A New York jury on found Donald Trump guilty today on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, stemming from his payment of “hush money” to the former porn star Stormy Daniels. Mr. Trump may be sentenced to up to four years in prison on each count, but it’s possible that the sentences will be imposed concurrently, rather than consecutively.
In other news, yesterday a Pakistani immigrant attempted to run down Orthodox Jewish students and a rabbi outside a Brooklyn yeshiva while yelling “I’m gonna kill all the Jews.”
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, Insubria, JW, MM, Reader from Chicago, Red Mike, Vlad Tepes, WRSA, 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.
Canadians Struggling With Paying Minimum Amount on Credit Bills
More and more Canadians are only paying the minimum amount due on their monthly credit card bill in response to the increasing cost-of-living crisis, according to a new report.
A TransUnion report published on Tuesday revealed that many Canadians are facing ever-increasing interest rates as they can only afford to make their minimum monthly credit card payments.
The report found that the number of Canadians in that situation rose by eight basis points, to 1.3% in the first quarter, compared to that of last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada: Poilievre Calls Out Trudeau for Admitting Government Spending Causes Inflation
Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre called out Prime Minister Justin Trudeauduring Wednesday’s question period for admitting that his government spending is causing inflation.
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has had a revelation,” Poilievre told MPs in the House of Commons.
“In an interview with the Halifax Chronicle Herald, he told how he responded to people asking for him to spend even more government money. And he said, and I quote, ‘As soon as you do that inflation goes up by exactly the same amount. Right?’“
“Right!” declared Poilievre.
“Why do you think spending money you don’t have actually causes inflation? In the middle of having epiphanies, has he also realized that budgets don’t balance themselves?” Poilievre asked.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finland to Raise General VAT Rate to 25.5% in September
Finland’s Ministry of Finance has confirmed that the general Value Added Tax (VAT) rate will increase to 25.5 percent starting from September 1, YLE News reports.
The decision follows the government’s announcement last month during budget framework discussions led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP). The administration views this VAT hike as a crucial measure to achieve approximately nine billion euros in spending cuts and tax increases over its term. It anticipates generating over one billion euros in additional revenue annually.
However, the move has faced criticism, particularly for its potentially adverse impact on lower-income individuals, as highlighted in a report by Statistics Finland. Although the intention to raise VAT was announced in April, the specific implementation date was only confirmed recently by the finance ministry.
Despite the general VAT increase, the government plans to maintain the 14 percent rate for other food products and restaurant meals, as well as the 10 percent rate for medicine, accommodation, books, and cultural events.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Jobless Claims Inch Up Amid Persistent Low Layoff Rates
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits increased slightly last week, but layoffs remain historically low despite ongoing inflation and high interest rates.
For the week ending May 25, jobless claims rose by 3,000 to 219,000 from 216,000 the previous week, according to the Labor Department’s report on Thursday. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, also saw a modest rise to 222,500, an increase of 2,500 from the prior week.
Weekly unemployment claims are seen as an indicator of layoffs and a predictor of labor market trends. They have stayed at historically low levels since the massive job losses during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020.
In response to a four-decade high inflation that surged post-pandemic, the Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark borrowing rate 11 times since March 2022. This series of hikes aimed to cool a hot labor market and curb wage growth, which can contribute to inflation.
While many economists anticipated these rapid rate hikes would lead to a recession, it has been averted so far due to robust consumer demand and a stronger-than-expected labor market. In April, U.S. employers added 175,000 jobs, the fewest in six months, signaling a potential cooling of the labor market. The unemployment rate slightly increased to 3.9% from 3.8%, maintaining a streak of being below 4% for 27 consecutive months, the longest since the 1960s.
Additionally, the government reported 8.5 million job openings in March, marking the lowest number of vacancies in three years.
A moderation in hiring pace and wage growth slowdown could provide the Federal Reserve with the necessary data to consider lowering interest rates. A cooler reading on consumer inflation in April may also influence the Fed’s next rate decision.
Despite low overall layoff levels, there has been an uptick in announced job cuts, particularly in the technology and media sectors. Companies such as Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Apple, and eBay have recently announced layoffs. Outside of these sectors, companies like Walmart, Peloton, Stellantis, Nike, and Tesla have also announced job reductions.
As of the week ending May 18, 1.79 million Americans were collecting jobless benefits, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“There Have Not Been Any Discussions”: Musk Denies Report of Trump Admin Advisory Role
Update (1400ET): Musk denied today’s report that he’s been in discussions about a possible advisory role in a future Trump administration.
