University protests against the war in Gaza have led to hundreds of arrests on college campuses across the USA. Meanwhile, the University of Southern California cancelled its “main stage” graduation ceremony as its campus was overrun by anti-Israel protests.
In other news, a “Frenchman” vowed to “avenge Palestine” when he kidnapped a Jewish woman and threatened her with sex slavery and death.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, LP, Reader from Chicago, Roger, 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.
Trump Camp Warns ‘Stagflation’ on the Way After Disappointing GDP Report: ‘Numbers Are Very Bad’
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign warned Thursday that “stagflation is a real possibility” under President Biden after economic data showed America’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by just 1.6% in the first three months of this year.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis released the troubling statistic, which came in far under the 2.4% forecast by economists. The growth rate was the lowest since the economy contracted in the first half of 2022 and continued a trend from the fourth quarter of 2023 — when a 3.4% growth rate marked a cooldown from the 4.9% growth recorded in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index — a key gauge watched by the Federal Reserve as it weighs whether to cut interest rates — surged at a 3.7% rate in the first quarter, well above the central bank’s 2% target.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WEF: 98% of Central Banks Now Ready to Usher in ‘Cashless Society’
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has boasted that 98 percent of all central banks have now agreed to advance the unelected globalist organization’s “cashless society” agenda.
The WEF has revealed that most of the world’s central banks have been preparing to eliminate physical money and are now ready to make the switch to “digital cash.”
The revelation was made in a new white paper from the WEF which declares that nations around the world will soon be forced to adopt a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in place of traditional money.
In the report, titled “Modernizing Financial Markets With Wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency,” the WEF asserts that a CBCD will replace all other forms of money to serve as a global single digital currency system.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
56% of Likely American Voters Agree With ‘Mean Tweets, World Peace’ Meme: Rasmussen
A 56% majority of voters in America agree with the statement, “With President Trump, we had mean tweets, but world peace,” according to a new survey.
In a recent telephone survey from Rasmussen Reports, a majority of Americans agree with the sentiment of a well-known tagline “Mean Tweets, World Peace” that is found online and plastered on pro-Trump t-shirt and other merchandise.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police peacefully arrested 93 student protesters at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, hours after police at a Texas university aggressively detained dozens in the latest clashes between law enforcement and those protesting the Israel-Hamas war on campuses nationwide.
While tensions rose between police and protesters at USC earlier in the day, in the evening a few dozen demonstrators standing in a circle with locked arms were detained one by one without incident.
Police officers encircled the dwindling group, which sat in defiance of an earlier warning to disperse or be arrested.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Actor Alec Baldwin claims he’s only being charged for shooting and killing a woman on the set of his movie “Rust“ because the prosecutor wants to “humble” an “arrogant” Hollywood star.
Prosecutors initially accepted a plea deal with Baldwin but later charged the 66-year-old actor with involuntary manslaughter.
On October 21, 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed after Baldwin discharged a firearm he was holding.
The weapon was being used in the film but somehow had live rounds.
Baldwin maintained that he never pulled the trigger and that the hammer engaged on its own and fired the shot.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tensions flared Thursday night at the newly formed “intifada” encampment at the City College of New York as anti-Israel protesters forced a school security guard to retreat from the tent city.
The dramatic scene was captured on video by independent journalist Katie Smith and shows a crowd of protesters surrounding the public safety officer while chanting “We will stay, we will stay!”
With their hands up, the anti-Israel mob forced the guard to walk backwards away from the encampment towards a set of steps where NYPD officers had congregated, the footage shows.
The protesters then formed a wall and ascended the steps, forcing the cops back as well, the video shows.
No arrests were made as of 6:30 p.m. Thursday, according to police.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arizona Dem Gov. Katie Hobbs Vetoes Anti-Squatter Bill
Arizona’s Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed bipartisan legislation that would have strengthened property owner’s rights to evict squatters.
SB 1129, vetoed on Tuesday, would have permitted homeowners to request police to immediately remove a squatter from their property if the squatter unlawfully claimed a right to live there.
Hobbs said Tuesday in a letter to the president of the State Senate, “Today I vetoed Senate Bill 1129. This bill fails to leverage existing legal mechanisms, respect the due process rights of lawful tenants, and minimize unintended consequences such as for victims of domestic violence.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Baltimore Sues Operators of ‘Unseaworthy’ Ship Behind Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse
The city of Baltimore is suing the owners of the cargo ship that caused the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, according to reports.
The lawsuit alleges the container vessel was “unseaworthy” when it set sail on its fateful voyage.
In the lawsuit, lawyers for the city blamed the owners and operators of the Dali for the disaster.
The shocking incident killed six construction workers and shuttered one of the nation’s busiest ports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s EPA Pursues Dramatic Clampdown on Emissions From Power Plants
A suite of new rules to dramatically slash pollution from coal and natural gas plants was unveiled by the Biden administration Thursday — and critics promptly blasted the measures as “death by a thousand cuts to America’s fossil fuel industry.”
Under the new regime, existing coal-fired and new natural gas-fired power plants will be mandated to capture 90% of all carbon pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency announced.
To operate plants beyond 2039, they would need to have proper carbon capture systems fulfilling those requirements by 2032, officials explained to reporters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Maryland school athletic director was arrested at BWI-Marshall Airport after it was discovered that he had allegedly spread an AI-generated impersonation of the Pikesville High School principal that framed the principal as being racist. Dhazon Darien, 31, is looking at many charges due to the deepfake, including stalking, theft, disruption of school operations, and retaliation against a witness.
The police investigation began in January when a voice recording alleged to be school principal Eric Eiswert began making the rounds. Eiswert was temporarily removed from his position as head of the school and the school received many phone calls and social media comments and messages over the recording after it was spread on social media, according to The Baltimore Sun.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DeSantis Warns of Potential Expulsion for Student Protesters in Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is warning college students in his state that they could be expelled if they engage in unsanctioned protests on campuses.
“At places like Columbia and Yale, Hamas protesters rule the roost, and the universities are too weak and scared to do anything — even as these mobs harass Jewish students and faculty,” the governor said in a post on the social platform X. “If you try that at a Florida university, you are going to be expelled.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nina Jankowicz,the Biden administration’s short-lived disinfo czar, is back!
