The Quebec government is asking Ottawa for $1 billion to reimburse it for what it has spent since 2021 on social services for asylum seekers. Meanwhile, state records show that Massachusetts is spending about $64 per migrant per day to feed those in state care.
In other news, European Union member states today approved a thirteenth round of sanctions against Russia.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, McN, 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.
Saskatchewan, Manitoba Inflation Falls Quicker Than Predicted After Carbon Tax Cuts
While Canada’s inflation rate dropped from 3.4% in December to 2.9% in January, Saskatchewan had an even more notable drop, revealed data from Statistics Canada.
Saskatchewan had a CPI of 2.7% in December 2023. This decreased to 1.9% in January 2024.
“In Saskatchewan, the collection of the carbon tax levy ceased in January 2024, contributing to the province’s year-over-year price decline of natural gas (-26.6%),” said Statistics Canada in its monthly report.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe commented on the decrease in his province.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“No One’s Got to Me… I Ain’t Scared of S**t” — NYC Trucker Boycott Leader ‘Chicago Ray’ Steps Down
Authored by Chet Nagle via “Chet Nagle’s Now Hear This” on Substack
Chicago Ray, the trucker who ignited the righteous anger of his fellow truckers and of millions of other Americans, has stepped down from his boycott leadership. Does that mean the end of the trucker boycott of New York City?
Chicago Ray was angry about the astounding $350 million fine that New York Judge Engoron levied against former President Trump in the recent fraud case. But what Chicago Ray, the truckers, and so many Americans were really angry about was our corrupt judicial system and the evil overlords who created it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alarmists Urge Social Media to ‘Flag Accounts’ of Climate Skeptics
Climate change alarmists are urging Big Tech to censor accounts of those who question the real danger that global warming poses to humanity.
Social media companies such as X, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok “should flag accounts that spread falsehoods about climate change and collaborate on targeted educational campaigns,” states a study published last week in Scientific Reports.
Without ever defining the term, the article states that climate change “denialism” persists in the United States, with estimates ranging from 12 to 26 percent of the U.S. population. The researchers separated the population into the binary categories of “believers” and “deniers,” with no possibility of more nuanced positions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arrests Made: International Theft Ring Targets High-End Homes in the Phoenix Area
PHOENIX — An international theft ring has been targeting high-end homes around the Phoenix area and three people have just been arrested.
There have been 111 incidents reported Valley-wide since February of last year, typically committed Friday through Sunday during dinner time hours. The crimes have been reported in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Chandler, Gilbert and Peoria.
The suspects are identified as Sue Ellen Gutierrez Saez, 20; Johan Salvo Alacon, 21 and Manuel Eduardo Fuentes Gomez, 25. The arrest report says they’re in the United States illegally from Chile.
The group has been accused of stealing $3 million in money, jewelry and other items in total.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austin Police Shortages Leave Section of City Without Single Officer: ‘Unsustainable Path’
A section of Austin, Texas was left without a single police officer for a couple of hours Saturday, and the police union’s president is blaming ongoing staffing shortages.
Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock tweeted Saturday that an entire sector in East Austin went two hours without a patrol officer assigned to the sector. He said that the department’s backfill shift made up of detectives and specialized units pulling double duty had to provide coverage.
Bullock blamed these circumstances on “staffing woes.” He said APD’s staffing was at 2006 levels — when the city had a quarter million fewer residents. Austin’s population is hovering just under 1 million now.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Gates Partner GAVI Vaccine Alliance Targets Online Memes
An international group promoting vaccines with ties to the Gates Foundation in going after memes. Whatever could make more sense?
But things here aren’t as haphazard as they might seem. Bill Gates is known, and rich, for two things: as the founder of one of the most oppressive (in terms of design, security, and historically predatory toward free-as-in-freedom competing technology) companies ever — Microsoft.
And the other is Gates — now as a billionaire — reinventing himself through his “uncanny valley” philanthropic efforts, centered and emanating from his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and focusing by and large on all sorts of vaccines, and — agriculture.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boeing 757-200 Diverted From Route After Suffering Damage to One of Its Wings
So far 2024 seems to be the year of airline incidents — a sad microcosm of the crumbling infrastructure in the country and the dwindling quality of goods, combined with the growing “legacy” of Mayor Pete as Transportation Secretary.
The latest incident involves yet another Boeing, when a Boeing 757-200 with 165 passengers flying under the United livery and heading from San Francisco to Boston “had to be diverted after the plane suffered damage to one of its wings,” according to Fox News.
The flight wound up landing in Denver to “address an issue with the slat” on one of the plane’s wings. Passengers were moved to another flight and arrived at Boston later in the day.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Mike Pence Group Launches $20 Million Effort to Defeat Populism in Conservative Movement
On Wednesday, it was revealed that Mike Pence’s Advancing American Freedom group is in the process of launching a $20 million effort to defeat “unprincipled populism” in the conservative movement.”
The American Solutions Project aims to convince those on the right who may have been enticed by populist messages to revert back to true “conservative principles.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Mayor Johnson Abruptly Ends Meeting With Newspaper After Refusing to Speak on the Record
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson abruptly ended a meeting this week with one of his city’s most prominent newspapers after refusing to go on the record.
The Chicago Sun-Times published a blistering report Tuesday about the Democrat’s icy relationship with the City Hall press corps, insisting any “honeymoon” he may have had with the media since taking office last year is over.
“The City Hall press corps has turned hostile, openly frustrated with a mayor who is seldom accessible and evasive when he does take questions,” the Sun-Times reported. “Newspaper editorials are critical and, at times, disdainful while portraying Johnson as in over his head.”
The Sun-Times then revealed that Johnson backed out of a scheduled meeting with the paper’s editorial board, which was supposed to be “an apparent effort to turn things around” with his relations to the press.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Authored by Megan Redshaw via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A new report suggests vaccine mRNA does not remain at the injection site following vaccination but can “spread systemically” to the placenta and umbilical cord blood of infants whose mothers are vaccinated during pregnancy.
In a peer-reviewed pre-proof accepted for publication in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers presented two cases that demonstrate, for the first time, the ability of COVID-19 vaccines to penetrate the fetal-placental barrier and reach the inside of the uterus. Additionally, researchers detected spike protein in placental tissue, indicating the bioactivity of the mRNA in reaching the placenta.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Appeals Court Kills Obama-Era Moratorium on Coal Leasing
A federal appeals panel vacated a lower court ruling on Wednesday, effectively killing an Obama-era action that placed a moratorium on new federal coal leasing.
In a short six-page ruling, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit tossed an August 2022 decision from Judge Brian Morris of the U.S. District of Montana reinstating the 2016 moratorium. The National Mining Association (NMA), which led the appeal of the 2022 lower court decision alongside the States of Montana and Wyoming, cheered the ruling Wednesday as a victory for American energy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GoFundMe for Kansas City Shooting Suspect Taken Down
A fundraiser set up for one of the alleged gunmen who opened fire during the Kansas City Super Bowl parade last week has been taken down after attracting just $100, reports say.
Lyndell Mays, 23, of Raytown, Missouri, was one of two men charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and other offenses in connection with the shooting that left one woman dead and more than 20 other people injured. Both Mays and Dominic Miller—the Kansas City man who was also charged over the incident—were shot during the mayhem and hospitalized, prosecutors said this week.
According to DailyMail.com, Mays’ mother Teneal Burnside created a GoFundMe for her son asking for help with his medical bills “during this tragic time.” “He is in ICU fighting for a recovery from several surgeries, from going to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration parade with his older sister,” Burnside wrote, according to the outlet.