“There have not been any discussions of a role for me in a potential Trump Presidency,” Musk posted on X in response to user Herbert Ong, who posted a CNBC segment discussing the report.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boeing Faces Deadline to Address Aircraft Safety and Quality Issues
Boeing is set to present a plan to federal regulators on Thursday, outlining how it intends to resolve the safety and quality problems that have troubled its aircraft manufacturing in recent years.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated the company to devise a turnaround plan after a fuselage panel blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight on a Boeing 737 Max 9 in January. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. Accident investigators discovered that the bolts securing the panel to the frame were missing before it detached midair, further tarnishing Boeing’s reputation and prompting multiple civil and criminal investigations.
Whistleblowers have accused Boeing of endangering passengers by taking shortcuts, an allegation the company denies. An FAA-convened panel identified deficiencies in the aircraft maker’s safety culture.
In late February, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker gave Boeing a 90-day deadline to create a plan addressing quality improvements and safety concerns. Whitaker emphasized that the plan is just the beginning of a long process to restore Boeing’s standards. “It’s going to be a long road to get Boeing back to where they need to be, making safe airplanes,” he told ABC News last week.
The FAA has limited Boeing’s production of the 737 Max, its best-selling plane, though analysts believe actual production numbers have fallen below the FAA cap.
Boeing’s ongoing issues could lead to criminal prosecution linked to the fatal crashes of two Max jetliners in 2018 and 2019. The Justice Department recently stated that Boeing violated the terms of a 2021 settlement that allowed it to avoid fraud prosecution. This charge stemmed from allegations that Boeing misled regulators about a flight-control system implicated in the crashes.
While most recent problems have centered on the Max, Boeing and key supplier Spirit AeroSystems have also faced manufacturing flaws with the 787 Dreamliner. Additionally, Boeing has encountered setbacks with other projects, including its Starliner space capsule, a military refueling tanker, and the new Air Force One jets.
Boeing officials are committed to regaining the trust of regulators and the flying public. The company has lagged behind rival Airbus, and production delays have impacted its financial performance. Boeing asserts it is reducing “traveled work”—assembly tasks completed out of sequence—and closely monitoring Spirit AeroSystems to ensure quality control.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boston on the Brink as Millennial Mayor Pushes Decriminalization
Boston’s 39-year-old Mayor, Michelle Wu, wants to follow in the footsteps of San Francisco, Philadelphia, Seattle, Denver, New York, and other liberal strongholds — where property crimes, including grand larceny and motor vehicle theft, have seen a sharp increase in recent years.
As the Daily Mail reports, Wu wants to make crimes including shoplifting and disorderly conduct off-limits to prosecution. She also wants to include certain categories of breaking and entering, wanton and malicious property destruction, larceny under $250, and trespassing as non-prosecutable crimes. She did toss in drug possession — which is fine as long as crimes like disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace are enforced.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese National Arrested for Allegedly Operating “World’s Largest Botnet”
Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times
A Chinese national has been arrested for allegedly running a botnet of 19 million infected IP addresses in nearly 200 countries, amassing at least $99 million by leasing his network to criminals for cybercrimes including COVID-19 pandemic relief scams.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wang Yunhe, 35, offered customers to use his network of compromised IP addresses for a fee from 2014 until July 2022, according to a press release issued on May 29. The service, named “911 S5,” allowed cybercriminals to conceal their digital footprint when engaging in nefarious online activities.
Those offenses included financial crimes, stalking, transmitting bomb threats and threats of harm, illegal exportation of goods, and receiving and sending child exploitation materials.
Criminals are also alleged to have used the botnet service to bypass financial fraud detection systems in the United States and elsewhere, and stolen billions of dollars from financial institutions, credit card issuers, and federal lending programs, according to an indictment. About 560,529 fraudulent claims came from “IP addresses exploited and trafficked” by Mr. Wang’s botnet, leading to more than $5.9 billion in losses.
The network was “likely the world’s largest botnet ever,” the DOJ said, quoting FBI Director Christopher Wray.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Court Finds Error in Jan. 6 Case, But Obama Judge Rules Against Convict
Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A federal judge wrongly stopped a Jan. 6, 2021, defendant from striking a potential juror who admitted he could not view the defendant as presumptively innocent, a U.S. appeals court has found.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta [an Obama appointee] denied a request from lawyers for Thomas Webster, who was later convicted on multiple counts, to strike a potential juror known as 1156 who had expressed support for President Joe Biden and said that support would put Mr. Webster at a disadvantage.