Jankowicz, a huge fan of Christopher Steele, architect of the infamous Clinton-funded Dossier which underpinned the Trump-Russia hoax, and who joined the chorus of disinformation agents that downplayed the Hunter Biden laptop bombshell, has ‘re-entered the fray’ with a new nonprofit organization, the American Sunlight Project, aimed at running ads and producing “investigative reports on the backgrounds and financing of groups conducting disinformation campaigns.”
Except, this ‘transparency advocate’ refuses to disclose who gave her $1 million to reboot her operation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Justice Department notified Congress on Thursday that it will not comply with a subpoena for audio recordings of President Biden’s interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur.
In an 11-page letter, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte rejected claims from House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) that the recordings contain information relevant to the Republican-led impeachment inquiry into the 81-year-old president.
Jordan and Comer have threatened to launch contempt proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland if the DOJ does comply with the subpoena.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is being sued in a class action lawsuit alleging it turned away nearly 1,000 air traffic controller applicants, solely based on their race.
Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, who now serves as co-counsel for Mountain States Legal Foundation based in Colorado, is leading efforts for a lawsuit that could set a new precedent and force companies to hire employees based on skills.
Laxalt said the lawsuit represents nearly 1,000 people who went to school to become air traffic controllers, which, for about 20 years until the end of the Obama administration, graduated 100 % of the people who went on to work in their field.
The individuals Laxalt represents passed the normal test right before the Obama administration said the class was too White and threw out the tests with the applicants.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fauci to Testify in Public Hearing on COVID-19 Response, Origins
Authored by Stephen Katte via The Epoch Times
Dr. Anthony Fauci is locked in to testify before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on June 3, his first public hearing since retiring as the president’s chief medical advisor in 2022.
Subcommittee Chair Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) announced in an April 24 press release that Dr. Fauci agreed to appear late last year.
“Retirement from public service does not excuse Dr. Fauci from accountability to the American people,”Mr. Wenstrup said.
“On June 3, Americans will have an opportunity to hear directly from Dr. Fauci about his role in overseeing our nation’s pandemic response, shaping pandemic-era policies, and promoting singular questionable narratives about the origins of COVID-19.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
First Cargo Ship Passes Through New Channel Since Baltimore Bridge Collapse
A cargo ship passed through a new deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday, the first to cross the new channel since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed last month, shutting down most traffic in the Port of Baltimore.
The bulk carrier, Balsa 94, sailed out under a Panama flag Thursday morning using a new 35-foot channel, The Associated Press reported. It is headed toward St. John, Canada, and is expected to arrive next Monday.
It comes nearly four weeks after Dali, a 984-foot cargo ship, crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the structure to collapse into the Patapsco River.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Harris Teeter is Combating DC Theft Surge With New Policies, Including Bag Restrictions
Amid a surge in thefts across Washington, D.C., Harris Teeter has made policy changes that the company hopes will deter shoplifters.
The grocery store implemented several security protocols on Wednesday, one of which requires customers in the District to show their receipts before leaving the building.
“Harris Teeter is committed to providing the highest quality, freshest products to all customers in the communities we serve. Ensuring a safe shopping environment for both our customers and our valued associates is critical,” the company told Fox News Digital.
Harris Teeter has also banned the use of several different types of bags, including oversized backpacks, suitcases and large duffels.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Harvard’s Anti-Israel Tent Camp Soaked by Sprinklers, as Heated Protests Pop Up Across the Country
Harvard University’s anti-Israel tent encampment was temporarily thwarted overnight — by a slew of sprinklers that flooded protesters’ tents — as demonstrations rocked other campuses across the country.
Dozens of sleeping protesters who were trying to catch some shuteye were disturbed when the sprinklers suddenly turned on in the middle of the Ivy League’s Cambridge campus.
“As protesters spend their first night in the Harvard Yard encampment, the biggest threat to their stay has not come from administrators or Harvard University police officers, but the Yard’s sprinklers,” the Harvard Crimson student-led paper said early Thursday.
The first sprinkler switched on just outside the encampment in Harvard Yard at about 2:30 a.m. as temperatures dipped to 36 degrees.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hospital Whistleblower: Doctors Are Euthanizing COVID-Vaxxed Due to ‘Horrific’ Side Effects
A medical industry whistleblower has come forward with explosive allegations to warn the public that Covid mRNA shots are causing people to “die so horrifically” and “so quickly” after they received the injections.
The hospital whistleblower, known only as “Zoe,” revealed that doctors have been euthanizing patients due to the severity of the side effects from the injections.
Zoe, a hospital medical coder, said the health issues caused by the Covid shots were so “horrific” that the Covid-vaccinated patients “kind had to be put down” by doctors.
In a whistleblowing interview with the nonprofit Children’s Health Defense (CHD), Zoe revealed that hospitals and medical professionals were simply not prepared for the wave of sudden deaths, heart attacks, organ failure, and now cancers among the vaccinated population that followed since the Covid shots were rolled out to the public in early 2021.
As a medical coder, Zoe transfers the information included in patient medical records into a database for insurance purposes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Shoots Down Effort to Identify FBI, Undercover Police on Jan. 6
Authored by Joseph M. Hanneman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A federal judge in Washington D.C. has denied seven motions from a defendant seeking to identify FBI agents in Jan. 6 crowds and gain access to undercover videos shot by Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers, at least one of whom incited the crowds at the U.S. Capitol.
In a 22-page order, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras ruled against William Pope on a range of motions filed in his Jan. 6 criminal case since May 2023.
Judge Contreras partially granted a government cross-motion to modify the evidence protective order in the case. “I now have the most restricted discovery access conditions of any Jan 6 defendant,” Mr. Pope wrote on X.
“All I’m asking for is a fair fight in court, but he’s denying me rights to defend myself Pro Se that aren’t denied to attorneys,” Mr. Pope told The Epoch Times in a statement. “Even though some January 6 attorneys have filed highly sensitive materials as public exhibits, or leaked them on social media, I have not released a single sensitive or highly sensitive file governed by the protective order.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lawmakers Ask IRS to Investigate Chinese Funding of Anti-Israel Protests
Authored by Eric Lundrum via American Greatness
On Wednesday, lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives called for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to begin investigating the financial links between China and anti-Israel groups that have been protesting throughout the United States since October 7th.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, the request comes from members of the House Ways and Means Committee, who wrote a letter expressing concerns that “foreign adversaries are taking advantage of loopholes to impact American political activity with little-to-no transparency.”
