transcendence – it is serving the interests of the state and a way of humility and stupidity of the population. What is happening in Ukraine demonstrates this once again.
‘The World Economic Forum (WEF) has issued an alert to its globalist members and demanded that global leaders begin advancing the roll-out of the unelected organization’s “Great Reset” agenda.”
Demanded? Who are these people to make demands? Who elected them? As the French people used to say “A la Lanterne.”
We are rolling out the Great Resist! 😀
“We are rolling out the Great Resist!”
I don’t know that that’s correct, but, either way, I reckon it’s about 40 years too late. Even if we could instigate an absolute “Great Resist” throughout western academia and media—the salient sources of The Rot—today, I think it’d take (at least) a generation to redirect the course of [western] civilization back into something resembling Judeo-Christian modernity. But I could be wrong..
Too many weak corrupt men that will need to be weeded out first.