The family reportedly created the fundraiser before charges were filed against Mays and later took it down out of fear of retribution.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Oakland Mayor Recall Leader Claims He Was Assaulted as Effort in Crime-Plagued City Gets Underway
A local activist in Oakland claims he was assaulted by a member of Mayor Sheng Thao’s private security team during a Wednesday morning press conference.
Videos posted on social media show an argument breaking out between members of the security team and protesters supportive of a recall campaign against the mayor.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
SEC Ends Investigation Into Rumble
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has concluded its investigation into Rumble, a popular free speech video platform, with a decision not to pursue any further action. The investigation, which drew considerable attention, was reportedly initiated following claims that Rumble had been manipulating its viewer data. These allegations, as noted by journalist Glenn Greenwald, were believed to be ideologically motivated, involving short sellers and other interested parties.
Rumble, which has gained popularity as an alternative to mainstream video hosting platforms, came under scrutiny after claims surfaced, suggesting irregularities in its data reporting. The SEC’s involvement sparked a debate about the motivations behind the investigation, with some suggesting that it was not solely based on financial concerns but also ideological differences.
Greenwald, known for his investigative journalism, highlighted the conclusion of the SEC investigation on social media, calling it a “huge win” for Rumble.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘There’s a War Going on’: L.A. Anti-Scientology Protests Bring Arrests, Attack Allegations
Until about a year ago, William Gude had no issues with the Church of Scientology.
The self-proclaimed cop watcher and activist better known by his social media handle @FilmThePoliceLA did not understand why the L.A.-based religion started by L. Ron Hubbard got so much flak.
That was until Gude tried to record video of police making an arrest outside one of Scientology’s buildings last year. Gude alleges he was harassed by Scientology security guards who told him he could not shoot video on the public sidewalk. Although the allegation pales in comparison with others against the church, it set Gude off.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ottawa’s Proposed Online Harms Regulator Raises Free Speech Concerns
The federal government may appoint a new ombudsman to handle public concerns regarding the Liberals’ forthcoming online harms legislation as well as a new regulator to monitor people’s conduct on the internet, despite pushback from critics.
Justice Minister Arif Virani assured Canadians that the new bill will be the right balance between protecting Canadians from online harm without restricting their right to freedom of expression, however many critics remain unconvinced.
Civil liberties groups had already taken issue with the initial 2021 proposal Bill C-36, which included a provision that online platforms had no more than 24 hours to remove content deemed to be harmful.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Warns ‘Conspiracy Theorists’ Successfully ‘Undermining Mainstream Media’
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lamented the downfall of the mainstream media at the hands of “conspiracy theorists” online countering its narratives.
“There is out there a deliberate undermining of mainstream media,” Trudeau said Wednesday in an interview with Real Talk Ryan Jespersen.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Europe is Being Hijacked in a Constitutional Coup D’etat”
What is wrong with the European Union right now? It is turning into a centralised, undemocratic block with no respect for the will of its citizens—according to participants in a debate organised by The European Conservative. Recent attempts by EU institutions to strip member states of their voting rights and take away even more competences from sovereign nation states are symptomatic of this problem.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Day Two of Julian Assange’s Last Stand in British High Court
Authored by Connor O’Keeffe via The Mises Institute
Today marks the second and final day in what could very well be Julian Assange’s last extradition trial in front of the British High Court. For almost five years now, the United States government has been working to get the Wikileaks founder extradited to the US to face charges that he violated the Espionage Act.
Inspired by Daniel Ellsberg’s release of the Pentagon Papers back in 1971, Julian Assange founded Wikileaks in 2006. Assange’s vision was to develop an online portal where whistleblowers could submit evidence of corporate or government wrongdoing without needing to identify themselves or risk exposure. Once submitted, teams of volunteers and journalists would parse the documents to determine legitimacy. And, if it was determined to be authentic, publish the material straight to the internet so the public could see for itself.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Empty Gesture? EU Approves New Sanctions Against Russia
European Union member states approved a thirteenth round of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, February 21st, which for the first time target Chinese companies accused of supporting Moscow’s war. The new package will see 193 entities and individuals added to the list of those banned from travelling to the EU or doing business there. Though the current Belgian EU Presidency hailed the package as “one of the broadest approved by the EU,” critics say the move will have little real impact.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Commission Welcomes Polish Liberals’ Power Grab Plans
The European Commission welcomed an “action plan” of legal reforms presented by the Polish minister of Justice to the representatives of the 27 member states in Brussels on Tuesday, February 20th. It detailed how the new liberal government is preparing to dismantle and rebuild the country’s judicial system, ending the Polish rule-of-law dispute.
Accepting the plan unblocks €111 billion worth of EU funds, previously frozen due to the alleged wrongdoings of the previous conservative government. Critics of EU ‘lawfare’ see this as a further example of Brussels’ partisan conduct.
It seems that now the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has been replaced by Donald Tusk’s liberal coalition, the EU is ready to turn a blind eye to any and all constitutional violations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Military Aid for Ukraine Held Up by Germany and France
A deal to top-up the EU’s defense fund and begin joint arms purchases for Ukraine is being held up in the Council as both Germany and France are pushing for a special caveat each, potentially delaying the decision until the next European Council summit at the end of next month.
The EU defense cash pot called the European Peace Facility (EPF) is instrumental in helping Ukraine in two direct ways: it allows member states to request reimbursement for their military tech donated to Kyiv as well as finance joint arms procurement projects that are meant to equip Ukraine in the medium to long term. There is also a third leg to the strategy: subsidies for defense industrial plants across the EU to boost the bloc’s future capabilities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Staff Association Warns of Crime Wave Gripping Brussels
A spike in shootings, street robberies, and drug-related activity in central Brussels—often metres from official premises—has prompted the EU’s main staff union to issue a stern warning that Belgian and European bureaucrats are not doing enough to protect its members.
This was confirmed in an email widely circulated among Commission employees issued Tuesday afternoon, seen by The European Conservative. It also highlights the reluctance of leading Eurocrats to even discuss the deteriorating conditions in their administrative centre—and those responsible.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
January 30, 2024. The French weekly, Le Journal du Dimanche, publishes the most comprehensive and detailed survey on what French Muslims think. Not surprisingly, the results are disturbing.
The first question in the survey was about Jews. 17% of French Muslims admit that they hate Jews. 39% say they have a bad, or very bad, opinion of Judaism.
France is the only country in 21st-century Europe where Jews regularly have been murdered simply because they are Jews. Since the kidnapping, torture and murder of Ilan Halimi in January 2006, all Jews murdered in France have been killed by Muslims. Sammy Ghozlan, the president of the National Office for Vigilance against Anti-Semitism (BNVCA), which lists anti-Semitic acts and helps their victims, has emphasized year after year, for more than twenty years, that almost all violent anti-Semitic acts committed in France are committed by Muslims.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France is taking some radical steps in order to suppress opponents of Covid vaccines — even if this is designed to leave out explicit mention of either the vaccines, or people who have taken a negative stance on the issue.
But it does mention mRNA manipulation-based inoculation, and so the implication is fairly clear.
The country this week passed a new law (Article 4) which goes as far as to say that Covid skeptics of “therapeutic treatments” are to be treated as participants in “sectarian aberration,” reports say.
And they potentially face jail time (up to three years) and a fine in euros equivalent to some $48,500.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Catholic Church in Germany has been facing a series of crises in recent years, including a shortage of priests and an ongoing sexual abuse scandal, but the German Church is choosing to focus on the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, especially if members of the AfD happen to be participating in Catholic life.
The chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), Georg Bätzing, who also serves as bishop of Limburg, said that membership in the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is not compatible with volunteer work or holding office in the Catholic Church.