One such example is The People’s Forum, a group that organized anti-Israel protests such as public school walkouts in New York City.
The group is bankrolled by Neville Roy Singham, a tech mogul with pro-China sympathies, as documented by the New York Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nine Key Exchanges From the Supreme Court Hearing About Trump’s Immunity Claim
The nine Supreme Court justices spent almost three hours Thursday parsing oral arguments in former President Donald Trump’s case demanding absolute immunity from charges related to his actions after the 2020 presidential election.
Their decision in the case could alter the fundamental understanding of a president’s constitutional powers for generations to come, stakes that were not lost on the justices.
Here are nine key exchanges during oral arguments in Trump v. United States.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NJ Target Employee Stops 3 Women Stealing Shopping Cart With Nearly $600 of Merchandise
Dramatic video captured an attentive Target employee jumping into action and stopping three women from stealing a shopping cart with nearly $600 worth of clothes and other goods moments before the wannabe thieves took off.
Surveillance footage from Target in Gloucester Township shows the employee sprinting out of the store and stopping the women just outside the entrance — prompting them to run to their silver Jeep SUV parked nearby and take off.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Possible UFO Over NYC Baffles Passenger Flying Into Laguardia
An airplane passenger took flying saucer speculation to new heights when she spotted a possible UFO soaring above the Big Apple — baffling experts and sending federal aviation officials on a fact-finding mission Thursday.
Michelle Reyes was on a commercial airline flight above LaGuardia Airport on March 25 when she captured video footage of a mysterious “flying cylinder” out of her plane window, she said on Facebook.
“The first thing I did was email the FAA to let them know what I saw,” she told NewsNation Wednesday.
“Maybe it was a safety hazard, but unfortunately I haven’t heard back from them, they didn’t acknowledge my email.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rifle-Carrying Man Tried to Carjack Woman Before He Was Shot and Killed by Deputy in Lake Worth
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Authorities are investigating after a man carrying a rifle was shot and killed by a deputy Thursday morning in Lake Worth.
It happened around 9:30 a.m. near the corner of Hypoluxo Road and Military Trail.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the suspect was threatening people in a violent manner while pushing around a shopping cart with guns, and a gas container.
“He tried to carjack a lady with a young child in the car,” Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw said the man was a danger to the public, and the deputy did his best to de-escalate the situation.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
San Jose Mayor’s Security Guard, Passerby Brawl During TV Interview: ‘I’ll Smack You Right Now’
A security guard for San Jose’s mayor got into a sidewalk brawl with a foul-mouthed stranger who interrupted a television interview with the California city’s leader Tuesday afternoon, according to shocking footage.
The guard took a shot to the side of the head before he countered and pushed the man away during the wild tussle that played out on camera in downtown San Jose.
Mayor Matt Mahan was doing an interview with KRON when the passerby, identified by police as 35-year-old Wesley Pollard, began cursing a few feet away.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Shocked’ Harvey Weinstein Learned His Conviction Was Overturned From a News Clipping in Jail
Harvey Weinstein was shocked and emotional when he was handed a news clipping in jail informing him that his felony sex crime conviction was overturned by a New York court on Thursday.
Defense attorney Arthur Aidala told reporters that his client was told the “good news” when he was handed a two-sentence article from the Associated Press while four years into his sentence at the Mohawk Correctional Facility.
“He said ‘Thank you’ more times than I can count,” Aidala said of his phone call with Weinstein on Thursday morning.
In a 4-3 ruling, the New York State Court of Appeals found that a Manhattan judge “erroneously” allowed testimony from three women whose allegations weren’t connected to the case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The St. Louis government on Thursday morning removed a homeless encampment that had made residents unconfortable for three years.
City workers cleared the encampment located in a neighborhood complex just out front of multiple residences that was occupied by a homeless couple and disturbing homeowners.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Taxing Unrealized Gains Would Obliterate the U.S. Economy
Submitted by QTR’s Fringe Finance
Having used up all of the rest of the batshit, insane, counterintuitive economic dirty tricks left in the “we’ll literally do anything but cut spending” bag, the Biden administration is pushing what could be the most destructive idea for our country since prohibition: taxing unrealized gains.
As part of its budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year, the Biden administration is trying to raise an addition $4.3 trillion over 10 years in the worst way possible: imposing a minimum tax equal to 25 percent of a taxpayer’s taxable income and unrealized capital gains less the sum of their regular tax, for taxpayers with wealth over $100 million.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
TSA Visited Apple and Google to Discuss Collaboration for Digital ID
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is continuing collaboration with Big Tech concerning the use of biometric surveillance technology, but also the development of digital IDs for passengers.
On its site, the TSA revealed that its officials traveled to California recently where they met with representatives of Apple and Google to talk about continuing work on implementing digital ID on people’s phones.
The TSA delegation to Silicon Valley, led by Administrator David Pekoske, referred to Apple and Google as their “innovation partners.” The goal is to continue with yet another example of “public-private” aka, government-Big Tech “partnership.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Students at the University of Washington (UW) planned to set up a new Gaza Camp opposing Israel’s war against Hamas Zionism on campus for Thursday morning, however, the event was postponed after the activists were criticized for not having enough “arab or muslim leadership” lead the protest.
Social media posts called for a “UW Palestine encampment” on Thursday at 8 am on the Quad to “end Zionism on campus.” The post began receiving backlash from other activists online.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
University Protests Over Israel-Hamas War in Gaza Lead to Hundreds of Arrests on College Campuses
Police broke up a demonstration against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza on Thursday at Emory University in Atlanta, the latest flashpoint in a growing movement on college campuses around the country. Hundreds of people have been arrested in California, Massachusetts, Texas and other states during the tense protests, following several rounds of arrests in New York in recent days.
Several dozen protesters set up tents in an encampment on Emory’s quad early Thursday morning, Assistant Vice President Laura Diamond said in a statement. The initial group of protesters wasn’t associated with the university, but they were later joined by some members of the Emory community, Diamond said.
Protesters chanted slogans supporting Palestinians and opposing a public safety training center being built in Atlanta.
