Some news analysts surmise that the Assyrian bishop who was stabbed in Sydney was targeted due to his outspoken views on Covid-19 lockdowns, homosexuality, and non-Christian religions, including Judaism and Islam. Meanwhile, police stood guard around mosques in parts of Sydney.
In other news, the Ontario Court of Justice has told participants to ensure that all parties involved clearly state their preferred pronouns.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, DV, Fjordman, JW, 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.
In the first quarter of 2024, the two biggest manufacturers of electronic vehicles, Tesla and its Chinese rival BYD reports dramatic sales drops compared against the same time last year.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
“Show is Over”: Angry Biden Supporter John Mellencamp Throws Tantrum on Stage
At a recent concert, John Mellencamp, known for his liberal activism and support for President Biden, had a total meltdown on stage. A fan, seemingly uninterested in his liberal ranting, shouted, “Just Play Some Music!”
Music blog Wide Open Country said Mellencamp was in the middle of a story when a heckler in the audience shouted: “Just Play Some Music!”
Mellencamp responded: “What do you think I’ve been doing you (expletive).”
“Here’s the thing man, you don’t know me,” the musician said, adding, “You don’t (expletive) know me.” He told the concert-goers, “Find this guy [heckler] and let me see him after the show.”
Mellencamp told the audience, “Tell you what I’m going to do, since you have been so wonderful, I’m going to cut about 10 songs out of the show.”
He then started playing “Jack and Diane,” one of his hit songs from the early 1980s that was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.
About 15 seconds into the song, he said, “You know what, the show is over.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘We can anticipate 1 million Amish well before the end of the century,’ said Steven Nolt, an expert on the Amish. ‘There will be more Amish living in more places, with new neighbors.’
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Americans Stock Up on Firearms in Response to Biden’s Pushes for Gun Control
American citizens are stocking up on firearms as Democrat President Joe Biden ramps up pressure to strip them of their Second Amendment rights, according to a new report.
A bombshell study from a pro-gun group found that so-called “high-capacity magazines,” often defined by liberals as magazines with more than 10 rounds, are extremely common despite the efforts of Biden to demonize them.
In fact, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) discovered that Americans collectively own 700 million magazines with a greater capacity than 10 rounds, a new report shows.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Baltimore Bridge Collapse Survivor ‘Fought for His Life’ After Car Plunged Into River
One of two construction workers who survived the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore on March 26 is alleging that workers were not told to evacuate as the Dali cargo ship approached a support beam on the bridge.
Attorneys representing Julio Cervantes Suarez told reporters on Monday that workers were taking a break in their cars on the bridge when the cargo ship crashed into the bridge, causing the collapse that killed six construction workers and injured two others. Authorities are still working to recover two of the six deceased after a fourth body was recovered on Monday.
“He fought for his life, and he survived,” attorney Justin Miller told reporters of Suarez during a Monday press conference recorded by FOX 45 Baltimore.
Attorney L. Chris Stewart told the outlet that Suarez was able to narrowly escape the collapse with his life because the windows of his vehicle were manual. Suarez was able to roll his windows down and escape when his car plunged into the Patapsco River while others were trapped.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s Top Criminal Prosecutor Linked to Radical Group That Defends Cop Killers
The top criminal prosecutor in Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration has linked to a radical anti-police group that defends cop killers.
Nicole M. Argentieri, the acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s criminal division, previously served on the board of directors of a “social justice law firm.”
The radical organization, the Legal Aid Society of New York, campaigned to defund police departments and free cop killers from prison during Argentieri’s tenure.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Trump to Hold Dinner With President of Poland Tomorrow at Trump Tower
President Donald Trump will have dinner with Polish President Andrzej Duda for dinner on Wednesday night, per a report out from Reuters.
While the dinner isn’t on the formal schedule of the trip, a week-long series of meetings with Canadian and American leaders, sources told the outlet that the meeting will take place at Trump Tower.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Seattle Public Schools history teacher with a criminal record has been placed on paid administrative leave after claiming that the October 7 massacre was justified and suggesting there was no evidence that Hamas raped and beheaded the innocent victims.
Ian Golash, who until recently taught tenth grade and served as chair of the social studies department at Chief Sealth International High School, has a history of antisemitic behavior, and displayed images of terrorists in his classroom.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After hustling to keep his doors open throughout the pandemic, a Los Angles restaurant owner is speaking out against the state’s newly enacted $20 minimum wage law, fearing it could be the final straw that puts him and his employees out of business.
Justin Foronda, the owner of HiFi Kitchen in Filipinotown ,a neighborhood in Los Angeles, has spent the last several years enacting new and creative ideas to keep his restaurant afloat, navigating an industry devastated by widespread closures during the pandemic.
An LA Times column released on Saturday titled, “Small-business owners brace for uncertainty as the $20 hourly fast-food wage takes effect,” details Foronda’s plight as he and other restaurant owners say they’re suffering at the hands of the state’s newly enacted $20 minimum wage.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Moves to Create ‘Genealogy Office’ to Determine Who Gets Reparations
The California Senate Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that would establish a new cabinet-level agency tasked with carrying out the state reparation task force’s recommendations.
The California American Freedman Affairs Agency would be headed by a secretary appointed by the governor, and among other things, create a Genealogy Office to help determine who is eligible to receive as much as $1.2 million to make up for the injustices committed against their ancestors, per Just The News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Coalition of Attorneys General File Amicus Brief Defending Ken Paxton and His Top Deputy
Authored by Jana J. Pruet via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A national coalition of 18 state attorneys general filed an amicus brief to defend Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster in a lawsuit initiated by the State Bar of Texas.
“The State Bar of Texas’s Commission for Lawyer Discipline attempted to censure Attorney General Paxton and First Assistant Attorney General Webster for taking action over genuine concerns of unconstitutional conduct by states during the 2020 election,” Mr. Paxton’s office wrote in a press release on Monday.
The brief was filed on Friday in response to complaints against the state’s top attorney and his top deputy for their decision to file the “landmark” case known as Texas v. Pennsylvania. Mr. Webster authored the petition contesting the 2020 presidential election results to the U.S. Supreme Court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Edward Snowden: ‘NSA is Just Days Away From Taking Over the Internet’
Exiled American whistleblower Edward Snowden has warned that the United States National Security Agency (NSA) is close to seizing control of the Internet.
Snowden, a former NSA contractor who famously leaked highly classified information from the agency in 2013, issued the warning in a post on X.
In his post, Snowden drew attention to a thread originally posted by Elizabeth Goitein.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Harvard Medical School professor plagiarized extensive segments of a report on potentially carcinogenic chemicals, according to a federal judge.
The Harvard Crimson reported that assistant professor Dipak Panigrahy previously submitted an expert report exceeding 500 pages on behalf of plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against Lockheed Martin.