He said that the Church should focus on supporting freedom, and democracy, and on maintaining an openness to foreigners.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Greek Prime Minister Rejects EU Rule-of-Law Violation Claims
Under pressure from EU institutions and NGOs, Greece’s Prime Minister announced that the rule of law in his country was “stronger than ever” following a string of attacks accusing the centre-right government of rule-of-law violations.
Greece is the latest member state subjected to EU ‘lawfare’, finding its funding threatened because of national policies—and voters—that are seen as out of step with Brussels’ left-leaning ‘values.’
Kyriakos Mitsotakis was speaking on Tuesday, February 20th, at a joint press conference with Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament (EP), who is touring European Union capitals ahead of European elections in June.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
High-Profile Russian Defector Who Landed Helicopter in Ukraine to Escape to West Shot Dead
A Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine, taking his Cold War-era helicopter with him, was the victim of a shooting attack last week, Ukrainian media says.
A man was found shot dead in a parking garage in Villajoyos, Alicante, Spain last week. Although Spanish authorities haven’t released the name of the deceased, Ukrainian media now says the remains are of Captain Maksim Kuzminov, a Russian military pilot who defected with his helicopter to Ukraine last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Does Not Need a Lecture From the United States, Says Foreign Minister Szijjartó
The Hungarian government does not need U.S. congressional delegations to lecture it on what should happen in Hungary, because only the Hungarian people can decide on this, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó warned in Brussels on Monday.
At a press conference following the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Szijjartó responded to a journalist who had asked him about the visit to Budapest of U.S. senators at the request of U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman. The move was instigated to exert pressure on Hungary to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership application.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vaccines that protect against severe illness, death and lingering long Covid symptoms from a Covid-19 infection are linked to small increases in neurological, blood, and heart-related conditions, according to the largest global vaccine safety study to date.
The study is likely to deepen the debate over the relative merits of getting vaccinated and whether the response was proportional.
Researchers stress that the risk of an adverse event from a Covid vaccine remains relatively low and that association does not prove causation.
However, among the 13.5 billion doses administered globally, a small proportion of people immunised developed complications, fuelling a debate over the trade-offs involved.
The rare events — identified early in the pandemic — included a higher risk of heart-related inflammation from mRNA shots made by Pfizer Inc, BioNTech SE, and Moderna Inc, and an increased risk of a type of blood clot in the brain after immunisation with viral-vector vaccines such as the one developed by the University of Oxford and made by AstraZeneca Plc.
The viral-vector jabs were also tied to an increased risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nervous system.
The new research, by the Global Vaccine Data Network, dove further into the data. The full results are published in the journal Vaccine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Migrantifa’: German Newspaper Notes Emergence of New Hard Left Street Group
The violent hard-left Antifa are already well known, but a splinter group in Germany with a laser focus on race has taken to the streets and it is bent on “revolution towards a classless society”, reports a top newspaper.
‘Migrantifa’ — of course a portmanteau neologism of migrant and Antifascist Action — protested in Berlin on Friday night, a demonstration that devolved into scuffles and arrests after police attempted to shut down banned antisemitic chants. Establishment German newspaper Die Welt gives a rundown on the group which has bubbled under the surface for a few years but now gains new prominence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Seven Men Arrested for Riots in the Hague to Remain in Custody for Two Weeks
Seven suspects of the riots in The Hague on Saturday will remain in custody for two weeks. The examining magistrate of the court in The Hague decided this on Wednesday.
The suspects are men aged 19 to 30 from Apeldoorn, Cuijk, Rijkevoort, and Nijmegen. On Monday and Tuesday, five suspects had already been brought to trial for their involvement in the disturbances surrounding the meeting of Eritreans in The Hague.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Over Half of Poles Fear War With Russia
The latest poll from Poland suggests that anxiety over the likelihood of war with Russia is growing.
The data shows that 56 percent of those interviewed said they feared the prospect of a NATO conflict with Russia. Meanwhile, only 32 percent of respondents said they were not afraid of such a scenario, according to a study by the Pollster research center.
Another 12 percent expressed no opinion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Farmers Blockade Ukrainian Border, Undermining Globalist PM Tusk and Angering Zelensky
Polish farmers brought the border with Ukraine to a complete standstill with their tractors on Tuesday as they protested the “uncontrolled” flows of cheap produce from their war-torn neighbour, which they claim has severely undermined their ability to remain in business.
In a significant blow to recently installed globalist Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has vowed to be the most “pro-Ukrainian politician in Europe,” farmers from his country riled Kyiv once again by shutting down the border crossings at Lublin and Podkarpackie with hundreds of tractors, completely blocking off large transport trucks from coming in and out of the country and sparking queues dozens of miles long, Poland’s PAP news agency reported.
Flying the red and white Polish flags, tractors bore signs reading: “Stop the uncontrolled influx of Ukrainian goods” and “Agriculture is dying little by little” .
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Protesters From EU Countries Back Polish Farmers on Ukraine Border
Farmers from across the European Union are joining their Polish colleagues in conducting a full-scale blockade of the Ukrainian border as agricultural workers continue to protest against cheap imports from the war-torn country.
The mass action is expected to reach its climax with a tractor march on Warsaw next week, and continued demonstrations are testing Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s steadfast support for Kyiv.
The Polish farmers’ protests follow a recent two-month blockade by Polish truckers at major border crossings as they attempt to address local issues by disrupting imports to and exports from Ukraine. However, the demonstrations are also the result of anger over economic, regulatory, and the EU’s green policies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: German Government in Possible Violation of Citizen Privacy
An investigation has raised concerns that state-funded de-radicalizing counseling centers could be avenues for snitching on friends or family members suspected of holding ‘right-wing extremist’ or ‘conspiratorial’ views.
Currently, 50 such counseling centers, created as part of Interior Minister Nancy Faeser’s “Action Plan against Right-Wing Extremism” from 2022, and working closely with the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, are operating in Germany, according to a report from the publication Apollo News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Slovakian Presidential Race: Who’s Who?
In a little over a month’s time, nearly half a year after Robert Fico assumed the role of prime minister following a clear victory in parliamentary elections in September 2023, Slovaks will head to polling stations to cast their ballots for a new president in what will be something of a referendum of Fico’s left-right anti-globalist coalition.
Among a crowded field of contenders who have thrown their hats into the ring are the speaker of Slovakia’s Parliament, Peter Pellegrini; former Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok; former Prime Minister Igor Matovic; former President of the Supreme Court and Minister of Justice Stefan Harabin; former UN diplomat Jan Kubis; and the head of the Slovak National Party (SNS) and Deputy Speaker of Slovakia’s Parliament Andrej Danko (SNS).
Public opinion polls have indicated that Pellegrini, a member of the Fico-allied Voice—Social Democracy (Hlas) party, is the frontrunner in the contest for the largely ceremonial position.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Soros-Funded Election Interference Network Uncovered in Europe
An X user—under the name of MagaBabe—has been posting undercover interviews with the heads of the U.S.-based NGO Action for Democracy (A4D) for the past few weeks, revealing that the main financial driver behind the organization’s leftist agenda is none other than the billionaire George Soros.
According to the Action for Democracy’s website, the NGO’s modus operandi is to identify “key battleground states” where democracy is supposedly in peril from allegedly authoritarian conservative forces and to “fund important mobilization campaigns and then channel resources directly to front-line activists and organizations” there to help their cause. The rest is up to these local actors, but the goal is clear: toppling conservative governments.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish PM’s Visit to Budapest on Friday Could Break NATO Membership Impasse
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will receive his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, for a working visit to Budapest on Friday as the pair seek to reach an agreement on Sweden’s pending application to join NATO.
