Tucker Carlson recorded a brief video from Moscow announcing that he is in Russia to interview President Vladimir Putin, and explaining his reasons for doing so. The interview has reportedly already taken place, and a text transcript has been published, but no video as of this writing.
In other news, at least eleven people were killed and dozens more injured in a blast today at a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh state in India.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Caroline Glick, Dean, Insubria, JW, LP, MM, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
$12,250 Robocop Out of Commission in NYC After Only 4 Months
New York City’s infamous “robocop” has officially ended its pilot program, according to an official from the city. The machine lasted only four months and costed $12,250.
The 5-foot-tall 400lb security robot, K5, was introduced in October of last year to much fanfare from Mayor Eric Adams’ office, however, the public was not as impressed and it was stashed away in a vacant storefront just two months into the city’s six-month contract with its manufacturer, Knightscope.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Society One Step Closer to Dystopia”: Vision-Pro Early-Adopters Spotted in Wild
Apple’s nearly $4,000 mixed-reality headset, Apple Vision Pro, hit store shelves on Friday, and early adopters have already been spotted in the wild.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Actress Gina Carano Sues Disney After Being Fired for Social Media Posts
As an intensifying debate over free speech and corporate control in Hollywood rallies, Gina Carano, a star from The Mandalorian, is orchestrating a legal challenge against Disney and Lucasfilm for alleged discrimination and illicit expulsion after she was fired from the company over her social media posts.
Her suit is supported financially by Elon Musk, a vocal advocate for freedom of speech, and critic of Disney, who has previously committed to back legal cases for individuals alleging censorship due to their use of his platform, X.
Carano’s lawsuit, lodged in a federal court in California on Tuesday, contends she was expelled due to her conservative sentiments shared on social media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alarmists Praise ChatGPT as Defender of ‘Climate Emergency’
Climate change alarmists have praised ChatGPT as a reliable purveyor of global warming groupthink, fruit of instructions from woke programmers.
There is an “unexpected upside” to expanding use of tools like ChatGPT, Fast Company asserts, namely that they “could teach people about climate change, and possibly shift deniers closer to accepting the overwhelming scientific consensus that global warming is happening and caused by humans.”
A recent study of ChatGPT’s interactions with more than 3,000 people on the issue of climate change led to many being convinced of the dangers of global warming, the article notes approvingly.
[Comment: Garbage in, garbage out.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Appears to Confuse Emmanuel Macron With French Leader Francois Mitterrand Who Died in 1996
While telling an anecdote about the G7 summit in June 2021, Joe Biden appeared to confused the current French president Emmanuel Macron with his dead predecessor Francois Mitterand.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Biometric Scanning is Increasing Making Its Way Into American Schools
In Aroostook County, Maine, Caribou High School, is at the forefront of adopting invasive biometric scanning technology to monitor student attendance.
This initiative, a collaboration with IdentiMetrics, a leader in biometric solutions, involves capturing, storing, and using students’ fingerprints. Around 460 students at the school will be subject to this new attendance-tracking system.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Ronna McDaniel to Step Down as RNC Chair
Beleaguered RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel is reportedly intending to step down. Donald Trump, who has been vocal about the need for changes at the RNC, is likely to back Michael Watley, who currently heads the North Carolina GOP.
McDaniel told Trump she was planning to step down in advance of South Carolina’s Republican primary on February 24, The New York Times reports. That contest will see Nikki Haley face off against Trump in her home state. An election will have to be held for the new chair.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: International Union of Police Associations Endorses Donald Trump for President
On Tuesday, the International Union of Police Associations announced that it was endorsing Donald Trump for president of the United States.
In a statement, the IUPA cited Trump’s “unmatched” support for law enforcement, contrasting it with the Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Fani Willis side show in Donald Trump’s Georgia election trial is the gift that keeps on giving.
After initially lying about her relationship with Nathan Wade, a prosecutor she paid $700,000 to help her ‘get Trump,’ Willis finally admitted to it — after Wade’s estranged wife began dropping receipts from their divorce proceeding.
That said, Willis lied again according to Joycelyn Wade’s legal team. While the Fulton County CA claimed that her relationship with Nathan Wade didn’t begin until after she paid him all that taxpayer money — despite the fact that Wade filed for divorce the day after he was hired.
According to a new filing, “witnesses will testify” that Wade “cohabitated with Ms. Willis at an AirBNB in Hapeville that was paid for by tax payer money” which served as a “safe house” for their relationship, which began in 2019 — three years before Willis and Wade said it began.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Judge Rejects Challenge to Mail-in Ballots in North Dakota
Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a legal foundation focused on election integrity cases that sought to invalidate a North Dakota law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted for 13 days after Election Day.
U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor said in his Feb. 2 order that the lawsuit both lacked standing and failed to show harm or violation of constitutional rights.
“The complaint is dismissed,” Judge Traynor, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, wrote in the order.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GOP Rep, Liberal Journalist Accuse DoD-Funded NewsGuard ‘Misinformation’ Org of Being ‘Psyop’
Speaking in the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government hearing on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida addressed concerns he has with government collaboration with outside businesses that are intended to use AI to censor online information and users’ free speech. He spoke to liberal investigative journalist Lee Fang who worked on the Twitter Files. The two agreed about the dangers of policing speech online.
In speaking about online “misinformation” agency NewsGuard, Steube said it was “like a psyop mission that they’re doing using taxpayer dollars to psyop American citizens.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Fails to Impeach Mayorkas After Four Republicans Join Democrats
House lawmakers on Tuesday failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, under whose tenure more than 10 million illegal immigrants have entered the US — doubling the existing population.
Three Republicans voted with House Democrats — while a fourth, Blake Moore (R-UT) flipped his “Aye” to a “No” in order to preserve the ability to bring ‘Motions to Reconsider’ (which can only be brought by someone who voted ‘no’).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Republican report from the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday raised alarms over possible AI-enabled censorship on a massive scale, reminiscent of Twitter and Facebook’s suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop exposé in 2020.
The accusations focus on a series of AI tools currently under development. Financial backing for this venture has reportedly come from the Biden administration, leading to concerns about the permeation of political influence in freedom of speech.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The House Judiciary Committee has initiated legal action against Elvis Chan, an FBI agent that documents show was implication in prominent censorship of online speech.
This move, made on Tuesday, stems from Chan’s non-compliance with a subpoena, directly challenging the committee’s probe into the suppression of certain viewpoints on social media platforms.
The legal complaint asserts that Chan, who holds the position of Assistant Special Agent in Charge in California, deliberately ignored the subpoena under the guidance of the Department of Justice.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
How the DHS and Old Twitter Silenced a NYT Reporter’s Accurate Election Report
Investigative reporter Lee Fang continues exploring the documents that made the Twitter Files possible — including a case where even a New York Times reporter got wrongly “shadow-banned” as a proponent of election misinformation.
Fang, who worked with RealClearInvestigations on this latest piece, meant to have it out ahead of today’s congressional hearing, but says it will either way be a part of the House Select Subcommittee on Weaponization which goes into “social media censorship AI, and, free speech.”