The school’s police department told the group they were trespassing, and police took around two dozen people into custody and cleared the quad when they refused to leave, Diamond said. Some officers carried semiautomatic weapons, and video shows officers using a stun gun on one protester who they had pinned to the ground.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
US Ban on Worker Noncompetes Faces Uphill Legal Battle
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s ban on “noncompete” agreements commonly signed by workers is likely vulnerable to legal challenges, experts said, as some courts have grown increasingly skeptical of federal agencies’ power to adopt broad rules.
The commission in unveiling the rule on Tuesday said agreements not to join employers’ competitors or launch rival businesses suppress workers’ wages and stunt their mobility and job opportunities.
About 30 million people, or 20% of U.S. workers, have signed noncompetes, the agency said.
Business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, tax services firm Ryan LLC, and a Pennsylvania tree trimming company have already filed three lawsuits claiming that the FTC, which enforces antitrust laws, lacks the power to determine which business practices amount to unfair competition and should be banned.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Births Fell Last Year, Marking an End to the Late Pandemic Rebound: Experts
NEW YORK — U.S. births fell last year, resuming a long national slide.
A little under 3.6 million babies were born in 2023, according to provisional statistics released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s about 76,000 fewer than the year before and the lowest one-year tally since 1979.
U.S. births were slipping for more than a decade before COVID-19 hit, then dropped 4% from 2019 to 2020. They ticked up for two straight years after that, an increase experts attributed, in part, to pregnancies that couples had put off amid the pandemic’s early days.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
USC Cancels ‘Main Stage’ Graduation Ceremony as Campus Becomes Overrun by Anti-Israel Protests
The University of Southern California on Thursday scrapped its “main stage” graduation ceremony as the campus has been overrun with anti-Israel protests that have led to the arrests of nearly 100 students.
The university blamed new safety measures put in place this year for the cancellation of the 65,000-person ceremony at Alumni Park on May 10.
In a message to the school community, USC said that because of new measures it would take too long to process the large number of guests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Weinstein Victims Outraged as Attorney Slams Overturned Conviction as ‘Major Step Back’
The victims of Harvey Weinstein expressed their outrage Thursday over the “unfair” ruling in New York that saw the former Hollywood mogul’s rape conviction overturned — calling it a “major step back” in the #MeToo movement.
Lauren Sivan, a former news anchor who accused Weinstein of masturbating in a potted plant in front of her, told The Post that she was shocked by the New York State Court of Appeals ruling.
“I had absolutely no idea this was going to happen,” Sivan said in an exclusive interview. “I don’t think anyone was expecting this.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Almost All of Alberta’s 2024 Wildfires Were Human-Caused, Officials Say
The Alberta government announced that nearly all of the province’s wildfires in 2024 were human-caused, stressing the need for individual action to prevent future fires.
When risk levels are high, all Albertans play a crucial role in reducing human-caused wildfires. All provincial residents need to play their part in helping mitigate human-caused wildfires and protect Albertan communities.
Wildfire officers and Alberta’s parks minister delivered this message during a press conference on Thursday, where they provided updates on the wildfire situation in the province.
“So far this season, we expect that almost all of the wildfires we’ve experienced so far this year are human-caused,” said Alberta’s minister of forestry and parks, Todd Loewen.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian University Hosts Event Featuring Stuffies, Pop-it Toys and Crayons (for Adults)
Kwantlen University in Surrey, B.C. has opened a “reduced sensory space” during exams, inviting post-secondary students to play with plushies, crayons, and “stim toys” such as reversible octopuses and fidget poppers.
“This is a fully inclusive and supported space for everyone,” the university’s lead adviser on disability, accessibility, and inclusion wrote in an email that was provided to True North.
“Low/reduced sensory spaces provide customized environments for people to decompress and have much needed breaks from overwhelming sensory input (noise, crowds, smells, lighting), strong emotions, and socializing.”
“People who are not neurodivergent also benefit from access to low/reduced sensory spaces,” the email stated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Justin Trudeau Complains About Populism, Brags About Tax Hikes on Podcast
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared as a guest host on a Vox podcast where he complained about populism having a corrosive effect on democracy while promoting his government’s agenda.
The Prime Minister appeared on the left-wing site’s podcast to appeal to younger voters, a demographic that Trudeau’s Liberals have been doing poorly with in recent public opinion polls.
On the ‘Today, Explained’ podcast hosted by Sean Rameswaram, Trudeau said that concerns young Canadians have over the economy and the housing market are a problem because it drives negative sentiments that lead people down the road of populism, something he firmly stands against.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Liberals Block Deportation of Pakistani Charged With Blockading Airports, Emergency Vehicles
A Pakistani national who has become a contentious figure in Canada’s environmental protest scene narrowly escaped deportation because of the Liberal government’s last-minute intervention.
Zain Haq, who arrived in Canada in 2019 as an international student, quickly shifted his focus to leading protests with Extinction Rebellion and Save Old Growth—groups notorious for their extreme tactics which include blockades and confrontations with police.
The groups’ radical demands, such as an outright ban on fossil fuels and logging, have been met with criticism for their impracticality and disregard for Indigenous communities.
Haq’s involvement has led to ten arrests and a mischief conviction, yet his deportation was stayed, raising eyebrows about possible political interference. Haq has personally participated in airport, highway and ferry terminal blockades.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pierre Poilievre Visits Encamped Carbon Tax Protesters in Border Town
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre stopped in to show his support for axe-the-tax protesters who have been camped out on the border of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick since Trudeau’s carbon tax hike was implemented.
Poilievre was on his way between events in Atlantic Canada and saw the protest on the side of the highway. He then decided to stop at the encampment, outside of the Nova Scotia Visitor Information Centre in Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia on Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Premier Smith Appoints “Contrarian” Doctor to Lead COVID-19 Data Review
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith appointed a “contrarian” doctor who expressed concerns about officials exaggerating the damage COVID-19 had on hospitals to lead a review of data collected from the pandemic.
Smith selected Dr. Gary Davidson because she wanted to hear from a wide variety of viewpoints, including those who had previously been “shouted down in the public sphere.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria: Nehammer Opposes 41-Hour Workweek Proposal
Karl Nehammer, the leader of the ÖVP and Chancellor, has commented on the debate regarding working hours. He opposes the proposal put forth by the Industrial Association, as reported by Kurier.