Announced by Orban’s press chief, Bertalan Havasi, on Tuesday, the two leaders are expected to discuss defense and security policy, Hungary’s upcoming presidency of the European Council, and the future trajectory of the European Union.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Thousands of Farmers Advance on Madrid for a Major Tractor Protest Over EU Policies
MADRID (AP) — Hundreds of farmers drove their tractors into central Madrid on Wednesday as part of ongoing protests against European Union and local farming policies and to demand measures to alleviate production cost hikes.
The protest, the biggest to take place in the Spanish capital after more than two weeks of daily protests across the country, will include a rally outside the Agriculture Ministry headquarters.
Many of the tractors flew Spanish flags and some farmers carried banners reading, “There is no life without farming,” and “Farmers in Extinction.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trident ‘Nuclear’ Missile Crashed Into Sea During Failed Test Firing Off Cape Canaveral
A British-launched nuclear missile test in January in the presence of the head of the Royal Navy and the Minister of Defence failed and splashed back into the sea.
A Trident missile launched off the East Coast of the United States in January from British ‘bomber’ submarine HMS Vanguard “crashed into the ocean” after launch. The missile had a ‘dummy’ warhead and no nuclear material onboard.
British tabloid newspaper The Sun revealed the launch failure, and stated the Ministry of Defence had confirmed the story. The ministry insisted despite the training test-firing failure the nuclear deterrent remains “effective”, and that the “anomaly” was “event specific”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tucker Carlson Claims Boris Johnson Demanded One Million Dollars for Interview
Tucker Carlson has claimed that Boris Johnson demanded one million dollars for an interview after the former British prime minister accused the American journalist of being a “stooge” for interviewing Vladimir Putin.
Speaking with Glenn Beck of The Blaze, Tucker Carlson alleged on Tuesday that Boris Johnson’s team said they would only sit down for an interview if he was paid one million dollars.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Taxes Stay-at-Home Parents More Than Almost Any Other Country
Britain is one of the worst countries in the developed world for families with one stay-at-home parent, new research has found.
After almost 14 years of the Conservative Party holding office, the UK has been ranked 26th on a global league table of 32 nations for its treatment by the taxation system of families with one earner and two children. The research, presented in a new paper from the Family Hubs Network (FHN) think tank titled “Parents don’t think the government is on their side,” gives the UK just 3.5 “Family-friendly Tax Points” compared to 193 awarded to the Czech Republic, in first place. This scoring is based on the assumption that British parents claim the marriage allowance of £252 per year.
Britain scored well below the Western average of 44 points.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK University Pushes for More “Friction” in Private Messages to Reduce “Misinformation”
Now’s the time to put even more pressure on Big Tech to make their platforms and apps “behave” according to various government standards — and those governments have no shortage of “research fellows” to seemingly independently back that kind of a push.
This may or may not be true in (yet another) case in the UK, but it’s worth considering. There is a school there called Loughborough University — that promotes itself on its site as “somewhere anyone can realize their full potential.”
Maybe the UK government could, too. If the “full potential” happens to be fully curtailing lawful speech even on encrypted message apps — job done!
All joking aside, though, this is what the university’s researchers have been busy doing: WhatsApp, and how to implement “misinformation warnings” on there, in certain scenarios.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Ex-Post Office Boss in Bitter Row With Government
A former Post Office boss has unearthed a memo which he says backs up claims he was told to delay compensation payments to victims of the Horizon scandal in order to help the Conservative Party. The note claims he was ordered not to “rip off the band aid” in terms of Post Office finances so the government could go into the next election with the lowest possible financial liability.
The Horizon scandal has been dubbed the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history after a television docudrama told the story of the almost 900 Post Office branch managers (‘sub-postmasters’) who were wrongly convicted of false accounting, theft, and fraud. Attention has focussed since on how the finances of the Post Office, which is fully owned by the government, will both compensate these victims and replace the Horizon IT financial software, which produced flawed information used as the basis of convictions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: More Than 100 Tory MPs Could Quit Before Next Election
A record number of Conservative MPs are likely to walk away from politics at this year’s general election because they don’t want to spend years in opposition.
Already, 58 Tory MPs won’t stand at the next election, which is more than at any time since 1997, when the party was wiped out at the polls. With pundits expecting similar electoral results this year, Conservative insiders say the figure is bound to top 100.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Nigel Farage Considers Class Action Lawsuit Against Big Banks, as Thousands Claim Debanking
Brexit boss Nigel Farage is considering leading a class action lawsuit against the “debanking” practices of lenders in Britain as over 3,000 people have claimed to have had their accounts shut down.
Last year, Nigel Farage sparked a political firestorm in the UK after revealing that his accounts at the NatWest banking group were shut down for political reasons, including his ties to former President Donald Trump and for expressing views that do not “align” with the bank’s values. The scandal resulted in the sacking of NatWest CEO Dame Alison Rose after it was revealed that she had leaked the Brexit leader’s private financial details to the BBC while falsely trying to claim that the decision to debank Farage was not political.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Uniparty: Former ‘Conservative’ Govt Minister Now Helping Left Prepare for Power
If you feel like there isn’t much to distinguish the two establishment parties and their identikit politicians, don’t worry! They seem to find them pretty interchangeable as well.
Former Conservative Party politician and think-tanker Nick Boles, a David Cameron-era Member of Parliament who had risen to the height of Minister of State for Skills before falling out with his party over Brexit and leaving the house in 2019 is now advising the opposition Labour Party.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Polish Farmers Dump Ukrainian Grain in Protest at the Border
Polish farmers have caused a stir by spilling Ukrainian grain from railway trucks at the border, an incident that has drawn criticism from the Ukrainian ambassador to Poland, Wasyl Zvarych.
He condemned the actions of protesters after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
Zvarych is now calling upon the police to address the situation, which has sparked controversy and highlighted the tensions over agricultural policies and the impacts of imported goods on local farming communities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Will Polish PM Side With Farmers or Eurocrats in Ukraine Border Blockade?
Farmers in Poland totally blockaded all traffic at border crossings with Ukraine on Tuesday, February 20th. They are protesting once again against EU regulations and cheap Ukrainian grain imports, in an unprecedented show of strength.
By closing ports and motorways, farmers are restricting the movements of passenger cars, in addition to the trucks and other haulage vehicles targeted by earlier demonstrations. Tractors will also head to the capital, Warsaw, to put further pressure on the government. While military aid to Ukraine will be allowed through, all civilian traffic is blocked.
Farmers across the whole of Europe have been protesting EU and national regulations—especially the EU’s Green Deal, an ideologically driven set of measures to tackle climate change. By constraining farmers, it threatens to destroy their livelihood and way of life. Rising costs and unfair competition from Ukraine is also placing a heavy burden, not only on farmers but also truckers, who have voiced their discontent by blockading Ukrainian borders. Polish farmer associations have demanded Poland withdraw from the Green Deal altogether.
As Piotr Bórawski, an expert in the field of agricultural economy, told PAP news agency:
The prices of some agricultural products have fallen by as much as 50 percent. We have an oversupply of products from Ukraine, which the EU market is not able to absorb. These products are very often of much lower quality.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
World Leaders No Longer Working Toward Peace — Serbian President
by RT
The international community is no longer interested in ending conflicts, and instead views peace as an “unwanted” ideal, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has claimed in an interview with TASS published on Tuesday.
His comments follow last week’s annual Munich Security Conference, which saw senior officials and heads of state from all over the world gather in the German city to debate international security issues, including the Ukraine conflict.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israel Intensifies Strikes on Gaza’s Rafah, Large Family Killed in Home
Israel says Hamas militants use civilian buildings as cover, something the Islamist group denies.
Rafah, Gaza Strip/Cairo: Israel intensified its bombardment of Rafah in Gaza’s south and over a dozen members of one family were killed in an air strike, residents said, as the ruined Palestinian enclave’s health ministry announced 29,313 deaths in the war so far.