The NYT reporter at the center of this story is Reid Epstein, and the context is the prolonged vote-counting in a swing state, back in 2020.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg attempted to charge two New York residents with felonies for having false vaccine passports while he has let off others charged with far worse crimes scot-free.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Brendan T. Lantry dismissed the felony charges against the residents, identified as J.O. and R.V. in the decision, who had bought the forged vax passports, usurping Bragg’s decision.
The judge said the two were among 16 others that Bragg had “cherry-picked” to prosecute, according to the case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Just in: Michigan Jury Finds Mother of School Shooter Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter
A Michigan jury found Jennifer Crumbley, whose son fatally shot four students at a high school in 2021, guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday afternoon.
According to CNN, the 12-person jury deliberated for more than 10 hours. She had pleaded not guilty to the four counts and faces up to 15 years in prison. Her sentencing is set for April 9.
On November 30, 2021, Ethan Crumbley fatally shot four students in an Oxford, Michigan high school, and injured six students and a teacher.
Prosecutors argued that Crumbley was responsible for the deaths because she was “grossly negligent” in giving a gun to her son and failing to get him proper mental health treatment despite present warning signs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kristi Noem: “Somebody’s Running the White House. I Don’t Believe it’s Joe Biden”
Authored by Aaron Pan via The Epoch Times
South Dakota governor Kristi Noem said President Joe Biden is not running the White House, but someone else is governing the country as she raised concerns over the border crisis that is “an extreme remaking of America.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New: President Trump Offers to Replace Biden for Super Bowl Interview: ‘Ratings Gold’
Following the news that President Biden would be sitting out the annual pregame Super Bowl interview for the second year in a row, 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump said he would be “happy” to replace Biden, and that the interview would be “ratings gold.”
“Crooked Joe Biden has just announced that he will not be doing the big Super Bowl interview. A great decision, he can’t put two sentences together. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO REPLACE HIM — would be ‘RATINGS GOLD!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
No Criminal Charges Expected in DOJ Report on Biden’s Classified Docs
The DOJ’s report on Joe Biden’s trove of classified documents is expected to result in no criminal charges. The special counsel report critiques how Biden handled classified documents, which he took with him after leaving the vide presidency, but says that crimes were not committed.
DOJ special counsel Jack Smith has brought charges, however, against Donald Trump for retaining classified documents after he left the presidency. Trump has stated that he was entitled to hold onto these documents due to the Presidential Records Act, which gives presidents the authority to designate documents for their personal use after leaving office. As VP, Biden had no claim to do the same. Trump was charged with 40 federal counts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NTSB Finds Alaska Air Boeing 737 Max Jet Had Missing Door Bolts
A preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board finds the mid-air incident with an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet last month was caused by a door plug that had not been properly attached before Boeing Co. delivered the plane.
NTSB said the Max 9 jet was missing four bolts, which were supposed to serve as a fail-safe mechanism for securing the panel to the fuselage.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Over 100 Arrested at Pennsylvania State Capitol Protest Calling to Divest From Israel
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (AP) — Police took into custody more than 100 people protesting the Pennsylvania state government’s investments in Israel on Monday, shutting down a demonstration on the steps of the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg.
A spokesperson for the Department of General Services, which includes the Pennsylvania Capitol Police, said 126 people were taken into custody at what he described as an unpermitted, unauthorized demonstration. They were ordered to disperse before being arrested, issued citations for trespassing and then released, said spokesperson Troy Thompson.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Progressive Seattle Council Member Unaware Criminals Use Cars in Smash and Grab Crime
A progressive Seattle City Council Member who previously voted to defund the police and advocated for looters claimed in a recent interview that she had no idea that stolen cars were being used to smash through storefronts as the city grapples with record-high auto thefts and stories of stolen cars used in smash and grab dominate the local headlines.
Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales said in a recent interview with KOMO News reporter Jeremy Harris when asked about stolen cars used as battering rams to break into Seattle stores, “I haven’t heard that these stolen cars are being used for smash and grab.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Protesters Interrupt State of the City Address in New Haven
Protesters interrupted New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker in the middle of his State of the City address Monday night, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Several police officers responded, including the Chief of Police who was present at the meeting, after the Board of Alders President told protesters that if they shouted, they would be arrested.
The speech was delayed about 20 minutes but resumed just before 8:10 p.m. It ended a few minutes later.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Schumer Lashes Out at Trump for Killing Open-Border Ukraine Deal
Apparently unaware that the $118 Senate ‘security’ package has been exposed as an anti-American slush fund for Ukraine, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has blamed former President Donald Trump for killing it.
“Too many Republicans, including Speaker Johnson, are scared of Donald Trump,” said Schumer — who appeared on MSNBC to suggest that America will regret not helping Ukraine and Israel right now.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle Restaurant Has Been Broken Into 5 Times in Past 6 Months
Even before Biden took over the White House thanks to millions of mailed-in harvested ballots dropping in at 3am in the morning, Seattle had emerged as one socialist America’s liberal meccas. Here are the consequences.
According to Seattle’s King5 news, Sandia, a Mexican restaurant in the city’s Laurelhurst neighborhood, has been broken into no less than 5 times in the past 6 months, costing the business $10,000.
“As of today, now we have been broken into five times,” said Nathan Yeager, the owner.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle Allowed to Enforce Anti-Vandalism Laws After Court Ruling
The Emerald City can once again enforce its graffiti ordinance after the Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals reversed a ruling of a lower court.
Seattle’s City Attorney Ann Davison filed an appeal in July against a June ruling from US District Court Judge Marsha Pechman who said the city’s municipal code was too broad and criminalized free speech by posing a “real and substantial threat of censorship.”
As a result, police could not arrest offenders and city prosecutors were prevented from charging them.
The order was in response to a lawsuit filed by activists who were charged under the city’s graffiti law for vandalizing the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct during a protest in 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
State Patrol Seeks to Charge 6 in Gaza War Protest That Shut I-5 in Seattle
The Washington State Patrol will recommend charging at least six people in relation to the Israel-Hamas war protest that shut down Interstate 5 for nearly five hours last month, the agency said.
An additional 10 people involved with the protest, which led to backups extending miles south of Seattle, are still being investigated, said Chris Loftis, a State Patrol spokesperson.
The protest, with a blockade of cars and people, shut down northbound I-5 just south of Mercer Street on Jan. 6. It caused traffic to back up 6 miles at one point. No arrests were made at the time and the State Patrol said it was caught off guard by the scale and tactics of the Saturday protest.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Vigilante Tricked Sex Offender Into Meeting Him at Park — Then Murdered Him: Police
A Houston man allegedly lured a convicted sex offender to his death in what is being described as a possible case of vigilante justice.
James Lewis Spencer III, 24, is charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of Sean Connery Showers, 37, who was found unresponsive, lying in a ditch near a park on Northwood Street, in the early morning hours of May 29, 2023, according to the Houston Police Department.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Calls for “Immediate Debates” Against Biden
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news
Donald Trump has called for debates between himself and Joe Biden to be held as soon as possible, “for the good of the country.”
Appearing on Dan Bongino’s podcast, Trump made the call, urging that more Americans need to be made aware that Biden “can’t do anything.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Immunity Denied by DC Appeals Court in Election Case
A three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled on Tuesday that former President Trump does not have immunity from prosecution related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
As the left freaks out about Tucker Carlson’s upcoming interview of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the former Fox News host (who can now be found at tuckercarlson.com) has published a pre-interview explainer over why he’s interviewing Putin — which boils down to an uncurious Western media, which has resulted in a grossly uninformed public.