The potential juror also said he did not see the trial as “a 0-0 game to start” and, when asked by the judge if he could honor the presumption of innocence, said, “I honestly don’t think so.”
“The district court should have struck at least potential juror 1156 for cause,” U.S. Circuit Judge Patricia Millett, writing for a unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, said in the May 28 ruling.
“A district court should never allow a juror to sit after he admits he cannot presume the defendant innocent. Full stop,” Judge Millett added later.
Lawyers for Mr. Webster said in a brief to the circuit court that while the potential juror did not end up being part of the jury, the man should have been struck by Judge Mehta. They also highlighted how the judge did not strike another prospective juror, who said that she was “more aligned” with government attorneys than Mr. Webster’s lawyers. They also raised concerns about how the judge then instructed counsel not to question subsequent jurors as to whether their views gave the defendant a disadvantage.
“The court’s further instruction to counsel put a chilling effect on the afternoon session of voir dire,” the lawyers said. “Counsel was limited from using words that jurors may understand better than the legal jargon of presumption of innocence to get at real concerns of bias.”
The appeal said Judge Mehta also should have granted a motion to change venue given results from a survey of Washington residents, that the judge committed an error when providing instructions to the jury, and that his approval of a sentencing enhancement for wearing body armor should be overturned.
After explaining how Judge Mehta wrongly did not strike potential juror 1156, the circuit court panel denied the entire appeal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
COVID-19 Vaccine Litigation Against Mayo Clinic Revived by Federal Court
Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A lawsuit against the Mayo Clinic must move forward, a federal court has ruled, reviving the suit after it was thrown out in 2023.
The five fired workers who sued the Minnesota-based health nonprofit have all plausibly pleaded that their religious beliefs conflict with the clinic’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled on May 24.
The workers in multiple suits, which have since been consolidated, argued that the Mayo Clinic illegally failed to accommodate their religious beliefs, violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Three of the workers applied for religious exemptions to the nonprofit’s mandate and were denied; the two others saw their applications accepted but protested against the requirement that they had to test for COVID-19 weekly.
U.S. District Judge John Tunheim in 2023 tossed the suit, finding that some of the plaintiffs did not prove that they hold religious beliefs in opposition to the mandate or show how the testing requirement conflicts with their beliefs.
The Eighth Circuit’s new ruling is that the judge’s findings were erroneous.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump Found Guilty in Historic New York Hush Money Case
A New York jury on Thursday found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records — the first time a former U.S. president has been convicted of a crime.
The jury reached its verdict in the historic case after 9.5 hours of deliberations, which began Wednesday.
He’ll be sentenced on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention. He faces penalties ranging from a fine to four years in prison on each count, although it’s expected he would be sentenced for the offenses concurrently, and not consecutively.
“This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” he fumed to reporters afterward.
| — Hat tip: WRSA | [Return to headlines] |
Lawsuit Seeks End to ‘Lawless’ Noncitizen Voting in Pennsylvania
Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
The conservative advocacy group America First Legal (AFL) filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of State, seeking to end a directive that allows noncitizens to vote in state and federal elections.
The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 requires that an individual applying to vote must mention a current and valid driver’s license and the last four digits of their Social Security number on the voter application form.
HAVA mandates that local election officials confirm the numbers are valid and current by using available databases.
“However, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania maintains a voter registration system that blatantly violates this federal law,” the May 21 complaint alleges.
HAVA prohibits a state from accepting or processing a voter application registration that does not fulfill its identity proof provisions.
In 2018, the Secretary of the Commonwealth issued a “HAVA Matching Directive” which states that a voter registration application “may not be rejected” solely based on the fact that an applicant’s driver’s license and Social Security number do not match any database.
Under the directive, the Secretary of the Commonwealth asked “all 67 county boards of election to ignore HAVA’s verification mandate and to register any applicant” to vote even if the individual does not fulfill identification requirements.
“This lawless directive does not just violate federal law; it creates a regime where an untold number of ineligible voters, including non-citizens, can register to vote in all state and federal elections in the Commonwealth,” the lawsuit said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
MAGA Firebrands, Veepstakes Contenders Torch Guilty Verdict in Trump Case
MAGA Republcians and allies of former President Donald Trump slammed the jury’s verdict in his New York business records trial on Thursday, which found him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Donald Trump Jr. led the charge in a post on Twitter moments after the verdict came down.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A maniac tried to mow down Orthodox students and a rabbi outside a Brooklyn Jewish school Wednesday while allegedly yelling “I’m gonna kill all the Jews” in a shocking antisemitic attack, sources told The Post.