In Jerusalem, Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz cited “promising early signs of progress” on a new deal to release hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza amid talks conducted by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to secure a pause in the war.
The Israeli army (IDF) said it had stepped up operations in Khan Younis, a city just north of Rafah. It made no mention of attacks on Rafah itself in its daily summary of events in Gaza and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
About 1.5 million people are estimated to be crammed into Rafah, on the southernmost fringe of the enclave close to the border with Egypt, most of them having fled their homes further north to escape Israel’s military onslaught.
The flow of aid entering Gaza from Egypt has almost dried up in the past two weeks, and a collapse in security has made it increasingly difficult to distribute the food that does get through, according to UN data and officials.
Israel has said it is preparing for a ground assault on Rafah, despite mounting international opposition, including from staunch ally the United States, over fears for civilian lives.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
UK Reports New Ship Attack in Red Sea
A new attempted attack on commercial shipping has been reported in the Red Sea, according to a British government agency overseeing maritime security in the region.
An explosion and flash were sighted 40 nautical miles west of Al Hudaydah in Yemen at about 12:27 AM UTC on Wednesday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in a social media post.
“Vessels and crew in the vicinity are reported safe,” the agency said.
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.”
Commercial ships operating near Yemen have been coming under attack from the country’s Houthi movement over the past three months in a response to the conflict in Gaza.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-War Russian Blogger Who Revealed Huge Avdiivka Losses Dies by Suicide
Andrey Morozov said he had been pressured to delete post detailing number of casualties
Andrey Morozov, a prominent pro-war Russian blogger, has reportedly died by suicide following outrage over a post in which he claimed that the Russian army lost 16,000 soldiers during the capture of the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka.
Morozov, who went by the pseudonym Murz on Telegram, was an ultra-nationalist commentator who fought alongside Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and participated in Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
On Sunday, Morozov wrote to his 120,000 followers on Telegram that Russia lost 16,000 personnel and 300 pieces of armour during its months-long capture of Avdiivka. The post drew heavy criticism from senior Russian propagandists, who accused the blogger of “slandering the Russian defence ministry”.
In Morozov’s final messages on Tuesday morning, he announced his suicide and said he was pressured by his superiors to delete the post detailing the number of casualties in Avdiivka. Several people close to Morozov on Tuesday confirmed his death, with some saying that he had shot himself.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Putin’s Feared Security Service Detains California Ballerina Over $50 Donation to Ukraine
Russia’s main security agency arrested a dual citizen of Russia and the United States alleging she committed high treason for donating funds to an appeal aiding Ukraine.
The Federal Security Service (F.S.B.) identified the detainee as a 33-year-old woman who lives in Los Angeles, the New York Times reports.
The F.S.B. said in a statement that she had raised money for a Ukrainian organization that bought weapons and other equipment for Ukraine’s military.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Behind Foiled Hybrid Attacks in Estonia, PM Kallas Claims
Several Russian hybrid attacks targeting Estonia have been foiled by the country’s security services, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has claimed.
In a post on social media, the Estonian leader referred to the fact that last December, the cars of Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets and a journalist were vandalized.
According to an article on Estonian public television (ERR), the country’s secret service believes that Russia was behind the attack with the perpetrators aiming to “create fear and tension within Estonian society.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russian General: NATO Troops Are Operating in Ukraine Disguised as Mercenaries
A Russian general is claiming that NATO troops are in Ukraine, but they are being disguised as mercenaries to justify their presence, with a number of American and Polish bodies found in Avdiivka, the city recently captured by Russian forces over the last few days.
In an interview with Russian newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda, General Sergei Rudskoy, chief operations director of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said that NATO military personnel are taking part in the fighting in Ukraine disguised as mercenaries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Russian Ministry of Justice has added Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) to its list of undesirable organizations. Radio Liberty is number 142 on the updated list of foreign NGOs it has classified as undesirable on the ministry’s website.
The measure bans RFE/RL, which has been funded by the United States since the Cold War and broadcasts in several languages in Russia, as part of a crackdown on voices criticizing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Dozens of organizations have been placed on the list of undesirable organizations in Russia, with their employees facing legal action.
However, the move also comes long after the EU banned RT from operating within the territory, showcasing how censorship is working from both sides.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pakistan: Gas Pipeline Blown Up in Balochistan
QUETTA: Gas supply was suspended to Mach town and surrounding areas after a gas pipeline passing through the Bolan River was blown up on Wednesday, officials said.
A portion of the six-inch pipeline caught fire after the powerful explosion, officials said.
Engineers of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) stopped the supply and a repair and maintenance team, along with required machinery, had been dispatched to the affected site. They immediately started repair work, according to SSGC spokesman Safdar Hussain.
He said the team on the ground was focusing its energies on repairing the line at the earliest to ensure supply is resumed by Thursday evening.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese Propaganda is Being Spread by Local News Services Across Europe, Report Reveals
Poland is among those countries listed as being affected by Chinese interventions in its media via the creation of local portals posing as news outlets while indulging in pro-Chinese propaganda, according to a report by CitizenLab researachers.
CitizenLab’s “Paperwall” report lists 123 internet services managed by the Chinese that are posing as local news portals in 30 countries in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Two of these portals, Bydgoszczdaily.com and WawelExpress.com, are Polish language outlets.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Under siege Outback town Alice Springs has been battling a youth crime wave for several years that shows no signs of easing, leading to one Indigenous Labor politician breaking ranks.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Another construction company has gone bust leaving behind close to 40 unfinished homes and debts of around $1.5million.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
More Than 365 Million Christians Face Genocide
More than 365 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, according to the Open Doors World Watch List 2024.
The top ten countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution are North Korea, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
Except for North Korea, where the persecution is caused by “dictatorial paranoia” and “communist and post-communist oppression,” the main religion of all other countries and groups on the list is Islam.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgian MEP Tom Vandendriessche has been reprimanded by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola for concluding that EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson’s call for more migration to combat Europe’s aging workforce amounts to “deliberate, organized repopulation.”
The lawmaker for the Flemish nationalist Vlaams Belang party, which sits with the Identity & Democracy group in the European Parliament, commented on the remarks by Johansson, the EU’s commissioner for home affairs, who said last month that the European Union needs at least 1 million migrants every year to replenish its depleting labor force and called for the bloc to further “invest in legal channels for regular migration.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Greens Attempt to Sabotage Frontex in Libya With Exaggerated Wagner Claim
A last-minute insertion into an EU foreign policy document, claiming that the EU’s border management force is working with a Wagner-affiliated militia (a Russia-funded mercenary group), could frustrate the agency’s efforts at stopping illegal migrants in the Mediterranean.
The amendments were made by Czech Pirate Party MEP Markéta Gregorova in a document on creating a common EU foreign policy. They point the finger at Frontex specifically, claiming it cooperates with the Libyan-based Tareq Bin Zeyad Brigade.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Moroccan migrant has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for two cases dating to 2020, when he burst into the room of a 62-year-old woman and raped her, and then months later, reportedly beat another woman, 86, in a brutal attack.
The suspect, Ramzan R., is an illiterate Moroccan migrant who arrived illegally in France in December 2019 after wandering through Turkey, Slovakia, and Poland. A court determined that on April 13, 2020, he broke into the 62-year-old woman’s house at 2 a.m. in the city of Bondy and subsequently assaulted her, along with an accomplice. However, the ordeal was not over. Ramzan R. then returned at 7:00 a.m. and raped the woman.
Then, eight months later, the man broke into the house of an 86-year-old woman and brutally attacked her in the same city.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A second Ukrainian teen refugee has died after succumbing to injuries sustained in a frenzied knife attack in the German city of Oberhausen by a migrant gang earlier this month.