“Here’s why we’re doing it. First, because it’s our job. We’re in journalism. Our duty is to inform people. Two years into a war that’s reshaping the entire world, most Americans are not informed. They have no real idea what’s happening in this region, here in Russia or 600 miles away in Ukraine. But they should know, they’re paying for much of it in ways they might not fully yet perceive. The war in Ukraine is a human disaster. It’s left hundreds of thousands of people dead. An entire generation of young Ukrainians. And has depopulated the largest country in Europe. But the long-term effects are even more profound.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Violent Carjacking Spree in DC Continues, 57 Incidents in 2024 So Far
After former Trump official Mike Gill was killed Monday while sitting in his car, Washington DC’s crime rate remains as high as the record-setting pace last year.
According to the Metropolitan Police data, there have been 57 carjacking offenses since the beginning of the year, with 53 percent of them involving guns as of Monday. Eight carjacking suspects have been arrested, with 88 percent of them being juveniles.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Democrat Suggests Biden Admin Big Tech-Censorship Collusion “Doesn’t Exist”
During a hearing on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government,” Democrats continued their long-standing tradition of downplaying or denying evidence of the Biden administration pressuring Big Tech platforms to censor Americans, despite numerous examples of this censorship collusion being provided during the hearing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Why Burn Books When You Can Bury Them? the White House Pressured Amazon to Target Dissenting Books
Authored by Jonathan Turley
The House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on Monday revealed yet another facet of the Biden Administration’s sprawling censorship system that targeted dissenting books.
It appears that, as with social media companies, it succeeded in getting the company not to promote disfavored books.
Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan revealed on X that the White House was directly involved in the censorship campaign.
That includes a 2021 email from one Biden official asking to discuss “the high levels of propaganda and misinformation and disinformation of [sic] Amazon?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alberta Rejects Ottawa’s “Unconstitutional” Emissions Cap
Alberta will not accept the federal government’s proposed emissions cap under any circumstances.
That was the message Alberta’s government relayed in a 24-page response to the federal government’s draft Regulatory Framework to Cap Oil and Gas Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
“The federal government’s proposed cap is ineffective, unconstitutional, and unacceptable,” said Alberta in the lengthy response.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Calgarians Have 60 Days to Recall Mayor Jyoti Gondek in First-Ever Petition of Its Kind
The City of Calgary confirmed receiving a formal petition to recall Mayor Jyoti Gondek under Alberta’s recall legislation.
Former premier Jason Kenney’s UCP government introduced recall legislation in 2020, which came into effect under the Municipal Government Act (MGA) in 2022. This notice marks a historic first under the legislation.
Initiated by local HVAC company owner Landon Johnston, the petition reflects growing dissatisfaction with Mayor Gondek’s leadership. True North reached out to Jonhston for comment but has not yet received a response.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada Pledges Closer Ties With EU to Regulate the Internet
Canada has agreed to work more closely with the European Union to further regulate the internet.
Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne and EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton pledged to work together on several key priorities, including internet regulation, last Thursday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Statistician Reveals ‘Fraud’ of Study Used by Trudeau Liberals to Justify COVID Lockdowns
According to Dr. Regina Watteel, a 2022 study funded by the Canadian government that blamed the unvaccinated for the persistence of Covid was a “fraud” and “hate science” that was produced to justify Covid mandates and lockdowns.
In her book “Fisman’s Fraud,” Watteel takes on a study published in the prestigious Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) entitled, “Impact of population mixing between vaccinated and unvaccinated subpopulations on infectious disease dynamics: implications for SARS-CoV-2 transmission.” It was authored by David N. Fisman, Afia Amoako, and Ashleigh R. Tuite.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Health Officers Push for ‘Smokable Fentanyl’ to Make Drugs ‘Safer’ in British Columbia
It’s difficult to smoke tobacco anywhere in British Columbia but Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry wants smokable fentanyl to be part of the province’s “prescribed safer supply” of drugs policy.
Henry says the province should be offering more drug choices and she wants to work with drug manufacturers and distributors to make that a reality.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nova Scotia Buried Under Up to 5 Feet of Snow From Days-Long Snowstorm
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Heavy snow pummeled coastal areas of Nova Scotia in Canada over the weekend as a strong low-pressure system stalled just off the Canadian Maritimes.
Widespread snow totals of well over a foot were observed across the province as the storm pummeled the region from Friday into Monday. A volunteer observer in Sydney, Nova Scotia, reported 59 inches of snow, according to Environment Canada. The official observation in town reported just over 40 inches.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Appalling Decline” in British Children’s Health
An increasing number of British children aged five and under are suffering from obesity, tooth decay and mental health issues, a new report has found. The Family Education Trust charity told The European Conservative that a number of these issues are “directly caused” by family breakdown and criticised the government for dealing with the “symptoms” of this decline rather than the cause.
The authors of a report released by the Academy of Medical Sciences on Monday said that “health in the early years … forms the basis for mental and physical health and wellbeing through the rest of the life,” yet officials fail to recognise its importance, meaning “health in the early years is under serious threat.” Some of the paper’s main findings are that
The infant survival rate has stalled and is worse than in 60% of other OECD countries;
Over one-fifth of five-year-olds are overweight or obese, and this number is increasing;
One in four is also affected by preventable tooth decay, making dental extractions a top cause of hospital admission of children; and
Demands on all child mental health services are increasing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
British Military Would Exhaust Capabilities After a ‘Couple of Months’ of War, Parliament Told
The British military would only be able to maintain its full capabilities for just two months of war after over a decade of “hollowing out”, the parliament was told.
In the case of a war between the United Kingdom and a similarly-sized opponent, the British Armed Forces would exhaust their capabilities “after the first couple of months of the engagement,” said General Sir Nick Carter, the former Chief of the Defence Staff, a House of Commons defence committee report revealed.
General Lord Houghton told the committee that there has been a “hollowing out” of the Armed Forces since 2010, which has resulted in shortfalls in the country’s warfighting resilience.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Parliament Weaponises Antifa Assailant Against Hungarian Government
The European Parliament was accused of excluding Hungary from a plenary session in Strasbourg Monday as liberal MEPs attempted to weaponise the trial of an Antifa militant arrested in Budapest last year in a ‘rule of law’ jab against the country’s ruling Fidesz government.
The case of Italian-born left-wing militant Ilaria Salis — detained and awaiting trial for her role in multiple assaults against perceived right-wing activists — came to international attention last week with NGOs and even the Italian government taking issue with the 39-year-old being brought in arm and leg restraints before a Budapest judge on charges of causing grievous bodily harm.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Farmer Protests Lead EU to Give Up Proposed Pesticide Cut
The European Union’s executive arm shelved an anti-pesticide proposal Tuesday in yet another concession to farmers after weeks of protests that blocked many capitals and economic lifelines across the 27-nation bloc.