The report claimed that a Lockheed Martin facility in Orlando, Florida, had caused a variety of injuries, including cancer, after releasing toxic chemicals into the nearby area.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google Staffers Stage Sit-in at Offices in Seattle, California, NYC to Protest Contract With Israel
Google staffers across the country barged into offices and staged sit-ins to protest the company’s $1.2 billion contract with Israel.
According to the New York Post, the “No Tech for Apartheid” protestors used accounts on Twitch and X to post live videos and images of their takeover of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian’s office in Sunnyvale, California.
The group read statements demanding the company end its participation in “Project Nimbus,” a contract with Israel involving Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services, and accused the company of “powering genocide in Gaza.”
Groups also occupied the 10th Floor of Google’s Manhattan offices as well as Google’s offices in Seattle as part of a “No Tech for Genocide Day of Action.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GOP Lawmakers Claim Bank of America Discriminates Against Christians
Kris Kobach has penned a letter signed by other Republican lawmakers accusing Bank of America (BofA) of discriminating against Christians.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
House Judiciary Probes Brazil’s Overreaching Censorship Pressure on X
More details are emerging in the ongoing feud between X and its owner Elon Musk and Brazilian authorities over the latter’s censorship policies — a public dispute in which the US House of Representatives is now formally involved.
X has been subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee regarding censorship orders the company has been getting from Brazil, and the X Global Government Affairs announced that the company has complied with the request.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Idaho Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Student IDs for Voting
Authored by Chase Smith via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
The Supreme Court of Idaho on Thursday, April 11, upheld recent legislative amendments to the state’s voter identification requirements, affirming a lower court’s ruling in favor of the Idaho Secretary of State, Phil McGrane, which eliminated the use of student IDs for voter registration and in-person voting.
The unanimous ruling came in light of the suit filed by two voter advocacy groups last year, claiming two pieces of legislation disproportionately affected young and out-of-state college voters, infringing upon their right to vote and violating equal protection under the Idaho Constitution.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Julian Assange’s Wife Accuses US of ‘Weasel Words’ After Providing Assurances in Extradition Bid
Julian Assange’s wife has accused the United States government of “blatant weasel words” as she tries to stop her husband being sent to America to stand trial.
The US wants the WikiLeaks founder to be extradited from the UK to face 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse stemming from his website’s publication of classified documents nearly 15 years ago.
American prosecutors allege Assange, 52, put lives at risk when he helped former US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks put online in 2010.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
LA Mayor Pleads for Wealthy to Help Buy Housing for the Homeless: ‘Unprecedented Partnership’
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass pleaded with “the most fortunate” to help fund housing for the homeless as part of a new strategy to tackle the crisis during her State of the City address on Monday.
“We will not hide people but what we will do is house people,” the Democratic leader touted as she began her remarks on the city’s struggle to house over 40,000 homeless people. “The crisis on our streets is nothing less than a disaster.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Left-Wing Dark Money Behemoth Behind Bail Fund for ‘Free Palestine’ Bridge Blockers
Scores of “Free Palestine” protesters across the United States took to the streets Monday to block major airports, highways, and bridges. Those who are arrested will receive bail money and legal support from a left-wing dark money behemoth funded by George Soros, an online fundraising page shows.
The protests, which took place in dozens of U.S. cities including San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia, were organized by A15 Action, a newly formed group that worked to “coordinate a multi-city economic blockade on April 15 in solidarity with Palestine.” The group’s website directs users to a “bail and legal defense fund” hosted through ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s online fundraising juggernaut.
Those who donate to the fund, the ActBlue page says, are sending money to the Community Justice Exchange, which provides “money bail, court fees and fines” and other legal services to “community-based organizations … that contest the current operation and function of the criminal legal and immigration detention systems.” The exchange is a project of the Tides Center, a left-wing dark money network funded by Soros and other liberal billionaires.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Legal experts said the Biden administration was “on the ropes” in Tuesday’s oral arguments at the Supreme Court in a case questioning whether a Jan. 6 rioter can be charged with a federal “obstruction” crime, which carries implications for former President Trump.
On Tuesday, Jeffrey Green, lawyer for Joseph Fischer — who is one of more than 300 people charged by the Justice Department with “obstruction of an official proceeding” in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol — argued that the federal statute shouldn’t apply and that it had only ever been applied to evidence-tampering cases.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A shootout between a brave Newport Beach homeowner and two intruders has left one suspect dead and another severely wounded.
The homeowner opened fire early Tuesday morning when the two men stormed the $5million, 4,709 square-foot property while his family was sleeping.
Heavily-armed police arrived at the gated community off Newport Coast Drive and Pelican Hill Road after a 4.45am 911 call to find one suspect dead and another armed with a gun bleeding out in the middle of the street.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The electric streets of La La Land are full of Teslas, Rivians, Mercedes EQS’ and even pricier offerings from the rare earth mines of China. Here a Tesla Cybertruck, looking like a ramp some sportier vehicle will jump, passes Bentleys, canary yellow Lamborghinis and ice blue McLarens.
In the posher parts of California, from Beverly Hills to the Bay Area, the green revolution has come. The ubiquitous Evs charging in the driveways of seven figure mansions are shadowed by solar panels on the roof and sit side by side with signs declaring, “Hate has no home here.”
Neither does affordability.
The vast majority of electric cars, approaching 1 million, can be found in California. Compare that to the paltry 5,000 Evs in Arkansas or even the under 50,000 in a sizable wealthy blue state like Massachusetts. The entire industry of sleek shiny cars that run on batteries only exists because California taxed other car buyers to subsidize Tesla and its emerging counterparts.
California’s heavy subsidies and mild weather, its wealthy cities and conspicuously virtue signaling elites, made Evs possible, and made it impossible for them to evolve outside its warm leftist ecosystem. The vast majority of Californians (like most Americans) can’t afford, can’t use and won’t drive electric cars, but like so much else, the Newsom elites don’t tend to notice.
Electric car owners in California live in “communities with mostly white and Asian, college-educated and high-income residents” who are mostly “concentrated in Silicon Valley cities and affluent coastal areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties.” That’s why most electric cars are luxury SUVs marketed to very exclusive groups in very exclusive areas.
Outside of these enclaves, there isn’t much of an EV industry and there never will be one. Electric cars are not an emerging product, but a niche one as subsidized toys for the rich.
That’s a problem because the Biden administration, like a lot of Democrat states, is moving to ban cars by 2035. It’s one thing for California’s elites to once again disregard over 90% of the state on the assumption that a one-party system and aggressive ballot harvesting can overcome most obstacles, but the car bans have also extended to Maryland (46,060 Evs with 0.91%), Massachusetts (49,440 Evs and 0.91%), Connecticut (22,030 Evs and 0.75%), Oregon (46,980 Evs and 1.24%) and New York (84,670 Evs and 0.75%) among other blue states.