Artem Kozachenko, an 18-year-old Ukrainian national, was hospitalized with multiple stab wounds after he and his teammates from a local basketball team were set upon by foreign youths on the evening of Sunday, Feb. 11, as they returned home from practice.
His friend, 17-year-old Volodymyr Yermakov, died at the scene while Kozachenko was rushed for emergency treatment. Despite initially surviving the attack, he has now died.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illegal Immigrant Led Police on Wild High-Speed Chase in Stolen Maryland State Tow Truck: ICE
A man accused of stealing a Maryland State Highway Administration tow truck and leading police on a wild, high-speed chase on Friday was in the United States illegally.
Cesar Flavio Lanuza, a Nicaraguan citizen, led authorities on a wild chase in which he allegedly hit other cars and police cruisers before stopping in Silver Spring, Fox DC reported.
He was arrested and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer request on him with the Montgomery County detention center.
“Cesar Flavio Lanuza is an unlawfully present citizen and national of Nicaragua,” James Convington, spokesperson for ICE’S Enforcement Removal Operations in Baltimore, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jobless Migrants and Foreign Students Cost UK Taxpayers £36 Billion Since 2020: Report
A report has found that the British taxpayer has subsidised foreign students and “economically inactive” migrants without jobs to the tune of £36 billion over the past three years.
An analysis of the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) by the Centre for Migration Control think tank has found that jobless migrants who entered the country legally have received £23.74 billion in support from the taxpayer since 2020.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Over seven million migrants have managed to make their way across the southern border under President Biden, according to new figures.
Statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show that this fiscal year alone, there has already been a reported 961,537 border encounters.
The year, which runs from October to September, is already on current pace to break last year’s record of 2,475,669.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch politician Geert Wilders has demanded the deportation of an asylum seeker currently standing trial for sexually assaulting four 11-year-old girls at a swimming pool resort in the Netherlands.
A total of 10 young girls and women filed complaints against the 29-year-old Syrian asylum seeker last year after he allegedly targeted and groped female visitors of the Center Parcs resort in Zandvoort.
Hart van Nederland reported how some of the girls had their buttocks groped by the man, while others claimed the migrant had clamped his legs around their waists and pressed his genitals against their hips.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York City Law to Let Non-Citizens Vote Ruled Unconstitutional in Appellate Court
A New York state appeals court has denied an attempt by New York City leaders to implement a law that would let non-citizens vote in local elections.
In a 3-1 ruling issued Wednesday by the Appellate Division for the Second Judicial Department, the body said the law violated the New York Constitution and Municipal Home Rule Law.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York City’s contract with an inexperienced bank to hand out debit cards to asylum seekers could cost as much as $10,000 per migrant, according to a new report.
Democrat mayor Eric Adams has claimed the pilot program would start with 500 families staying at The Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter and cost $52million. It was supposed to save money by allowing migrants to buy their own food and baby supplies, which officials say will save $600,000 per month and $7.2 million annually.
But, in reality, the contract’s fine-print leaves the option open for the program to become an open-ended, multi-billion-dollar deal, as reported by The New York Post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Quebec Seeks $1 Billion From Feds for Asylum Seekers
The Quebec government is demanding the federal government reimburse the province for money it has spent on providing social services to asylum seekers since 2021.
The Quebec government is asking Ottawa for $1 billion.
Quebec’s Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette called the situation “completely unreasonable.”
“Our capacity to provide services to asylum seekers has limits,” said Fréchette during the press conference.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The latest numbers show that the state is paying out $16 for breakfast, $17 for lunch, and a whopping $31 for every dinner every day, according to WBZ-TV.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Sues to Stop NGO Aiding in Human Smuggling at US-Mexico Border
On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced that he is suing to end the operations of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in the state of Texas. Paxton claims that these taxpayer-funded organizations facilitate human smuggling and worsen illegal immigration.
“Today, I’m suing to end NGO’s operations in Texas. The chaos at the southern border has created an environment where NGOs, funded with taxpayer money from the Biden Administration, facilitate astonishing horrors including human smuggling,” Paxton wrote on X. “While the federal government perpetuates the lawlessness destroying this country, my office works day in and day out to hold these organizations responsible for worsening illegal immigration.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
This is How Many Migrants Applied for Asylum in the EU in Just November
In November, 108,950 non-EU nationals made a first application for international protection in a European Union country, up 11 percent from a year earlier, the European Union’s statistical office Eurostat said on Tuesday.
The November report on asylum data showed that 6,375 non-EU asylum seekers resubmitted their applications in November after previous refusals, compared with 5,265 in September and 6,225 in October.
As in the previous months, Syrians were the largest group of asylum seekers in November (23,460), followed by Turkish nationals (12,870), Afghans (7,930), Venezuelans (6,175) and Colombians (5,445).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The British government has fired its supposedly “independent” chief inspector of borders and immigration after he criticised the number of arrivals who enter the country unchecked, asserting Border Force failed to check hundreds of foreigners arriving in the country on private jets, thereby potentially endangering the public.
The Home Office announced on Monday that it had “terminated the appointment” of David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, after he allegedly “breached the terms of appointment and lost the confidence of the home secretary,” Sky News reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alleged chemical attacker Abdul Shokoor Ezedi vanished in London last month despite the city being one of the most heavily camera-covered on earth: weeks later, police think they may have found his body.
12 people were injured, including a mother and her children, in a chemical attack in London on January 31st, prompting a major manhunt for primary suspect Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, an Afghan migrant “Christian convert” later portrayed as a “good Muslim” who may have gamed the migration system by claiming a change of faith. Police released details of their search for Ezedi slowly, stating first he’d been last seen at a north London railway station, then days later saying he’d been seen in East London, and then later still revealing he’d walked past the front door of Britain’s international spy agency headquarters before vanishing nearby.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Trans Activist Assaults Students at Virginia March for Life
During the Virginia March for Life on Wednesday afternoon, a trans activist was seen assaulting students as they walked through the streets of Richmond.
As the students walked down the street, a person holding up a transgender flag was filmed running against the flow of the crowd, shoving the students as the activist moved through.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada: Poilievre Says Women’s Spaces ‘Should be Exclusively for Females, Not for Biological Males’
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday that “female spaces,” whether in prison cells or change rooms, “should be exclusively for females, not for biological males.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A biology professor who was fired from a Texas community college for teaching students that X and Y chromosomes determine sex has been reinstated.
First Liberty Institute, a law firm that defends religious liberty for Americans, announced in a Tuesday press release that St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, Texas, had reinstated Dr. Johnson Varkey, a former adjunct professor, a year after he was terminated.
The law firm noted they had filed a charge of discrimination at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against St. Philip’s and the Alamo Community College District (ACCD) earlier this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Don’t Touch the Kids,’ Putin Tells Gays
by RT
Russia is actually tolerant of people with non-traditional sexual orientations, so long as they don’t target children or flaunt their preferences, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
The president made the remarks while addressing visitors to the ‘Strong Ideas for a New Time’ forum, a yearly event organized by Russia’s state-backed Agency of Strategic Initiatives.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google AI Tool Gemini is Accused of Racism for Refusing to Create Images of White People
Allegations of racial bias towards Caucasians have surfaced against Google Gemini, an AI chatbot known for its image-generation abilities and more. According to aggrieved users voicing their concerns on X, the AI tool is seemingly resistant to generating images of white individuals, a bias observed upon testing it with diverse prompts such as Popes, Vikings, American Revolutionary soldiers, and more.