A statement made by Minister of Constitutional Affairs Karoline Edtstadler at an event hosted by the Industrial Association on Tuesday briefly causes a stir. She advocates for more work, but not explicitly for a 41-hour week. This provides opponents of the proposal and other parties with the opportunity to strongly criticize. A day later, the leader of the ÖVP and Chancellor now comments on this issue.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Detached’ Spanish PM Sanchez Should Resign, Abascal Says
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez should resign from office, VOX leader Santiago Abascal told Brussels Signal.
Speaking on recent threats by Sanchez to abandon the premiership over alleged harassment, Abascal accused the “totally detached” leader of putting the welfare of the country at risk.
“I think it is a gigantic irresponsibility to play with the Spanish people in this way,” he said on the sidelines of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Budapest on April 25.
Abascal added that the move had put Spain and its economy into “a situation of uncertainty”, before accusing Sanchez of repeatedly lying to the public.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Province of Utrecht Returns to Fossil Fuel as Power-Grid Faces Meltdown
The Dutch province of Utrecht announced it will switch back to fossil fuel to relieve the overworked electricity grid, as the road to net-zero in the Netherlands hits some major obstacles.
The outgoing Dutch Climate Minister Rob Jetten, leader of the Democrats 66 (D66) party, along with local grid operators, announced a set of measures to fight the power-grid overload in Utrecht province. It is expected to be the first of many regions in the country that will have to take action to avoid future problems.
To maintain electricity provision to the public and businesses in Utrecht, there will be a switch back to gas. At moments of peak demand, the local Government will deploy gas generators.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Euro MPs Renew Push for Elimination of Member State Veto; Accuse Hungary of ‘Blackmail’
The majority of the European Parliament voted on April 24 in favour of a document that singles out Hungary over what it described as rule-of-law violations and criticises the abuse of the country’s right of veto.
The resolution criticises “Hungary’s repeated abuse of the right of veto and blackmail in the European Council”. Hungary takes the reins as President of the Council of the European Union in the second half of this year.
None of the amendments in support of Hungary were adopted. Neither did the most radical one against, that of suspending Hungary’s European presidency during the second half of the year, which was proposed by The Left group.
Rodrigo Ballester, head of centre for European studies at Mathias Corvinus Collegium in Budapest, labelled the move a “witch-hunt” and “the political weaponisation of the ‘rule of law’, which which has become a synonym of arbitrariness, double standards, hypocrisy and cynicism”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France Comments on the Possibility of Deploying Nuclear Weapons in Poland
French Minister of Defense, Sébastien Lecornu, stated that the deployment of nuclear weapons in Poland could nullify the Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation, and Security between Russia and NATO. He shared this in an interview with FAZ.
“We are the only nuclear state in the EU, but our uniqueness lies in the fact that we do not belong to NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group… We do not participate in this because in our planning and deterrence system, we are fully autonomous. Deploying in Poland would require discussion among allies, as it would nullify the Russia-NATO Founding Act,” the minister said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Man Vowing to ‘Avenge Palestine’ Kidnaps Jewish Woman, Threatens Her With Sex Slavery, Death
A Jewish woman was reported to have been kidnapped, raped and threatened with death and of being sex trafficked by a man who allegedly was seeking to “avenge Palestine”.
On Sunday, police arrested a 32-year-old man — who has yet to be named publicly — in the Gennevilliers commune of Paris’ northwestern suburbs, on suspicion of kidnapping, rape, and making “death threats due to religion,” Le Parisien reports.
The woman had reportedly met the man a week before the incident allegedly took place. After going to his home, the man allegedly refused to let her leave and stole her cell phone.
According to police sources, the man sent a message to the alleged victim’s mother, saying: “Good luck, you will never find your daughter again, you will never see her again, I will prostitute your daughter.”
In a separate message sent to the woman’s former boyfriend, he said that he had taken the Jewish woman to “avenge Palestine”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: AfD Leadership Clips Wings of List Leader Krah Over Chinese Spy Allegations
Maximilian Krah MEP, the German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party’s list leader for the upcoming June European Parliament election, will take a back seat in the campaign amid a controversial case of alleged espionage, following a crisis meeting with AfD bigwigs.
German media reported increased internal party pressure on Krah as a result of scandals seemingly haunting him.
It was revealed on April 24 that, at the request of two AfD leaders — Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla — Krah is to step out of the limelight and has reportedly been asked not to attend the party’s election campaign kick-off in Donaueschingen, in the Southwest of Baden-Württemberg.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ireland’s Hate Speech Bill Faces Backlash Amidst Authoritarian Fears
Ireland’s proposed hate speech legislation has sparked strong opposition amongst many of its citizens, with individuals complaining to their representatives about the potential risk of the country descending into an authoritarian police state, according to documents obtained by BreakingNews.ie through a Freedom of Information request.
Critics of the proposed bill, dubbed the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022, have expressed ambiguity around the definitions of hate and gender within the legislation.
The Taoiseach, Simon Harris, is resolute in modifying the Bill, which primarily seeks to revamp the 1989 incitement to hatred legislation, and pass it through successfully before the ensuing general elections.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Is All This Worth it?’ Spanish PM Sanchez Ponders His Future
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has published a letter in which he pondered whether to continue on as premier.
In the four-page letter released on the evening of April 24 and addressed to the Spanish citizens, Sanchez asked “is all this worth it?” a reference to what he called the “severity of the attacks” he and his wife have suffered from opposition parties and civil society organisations.
He announced he would cancel all his scheduled public activities for the next few days to “decide which road to take”.
“I need time to stop and reflect … if I need to continue leading the Government or renounce this high honour.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Macron Calls for Strengthening European Defense and Independence From the US
French President Emmanuel Macron believes that Europe should not be a “vassal” to the United States to survive. His remarks were reported by France 24.
“Our Europe today is mortal and can die. It can die, and it depends only on our choice. We need to build this strategic concept of reliable European defense for ourselves. How can we build our sovereignty, our autonomy, if we do not take responsibility for the development of our own European defense industry? Europe must show that it has never been a vassal of the United States and that it also knows how to talk to all other regions of the world,” Macron stated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Minister Abandons Poland’s Tusk for ‘Elephants’ Graveyard’
Three senior Polish ministers with Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Government have been selected by the Civic Coalition (KO), to stand in the European Parliament elections in June
That is despite one of them, the culture minister Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz, recently describing the EP as an “elephants’ graveyard”, which would result in his “political death” should he be a part of it.