How do you get from those numbers to total adoption in a little over a decade? You don’t.
The assumption that most car owners would drink the Electric Vehicle Kool Aid and jump on board ignored the basic realities of energy, engineering and economics. There isn’t enough power, materials or money to make 2035 anything other than a political four-car pileup.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Potential Juror Dismissed After Trump’s Legal Team Finds ‘Lock Him Up’ Posts on Social Media
As day two of former President Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial continued, attorneys for the former president had a potential juror dismissed after they found posts calling for Trump to be put in jail.
As New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, Trump’s attorneys, and prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office continued the process of questioning potential jurors about posts made to social media, and their private lives, Trump’s legal team had a juror dismissed over a post about Trump, calling to “lock him up.” Another social media post from the same juror reportedly said, “Get him out.”
The first seven jurors, who will sit on a 12-person bench, were selected.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: NPR Punishes Senior Editor Who Blasted Network’s Leftist Mindset and ‘Angered’ Colleagues
NPR senior Editor Uri Berliner is reportedly facing consequences after publicly criticizing the outlet’s progressive leanings.
According to a Tuesday article by NPR’s David Folkenflik, Berliner has been suspended for five days without pay, a term that began on Friday after he penned an essay for the Free Press.
“It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network’s coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump,” Folkenflik wrote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
RFK Jr Won’t Pursue Libertarian Nomination, Says Team Trump Asked Him to be VP
After seriously considering the possibility, 2024 presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy, Jr has declared he will not seek the Libertarian Party nomination, saying he’s confident he’ll achieve ballot access across the country on his own. Meanwhile, in a social media skirmish with Team Trump, Kennedy said Trump associates asked him to consider becoming the former president’s running mate.
In a political system with formidable ballot-access barriers that protect the Democrat-Republican duopoly, outsider presidential candidates are frequently attracted to the idea of running as a Libertarian — if only to access the party’s hard-earned, 50-state ballot qualification.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen. Tom Cotton Encourages Drivers to Drag Gaza Cease-Fire Protesters From Blocked Roads
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Tuesday doubled down on earlier comments encouraging people stuck in traffic caused by cease-fire protests to “take matters into their own hands” and forcibly remove the demonstrators from the roads.
Cotton posted a video on X on Tuesday showing people dragging protesters off the roads by their legs and their jacket hoods, tossing them to the curb to let cars through.
“How it should be done,” the senator wrote in the post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two Juveniles Accused of Vandalizing Catholic Church in Kentucky
Two juveniles were arrested for allegedly vandalizing a Catholic church in Kentucky on April 9.
The juveniles are accused of causing damages to St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church “well over” $10,000, WDRB reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Washington State gun shop owner sold hundreds of high-capacity magazines in the narrow, 90-minute window after a judge found the state’s ban on them unconstitutional, before the state Supreme Court issued an emergency stay on the ruling.
Last week, a Cowlitz County judge ruled that the Evergreen State’s ban on high-capacity guns was unconstitutional, but Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed for an emergency stay on the order, which was granted by the state’s Supreme Court. This resulted in the ban on the sale, manufacture, distribution, and import of gun magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds remaining in place, at least temporarily.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: NYPD Officers Fill Queens Courtroom as Suspect in Policeman’s Death is Arraigned
New York City police officers filled the hallways and pews of a Queens courthouse in a sign of solidarity for their fallen NYPD brother Officer Jonathan Diller as Lindy Jones, who has been charged in connection to the shooting death of Diller, was arraigned on Tuesday.
Jones and Guy Rivera were indicted earlier this month on charges connected to the shooting death of Diller in Far Rockaway in late March.
About 100 NYPD officers were seen in the hallways and the back benches of the Queens courthouse, awaiting the arrival of Jones.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Progressive Oakland District Attorney Pamela Price is set to face a recall after just 15 months, with a mass movement to get rid of her getting enough signatures over the soaring crime rate in the area.
Alameda County DA Price has been under pressure over the soaring levels of crime in the Bay Area city, with a recall effort she has claimed is ‘financed by billionaires’ and based in ‘hatred and racism’ gaining momentum.
Price herself has taken over $1 million from three political action committees funded by left-wing billionaire George Soros, according to the Washington Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
X Hits Back at NBC News for ‘Pro-Nazi’ Hit Piece
X slammed NBC News for publishing a “gotcha article” on Tuesday claiming that at least 150 paid subscriber accounts on X “and thousands of unpaid accounts have posted or amplified pro-Nazi content on X in recent months, often in apparent violation of X’s rules.”
“Gotcha articles are unhelpful and do not benefit anyone involved. This article lacks comprehensive research, investigation, and transparency. X is committed to identifying and addressing harmful content, enforcing its rules, and taking appropriate action against content and accounts that violate our policies,” wrote Joe Benarroch, an X business operations executive.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Environment Minister Says Farmers Are More Worried About Climate Change Than the Carbon Tax
Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault claimed Monday during the House of Commons Question Period that he is meeting with farmers and they are all telling him that they are not opposed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax but are worried about climate change.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Only Good for WW3”: Slovakia to Oppose Ukraine’s NATO Membership Bid
Last October saw a significant shift in Slovakia’s trajectory related to its stance on the Ukraine war, after the populist left-wing party Smer took the most votes in the country’s national election. Its head, who ascended to his fourth term as prime minister, Robert Fico, advanced a platform of pursuing peace in Ukraine rather than continuing to pour weapons into an increasingly hopeless campaign to evict Russian forces from the country’s eastern provinces.
In the wake of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this month controversially declaring “Ukraine will become a member of NATO” — Slovakia under PM Fico is pushing back. He said in fresh comments at a press conference that Slovakia will stand firmly against any efforts to pursue Ukraine’s accession into NATO.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
450,000 Dutch Struggle With Food Insecurity, Red Cross Reveals
Approximately 450,000 people in the Netherlands don’t have enough money to buy sufficient and varied food every month, especially in large cities, according to nu.nl. This is mainly due to a lack of funds, according to a study by Ipsos I&O commissioned by the Red Cross. Despite their need for food assistance, a large portion of this group does not receive support, which the Red Cross describes as “hidden food insecurity.”
The reasons for this are diverse, ranging from shame in asking for help to unfamiliarity with available resources, and even the idea that they are not entitled to food assistance. These issues affect people of all ages but are particularly visible among singles and parents with children, especially in urban areas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: Socialist Mayor Orders Shut Down of Farage Conference in Brussels
A socialist mayor in Brussels ordered police to shut down the National Conservatism Conference while Nigel Farage was speaking on Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
An order from the local Brussels mayor cited public safety as a reason to shut down the National Conservatism Conference hosting Europe’s biggest conservative hitters
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: Standoff as Brussels Police Order Conservative Event to Close
Police entered a conservative event in Brussels on Tuesday afternoon to serve notice that all those inside should leave within 15 minutes.