Video footage supplied by the Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol shows the crazed driver revving his engine and mounting the curb as he swerved toward Orthodox Jews milling around a yeshiva in Canarsie at about 11:25 a.m.
Police and sources identified the alleged attacker as 58-year-old Asghar Ali, a Pakistani immigrant livery cab driver with a history of mental illness.
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the case, and detectives were interviewing the driver Wednesday night.
The Brooklyn man faces more than a dozen charges including attempted murder, attempted assault and hate crimes charges.
Cops do not believe the attack is terror-related and on Wednesday night did not have evidence he was tied to radical groups online, according to sources.
[…]
The driver was taken into custody and was transferred to Coney Island Hospital, sources said.
The suspect, originally from Pakistan and who has lived in the US for more than two decades, is considered an “emotionally disturbed” person, law enforcement sources said.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Michigan Man With Suspended License Attends Virtual Court While Driving
A Michigan man who had been busted for driving with a suspended license shocked the judge overseeing his case when he appeared in court via Zoom from behind the wheel of his car. The defendant, 44-year-old Corey Harris, calmly parked the vehicle as Judge J. Cedric Simpson, looked on in disbelief. The strange series of events took place on May 15, and footage has since gone viral on social media.
“Mr. Harris, are you driving?” Judge Simpson asked.
“Actually, I’m pulling into my doctor’s office,” Harris replied.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Louisiana Law Makes it Illegal to Approach a Police Officer Engaged in Executing Their Duties
A new law in Louisiana makes it illegal to approach a police officer within 25 feet in certain situations, ostensibly the state’s way of keeping officers executing their duties free from swarms of woke camera-wielding liberals offering up their scholarly legal takes in the midst of official business.
Critics argue that the new law, criminalizing approaching a police officer within 25 feet under certain conditions could restrict the public’s ability to film police, a key method for ensuring accountability.
The law, which takes effect on August 1, imposes penalties of up to $500 and/or 60 days in jail for those convicted of knowingly or intentionally nearing an officer after being told to stop. Although the law does not explicitly mention filming, opponents contend it could interfere with observational rights and potentially violate First Amendment freedoms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Trump Ad Slams Democrats Over Lawfare
A new ad was released by the Trump campaign on Thursday, taking aim at the multiple cases that have been filed both at the state and federal level. The advertisement came out ahead of Trump being found guilty on all 34 counts brought against him in the NYC trial.
The ad opens with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announcing the arraignment of Donald Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. It then cuts to various pundits and experts across the political spectrum calling out the case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NRA Triumphs in Free Speech Battle With Former NY Regulator
The Supreme Court has paved the way for the National Rifle Association (NRA) to pursue a lawsuit against a former New York state official, asserting that their free-speech rights were infringed upon.
The NRA’s lawsuit claims that following the tragic Parkland, Florida school shooting in 2018, which resulted in 17 deaths, Vullo coerced banks and insurance companies into severing ties with the NRA, raising First Amendment concerns.
We obtained a copy of the opinion for you here.
Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the NRA contends that Vullo’s actions amounted to an unconstitutional suppression of their free speech. The NCLA also filed an amicus curiae brief in this case.
The court ruled 9-0.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Democrats Want to ‘Beat Trump in the Courtroom’, Not the Ballot Box
Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. decried the “Guilty” verdict against former President Donald Trump on Thursday, saying the Democrats want to beat him in court rather than at the ballot box.
“The Democratic Party’s strategy is to beat President Trump in the courtroom rather than the ballot box. This will backfire in November. Even worse, it is profoundly undemocratic,” the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy said on X.
“America deserves a President who can win at the ballot box without compromising our government’s separation of powers or weaponizing the courts. You can’t save democracy by destroying it first,” he continued. “The Democrats are afraid they will lose in the voting booth, so instead they go after President Trump in the courtroom.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle Squatters Smug as County Swamped With ‘Enormous Backlog’ of Eviction Cases
Washington’s King County, which includes Seattle, is drowning in a significant backlog of eviction cases, leaving thousands of landlords and tenants in limbo for more than six months in some cases.