Sienkiewicz told the Polish edition of Newsweek in January he had no plans to stand in the elections. “Let’s drop the idea of my death in the elephants’ graveyard,” he said, adding: “I am not planning my political death for the time being.”
In an interview with commercial TV Polsat on March 15, he said that while those comments were jocular, he was not planning to leave the Polish Government as he already had “enough to do”.
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Miroslav Radacovský, a Member of the European Parliament from Slovakia, emphasized the importance of supporting the “Green Deal” while acknowledging its shortcomings.
“No one wants to destroy the ‘Green Deal’ or Europe,” he said. “We must respect it, recognizing its beauty and significance, but also acknowledging its flaws and mistakes.”
Miroslav Radacovský expressed wishes for peace as a significant aspect.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NATO Chief Stoltenberg Says it’s ‘Not Too Late for Ukraine to Prevail’ Against Russia
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday it was “not too late for Ukraine to prevail” against Russia as long as its allies fulfil promises to deliver more weapons.
“In recent months, NATO allies have not provided the support we have promised,” he said in a speech on a visit to Berlin.
“But it is not too late for Ukraine to prevail, because more support is on the way.”
…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf rejected the notion of fresh elections after he blew up his own ruling coalition on Thursday morning but a vote of no confidence has been called, which may well force the situation.
Scotland’s devolved government became a minority administration on Thursday after First Minister Humza Yousaf pushed his hard left Green party partners before they could jump — read more about that here — but despite his precarious position, he rejected fresh elections. By attempting to rule as a minority administration the situation was merely returning to the result of the 2021 election which produced no overall winner, he said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘The EU Discredits Human Rights Under the Guise of Benevolence’ — Marcel De Graaff
The tense situation in Syria continues to escalate. Israel reportedly attacked the Iranian embassy in Syria. In response, Iran struck two abandoned military airfields in Israel. In reaction to these events, the European Union condemned Iran, renouncing all human rights. This statement was made by Member of the European Parliament Marcel de Graaff while addressing the parliament.
“Israel bombs the Iranian embassy in Syria. In return, Iran bombs two abandoned military airfields in Israel. Suddenly, the entire EU turns against Iran, and they renounce all human rights. Nonsense,” stated Marcel de Graaff.
He emphasized that while the European Union values freedom, democracy, and prosperity, it applies discrimination, censorship, and demonizes opposition.
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The European Parliament Has Supported a Ban on Single-Use Plastic Packaging
The European Parliament has approved a law banning certain types of single-use plastic packaging from 2030, such as mini shampoo bottles in hotels or thin plastic bags for products, Reuters reports.
It is noted that the ban includes plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables used in cafes and restaurants, as well as sachets for spices, sauces, creams, and sugar. The ban also applies to miniature toiletry packaging, such as hotel shampoo or soap bottles, and thin polyethylene bags for shopping. According to the law, these types of packaging will be banned from 2030.
Countries will also be required to ensure the collection of at least 90% of single-use plastic bottles and cans annually, starting from 2029.
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The U.S. Has Approved the Sale of Missiles to Poland Worth Over $1.2 Billion
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of Extended Range Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM-ER) to Poland. This was reported by the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
The total value of the deal, which includes the missiles themselves, as well as associated logistics and program support, is $1.275 billion.
“The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has provided the necessary certification, notifying Congress of this potential sale,” the statement said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Top Study: Carbon Emissions Cannot Cause ‘Global Warming’
A bombshell new peer-reviewed study has provided conclusive scientific evidence proving that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Earth’s atmosphere cannot cause “global warming.”
Dr. Jan Kubicki led a group of world-renowned Polish scientists to study the impact of increases in CO2 emissions on the Earth’s global temperatures.
However, not only did they find that higher levels of CO2 made no difference, but they also proved that it simply isn’t possible for increases in carbon dioxide to cause temperatures to rise.
Kubicki and his team recently published three papers which all conclude that Earth’s atmosphere is already “saturated” with carbon dioxide.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Polling Guru Expects New Brexit Referendum by 2040
LONDON — Here we go again.
Top political scientist John Curtice predicted another referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU could take place in the next 16 years.
“I think the 2016 referendum is going to be as unsuccessful as the 1975 one,” Curtice told the U.K. in a Changing Europe research organization Wednesday night, in reference to the vote that took Britain into the then-European Communities in the first place.
The timescale of another referendum “depends very much on uncertain politics,” he said. But he added: “I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens before 2040.”
Curtice — professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde and a well-respected pollster in Westminster — argued that another referendum could not be ruled out because of the way different age groups voted back in 2016.
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Von Der Leyen Set to Give Make-or-Break Speech as Criticism Grows
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is to defend her record in office with a make-or-break speech in Maastricht, amid a growing chorus of criticism.
Reversing an earlier decision not to attend, the embattled EC leader will on April 29 join a debate with the lead candidates (or Spitzenkandidaten) of seven other Europe-wide political groups, each of whom would dearly like to take her job after the European Parliament elections in June.
“I look forward to discussing some key issues for young voters,” wrote von der Leyen in what was only her 27th post on the X account devoted to what appears her somewhat unenthusiastic re-election campaign.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The teacher who bravely restrained a teenage girl after she allegedly stabbed three people in a playground rampage ‘doesn’t see himself as a hero’.
Darrel Campbell was said to be ‘embarrassed by all the attention’ after he was praised for his quick-thinking actions at Amman Valley secondary school in south west Wales on Wednesday morning.
Earlier on Thursday prosecutors confirmed a 13-year-old girl had been charged with three counts of attempted murder following the incident, which plunged the school into lockdown as a ‘red alert’ sounded over its PA system.
Mr Campbell is said to have overpowered the alleged attacker and put her in an armlock. But his brother Cefin Campbell, Senedd member for Mid and West Wales, said the long-serving teacher ‘acted instinctively’.
Dyfed-Powys Police said two female teachers and a schoolgirl injured in the attack had been discharged from hospital.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
WHO Report Highlights High Alcohol Consumption Among English Youth
A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed alarming rates of alcohol consumption among young people in England. The study, which surveyed over 4,500 school-age children across Europe, Central Asia, and Canada, found that England tops the list of 44 countries for underage drinking, as reported by BBC.