A standoff developed as organisers of the National Conservative conference refused to sign the notice document on the grounds that they would launch a legal appeal.
Notice was served as keynote speaker Nigel Farage addressed a gathering of several hundred at Claridge, a nightclub in the Saint-Josse-ten-Noode quarter of the European Union capital. Other scheduled speakers included Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and French hard-right firebrand Eric Zemmour.
Police did not immediately attempt to enforce the evacuation order but positioned themselves outside and informed those leaving that they would not be allowed back in.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: Condemnations Pour in After Orban-Farage Brussels Conference Shut Down by Police
Prime Ministers and elected officials lined up to condemn a group of mayors who colluded to block a conservative conference on Tuesday, sending police officers to shut the venue down and blocking speakers from arriving.
Police descended upon a Brussels conference venue on Tuesday morning on the orders of local mayor Emir Kir to prevent a political conference from taking place. Delegates and speakers who had not yet made it into the building were blocked from entering as well as catering supplies for the day. The conference is slated to feature a range of political speakers including Brexit leader Nigel Farage, the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, and other conservative thinkers and legislators.
Belgian Prime Minister delivered a withering rebuke to the Brussels mayors who worked to prevent the National Conservatism Conference from taking place, calling their acts “unacceptable”. PM Alexander De Croo said while the regions enjoyed autonomy, nevertheless, freedom of speech is guaranteed in the national constitution and could not be overruled.
“Banning political meetings is unconstitutional. Full stop”, he said. De Croo’s support of freedom of speech for national conservatives with whom he — as a liberal — probably has comparatively little in common politically came amid a similar expression of concern from Italian Prime Minister Giorga Meloni who said the news of police officers being sent to shut down a conference being attended by the Hungarian Prime Minister and a group of European elected politicians left her feeling “disbelief and dismay”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
British Politicians Plan Cigarette Sales Ban
British politicians are planning to ban the sale of cigarettes, which is facing strong opposition both within and outside their own party, as reported by Der Spiegel.
The proposed legislation would incrementally raise the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes each year, with the aim of ensuring that no one turning 15 or younger in that year could ever legally acquire cigarettes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Denmark: Historic Copenhagen Stock Exchange in Denmark Goes Up in Flames
Denmark’s historic old stock exchange building in the centre of Copenhagen has been engulfed by fire.
The 17th Century Børsen is one of the city’s oldest buildings and onlookers gasped as its iconic dragon spire tumbled into the street below.
Culture minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said 400 years of Danish cultural heritage had gone up in flames.
Members of the public rushed to rescue historic paintings and it took hours before the fire was under control.
The building, dating back to 1625, is a stone’s throw from Denmark’s parliament, the Folketing, housed in the old royal palace of Christiansborg castle. Danish media said the nearby square was being evacuated and the main entrance to Christiansborg was closed because of smoke.
The old stock exchange was being renovated and had been shrouded in scaffolding and protective plastic covering.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Denmark: Historic Artworks Rushed Into Streets as One of Copenhagen’s Oldest Buildings Burns
Copenhagen’s Børsbygningen (Old Stock Exchange), a historic 17th-century building in the in the Dutch Renaissance style was engulfed in flames on Tuesday morning, its famous spire shrouded in scaffolding and consumed in fire in scenes redolent of the near-destruction of Paris’s Notre Dame near exactly five years ago.
Staff, emergency workers, and even passers-by rushed into the Old Stock Exchange building in the Danish capital on Tuesday to rescue a number of large historic paintings as the building burnt. According to Danish newspaper of record Berlingske police believe all inside the building were able to evacuate in time and there are no known casualties, but the smoke is toxic and anyone suffering breathing difficulties should go to hospital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Officials Dodge Their Own Surveillance Law
Do as I say — not as I do. That’s the essence of a leak that claims to expose high-ranked EU officials as more than simply politicking hypocrites when it comes to implementing the extremely controversial legislation affecting online privacy and encryption.
Namely, interior ministers from EU member countries reportedly want to exempt themselves — but not only — from the looming Child Sexual Abuse (CSAM) Regulation (aka, “chat control”), expected to be adopted as early as in June.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Signals End of Free Money for Poorer Countries
BRUSSELS — The European Commission is siding with a German-led group of fiscally conservative governments by resisting demands to finance spending through more borrowing — on top of a push to add conditions to the hundreds of billions of euros it gives the European Union’s poorest nations.
In effect, it signals the end of an era of free money — when the bloc’s massive post-pandemic recovery fund was made up of shared debt rather than national contributions, and when EU funds for things like new roads, hospitals and renewable energy projects were lavished mostly on eastern and southern European countries without them having to do anything in return.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Hard-Left Party Draws Criticism Over ‘Free Palestine’ Poster
The French hard-left La France Insoumise Party (LFI) has found itself caught up in an anti-Semitism row.
On April 18, the student organisation Free Palestine is set to hold a conference at the university of Lille on current events in the Middle East but a logo on posters advertising the event is causing an uproar. The symbol depicts a territory encompassing the entirety of Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with “Free Palestine” written over it.
LFI party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Rima Hassan, number seven on the party list for the European Parliament elections in June, are set to speak at the conference.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Considers Closing Islamic Center in Hamburg Due to Its Ties With Iran
Several German politicians have called for the initiation of the closure of the Islamic Center in Hamburg (IZH), which is already under observation due to its ties with Iranian authorities, Spiegel reports.
The Islamic Center in Hamburg has been under observation by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution due to its connections with Iranian authorities. Following Iran’s attack on Israel on the night of April 14, several politicians have raised questions about its continued operations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Incoming EU Business Envoy Withdraws From Post After Criticism
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday her pick for the EU’s new business envoy had decided not to take up the post, after critics linked the appointment to cronyism.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, has reiterated that it followed all the rules in picking Markus Pieper, a lawmaker from von der Leyen’s German centre-right party, as a special envoy for small— and medium-sized businesses.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Left-Wing Mayor Using Police as ‘Private Militia’ to Shut Down Conference: Zemmour
A left-wing mayor has used the police like a “private militia” to shut down a conservative conference in Brussels, the leader of the French Reconquete party, Eric Zemmour, said on April 16.