This immense power, however, comes with substantial responsibility and a set of ethical, social, and political challenges.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Greece Protests Netflix’s Portrayal of Alexander the Great as Gay
Greek Cultural Minister Lina Mendoni is outraged by U.S. streaming service Netflix’s take on Alexander the Great with its new show “The Making of a God.” The Greek minister of culture is upset that Alexander the Great — one of the most prominent figures in ancient history — is portrayed as homosexual, along with his main friend in the show.
An opinion piece in the Greek daily Eleftheros Typos had already been published earlier, saying that this was a “distortion of the truth.” In the article, Oliver Stone’s 2004 film Alexander was blamed for “launching a propaganda campaign about Alexander the Great’s homosexuality.”
Dimitris Natsios, the president of the right-wing Niki party, called the series “deplorable, unacceptable and unhistorical” and said the film aims to subliminally convey the idea — without any basis — that homosexuality was acceptable in ancient times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Catholic couple in Indiana is asking the Supreme Court to hold the state accountable for keeping their child out of their home after they declined to use his chosen name and pronouns.
In M.C. and J.C. v. Indiana Department of Child Services, Mary and Jeremy Cox are appealing to the Supreme Court after they were investigated by Indiana officials for refusing to refer to their son using pronouns and a name inconsistent with his biological sex.
Becket is pursuing the case on behalf of the Coxes, arguing state courts allowed Indiana to keep the child from living in his parents’ home due to their disagreement with the child’s gender identity because of their religious beliefs. Notably, upon completing the investigation, the state determined the allegations of abuse against Mary and Jeremy were unsubstantiated, but still argued that the disagreement over gender identity was distressing to their child.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Riley Gaines Hostage for Ransom, Assault Investigation ‘Suspended’ by SFSU Police With No Charges
EXCLUSIVE: The San Fransisco State University Police Department has suspended its investigation into women’s sports activist and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines’ hostage incident and assault last year, saying the alleged charges are “unfounded.”
Gaines said she was assaulted and held hostage for ransom in April 2023 after speaking at San Francisco State University about her experience in her senior year of college competing against male swimmer Lia Thomas. The two had tied for fifth place in a national swimming championship.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle Activists Declare ‘Homosexual Intifada’
Authored by Jason Rantz via mynorthwest.com
As if “Queers for Palestine” wasn’t enough of a self-parody, keffiyeh-donning gay activists in Seattle have declared a “homosexual intifada.
After another pro-Hamas/anti-Israel march and rally that took over city streets that Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell ceded, the extremists plastered their signage around downtown Seattle. That’s when we started seeing a new flyer showing two men with faces covered with keffiyeh while embracing in a kiss. The pink-hued message says “Homo-sexual Intifada” in all caps.
Seattle’s homosexual intifada flyer is a stark oxymoron as brazen as it is ignorant. It signals LGBT Seattle activists are willing to become more violent in support of a terrorist organization that would order them tossed from the highest rooftop the moment they accuse someone of misgendering them.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trans Swimmer Breaks Records Swimming for Women’s College Team in New Jersey
A trans-identifying male New Jersey collegiate swimmer has set another school record in women’s swimming.
On February 16, Ramapo College of New Jersey Athletics posted to Instagram that Meghan Cortez-Fields set a new school record in the 200m individual medley with a time of 2:08.20 at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships.
Despite the school record, Cortez-Fields placed 5th in the finals.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: London Mayor Overlooks Late Queen Elizabeth II to Approve Transgender Sex Workers Sculpture
London’s left-wing mayor Sadiq Khan has resisted calls to commission a statue commemorating the late Queen Elizabeth II in favor of approving £1 million in funding to erect a sculpture depicting the faces of hundreds of transgender sex workers on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.
The sculpture, created by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles and named Improntas, features plaster casts of 850 transgender people, many of whom were prostitutes, and was designed to draw attention to the marginalization of the trans community.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
__________________________________________________________
UNBRIDLED STUPIDITY
CONQUERS THE WORLD
Google’s AI service depicts Vikings as Africans – forced to back off
Published February 22, 2024 in Fria Tider
Google now admits that it has gone too far in political correctness with its AI service Gemini, which refuses to depict white people and, for example, depicts Vikings as black Africans.
On social media, a large number of users who have tested Google’s Gemini have testified that the giant’s AI tool is almost ridiculously anti-white.
For example, the service flatly refuses to create images of “a white family” – but it has no problem depicting “a black family”.
When Gemini is asked to depict historical white figures such as Vikings, US founding fathers, medieval English kings, popes and the like, they also become non-white. The same is true when asked to draw typically white people like Canadian hockey players.
Gemini CEO Jack Krawczyk has previously defended the anti-white image generation, but after the social media backlash, he says the service will be redesigned.
– We are working to immediately improve this type of imaging. Gemini’s AI image generation generates a wide range of people. And that’s generally a good thing because people around the world use it. But here it defeats its purpose,” Krawczyk told Fox Business.
***
Jack Krawczyk is himself an openly cultural Marxist and has previously railed against “white privilege” and the like.
***
When asked why it does not want to depict white people, Gemini replies that this risks “reinforcing harmful stereotypes and generalizations about people based on their race”.
The AI then encourages the user to focus on people’s individual characteristics to create a “more inclusive” and “fairer society”.
When Fox Business asks Gemini why it is “harmful” to show a picture of a white person, the answer is a bullet point list, claiming, among other things, that “racial generalizations” have been used historically to “justify oppression and violence against marginalized groups”.
“When you ask for an image of a ‘white person’, you are implicitly asking for an image that embodies a stereotypical view of whiteness. This can be harmful both to individuals who do not fit these stereotypes and to society at large”, the AI service writes.
_________________________________________________________
America’s Republicans are the pure children
22/2-2024
By Lars Hedegaard – http://www.snaphanen.dk
According to a new Harris poll, Donald Trump leads Joe Biden by 9 percentage points. This is partly because 14% of Democratic voters intend to vote for Trump.
So things are looking good for the Republican candidate, but it must be remembered that the Republicans need a significant lead to overcome the systematic and well-organized election fraud of the Democrats.
According to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, the Republicans need a 4% lead to have a chance, but with Democrats becoming increasingly desperate to retain power at all costs, more will probably be needed.
Overall, the question is whether the American votes matter. What matters is not how people vote, but who counts the votes and who is best at manipulating the voting machines.
Republicans are hopeless amateurs when it comes to winning elections. Their voters think they make a difference by showing up on election day, when the outcome has long been decided.
You can therefore safely assume that Biden – or whoever becomes the Democratic nominee – will be the clear winner of the presidential election.
Donald Trump says in one meeting after another that he will not let the Democrats win by rigging the election.
That sounds good, but how will he ensure it in a US where democracy has long been abolished?
Oh-hoh-hoh, is the UN ready to declare Islam a crime against humanity?
https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-un-gender-apartheid-crime-against-humanity/32830490.html
“The White House is considering executive action to restrict migrants’ ability to seek asylum at the US-Mexico border if they crossed illegally.” —CNN (22 Feb 2024)
“[Easy] Prediction: Within the next week or so, Prince Aricept’s orderlies’ll have him sign an executive order that significantly infringes on the record numbers of ILLEGALS that’ve been sneaking into Obamerica since 20 Jan 2021. Then, during his upcoming 7 March State of the Union prattle, he’ll claim, “I took action while Recrumblanticans just….ah…..you know, the thing!”
Watch this space..” —posted to fb (19 Feb 2024)
Commie-toddlers’re as predictable as a well-regulated Rolex.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Harassed the one who should be harassed
NOT ONE CRITICAL WORD ABOUT “THR MAN AND THE BOOK”
in the country that is about to become
a clerical, Islamic tyranny
Muslim Brotherhood thesis investigated by prosecutors
Wednesday 21 Feb 2024E
Prosecutor Pia Björnsson has launched a preliminary investigation into Sameh Egypston’s high-profile thesis on the Muslim Brotherhood, which was presented at Lund University last year.