Key findings from the report include:
A third of 11-year-olds and over half of 13-year-olds in England have consumed alcohol.
Girls are more likely than boys to drink and get drunk by age 15 in England, Wales, and Scotland.
By age 13, 12% of girls and 9% of boys in England had been drunk at least twice.
By age 15, these figures increased to a third of girls and a quarter of boys.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israel’s Head of Military Intelligence Quits Over October 7 Failures
The head of Israel’s military intelligence service Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva has resigned from his position in response to the terror attacks on the Jewish state last year.
Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva wrote a remorseful letter to announce his resignation.
In the letter, Haliva took responsibility for not stopping the deadliest attack in Israel’s history on October 7.
The unexpected assault, by Hamas terrorists, killed over 1,200 Israelis and resulted in over 250 being taken captive.
Over 100 Israeli hostages are still being held hostage in Gaza months later as a brutal war grinds on between Israel and Hamas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
I Kant Even: German Chancellor Triggered After Putin Quotes Legendary Philosopher
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is quite upset, after Vladimir Putin quoted German philosopher Immanuel Kant — who the Russian president called “one of the greatest thinkers of both his time and ours,” and said that the philosopher’s call “to live by one’s own wits” is relevant today.
“A country must live by its own wits… This does not mean that we do not care about the interests of others… but we will never allow Russia’s interests to be neglected. In some countries, among our neighbors, this thesis has been forgotten. Many live by someone else’s wits. This will not bring them any good,” Putin told a group of college students in Kaliningrad — where Kant was born in 1724 (previously known as Königsberg, which belonged to the Kingdom of Prussia before becoming part of the Russian empire).
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Kyiv Says Passports to be Issued Exclusively in Ukraine for Military-Age Men
The Ukrainian government, further tightening regulations on mobilisation, has approved rules under which passports for military-age men can be issued only inside the country.
The provisions were announced on April 24, a day after Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba suspended consular services for military-age males until May 18 and criticised those abroad for failing to serve in the 26-month-old war against Russia.
The latest government decision stipulated that passports for foreign travel for men aged 18 to 60 could only be issued inside Ukraine.
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Russia, US Clash at UN Over Nuclear Weapons in Space
UNITED NATIONS, April 24 (Reuters) — Russia on Wednesday vetoed a U.S.-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution that called on countries to prevent an arms race in outer space, a move that prompted the United States to question if Moscow was hiding something.
The vote came after Washington accused Moscow of developing a anti-satellite nuclear weapon to put in space, an allegation that Russia has denied. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow was against putting nuclear weapons in space.
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Ukraine Has Lost Almost Half a Million Troops — Moscow
by RT
Ukrainian military losses since February 2022 have reached almost 500,000, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu claimed on Tuesday.
Russian forces have the initiative on the front line and are pushing back their opponents, Shoigu told a ministerial meeting. The pressure prevents Kiev’s troops from holding on to their defensive positions, he added.
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Excess Deaths in Japan Hit 115,000 Following 3rd COVID Shot; New Study Explains Why
Authored by Joe Wang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A new study on harms resulting from the COVID vaccine was published on April 8 in the U.S.-based peer-reviewed medical science journal Cureus. It represents the largest study to date on adverse effects of the COVID vaccine, and the results are shocking, to put it mildly.
In the study, titled “Increased Age-Adjusted Cancer Mortality After the Third mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccine Dose During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan,” five Japanese scientists used an entire dataset of the country’s 123 million population (Japan has the highest vaccination rate in the world) to study excess cancer mortalities coinciding with mass COVID vaccination.
The authors also provide a sound explanation as to why these deaths occurred after the mRNA injection.
As a former vaccine researcher, I read the Cureus article with great interest. My fellow Epoch Times columnist, Megan Redshaw, has written an excellent article on this study. Here, I would like to highlight some points that I think are worth reiterating.
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Rumble Defies Global Censorship Trends, Takes Stand Against New Zealand’s Free Speech Crackdown
The CEO of Rumble, a free-speech YouTube competitor, says that global censorship levels are on the rise, but that what’s particularly noticeable are censorship demands coming from Australia and New Zealand — who seem to be following in the controversial, to say the least, footsteps of France and Brazil.
On the one hand, this is surprising, given these countries’ formal democratic provenance.
On the other hand, their actions over the last years, including site blocking at ISP level, constant demands for more stringent regulation to facilitate social media content removal, and even the draconian Covid — and post-Covid era measures, tell a different story.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Admin Spent Border Wall Funds on Climate Agenda, Watchdog Reveals
Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration has blown through the taxpayer funds allocated for border wall construction by spending the money on globalist “climate change” initiatives.
According to a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Biden admin spent the tax dollars on “environmental planning.”
The GAO investigated whether Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) broke the law when it effectively blocked the use of taxpayer dollars to build a wall along the Southern Border.
The watchdog group launched the probe at the request of Republican Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Jodey Arrington (R-TX).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s ICE Sued for Withholding Information on Hiding Identities of Criminal Illegal Aliens
The Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) is suing President Joe Biden’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for withholding internal agency information regarding its policy to hide the identities of criminal illegal aliens that agents arrest.
On Thursday, IRLI’s Dale Wilcox announced that the watchdog group is suing ICE after the agency failed to reply to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Auditors Target €6 Billion Turkey Migration Deal With Bloc
The European Union’s auditors say it is impossible to identify exactly what the bloc achieved with its €6 billion migrant deal with Turkey.
In the 2016 agreement, the EU gave money to Turkey to help settle 4 million refugees from Syria. In return, Turkey agreed to take back migrants who had crossed into the EU.
The European Commission failed to give Turkey enough guidance for how it should use and document the €6 billion, said Cristina Vanberghen, a senior EC expert who has worked in Ankara.
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Ex-Frontex Head Rejects NGO-Backed ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ Allegations
The former head of EU border agency Frontex has rejected claims that he was complicit in so-called “crimes against humanity” during his tenure.
Fabrice Leggeri, who now serves as a candidate of Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN) party, told Brussels Signal that such charges were an attempt by pro-migrant NGOs to “intimidate” him, as well as others in charge of border control efforts.