Municipality mayor Emir Kir ordered the shutting of the National Conservatism conference over alleged “public safety” concerns, though added in his announcement that he was killing the event that the “far-right” would never be welcome in his area.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Police Confiscate Vehicles of Drunk Drivers, Court Issues First Judgments
According to RMF FM, the police in Poland have so far seized 634 vehicles in accordance with the new regulations that came into force a month ago. These figures serve as a warning in connection with the International Day of Sobriety declared by the World Health Organization.
Most of the seized vehicles are temporarily placed in police parking lots and, according to the regulations, are entrusted to trustworthy individuals.
These statistics only include physically seized cars and do not account for company cars, leased vehicles, or co-ownership situations. In these cases, the court decides on the deposit of the equivalent value of the seized property by the suspect after determining the value of the car.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Receives €6.2 Billion Tranche From EU for Post-Pandemic Recovery
Poland’s Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Katarzyna Pelchinska-Nalecz, announced the receipt of the largest tranche since the country’s accession to the European Union. Poland has secured approximately €6.2 billion in support from the EU, marking a pivotal moment in efforts to revive the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of this amount, €3.9 billion is in the form of loans, while €2.3 billion is in grants. This tranche constitutes the first stage of Poland’s plan for the recovery of its pandemic-affected economy (KPO). According to the minister, the funds are already available, just four months after the application was submitted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Farmers Block All Ukrainian Trucks on Three Border Crossings in a Day
Polish farmers continue to block the movement of trucks at three border crossings with Ukraine — at the checkpoints “Yagodyn”, “Rava-Ruska” and “Ugrinov”. On April 15, they did not allow any trucks to pass towards Poland at all, said Andriy Demchenko, the spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
According to the officer, the protesters at “Ugrinov” also did not let any trucks pass towards Ukraine. At “Yagodyn”, the protesters allow a very limited number of trucks to leave Poland daily. Over the past day, only 70 trucks were allowed through, despite it being the largest infrastructure route for truck crossings capable of processing about 1,400 trucks in both directions.
As of the morning of April 16, there were approximately 600 trucks waiting in queues at these three blocked crossings on the Polish side. Passenger cars and buses are freely crossing the border everywhere; there are no restrictions for this category of transport on the other side of the border.
Queues also persist at the previously unblocked crossings of “Krakovets” and “Shegyni”, with 900 and 450 trucks respectively. However, intense movement occurs in these directions both leaving Ukraine and entering, according to the capacity of each checkpoint, Demchenko noted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portuguese PM Not as Keen as Spain’s Leader on Palestine Statehood
Portugal’s new prime minister told his Spanish counterpart on Monday his country will “not go as far” as Spain in its plan to recognise a Palestinian state without a concerted European Union approach.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has visited several countries in the past few days on a diplomatic campaign to garner support for the initiative, reiterated his plan to recognise Palestinian statehood in the coming months.
But Luis Montenegro, who met Sanchez in Madrid, said that while Portugal will support a full U.N. membership for a Palestinian state in an upcoming General Assembly vote, it would wait for the EU to work out a common stance on the matter before moving forward.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: Polls Predict Win for Basque Separatists in Regional Election
Spanish separatist parties in the Basque Country, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) and EH Bildu, are set to win the largest share of seats in the upcoming regional Parliament election, according to the latest polls.
The ruling centre-right-wing separatist PNV and its candidate Imanol Pradales is expected to take 37 per cent of the vote in the elections over the weekend of April 20, although that would be down by about 2 per cent on its results from the 2020 regional contest.
The PNV will likely maintain its status as the largest force in the Parliament but with a slightly weaker representation. Polls predict the party will lose at least three seats in the 75-member Chamber.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tusk and Von Der Leyen Accused of ‘Collusion’ Over EU Funds for Poland
Poland’s opposition Conservatives (PiS) claimed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and then-opposition leader Donald Tusk colluded in delaying European Union funding for two years so that the money would not be received during the lifetime of the last PiS government.
The PiS made the allegation as Poland has just received the largest single tranche of EU cash in the country’s 20 years of membership of the bloc following the election of Tusk as Prime Minister in October last year.
The Tusk Government’s minister for EU and regional funds Katarzyna Pelczynska announced on April 15 that Poland had received €6.3 billion of EU funds now that Brussels has unlocked them after they were frozen under the (PiS) government over a dispute about its judicial reforms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Katharine Birbalsingh, who has been called Britain’s strictest head, said the landmark ruling was a ‘victory for all schools’ as she hit out at ‘bullying identity politics’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Just Stop Oil Protester Facing Jail for Chaos at Heathrow Airport Vows She Would Do it AGAIN
A Just Stop Oil activist who climbed a gantry over the M25, leaving almost 4,000 airline passengers at Heathrow facing delays and cancellations, has claimed she would “do it all again” — despite being found guilty of causing a public nuisance.
Cressida Gethin, 22, faces a sentencing hearing next month over the July 2022 protest, and opened up to Chris Packham — who has expressed support for the group in the past — about her role in the “precarious” and “physically dangerous” demonstration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A motorist who donated his car to Ukraine last year has been slapped with hundreds of pounds of Ulez fines.
Charles Cooper drove his Volvo SUV to Ukraine in August 2023, but received a number of fines from TfL after his car was allegedly spotted by automated number plate recognition cameras in London last October.
The 65-year-old from Lymington in Hampshire said TfL is demanding hundreds of pounds in penalties through the courts.
Cooper said he would “rather go to prison” than pay the fee after officials rejected his explanation that their automatic cameras had mistakenly identified the wrong car.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Violence Against Dutch Police Shows Slight Decrease, But Concerns Remain High
Violence against Dutch police officers has somewhat decreased in the past year, as reported by NOS. In 2023, there were 12,265 cases of aggression or violence against police personnel, representing a slight decrease. However, the number of incidents remains alarmingly high according to the police.
Henk van Dijk, Program Manager for Violence Against Police Officers, emphasizes that the current level of violence is “unacceptably high.” He notes that the societal hardening seems to be reflected in the recent figures.
The highest number of incidents was recorded in 2021, with 12,940 cases. Although there is a slight decline, the number of reports of violence since 2020 remains significantly higher than in previous years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
As Scandals Swirl, Croatia President Milanovic Gains Ground Ahead of Elections
Croatia’s upcoming elections pit a resurgent, Eurosceptic opposition against a governing party increasingly mired in corruption scandals.
Politics being personal, the April 17 vote also sees Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic up against President Zoran Milanovic, two men who “share a long-standing and infamous hatred”, said Hind Ziane, chief executive of Paris-based political strategist organisation Génération Politique.
“Some rivalries never die,” she noted ahead of the first in Croatia’s bumper year of general, European Parliament and presidential races.