Although the proposal had languished in EU institutions for the past two years, the move by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was the latest indication that the bloc is willing to sacrifice environmental priorities to keep the farming community on its side. Despite concessions, protests continued from the Netherlands to Spain and Bulgaria.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Farmer Protests: Bulgarian Agrarians Held a Strike on the Border With Romania
While farmers in France have paused their protests, those in Spain and Bulgaria continue to take to the streets. Demonstrators aim to secure the same concessions from authorities as their French counterparts.
Despite concessions from Brussels and some national governments, farmer protests in certain EU countries persist. In Bulgaria, farmers are outraged by what they claim is a lack of state support amid rising costs and low prices for their produce. They are also discontented with burdensome EU environmental regulations. Protests against EU agricultural policy are gaining momentum in Spain, where demonstrators have blocked roads in various parts of the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarian police seized weapons, ammunition and explosives from a man in Székesfehérvar in central Hungary, which could have equipped a small army.
With the assistance of the police’s Anti-terrorist Center (TEK), police officers from Somogy County arrested a 49-year-old man, K. Miklós, who was storing an arsenal of weapons, explosives and ammunition without a license on a farm in Soponya, national police website police.hu reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The politician — who now works under Tony Blair in the London-based Institute for Global Change — shared a glimpse of her trip to Austria with her 1m Instagram followers earlier this week.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Former UK PM Liz Truss Launches Platform to Allegedly “Tackle Left-Wing Extremism”
Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has launched a fresh initiative termed “Popular Conservatism,” aiming to combat what she perceives as the encroachment of left-wing extremism and to uphold conservative principles, The Telegraph reports.
In her speech at the platform’s launch, Truss argues that Britain’s political landscape has veered excessively leftward, prompting her call for a rightward shift within the Conservative Party. She underscores the need to confront left-wing extremism, which she contends is now camouflaged under labels like “environmentalism” while advocating for increased state control and regulation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Maréchal Unveils Co-Candidates for European Elections
Marion Maréchal, the head of the national-conservative Reconquête party’s list for the European elections, has revealed who will accompany her in the campaign.
Maréchal will be seconded by Guillaume Peltier and Nicolas Bay—a former member of the Les Republicains (LR) and a former member of the Rassemblement National (RN), respectively—who have both rallied behind Éric Zemmour for the 2022 presidential election. Peltier will take second place on the list, and Bay fourth. The women expected to take 3rd and 5th place on the list are not yet known, but among the names being mentioned are Laurence Trochu, president of the Conservative Movement, and Sarah Knafo, Zemmour’s companion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Left Activist Interior Minister Pushes for ‘Democracy Promotion’ Bill
Against a backdrop of an ascendant AfD whose public support has remained largely unaffected by a slew of coordinated, state-backed media smears and government attacks on the party, Germany’s left-globalist activist interior minister is calling for the ‘Democracy Promotion’ Act to be passed in the Bundestag.
Now it is more important than ever before to strengthen associations and individuals who “make our democracy strong and vibrant,” Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) told the Rheinische Post. It is “high time” to financially support the “countless civil society initiatives,” she added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Joachim Kuhs is an Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) politician who’s been serving as a Member of the European Parliament since 2019. Having joined AfD in 2013, he is one of the earliest members of the party.
Throughout his political career, Kuhs has placed a strong emphasis on the promotion of the common good, engaging in volunteer work for various non-profit and church associations. He serves as the secretary of the association “Hope for a New Generation,” which focuses its efforts on the well-being of underprivileged children in Romania and Moldova, especially those without a home.
Over the past quarter-century, Kuhs has shown unwavering commitment to aiding orphans and underprivileged Roma families in Romania. He serves as an executive in the Federal Association of Christians in the AfD (ChrAfD), allowing him to combine his political responsibilities with his commitment to Christian values.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Has Urged Hungary to “Very Quickly” Ratify Sweden’s NATO Membership
Germany is pushing for Hungary to expedite the approval of Sweden’s NATO membership application after the ruling party of Hungarian leader “Fidesz” delayed ratification on Monday. A senior German official stated this to journalists in Berlin on Tuesday, as quoted by Politico.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Manufacturing Giant Miele Cuts Thousands of Jobs, Relocates Production to Poland
German manufacturing giant Miele has announced it is laying off thousands of jobs in Germany and relocating positions to Poland due to the deteriorating financial climate in Europe’s powerhouse economy.
The household and commercial appliances maker informed employees at several production sites across Germany on Tuesday that up to 2,000 jobs are to be cut in tough austerity measures in a company restructure — and as many of 700 other positions could be moved to neighboring Poland.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Globalist Eurocrat Guy Verhofstadt Calls for EU Entry Ban for Tucker Carlson
Guy Verhofstadt, globalist Eurocrat and Belgian Member of the European Parliament, has stirred controversy by advocating for an entry ban against American journalist Tucker Carlson.
In a statement posted on the messaging platform X, the former Belgian prime minister accused Carlson of veering towards becoming a mouthpiece for the Russian government.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Greek Farmers Will Intensify Protest Actions and Start Blocking Highways
Greek farmers will intensify their protest actions and begin blocking national highways from Wednesday onwards in many locations, and next week they will hold a rally in Athens, demanding support for agriculture. This decision was made by farmers at a nationwide meeting in the city of Nikea (Larissa region), as reported by the portal ieidiseis.gr.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarian Parliament Lacks Quorum for Sweden’s NATO Vote
On the initiative of the opposition, Speaker of the House Laszló Kövér convened an extraordinary session of Hungarian Parliament on Monday to vote on Sweden’s ascension into NATO, but the session ended prematurely, as there was no quorum.
The session was initiated by the Socialist Party (MSZP) and supported by the liberal DK, Momentum, right-wing Jobbik, the tiny Dialogue and LMP groups, and one independent MP. In addition to the final vote on the bill on Sweden’s accession to NATO, two opposition-initiated proposals were requested to be added to the agenda. The proposal on Sweden’s accession to NATO was debated in parliament on March 1 last year and only the final vote remains.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Iranian Agents Suspected of Planning the Murder of Swedish Jews
According to Ekot, an Iranian military intelligence couple allegedly surveilled three Jewish targets in Sweden in 2021, yet lacked sufficient evidence for prosecution.
The duo, identified as Mahdi Ramezani and Fereshteh Sanaeifarid, obtained asylum in Sweden in 2017 under false pretenses, despite suspicions raised by the Migration Agency regarding their true identities, Swedish state media reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Ex ILVA Not Providing Data Needed to Rescue SMEs — Sources
Under terms of decree to save companies in the supply chain
The struggling former ILVA steelworks in Taranto now called Acciaierie d’Italia (ADI) is not providing the information needed for state insurance-financial company SACE and Mediocredito Centrale (MCC), a bank owned by state investment agency Invitalia, to implement rescue measures for small and medium enterprises operating in the supply chain under the terms of a recent government decree, sources said on Tuesday.
On January 31 the cabinet approved an emergency decree containing a set of measures to save creditors impacted by the economic crisis at southern Italy’s biggest single employer directly and indirectly, which is set to go into special administration after the majority stakeholder, multinational steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal, refused to put up more funds.
The package includes, among other things, privileged access for companies in the supply chain to the SME Guarantee Fund, intervention to contain interest rates on loans and the purchase by MCC of certified credit at market conditions, with SACE offering financial guarantees of up to 150 million euro.