Prior to the pandemic, evictions took 6-7 weeks if a tenant needed the boot. Now, an “unlawful detainer” eviction case in Seattle or surrounding areas won’t be heard until 2025.
“There’s a pretty enormous backlog,” said Edmund Witter from the King County Bar’s Pro Bono Services, Fox13 reports. “If you’re a landlord trying to evict someone, it could take months to get a hearing date. That’s the big issue.”
According to King County Councilman Regan Dunn, the last year has been particularly bad — with an estimated 2,200 to 6,500 unresolved cases, and roughly 600 new eviction requests each month.
“Why we’re seeing a lot of evictions right now is that there was a decent safety net over the last couple of years due to COVID,” said Witter — who added that his office is overloaded and has a list of 1,500 renters who need representation.
“We see tenants with $2,000 to $3,000 rent increases,” Witter said. “The cost of living is too high, and people cannot afford housing. They’re getting crushed underneath it, and that’s why we’re seeing record numbers of evictions.”
Meanwhile, judges told Fox13 that the expiration of pandemic-era eviction moratoriums and the depletion of federal aid created a perfect storm.
According to Councilman Dunn, people are exploiting the situation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Shares of Truth Social Owner Trump Media Tumble After Ex-President Found Guilty in NYC
Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, the owner of social networking site Truth Social, slumped Thursday after former President Donald Trump was convicted in his hush money trial.
A New York jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex.
Trump Media’s stock was down about 9% in after-hours trading Thursday as news of the verdict emerged.
The stock, which trades under the ticket symbol “DJT,” has been extraordinarily volatile since its debut in late March, joining the group of meme stocks that are prone to ricochet from highs to lows as small-pocketed investors attempt to catch an upward momentum swing at the right time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Top Expert Warns Vaxxed Will Keep Dying Up to 15 Years After COVID Shots
One of the world’s leading cardiologists has issued a bone-chilling warning to the public that the Covid-vaccinated will remain at risk of dying for up to 15 years after they received their last Covid mRNA shot.
The acclaimed American doctor raised the alarm over long-term deaths of the vaxxed during a newinterview with Real America’s Voice.
McCullough is calling on governments to recognize the necessity for long-term follow-up examinations and studies of those vaccinated with the mRNA injections.
He warns that the vaccinated are at an extremely great risk of dying unexpectedly due to the gene-therapy nature of the injections.
McCullough was referencing a bombshell new report published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).
The document acknowledges that gene therapy products may very well cause side effects long after they have been administered.
According to new scientific evidence, people could experience major health implications or death between 5 and 15 years after receiving an mRNA injection.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Campaign Donation Page Crashes, Secures $800K Contribution After ‘Hush Money’ Guilty Verdict
Former President Donald Trump’s fundraising website crashed and one of his campaign committees reportedly secured an $800,000 donation Thursday shortly after a Manhattan jury found him guilty of concealing business records to hide evidence of hush money payments.
“So many Americans were moved to donate to President Trump’s campaign that the WinRed pages went down,” the Trump campaign wrote on X less than an hour after the presumptive GOP nominee for president was convicted on 34 felony counts.
Trump adviser Chris LaCivita attributed the outage at WinRed, the official Republican Party donation platform, to “millions of American Patriots wanting to donate to Donald Trump’s campaign.”
The website was back online about half an hour after it went down.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Leads Biden 54% to 42% Among Independent Voters Nationwide: NPR/PBS/Marist Poll
A new poll out on Thursday has revealed that Donald Trump has a commanding lead over Joe Biden among independent voters nationwide in a head-to-head matchup. Trump noted the new polling results on Thursday morning outside the courthouse, saying “that’s the best we’ve ever had.”
The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found that 54 percent of independent voters said they would cast their ballot for Trump, while 42 percent said they would vote for Biden.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Following Donald Trump being found guilty on all 34 counts brought forth by DA Alvin Bragg, Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, which is one of the largest venture capital firms in the country, revealed that he donated $300,000 to Trump’s campaign, saying “the timing isn’t a coincidence.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NEW YORK — Video shows a driver jump a curb and allegedly attempt to hit pedestrians on the grounds of a Brooklyn yeshiva Wednesday morning.
Police say the driver, 58-year-old Ali Asghar, made antisemitic statements before driving his white Ford Crown Victoria toward pedestrians standing by the yeshiva on Glenwood Road in East Flatbush.