Plenkovic’s “pro-European Union, pro-Ukraine and pro-NATO” Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has been in power “for most of the time since the country became independent in 1991,” pointed out Dimitar Keranov of US think-tank the German Marshall Fund.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israel Says it Will Retaliate Against Iran
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is vowing to retaliate against Iran, risking further expanding the shadow war between the two foes into a direct conflict after an Iranian attack over the weekend sent hundreds of drones and missiles toward Israel.
Israeli officials have not said how or when they might strike. But as countries around the world urge Israel to show restraint and the threat of a multi-front war mounts, it’s clear that a direct Israeli attack on Iranian soil would lead to major fallout.
Iran says it carried out the strike to avenge an Israeli airstrike that killed two Iranian generals in Syria on April 1. It has pledged a much tougher response to any Israeli counterattack attack on its soil.
With Israel focused on its war against Hamas in Gaza, and already battling Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon every day, the U.S. has urged Israel to show restraint.
U.S. officials say President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. will not participate in any offensive action against Iran, and the president made “very clear” to Netanyahu “that we do have to think carefully and strategically” about the risks of escalation.
Israel’s war cabinet has spent the last two days debating their next move. Here are some considerations key to their decision…
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Over two years after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration has admitted that the Abbey Gate bomber that killed 13 American soldiers at the Kabul airport on Aug 26, 2021, was a terrorist linked to ISIS-K who had been released from prison by the Taliban in mid-August of that year.
A statement released by the Department of Defense on Monday read, “Ordered by US Army Central Command in September 2023, the results of the two-year supplemental review found that no new information disclosed in public testimony since March 2023 had any material impact on the original investigation’s findings. It also confirmed that a lone ISIS-K suicide bomber had carried out the attack.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France to ‘Restore Republican Order’ on Indian Ocean Island of Mayotte
France’s minister for overseas territories Marie Guevenoux said the country aimed to “restore republican order” on the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte by deploying 1,700 law enforcement agents and soldiers in a “clean-up operation” there.
The initiative is designed to addresses longstanding concerns surrounding security, immigration and unhygienic living conditions on the archipelago.
Guevenoux outlined the scope of the planned deployment, which is set to last for “11 weeks”.
“This operation targets key issues such as insecurity, immigration and unsanitary habitats,” she said.
“To respond to security issues, the French authorities have identified 60 individuals who constitute ‘target properties,’“ Guevenoux added.
In a bid to curb illegal immigration and tackle gang activity, the joint military and police operation will demolish approximately 1,300 shelters, known locally as “bangas”, where many irregular migrants reside.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Open Society Foundations Closes Down Kyrgyzstan Operation
On April 15, two weeks after Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed the “foreign representatives” bill into law, the Open Society Foundationscited the law in its announcement that it would close its Kyrgyzstan foundation after 31 years.
The Open Society Foundations, formerly the Open Society Institute, is a grantmaking network founded by George Soros.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ex-TikTok Employee Says He Was Ordered to Send US Data to China
A former senior employee at TikTok said he was ordered to send American user data to Beijing-based parent company ByteDance, contradicting TikTok’s public claims of operating independently from China, according to a Fortune report published Monday.
Evan Turner, a senior data scientist for TikTok from April to September in 2022, told Fortune that every two weeks TikTok had him email spreadsheets containing millions of American users’ data to ByteDance employees in Beijing, including the users’ names, email addresses, IP addresses, and demographics.
Turner said he “literally worked on a project that gave U.S. data to China” even though TikTok had launched Project Texas in March 2022, promising U.S. officials that it would stop sharing American user data with its Chinese parent company and keep the data in U.S.-based data centers. “There were Americans that were working in upper management that were completely complicit in this,” Turner said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Peer-Reviewed Study Links Cancer Deaths Surge to COVID Shots
A new bombshell peer-reviewed study has directly linked Covid mRNA shots with surging rates of cancer-related deaths.
The study, published in the prestigious Cureus journal, found that the risk of dying from cancer dramatically increased each time a patient received an mRNA injection.
The paper for the study is titled: “Increased Age-Adjusted Cancer Mortality After the Third mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccine Dose During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan.”
The study was conducted by world-renowned Japanese experts specializing in cardiovascular medicine and cancer research.
The authors start by pointing out that age-adjusted mortality rates (AMRs) for all cancers continued their downward trend during the first year of the Covid pandemic.
However, they note that this downtrend ended around the beginning of the mass roll-out of the Covid shots.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Aussie Govt Orders Facebook and X to Remove Muslim Knife Attack Video
Parishioners and live stream audience members for the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Sydney, Australia were enjoying a sermon by popular conservative Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel when a young male Muslim assailant entered the church and stabbed him repeatedly with a knife. The live stream clip was immediately shared far and wide on social media with X and Facebook being the easiest sites to view the video.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel is a leader of the Assyrian Orthodox sect who has a global following. He has expressed stalwart conservative views on Islam, the LGBT community, and was vocal in his sermons against lockdowns and vaccinations during COVID-19. Four other member of the church were injured while subduing the attacker; the young man also reportedly cut off some of his own fingers during the struggle.
The Australia government through their “E-Safety Commissioner” has voiced concerns over the spread of the clip and has “ordered” Facebook and X to remove if from public access within 24 hours on the grounds that it will “make people emotional” and “cause disharmony.” How much power Australia’s E-Safety Commissioner actually has to follow through on her threats remains to be seen.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Guardian Ludicrously Reports That Orthodox Bishop Was “Allegedly Stabbed”
Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Modernity.news
The left-wing Guardian newspaper reported on the brutal stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Sydney that was caught on camera by saying the victim was “allegedly stabbed.”
Yes, really.
Watch the video. There’s really no “allegedly” about it…
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Five boys have been arrested after they allegedly led police on a high speed chase across Melbourne in an allegedly stolen BMW.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Stabbed Sydney Church Leader’s Views May Have Drawn His Attack
A prominent religious leader stabbed while delivering a sermon at a Sydney Assyrian church could have been targeted because of his critical and outspoken views on Islam.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel sustained lacerations to his head after a knife-wielding attacker repeatedly lunged at him during a live-streamed sermon at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley last night.
Police are treating the knife attack as a terrorist act carried out by a 16-year-old boy who allegedly made comments in Arabic that referred to insults against “my Prophet” before the stabbing.
The conservative Assyrian church leader is known for his outspoken views against Covid-19 lockdowns, homosexuality and non-Christian religions, including Judaism and Islam.
Many of his sermons, broadcast to up to 240,000 followers, have criticised the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed.
In a December 2023 episode of a US podcast, Bishop Emmanuel declared: “Jesus Christ is the only God.”
“Let me ask you my dear Muslim, if you are claiming Isa (Jesus) as a prophet, then how come all the other prophets you believe in … how come none of the Old Testament prophets were referred to as the son of God?” he said.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Sydney Church Stabbing: Police Guard Mosques Amid Attack Fears
A teenager has been accused of wounding a Christian bishop and a priest during a church service in the second high-profile knife attack to rock Sydney in recent days, leaving communities on edge, leaders calling for calm and a besieged church urging against retaliation.