Unions are calling for the government, which currently owns 38% of ADI through Invitalia, to ensure continuity at the plant while its future is worked out.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Fleximan Copy Cat in Action at Asti Too
After incidents in Calabria and Umbria
A copy cat of the Fleximan folk hero speedcam destroyer who has knocked out devices across Veneto recently was in action overnight at Asti in Piedmont, local police said.
Police said they had found the wrecked pieces of a speed camera near a local highway.
Earlier Tuesday two other Fleximan copy cat incidents were reported in Calabria and Umbria.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Meloni Meets Kishida: Says Italy to Boost Its Indo-Pacific Presence
PM announces joint exercises with Japan after meeting
Premier Giorgia Meloni said Italy is set to significantly increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific region after a bilateral meeting with Japanese Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Monday.
“There has been a relaunch of collaboration in political and strategic terms with Japan,” Meloni told a joint news conference with Kishida.
“The new consultation mechanism on security and defence will start in March, and there will be important joint military exercises, because Italy intends to have an increasingly significant presence in the Indo-Pacific.
“The aircraft carrier Cavour, the Vespucci training ship and our F35s will (all) come here”.
Kishida expressed satisfaction at this.
“I welcome the fact that Italy is increasing its presence in the Indo-Pacific, and that numerous Italian ships, including an aircraft carrier, will stop over in Japan to participate in exercises,” he said.
Part of the reason for Meloni’s official visit to Tokyo is the handover of the duty presidency of the G7 from Japan to Italy.
“Our cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels is excellent,” Meloni told Kishida during the bilateral meeting, the first part of which was open to the press. “It will not be easy to live up to the Japanese G7 presidency, which has done an extraordinary job.
“But you have made a groove on which it is very easy to work.
“I am very happy to be here, it is significant that this is our fourth bilateral meeting in just over a year since we decided to elevate our collaboration to the rank of strategic partnership,” she added.
“A lot of work has been done, extraordinary work, of which I am very proud”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Farmers across Poland have declared a general strike, appealing to the public for understanding and awareness that their industry is defending itself against being driven into bankruptcy.
Farmer protests are raging in many European countries, primarily due to the European Commission’s ideologically driven Green Deal policies and the flooding of European markets with agricultural products from international agro-holdings in Ukraine. An agreement between the EU and Kyiv on this matter has just been extended, leading to farmer protests, including in Brussels.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland’s Massive Intel Project Stalled as Tusk’s Government Wants to Renegotiate Deal
The new Polish government wishes to renegotiate an agreement with Intel over the construction of a components and semiconductor factory in Poland.
According to the Polish daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna (DGP), the project is not under threat but is currently “suspended,” as the new government wants to obtain commitments from Intel regarding investing in Polish science.
Under the Law and Justice (PiS) government, for whom attracting Intel was the largest of its industrial flagship projects, Poland undertook to provide $1.5 billion to aid the Intel investment, but that has to be green-lighted by the European Commission.
However, the first step of notifying Brussels has not yet been accomplished, and the Tusk government is not planning to do so in the near future.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Move to End Dutch Farmer Protests
BRUSSELS/AMSTERDAM, Feb 5 (Reuters) — Dutch police moved on Monday to end demonstrations by farmers who disrupted traffic throughout the Netherlands by blocking exit roads of highways and setting fires along those roads.
Angered by low prices for their produce, rising costs, cheap imports and environmental regulations imposed by the European Union, farmers have blocked roads with their tractors and set fires to disrupt traffic since last week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pressure on Hungary as Sweden’s NATO Membership is Put on Hold
The Hungarian Parliament will not ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO until Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson visits Hungary—this was the clear message issued by politicians from the ruling conservative Hungarian Fidesz party on Monday.
“If joining [NATO] is important to the Swedes, they will come here, just like they went to Turkey,” Maté Kocsis, leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group said.
“The Swedish Prime Minister has been invited to visit Hungary to clear the remaining hurdles around their ratification. We hope he accepts and shows that their membership in NATO is an important issue for Sweden,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjartó stressed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spanish Farmers Blockade Roads, Joining EU Peers’ Protests
MADRID, Feb 6 (Reuters) — Spanish farmers blocked traffic on several major highways and burned tyres on Tuesday, joining colleagues in other European countries protesting against high costs, bureaucracy and competition from non-EU nations.
“With different shades, in the whole of the EU, we have the same problems,” Donaciano Dujo, vice president of ASAJA, one the largest farmers associations in Spain, told national broadcaster TVE.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: Three Explosions Rock Stockholm in Four Days as Country Comes Off Record Year for Bombings
Three explosions rocked the Swedish capital of Stockholm over just a four-day period as the country is coming off a record year for gang-related bombings.
After a few months of relative calm, gang wars in the Nordic nation once again appear to be on the rise, as three explosions at residential buildings in Stockholm have been seen since Friday when a large blast went off at an apartment in Sundbyberg where a man with ties to a criminal gang lives.
This was followed by an explosion on Saturday outside a hair salon in the industrial area of Vällingby. Finally, on Monday, an apparent bomb went off at the gate of an apartment block in the Haninge area of the Swedish capital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden Closes Official Inquiry Into Nord Stream Attacks
The Swedish inquiry into the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea during autumn 2022 has reportedly concluded, as revealed by sources to German media outlets.
The prosecutor’s office, however, has not officially announced its decision yet, but indicated that a tentative decision might be reached tomorrow, according to a press release.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The European Parliament Has Voted to Revoke Driving Licenses Across the EU
In the future, driving license revocation will be applied across the entire EU territory. Members of the European Parliament voted for this by a majority. Currently, a driving ban only applies in the country where it was imposed, according to the MDR.de portal.
Most members of the European Parliament want to introduce driving bans throughout the EU in the future.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The German Government is Inciting the Population Against the AfD Party, According to Party Insiders
According to statements from the co-chair of the party, Tino Krupalla, the government of the Federal Republic of Germany is actively influencing public opinion through the media, calling for protests against the AfD.
In interviews with RTL and N-tv channels, he noted that he is concerned that the population is taking to the streets alongside the government, condemning the political movement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tractor Protests Forced EU to Reverse Its ‘Madness’ — Salvini
Deputy premier satisfied at withdrawal of pesticides law
Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini expressed satisfaction on Tuesday after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the withdrawal of a proposed law that aimed to slash the use of pesticides in the EU, amid tractor protests by farmers in many parts of Europe, including Italy.
“Long live the farmers, whose tractors are forcing Europe to go back on the madness imposed by the multinationals and the left” said Salvini, the leader of the right-wing League party.
Von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg that the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR), which aimed to cut by half the use of pesticides by 2030, was being pulled, saying it had “become a symbol of polarisation”.
Although EU policies and the Green Deal, which the SUR is part of, are a big factor in the tractor protests, other elements are also involved, such as farmer anger at high fuel prices and the hardship many of them face, and dissatisfaction with some national policies.
Tractors from all over Italy have been converging on Rome in recent days and the farmers intend to stage a major demonstration in the Italian capital.
On Monday Premier Giorgia Meloni said from Tokyo that the government has done everything possible to support farmers and the agricultural sector.