– “I believe that I have conducted research within the framework of academic freedom. This is an attempt to discourage researchers from working on important social issues,” Egyptson told Dagens Nyheter.
In February last year, researcher Sameh Egyptson presented his thesis “Global political Islam? The Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic League in Sweden” at Lund University.
In the thesis, Egyptson, who holds a doctorate in theology from Lund University, argued that the Islamic League is a Swedish branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which means that Sweden has been infiltrated by political Islam.
In the dissertation, several people were named as active in the Islamic Federation in Sweden or one of the Islamic Federation’s sub-organizations, which led to several complaints to the Swedish Ethics Committee, which claimed that Egyptson had processed sensitive personal data linked to religion and personal data about lagvertr￤delser in the dissertation.
This normally requires seeking permission from the Ethics Review Board, which Egyptson had not done. However, Egyptson believes that the Ethics Review Act does not apply as he started the research in 1999, five years before the Act came into force, and that the data he used in the research does not qualify as sensitive.
Prosecutor Pia Björnsson is now launching a preliminary investigation into Egypston’s thesis. The preliminary investigation is about whether Egyptson had permission for the research and will not concern the actual content, says Björnsson to SvD.
At present, no one is suspected of a crime, and if it turns out that a crime has been committed, it is unclear whether Egyptson, his supervisor or someone else is responsible, according to the prosecutor.
Egypston himself says the whole thing is an attempt to “discourage researchers” from working on certain issues.
– We would like to know where this goes. I believe I have done research within the framework of academic freedom. It is a mistake to discourage researchers from working on important societal issues,” he told Dagens Nyheter.
***
Egyptson: As long as there is identity politics, Islamists will have influence
https://nyheteridag.se/plus/egyptson-sa-lange-det-finns-identitetspolitik-kommer-islamister-att-ha-inflytande/
Egyptson held a pre-reading in parliament – no red-green politicians present
https://nyheteridag.se/plus/egyptson-holl-forelasning-i-riksdagen-inga-rodgrona-politiker-pa-plats/
Johannes Nilsson / Nyheter Idag
johannes.nilsson@nyheteridag.se
***
https://gatesofvienna.net/2023/12/the-muslim-brotherhood-in-sweden-part-16/
https://gatesofvienna.net/category/arab-spring/
The Culpable Negligence of Placing Ukraine over Lahaina, East Palestine, and America as a Whole. https://shorturl.at/afAD1
The Party of Trump: Teamsters Donate $45K to GOP for First Time in Years
https://www.axios.com/2024/02/22/trump-teamsters-union-rnc-donation-biden
Red Sea Ballistic Missile Attacks Trigger Asian Interest in Defenses
https://gcaptain.com/no-agreement-yet-to-extend-black-sea-grain-deal/
“When the money runs out” I see as the next phase and we can see it is coming soon by the articles on the costs of the refugees/asylum seekers/third world ingrates. As the public has been brainwashed with so much garbage, who will they blame? Their response could be irrational and dangerous. The media vilifies whites, christians, Germans, AFD, Russians, anti vaxxers, anti trans, anti climate change etc setting them up as potential targets.
Wokism has also allowed crimes to be committed if they can be justified. Theft is OK if you need it. Murder is OK if victim is in vilified group and you are in special group.
Dehumanising groups is the propagandist’s first step in sanctioning their murder.
The thing is, what these leftist marxist/3rd worlders/WEF types are doing by vilifying and demonizing white European/American males is you make them monsters they are not smart enough to fear, but they soon will, for once the games begin, the white male will not be hampered and leashed by so called civilized behaviors, he will be unleashed in all his glory to do whatever necessary to rid ourselves of the plague of marxism/3rd worlders and the folks like Soros and WEF types, there will be no Geneva conventions, threats of the ICC or any other human rights group and their favorite pets they protect to protect themselves from the wrath of the angry white European/American male who will not be burdened by such frivolous things, only total victory. For no one does war better than the white angry male.
“Allegations of racial bias towards Caucasians have surfaced against Google Gemini, an AI chatbot known for its image-generation abilities and more. According to aggrieved users voicing their concerns on X, the AI tool is seemingly resistant to generating images of white individuals, a bias observed upon testing it with diverse prompts such as Popes, Vikings, American Revolutionary soldiers, and more.” —Reclaim the Net (21 Feb 2024
https://reclaimthenet.org/google-ai-tool-gemini-is-accused-of-racism-for-refusing-to-create-images-of-white-people
“There is nothing inherently dangerous about AI….unless—as’s the case with ANY powerful tool—it falls into the hands of commie-toddlers. Then, all bets’re off. Trust me on this [I’ve been working in AI since the ’90s].” —posted to fb (May 2023)
Nothing worse than a beta, self hating, self loathing, self flagellating, white, weak leftist male. They will be the cause of the angry, white, ruthless, ethnonationalist male to rise and be feared.
“Republican Presidential candidate Nikki Haley has vowed to stay in the fight against Donald Trump.” —USA Today (22 Feb 2024)
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/politics/2024/02/20/nikki-haley-not-going-anywhere-vows-to-keep-fighting-donald-trump/72673359007/
“Observation: Although Haley’s decision to remain in the ’24 “Republican” presidential race appears nonsensical—after all, Haley’s NOT a conservative and “orange Hitler” IS the run-away fav amongst the hard-core base—I think she’s banking on “orange Hitler” being “taken out”—politically, legally or literally—prior to the election. As per previous prediction (below), considering the powers amassed against “orange Hitler”, ‘toddlers’ll TELL ANY LIE and/or BREAK ANY LAW due to their ongoing “TRUMPTRUMPTRUMP Psychosis”. So Haley’s decision may not be so nonsensical after all.” —posted to fb (24 Feb 2024)
“The point is that CNN & Co have been convinced, from day-one, that it’s impossible for a guy like Trump to’ve become as successful as he is without having committed a really BIG crime or crimes. And it’s their job—they feel—to uncover that crime(s). And, like Hillary’s shoe-in 2016 run, they see it as a given that all they’ve gotta do is throw stuff out there and something’ll stick. After all, Trump IS a really bad guy, right? Even if most of their specious claims turn out to be disproven, Trump—they feel—deserves it anyway.
Therefore, I continue to maintain (since April 2016) that the odds of Trump completing his first term are, at best, 50/50. Considering Trump’s unwillingness to back down, his BIG MOUTH and the sheer size and unwaveringly frenetic hysteria of the forces amassed against him, this thing could go either way and I could make a good, cogent case for whichever scenario won out.” —posted to fb (July 2018)
Don’t feed the [black] swans..
A Black Swan event is inevitable, events are rapidly spiraling out of anyone’s control.
The following is intended for private, individual consideration; not necessarily public debate…but feel free if you wish.
Question for the Gatesofvienna community: How much BACKUP water, food, power, shelter and security do you have RIGHT NOW? If the lights went out as you’re reading this and you had no way of knowing when they’d come back on again, are you prepared?
With at least five distinct groups actively working—both externally and internally—to harm western nations, Obamerica in particular, I think law-abiding citizens need to start making concrete plans for their families and communities.
As’s been predicted many times, it’s a matter of when, not if, your town, city or nation will suffer a long-term power outage. And when it happens, you’ll be on your OWN; NOONE will be coming to your rescue.
Are you prepared?
I live out in the sticks of JackPine Savage country in Nordern MN, I’m on well water with hand pump, solar and generators if/when the power goes out plus double good a wood stove if heat is no longer an option. Food is available in the bush and in the lake(walleye).