The 16-year-old was overpowered by the shocked congregation at Christ the Good Shepherd Church after he allegedly stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and the Reverend Isaac Royel during a service on Monday night that was being streamed online.
[…]
The church said in a statement yesterday it “denounced retaliation of any kind”. Police stood guard around mosques in parts of Sydney after reports that text messages were circulating urging the Assyrian Christian community to retaliate against Muslims.
Sydney’s Lakemba Mosque, Australia’s largest, has hired additional private security for the next week after receiving fire bomb threats on Monday night.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
An audio message circulated among Sydney’s Muslim community allegedly identifying the teen claims he was mentally ‘poisoned’ before the alleged church attack.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Blue City Mayor Defunds Police Force by More Than $8 Million to Aid Migrants
A Democrat-controlled city announced $45 million in funding for programs to help deal with the skyrocketing number of migrant arrivals it is facing, resulting in over $8 million in budget cuts for the police department.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced last week a package of $45.9 million to fully fund programs for “newcomers” for 2024 and avoid worst-case scenarios projected by the city. That’s in addition to $44 million in spending already secured for the program through previous budget moves.
Spending on migrants in the city skyrocketed last year from $2 million a month in August to $15 million in December. In January, migrant numbers peaked at around 5,000 in shelters but have since dropped to around 1,000, according to official figures.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Border Outranks Ukraine as Moderate Voter Priority in Swing States: Poll
Authored by Nathan Worcester via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
An April survey of swing, or moderate, voters in six battleground states suggests the impacts of an open southern border is concerning them more than events in Ukraine.
Commissioned by the conservative Heritage Foundation and executed by the non-partisan RMG Research, Inc., the pollrevealed that 56 percent of those voters felt the $113 billion price tag for Ukraine support thus far was either too much or far too much. Just 14 percent thought the United States had not spent enough on military aid for Ukraine, while 16 percent rated the spending about right.
When asked to compare the importance of border security with that of Ukraine funding, 50 percent chose the border, while only 11 percent chose Ukraine; 29 percent said both were equally important.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brink of Unrest? Migrants “Flood” NYC City Hall in Protest of Losing Luxury Hotel Rooms
New York City could be on the cusp of social unrest as hundreds of migrants have flooded the grounds of City Hall in Lower Manhattan to protest the scaling down of their luxury hotel accommodations (funded by us, the taxpayers).
The Babylon Bee’s Ashley St. Clair posted on X a disturbing photo of migrants “flooding NYC City Hall to protest being moved to shelters instead of the luxury hotels.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DHS Monitoring Over 600,000 Illegal Immigrants With Criminal Records: Report
It has been revealed that the Department of Homeland Security is currently aware of over 600,000 illegal immigrants who managed to enter the United States with criminal records.
The data was presented by House National Security, Border and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Glenn Grothman during a hearing on Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Feds Arrest Migrant Shoplifting Gang After Five Years in New England
Federal agents have finally started arresting suspects reportedly involved in an organized criminal gang of migrants accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise from stores across New England.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the arrests of Marvin Estuardo Morales De Paz, 33; Abraham Dayger-Enrique, 24; Sebastian Lajuj-Soloman, 30; and Jonathan Josue Amperez-Perez, 31; several of whom federal authorities charged in Rhode Island, according to Maine Wire.
One of the thefts attributed to this group of migrants occurred in Rockland, Maine, in February 2023. Seven migrants were arrested in that incident, and several of those arrested in Maine in 2023 have now been arrested in Rhode Island.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Right-Wing Candidate for EU Elections Campaigns on Immigration at Border City of Menton
At the French border city of Menton, François-Xavier Bellamy has decided to focus his campaign for the EU elections on immigration. On Friday, the candidate met with police at the French border city Menton near Italy — a flashpoint of the migration debate between both countries.
With less than two months to go before the European elections, the French right-wing candidate Francois-Xavier Bellamy wants to show he is tough on immigration.
On Friday, the member of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) chose a symbolic place to meet with police: the French border city of Menton near Italy — a flashpoint of the migration debate which has sparked tensions between both countries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Overwhelmed by Syrian Migrants, Cyprus Suspends Asylum Applications
Authorities in Cyprus have announced the suspension of asylum applications from Syrians following a significant surge in arrivals in April.
The deteriorating security situation in the Middle East is pushing record numbers of migrants to the shores of Cyprus.
On April 13, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides announced: “Due to the recent massive arrival of Syrian asylum-seekers by sea, and pending developments on the issue of the reassessment of the Syrian status, the examination of asylum applications in all cases of persons of Syrian origin is suspended.”
The duration of the suspension was not given.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Shadowy Mayorkas-Linked NGO in Mexico Tells Border Invaders to “Vote Biden”
The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project posted an image on X of what they say is a flyer from a non-governmental organization operating in Mexico encouraging migrants to vote for President Biden once they arrive in the United States.
“Reminder to vote for President Biden when you are in the United States. We need another four years of his term to stay open,” part of the flyer read.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The British Parliament is Nearing the Adoption of a Law to Deport Migrants to Rwanda
The House of Commons of the UK Parliament rejected amendments made by the House of Lords to the controversial government bill on deporting illegal migrants to Rwanda, Bloomberg reports.
The House of Commons voted to remove all the Lords’ amendments, sending the bill back to the upper chamber in a process known as “ping-pong.” Typically, in such situations, unelected Lords concede and the government expects the law to be passed later this week.
This law is key to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s promise to “stop the boats” carrying migrants amid pressure from radical factions within his Conservative Party, demanding a halt to asylum seekers’ migration across the English Channel ahead of the upcoming general elections expected later this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: House Republicans Present Impeachment Charges Against Alejandro Mayorkas to Senate
Republican House members have delivered their articles of impeachment for President Joe Biden’s pro-migration border chief to the Senate.
The unprecedented impeachment of a sitting cabinet member comes after Biden and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas opened the border to at least seven million poor migrants, in addition to the annual inflow of more than one million legal immigrants and contract workers. Overall, Biden and Mayorkas have welcomed roughly one illegal, quasi-legal, or legal migrant for every American birth since 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada: Ontario Court of Justice Requires Court Participants to State Their ‘Preferred Pronouns’
The Ontario Court of Justice has told lawyers presenting their cases to judges to ensure all parties involved clearly state their preferred pronouns.
This new rule will be applied to virtual and in-person court appearances.
Lawyers will also be required to clarify the pronouns of clients and witnesses when they appear before the judge.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
West Virginian female athletes spoke out against the inclusion of biological males in female sports in their state after an appeals court blocked a state law banning biological males from competing in women’s sports. The case against the state was brought by the ACLU.