“We have always met with farmers, one of the principal sectors to which we pay attention,” Meloni told reporters in the Japanese capital.
The facts, she said, speak for themselves, citing “the budget laws through which resources have been increased”, renegotiation of the EU-funded post-Covid national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) to increase available funding “from 5 to 8 billion euro” and “the effort to incentivise diesel”.
“We have done everything possible, a great job also in the defense of products of excellence such as (through the introduction of) the famous law banning synthetic food,” continued Meloni.
“We can always work to do better and more, I am always willing to listen to requests,” she concluded.
Italian Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida welcomed von der Leyen’s announcement.
“We should only further limit agrochemicals when we are able to protect production with alternative methods,” he said.
“From day one we have opposed an ideological approach to the Issue (of the ecological transition) that would have had a devastating effects on production and a very limited effect on the environment.
“It is clear and logical that eliminating indispensable medicines for plants, leaving them prey to insects or diseases, reduces production in a drastic way, if it is not wiped out”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Sadiq Khan and Transport for London misled Londoners with some claims about the benefits of the Ulez, the advertising watchdog ruled on Wednesday.
It said the Greater London Authority or TfL breached its rules on three occasions, including with the suggestion that “one of the most polluted places in London is inside your car”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vox Leader Santiago Abascal Expresses Solidarity With Spanish Farmers
VOX President Santiago Abascal voiced his solidarity with Spanish farmers protesting with their tractors across the nation’s main roads and regional routes.
These demonstrations aim to demand fair prices for their products, reciprocity in imports from third countries, and reduced bureaucracy, opposing initiatives like the 2030 Agenda and the Green Deal, La Gaceta reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Caroline Glick: 360 Degrees of Hostility: The Biden Administration and Israel
The Mothers of IDF Soldiers group led a demonstration last week of army mothers, reservists in the Israel Defense Forces, bereaved families and other concerned citizens outside the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. They demanded that President Joe Biden stop leveraging power to force Israel to resupply Hamas.
The following day, hundreds of Israelis, including parents of soldiers, families of hostages and terror victims gathered outside Ashdod Port. For hours, they blocked trucks laden with supplies for Gaza from exiting the port. Activists have been blocking trucks from entering Gaza via the Kerem Shalom and Nitzana border crossings for more than two weeks.
Speaking to the crowd in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, Shifra Shahar, who runs a nonprofit organization that cares for the needs of soldiers, addressed her remarks to Israel’s leaders:
“Government of Israel, defense minister, IDF chief of staff, get ahold of yourselves!
“We had elections last year. I don’t recall voting for [U.S. Secretary of State Antony] Blinken! Blinken is sitting in the war cabinet and protecting the interests of my enemy. … We have sons in Gaza. We have sons fighting. The entry of the trucks endangers them, prolongs the war, increases the number of casualties and delays the return of the hostages!
“They tell me, ‘There are constraints.’ He who is constrained doesn’t win the war.
“They tell me, ‘The Americans are threatening not to provide us with ammunition.’
“To this, I say, if we were besieging them, we wouldn’t need ammunition! The war would end. They’d be screaming for help, returning the hostages and the war would end!”
The rising expressions of rage at the Biden administration from ordinary citizens are a testament to the shock and anger Israelis feel at what they perceive as a betrayal of Israel’s most basic interests by Biden and his top advisers.
Three and a half months ago, when Biden came to Israel, most Israelis couldn’t imagine his warm embrace would transform into a torrent of hostile actions.
At the height of Biden’s emotional visit, he gave a speech to the people of Israel: “I come to Israel with a single message. You are not alone. You are not alone. As long as the United States stands—and we will stand forever—we will not let you ever be alone.”
For the overwhelming majority of Israelis, Biden’s declaration sounded like a bankable guarantee. But for the few with more sensitive ears, it sounded like a threat—that he and his administration would never leave Israel alone to fight the war to victory.
As the weeks and months passed, it turned out that the latter had it right. The administration has never let Israel alone to win the war whose outcome will determine whether the Jewish state can long survive. At every turn, in every quarter, the United States is constraining, undermining, subverting and coercing Israel to make moves that, as Shahar said, are “against the interests of the citizens of Israel.”…
| — Hat tip: Caroline Glick | [Return to headlines] |
Israel-Gaza War: Hamas Responds to Truce Deal, Antony Blinken Says Agreement ‘Possible’
The Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Tuesday it had delivered its response to a proposed ceasefire deal for Gaza, and the United States said it believed an agreement was possible.
Details of Hamas’ response were not immediately revealed but Qatar, which helped mediate the proposal that was passed on to Hamas last week and would also involve the release of hostages held in Gaza, said the reply had made Doha “optimistic”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a lightning tour of the Middle East, said Washington was reviewing Hamas’ response and that he would discuss it with Israeli officials when he visits the country on Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
One-Fifth of Remaining Hostages in Gaza Have Died: Israeli Officials
Israeli officials have revealed that more than a fifth of the remaining hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have died in captivity.
A confidential assessment reported on by The New York Times says that at least 32 of the 136 hostages believed still in Gaza have died at some point during the over 120 days of conflict.
Anonymous Israeli officials has said that families of the 32 confirmed deceased hostages have been notified of their respective family member’s death.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elnur Beisenbaev, an MP of the ruling Amanat Party in Kazakhstan, said the government was pandering to paedophiles for failing to insist on ‘surgical castration’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Suspected of Disrupting GPS Signals Over Poland and Baltic Sea
According to Poland’s air traffic authority, there has been severe disruption to GPS signals in the north and east of the country in the last weeks and pilots have been warned.
It is suspected that the interference is the effect of Russian activity and is connected to the presence of Russian forces in the Baltic, where a system for electronic warfare was spotted on one Russian vessel that is capable of interfering with signals for satellite navigation of drones and missiles.
The greatest problems have been experienced over the Baltic Sea, but problems are also expected in central Poland in the vicinity of the city of Lódz. A communique issued to pilots warns that unplanned military activities connected with national security may be expected.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tucker Carlson announced on X on Tuesday that he would be publishing an interview with the Russian despot, following widespread speculation after he was pictured in Moscow.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Tucker Carlson Says He’ll Interview Putin About Ukraine War
Online talk show host Tucker Carlson said he’s in Moscow for an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Carlson, who was fired last year from Fox News, has been airing video commentary and interviews on X, the social media site previously called Twitter.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Parliament Extends Martial Law
The Ukrainian Parliament has decided the nation’s state of martial law will not expire later this month, extending it a further 90 days.
Martial law will last until May 13th in Ukraine at least — and likely much longer than that, as the national Verkhovna Rada confirmed a law approving a presidential decree made on Monday. The measure passed with an overwhelming majority in the parliament where 11 opposition political parties were suspended in 2022, accused of fomenting “division or collusion” by President Zelensky.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch — Tucker Carlson: ‘Why I’m Interviewing Vladimir Putin’
Ukraine’s controversial American transgender sometimes-”spokesperson” Sarah Ashton-Cirillo has accused Tucker Carlson of being the “Kremlin’s favourite court eunuch” and an “enemy of humanity,” apparently placing a target on the head of Carlson not long after the death of American citizen journalist Gonzalo Lira.