“The NGOs that are in favour of all migrants being allowed to come never accepted that I was complying with the Frontex mandate,” he explains, adding that he was being attacked for having done his job.
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A gang-affiliated migrant mom accused of shipping high-powered guns to Colombia by hiding them in speakers and air conditioners walked free after posting bond, according to sources and court records.
Ingrid Vanessa Duque-Morales, 33 — who has ties to the El Mesa Y Pachelly transnational criminal organization — was arrested on an indictment at her daughter’s home on 191st Street near Northern Boulevard in Flushing Tuesday, law enforcement sources said.
But she was able to post bond and walked out of jail days after her arrest, despite officials looking to have her deported due to her illegal immigration status.
Duque-Morales is accused of taking part in the gun-smuggling activity from Oct. 14 to Nov. 11, 2020, using a Miami freight forwarder to ship them to the South American country, according to a court document filed in the Southern District of Florida.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Liberals Join Growing Chorus Endorsing ‘Rwanda-Style’ Asylum Procedures
The German Liberal Party (FDP) is promoting the idea of treating asylum applications in third countries outside Europe.
FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr told daily regional newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine: “I think it would be right for us to think about carrying out asylum procedures in third countries outside Europe.
“With a judicial solid regulation, we could create clarity about the protection status and prevent people with no prospect of staying [from taking] the dangerous route across the Mediterranean,” he said.
The FDP is promoting the toughening-up of asylum procedures ahead of its party congress over the weekend of April 27.
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Mexican Gangbanger Arrested 25 Times for Illegally Entering US
A known gangbanger from Mexico who has been caught illegally entering the United States dozens of times under a variety of aliases was apprehended yet again this week, authorities say.
On Monday, the man was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) in South Texas for the 25th time on record.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mexican Illegal Immigrant Charged With Sexual Assault of Minor Girls During Michigan Home Invasion
A 25-year-old illegal immigrant has been hit with a slew of charges after allegedly breaking into a Michigan home and sexually assaulting two girls last month.
Miguel Hernandez-Ruiz, a Mexican national, was charged with first-degree home invasion and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under the age of 13.
According to WoodTV, the incident took place on March 20 at the Sweet Lake Manufactured Housing and Camping Resort Community just outside Sturgis, a town 45 miles south of Kalamazoo.
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More Than Half of Americans Support Mass Deportations of Illegal Migrants: Poll
More than half of Americans — including a hefty 42% of Democrats — back mass deportations of illegal immigrants as President Biden’s border crisis rages on, a new poll shows.
Fifty-one percent of those polled said they would support booting the undocumented immigrants, according to the Axios Vibes survey by the Harris Poll released Thursday.
In addition, a large number — 30% of Democrats and 46% of Republicans — signaled support for ending birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Republican Senators Probe Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub After Post Report on Migrant Workers
Three Republican US senators have a special order for Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub.
Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana and Ted Budd of North Carolina blasted out letters to each of the food ordering platforms Thursday demanding to know what steps they are taking to prevent illegal immigrants from unlawfully working for them.
This past September, The Post reported that newly arrived migrants to New York are paying current delivery workers to piggyback on their accounts and immediately snag gigs using the companies’ respective apps, despite a lack of vetting and federal law requiring them to wait 180 days for a work permit.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sharp Increase in Asylum Seekers Arriving in the Netherlands, CBS Reports
The number of asylum seekers arriving in the Netherlands in the first quarter was significantly higher than last year, with 12,055 people, representing an increase of about 36 percent, as reported by nu.nl.
Both the number of asylum applications and the number of family members joining asylum seekers have risen, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) based on data from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND).
During the same period, 8,965 asylum applications were submitted, marking a 29 percent increase compared to last year. A notable number of these applications (about a third) came from people from Syria, representing an 86 percent increase from the previous year. Iraq followed with 1,190 applications, almost 5.5 times as many as the year before. Other countries with significant numbers of applications included Turkey and Yemen.
The majority of applicants were men under 35, with a quarter being minors.
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Canadian Government to Give $110 Million+ to the ‘2SLGBTQI+’
The British Possession of Canada shook up the LGBTQIAA2PS+ acronym with the release of the 2024 Canadian Budget which allocated CA$150 million ($110 million) to promote the homosexual agenda by expanding equity groups such as the ‘2SLGBTQI+’.
In the Key Ongoing Actions section of the document on page 229, the Canadian government is apparently building a gayer future, which is also inclusive of the 2SLGBTQI+ people.
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Gov. DeSantis Tells President Biden Florida ‘Will Not Comply’ With New Title IX Changes
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Governor Ron DeSantis says Florida “will not comply” with President Joe Biden’s Title IX changes.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the law would protect “LGBTQI+ students by clarifying that Title IX’s protections against discrimination based on sex apply to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
In the 37-second video DeSantis uploaded to X, formerly known as Twitter, the governor mentions he will not follow the Biden administration’s new regulations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Lewd’ Drag Queen Performance at New Mexico High School Senior Prom Has Parents Outraged
Parents were left fuming last week when a scantily-clad drag queen performed at a New Mexico high school senior prom.
A viral video from Atrisco Heritage Academy High School’s senior prom showed the drag artist — identified by local outlets as Mythica Sahreen — dancing as dozens of teenagers watched on.
Some girls even joined in on the fun and danced with Sahreen, who wore a bodysuit and thigh-high boots and padded pantyhose to give the illusion of larger hips.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
First-year medical students are required to learn that weight has little to do with health, according to a new report.
The Washington Free Beacon obtained a syllabus from the “Structural Racism and Health Equity” course at The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The document includes required reading lists to prepare for classes regarding topics like “The Sickness of Policing & Incarceration,” “Anti-Settler Colonialism/Indigenous Health” and “Environmental Racism & Justice.”
Among the materials for the “Disability Justice” session include an article by Marquisele Mercedes, titled “No Health, No Care: The Big Fat Loophole in the Hippocratic Oath,” which says “fatphobia is medicine’s status quo.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Massachusetts school officials responded to a transgender student’s “hit list” by creating an LGBTQ affinity group and conducting anti-bias training.
The hit list included the names of 40 students and staff members at Watertown Middle School near Boston.
Instead of taking disciplinary action against the trans-identified student for creating the threat, school officials called for “empathy for the creator” of the list, according to internal emails obtained through a public records request, the Daily Mail reports.
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