These women shared their experiences with former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who began speaking out against the inclusion of males in women’s sports after tying with trans swimmer Lia Thomas at the NCAA championships in 2022, and being forced to hand the trophy over to Thomas for the podium photo.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s expert commission recommends partial legalization of abortions within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. The commission, established by the federal government and consisting of medical, legal and ethical experts, has been discussing the reform of abortion laws since March 2023, as reported by Spiegel.
Liane Wörner, a legal expert from the commission, stated that the current criminalization of early-term abortions under Paragraph 218a of the Criminal Code is unsustainable. She called for legislative action to decriminalize and legalize early-term abortions. Additionally, the commission suggested that abortions could also be legalized during the mid-term of pregnancy. Late-term abortions would remain illegal but might not be punishable.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Sentenced to 7.5 Years for Firebombing Wisconsin Pro-Life Organization in 2022
A pro-abortion activist was sentenced to 7.5 years in federal prison last week for firebombing a Wisconsin pro-life organization after the leak of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.
“We recommended the defendant receive 15 years imprisonment. … The U.S. Attorney’s office had also recommended 12-15 years imprisonment,” said Julaine Appling, president emeritus of Wisconsin Family Action (WFA), the pro-life organization that was firebombed. “We are disappointed in the judge’s decision regarding a crime the judge called ‘terrorism’ multiple times.”
Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, Wisconsin, will also pay $32,000 in restitution and will serve three years on supervised release, per the sentence handed down by Obama-nominee U.S. District Judge William Conley, The Associated Press reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Transgender Archeology’ PhDs and Degrees in ‘Magic’ Being Funded With UK Taxpayer Money
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news
A Conservative MP in the UK has called for a thorough review of government higher education funding after it was revealed that taxpayer money is being spent on ridiculous university courses, including a PhD researcher who has chose to explore “Transphobic Invocations of Archaeology.”
The Telegraph reports that the student at the University of York is being given more than £18,000 a year by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to do detailed research and present papers, including one titled Bones Don’t Care About Your Feelings: Challenging Transphobic Invocations of Archaeology in (Social) Media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A 35-year-old transgender biological male who identifies as a vampire has been convicted of allegedly sexually assaulting a mentally disabled 16-year-old girl in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Adam Hetke, who goes by Sabrina, was booked for murder just two weeks later in connection with the death of 28-year-old Vydale Thompson, who also had a mental disability.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
This is a semantic problem. Human civilization is again looking for meaning in the name of what to continue to exist. The Abrahamic religion is unable to answer many questions. The picture of the Universe raises many questions. Of course, if you are not a Jew. The nightmare that we are now seeing in Ukraine – the sacrifice of entire peoples – occurs within the framework of the religious doctrine of Abrahamism (the Very First Edition – for Jews).
Christianity can no longer control the masses. Islam – maybe. But for this it is necessary to destroy the thinking part of the population.
“Sydney church stabbing: Police guard mosques amid attack fears”
I’m reminded of the joke from the great Norm Macdonald: “ I can’t say my friend’s name, but he said his biggest fear is that ISIS, or some terrorist group like that, would get ahold of a dirty bomb, and explode it over a major city within the United States and kill tens of millions of people because then, the blowback against innocent Muslims would be absolutely terrible.”
“A social media post about Donald Trump saying ‘LOCK HIM UP’ led to one potential juror being struck from the Manhattan case on Tuesday. Another who reposted an AI video calling the president ‘DUMB AS F***’ was also mentioned as another man was told to go home. The pair were among a string of dismissals in the Manhattan hush money trial that ended the second day with a surprising seven jurors. But THE JUDGE ALLOWED A WOMAN WHO JOKED ABOUT REPUBLICANS GOING TO PRISON despite a challenge from Trump’s lawyers.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13316773/Why-considered-Judge-dismisses-Trump-jurors-posting-lock-social-media-resharing-AI-video-calling-Donald-dumb-f.html
“It takes an eagerness to be duped to believe that after > four years of “#Resist”, FABRICATED “pee tapes”; FABRICATED “Trump-Russia Collusion”; three lengthy investigations based on FABRICATED “evidence”; and relentless, one-sided media and social media propagandizing for The Party against “Orange Hitler” that The Party suddenly decided to forego the LIES, THIEVERY and ROGUISH behaviour and agree to have a 100% honest, legitimate election, allowing the chips to fall where they will. Or, to put it simply, to believe that Joe “running for US Senate” Biden received MORE votes than President Affirmative Action is the definition of insanity.” —posted to fb (Nov 2020)
Joe Biden did not win the election.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA8a2g6tTp0&ab_channel=DonaldJTrump
“Joe Biden did not win the election.”
“Joe Biden brags about having “the most extensive and inclusive VOTER FRAUD organization” in history.” —Donald Trump
I wouldn’t draw any conclusions based on either what comes outta Prince Aricept’s mouth or Trump’s bombast stemming from that. The Prince’s a pathological liar and, while I generally agree that the 2020 election was crooked (I’m being kind!), I don’t think Trump or his team’ve PROVEN the point.
Near Moscow, a migrant attacked a pregnant health worker
A migrant attacked a pregnant health worker in Ramenskoye, near Moscow. According to the Mash Telegram channel, a foreigner beat a woman because she refused to forge a certificate for his child to enter a kindergarten.
The victim works as a paramedic; she said that one day a man came into her office with a child in his arms. The man immediately began demanding that he be given the necessary certificate, although he himself did not provide any information about enrolling the baby in kindergarten.
When the health worker did not agree to fulfill his condition, the foreigner became furious. He hit the girl in the face and ran away.
After a conflict with a migrant, a resident of the Moscow region went to the hospital. The girl had a bruise all over her face and also complained of severe abdominal pain.
The aggressive citizen was put on the wanted list. Investigators from the Moscow region opened a criminal case into the incident.
https://lenta.ru/news/2024/04/17/pod-moskvoy-migrant-napal-na-beremennuyu-medrabotnitsu/
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) just DISMISSED the House’s articles of impeachment against Mayorkas.
Just fyi…
You should replace with hamas.
Obamerica: The Art of Collapse.
“Democrats ruled the articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas unconstitutional.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/live-blog/senators-begin-dhs-secretary-mayorkas-impeachment-trial-live-updates-rcna147038
Too late to save it now, we are Balkanized cities and states on the verge of collapse and massive bloodshed, oh look at that, just like the Balkans after ole Tito died, only the US and Canada have vast spaces to overcome.
“oh look at that, just like the Balkans”
With one side heavily armed and the other afraid of guns. Outta be a hoot!
Darwin is going to have a lot of winners.