Sarah Ashton-Cirillo — born Michael John Cirillo — who has had an on-and-off relationship as an information propagation “spokesperson” for the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) and currently serves as a sergeant in Kyiv’s armed forces, lashed out at Tucker Carlson after he travelled to Russia with the rumoured intent to interview Vladimir Putin.
Carlson has now confirmed he is interviewing the Russian dictator.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
11 Killed in Firecracker Factory Blast in Central India, Scores Injured
NEW DELHI: At least 11 people were killed and scores injured in a blast at a firecracker factory in central India on Tuesday.
The incident happened in Madhya Pradesh state’s Harda district, about 150 km from the provincial capital Bhopal.
Some deaths were caused by a stampede that followed the explosion, local media reported, citing police.
The death toll may rise as people were still trapped in the fire, the reports said.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav said more than 50 ambulances were sent to the blast site and the injured were transferred to nearby hospitals.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
A leafy reserve in Sydney’s east that homeowners have considered their own ‘hidden gem’ and maintained for 30 years has been declared Aboriginal land.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Ipswich Stabbing Death: Brisbane Locals Reveal How Their Town Was Overrun by Youth Crime
Vyleen White, 70, was allegedly stabbed to death in front of her six-year-old granddaughter at Redbank Plains Town Square, in south-east Brisbane, at 6.10pm on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Living Homes VIC, QLD Collapses — With Tradies Left Out of Pocket
DC Living, trading as Living Homes VIC and Living Homes QLD , went into administration on January 31. It had prided itself as ‘born and bred Queensland builders with a deep passion for quality’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Danny Wallis, known to viewers of The Block as a serial home buyer, has slammed the Victorian government for making it tough to invest in property.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
10 Killed, 15 Injured in Series of Explosions at Mogadishu Market
At least ten people were killed and 15 others injured following a series of explosions at a popular market in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, today.
According to eyewitness reports to Reuters, multiple blasts occurred in four different locations within a busy market in Mogadishu, resulting in the death of ten individuals and injuring 15 others, in addition to causing significant damage to numerous shops in the market.
The perpetrators of the bombings have not yet been identified. However, the Al-Shabaab group, affiliated with the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, frequently conducts bombings in Somalia and other areas.
Al-Shabaab terrorists often target civilians, government, and civilian infrastructure in their attacks.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Johannesburg — Senegal’s parliament voted Monday to delay crucial national elections until Dec. 15 after chaotic scenes in the chamber that included opposition members being dragged out by police in riot gear. Opposition leaders denounced the proceedings as “a constitutional coup” as a motion was debated and then voted on that will, having passed, keep President Macky Sall in office for almost another year.
Sall first announced in a nationally televised address on Saturday that he was delaying the election until December, arguing it was necessary due to corruption allegations made against the country’s constitutional council. He said the dispute needed to be resolved before the vote could proceed.
Fiery protests broke out immediately in front of the National Assembly, as people took to the streets and police resorted to tear gas to try to restore order in the normally peaceful west African nation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A record-breaking number of voters now say the influx of migrants at the southern border amounts to a crisis — including growing numbers of Democrats — hurting President Joe Biden’s chances of winning a second term in the White House.
The Morning Consult survey found that 57 percent of respondents say the US is battling a ‘crisis of illegal immigration across the US-Mexico border,’ a sharp rise on the 50 percent who said so in March 2021.
It comes as a Senate deal to bolster the border appeared to be collapsing, and as Republicans were set to vote on impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for failing to secure the frontier.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Labor has introduced legislation designed to boost the supply of housing, after a record 518,000 migrants moved to Australia during the last financial year.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Dick Smith Issues a Dire Warning to Australia as He Calls for Immigration to be Slashed
The former electronics store tycoon made his feelings known during a debate with policy analyst Emelie Dye on Sky News Australia.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The German city of Regensburg is in a state of terror after a spate of sexual assaults and rapes. The incidents have resulted in the principal of a girls’ school issuing instructions to parents to “only allow their daughters to walk to school in groups.”
The warning comes after a rape recently occurred near the school grounds, with two Tunisian migrants in their 20s accused of raping a 29-year-old woman. The incidents have resulted in Christian Socialist (CSU) MP Peter Aumer calling for a deportation offensive.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GOP Lawmakers Accuse New York Governor of Prioritizing Illegal Immigrants Over Students
The New York state Senate Republicans have introduced new legislation to counter the proposals set forth in Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul’s budget, arguing that more money should be going to schools, many of which have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and more recently by the unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants.
The government’s decision to house undocumented newcomers in schools to the detriment of students has been slammed by the the GOP, and they have vowed to ensure the focus shifts back to providing children with an unhindered, quality education.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illegal Immigrants Suspected of Beating Up NYPD Officers Arrested in Phoenix
Immigration and Customs Enforcement have arrested several of the illegal immigrants in Phoenix, Arizona, who were caught on video beating New York City police officers.
ICE sources told Fox News that the suspects were arrested Monday night by ICE and Homeland Security Investigations at a Greyhound bus station in Phoenix.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Infowars reporter Drew Hernandez filmed an illegal alien encampment on the outskirts of Jacumba Hot Springs, California, where hundreds of military-aged men from around the world gather before heading to their final U.S. destinations.
When he approached a group of people unloading supplies from the back of a vehicle, they claimed to be independent Christian volunteers not affiliated with any NGOs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ireland: Thousands Demonstrate Against Mass Immigration
Popular discontent against mass immigration in Ireland reached new heights on Monday as thousands rallied in Dublin against the country’s lax migration and asylum policies.
The protest—the latest iteration in the ongoing wave of populist anger sweeping the Republic in recent months—was organised by a loose coalition of political parties and factions
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mass Immigration to Germany Will Cost Taxpayers Up to €19.2 Trillion, Warns Top Academic Expert
Mass immigration may cost Germany up to €19.2 trillion, and has already cost the country €5.8 trillion, according to a top German academic on public finances, Prof. Bernd Raffelhüschen, of the University of Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg.
Often referred to as the “pension pope,” Prof. Raffelhüschen’s study blows a hole in the narrative promoted by pro-migration parties and business leaders, who claim that mass immigration will save Germany’s public finances and the job market.
“Immigration as it has been happening so far is costing us €5.8 trillion overall economically,” writes the professor in a new study.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
MS-13 Gang Members, Al-Qaeda Terrorist Found Living Illegally in US
Authored by Alice Giordano via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Members of the notorious MS-13 gang, as well as several terrorists, including one linked to al-Qaeda and another to Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s largest criminal organization, have recently been arrested by immigration officials in U.S. cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Chicago.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records, they were all living in the United States illegally and were released by detention centers under the Biden administration despite previous convictions for violent crimes, including murder.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYPD Arrests 2 in Connection With Illegal Immigrant Moped Gang Responsible for at Least 62 Robberies
The New York Police Department is searching for the ringleader of a gang made up of illegal immigrants that has been tied to dozens of robberies across the city, mostly targeting women.
Victor Perra, 30, was released on bail in December after being arrested for grand larceny just months after arriving in the United States from Venezuela. According to the New York Post, Cleyber Andrade, 19, and Juan Uzcatgui, 23, were recently arrested in connection to the robbery ring.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ted Cruz, Mike Lee Call for Mitch McConnell’s Removal After ‘Disqualifying Betrayal’ on Border Bill
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) as well as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) called for new leadership for the Senate GOP after they slammed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for his “disqualifying betrayal” on the most recent border bill.
Cruz stated it was time for McConnell to step down in a press conference on Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Planning to ‘Flip’ New York Amid Illegal Immigrant Crisis
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Former President Donald Trump said he plans to give New York “a heavy shot” in his campaign, as he believes there is potential to “flip” traditionally Democratic-leaning states in the general election.
The Republican presidential candidate told Fox News on Feb. 4 that he would hold rallies in South Bronx and Madison Square Garden as part of his campaign for a second term in office.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
40 migrants on a single UK government asylum-holding barge have allegedly converted to Christianity, it is revealed as the sincerity of such attestations of faith comes into question in the wake of the Clapham chemical attack, the key suspect for which remains on the run.
A migrant who was granted asylum in the United Kingdom on the basis of having converted to Christianity, and who is now on the run after 12 people were injured in a chemical attack in London, has triggered deeper scrutiny into alleged abuse of faith to game the UK system. Abdul Shokoor Ezedi had already been rejected for asylum and got a conviction for two sex offences in the United Kingdom before he was eventually accepted around 2021.
The migrant is now a police suspect in the Clapham Common attack which saw a powerful alkali thrown at a woman and her children, the woman hit by a car, and a child “slammed” into the ground. Several members of the public and police officers responding to the scene were also injured by the chemical.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Andy Ngo Reports: Oregon Drag Queen Arrested Over Child Sex Crimes at Home Salon
An Oregon drag queen with ties to a convicted pedophile drag queen was arrested for alleged child sex crimes.
Drag queen Eron David Griffin, who performed under the name “Stella Mess,” is accused of sexually abusing minors at his part-time home salon business. According to Salem Police, an investigation was launched in October last year after multiple minors reported being victims of sexual contact at his home.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Aussies are vowing to boycott Bonds after the underwear company used a hairy, two-metre-tall non-binary person to model a bikini.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Australia: ABC Cancels Drag Queen Story Time at Rockdale Library, Sydney
The national broadcaster planned to hold a four hour event at Rockdale Library in Sydney ‘s south on February 22 in the lead up the city’s annual Mardi Gras celebrations.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Australia’s National Broadcaster Cancels Drag Queen Story Time After Public Furore
The taxpayer-funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has been forced to scrap a drag queen story time session for children as young as three after opponents forced a backdown.
The four-hour event set for a Sydney, NSW, suburb was designed to be a lead in to the city’s annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras week of events.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A recent collegiate volleyball game in Canada consisted of five trans players among two teams, in additional to the biological females.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Transcription of Double Maternity Illegitimate — Court
Milan judges uphold appeal by public prosecutor’s office
Judges in Milan on Tuesday declared illegitimate the transcription of the registration of double maternity for the children of three lesbian couples born abroad through assisted fertility, overturning an earlier ruling in their favour.
The family section of the civil court of appeal in the Lombardy regional capital upheld an appeal by the public prosecutor’s office against a June 23, 2023 ruling acknowledging as valid the transcription of the double maternity in the civil registry.
In their ruling the judges said on the issue of the registration of children born to same-sex couples parliament must intervene.
“The court recognises that the matter in question requires the intervention of the legislature, which is the only body able to draw up a suitable detailed regulatory plan that correctly formulates the rights of the subjects involved in medically assisted human procreation, balancing constitutional rights that must not come into conflict, including those of the unborn child, a subject capable of rights in its being and becoming,” said the court in a statement.
The issue has been a hot topic in Italy since March 2023, when the right-centre government of Premier Giorgia Meloni drew criticism from the opposition and rights activists after it instructed city mayors to stop registering the children of same-sex couples using a procedure based on the transcription into Italian civil registers of the foreign birth certificates of children conceived via surrogacy, which is a crime in Italy, or assisted fertility, which is only available to heterosexual couples in Italy, citing a ruling by the Court of Cassation, Italy’s highest court.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Chile Debuts All-Female SWAT Team at UAE Competition With Humiliating Results
It’s a veritable train wreck. Keeping in line with the Chilean leadership’s new focus on “gender equality” and President Gabriel Boric’s goal of creating a “feminist government,” the nation has fielded an eight member all women’s team at the annual UAE SWAT Challenge in Dubai. The international competition is meant to give elite police forces from around the world a chance to test their mettle and receive recognition.
Unfortunately for Chile, most countries organized their teams around merit instead of equity and woke ideology; this has put Chile at a distinct disadvantage. The South American nation set out to send a message about gender inclusivity while other more selfish countries set out to win.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tucker’s got a lot of people bamboozeled, as he bounces from one story to another, and yet, the story is always mostly about Tucker. It’s all self promotion, with a bit of faux controversy and titillating tidbits of truth mixed in.
Marxists hate him so he’s saying something.
“It’s all self promotion, with a bit of faux controversy and titillating tidbits of truth mixed in.”
I think you make a good point (and forgot to mention Carlson’s ubiquitous cartoon (i.e., forced) cackling, but I digress…).
But I also think you’re throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Yes, Carlson’s often a self-promoting boob. But that’s his rice bowl. Still, often, I find that Carlson’s straight man (aka his guest) has a message that IS worth hearing. I posted one of Carlson’s interviews (w/Bret Weinstein) a coupla days ago.
You are wrong. Tucker does NOT make these videos about himself. It is NOT self-promotion and it certainly is NOT faux at all.
You are just jealous that Tucker Carlson is the most important journalist in America. He has interviewed people who make important contributions to society.
Putin is a very important person on the world stage.
he also supported the alien agenda… he alao stans with homos, so he is just another liberal progressive or cuckservative. his credibility is zero, just another gatekeeper or puppet.
in any case he is against the anti russian agenda as much as he is pro the anti china agenda.
Nothing is ever good enough for some people. Blackpillers, put a sock in it!
I gladly accept blessings where ever I can find them.
Go Tucker! 🙂
“President Biden vowed to tell voters…that former President Trump and his GOP allies in Congress are the “only reason the border is not secure.”” —Axios (6 Feb 2024)
https://www.axios.com/2024/02/07/biden-border-security-blame-trump
“[Repeat] Prediction: The question will be: Is Joe Biden [mentally] competent to stand trial?” —posted to fb (Apr 2020)
“President Biden vowed to tell voters…that former President Trump and his GOP allies in Congress are the “only reason the border is not secure.”” —Axios (6 Feb 2024)
‘Toddlers’re as predictable as a well-regulated Rolex.
“‘Toddlers’ Four-Step Program for Problem-Solving Problems Caused by ‘toddlerism.
Step One: Refuse to acknowledge the problem, whatever it is. Call those who suggest otherwise “RACISTS”.
Step Two: Use gaslighting to PROJECT your own hysteria onto those who initially identified the problem.
Step Three: Announce there IS a problem, but it’s either temporary or minor in severity.
Step Four: Once the problem becomes a 600-pound gorilla, stomp your feet, scream-at-the-sky and blame it on “orange Hitler” or [non-hyphenated] Americans.
Wash, rinse, repeat.” —posted to fb (Nov 2021)