“Somebody came in, running in that a car came onto the sidewalk and almost killed him, almost knocked him down. The guy fell, tripped while running,” a student told CBS New York.
A teacher frantically ran inside the school and told people to call 911 as students were getting ready for class. Students said the driver turned around and went by a second time.
“I went around the corner and we stood there, about 15 boys, and he came zooming against the boys and we all ran away,” the student said.
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Trump Responds After NY Guilty Verdict
Update (1710ET): Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts in his New York ‘hush money’ trial. The outcome makes him the first former president to become a convicted felon.
Trump reportedly stared ahead motionless as the verdict was read.
he trial centered on allegations that Trump falsified business records in order to conceal a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 US election. Prosecutors under Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg argued that Trump oversaw a scheme to influence the 2016 election by using Trump Organization records to conceal the payments.
“Everything Mr. Trump and his cohorts did in this case is cloaked in lies,” said prosecutor Joshua Steinglass. “The evidence is literally overwhelming.”
Trump Responds
“This is a rigged, disgraceful trial,” Trump said in response, adding “The real verdict will be on November 5.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: NYU Grads Go Into Debt for These Worthless Degrees
You’re about to meet a group of New York University graduates with fresh degrees, likely burdened with a few hundred thousand dollars in debt unless their elite liberal parents footed the bill. Many companies are increasingly viewing woke degrees as liabilities rather than assets.
If these graduates are lucky—and don’t end up as Starbucks baristas—they will have a bright and colorful future at some woke mega-corporation. There, they will be placed in non-productive managerial roles to advance destructive ESG and DEI movements.
It all starts at NYU classrooms indoctrination camps, where the kids are being uploaded the woke mind virus by activist professors. These kids are being brainwashed into not improving society but, in fact, being managers to spread wokesim to dismantle Western society.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Another Canadian Jewish School Hit by Gunfire
Another Canadian Jewish school has been targeted by gunfire, this time in Montreal.
The Jewish Community Council of Montreal said Wednesday that the Belz school at the Young Israel of Montreal synagogue was attacked with gunshots overnight. There were no reported injuries.
It follows a shooting early Saturday when two men opened fire on a Jewish girls school in suburban Toronto, part of an outburst of antisemitic violence in Canada to draw condemnation from political and Jewish leaders.
| — Hat tip: Red Mike | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-Israel Protesters to End Encampment as UQAM Meets Most Demands
Protesters who erected a pro-Palestinian encampment at the Université du Québec à Montréal say they will leave the grounds now that the university has adopted a resolution meeting most of their demands.
At a news conference outside the encampment on Thursday, representatives confirmed they are satisfied with the resolution passed on Wednesday and will dismantle the camp by June 6.
“Through our occupation and our courage, we have proved that it’s possible to establish a balance of power and achieve significant gains,” a representative for the protest said, stressing their activism will continue in other ways.
“Our departure does not mean the end of our mobilization.”
The protesters set up the encampment three weeks ago. They have been calling for the school to end ties with Israeli institutions and pledge not to create any in the future. They also want the Quebec government to close its business office in Tel Aviv.
The protesters said the encampment will be dismantled progressively, noting 100 to 200 people have taken part in it over the last three weeks.•
| — Hat tip: Red Mike | [Return to headlines] |
CityNews Walks Back False Claim That 215 Residential School Graves Discovered
A legacy media outlet quietly erased the fact that it falsely reported 215 graves were uncovered at the site of the former residential school, following a post on the social media outlet X that was flagged as misinformation.
CityNews Vancouver has since deleted a tweet and revised an article that inaccurately claimed “hundreds of unmarked graves” were discovered at the Kamloops Indian Residential School site.
The post was flagged by X users as misleading, prompting the addition of a community note. CityNews edited the article to include the word “suspected” about the graves. Journalist Aastha Pandey-Kanaan’s name was removed from the piece.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Amid Rising Nicotine Use, Czechia Grapples With Ways to Discourage Smoking
A new study by the National Health Institute (SZÚ) has mapped out Czechia’s smoking habits, revealing that as many as half of all Czechs use nicotine-related products semi-regularly. The findings come at at time when Minister of Health Vlastimil Valek is considering implementing more so-called vice taxes while rewarding those who take care of their health.
The SZÚ findings revealed that one-third of young Czechs aged 15 to 24 use nicotine products on a daily basis, including traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and nicotine sachets. One-quarter of the adult population smokes “normal” cigarettes regularly.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Berlin Police Report 111 Alleged Gang Rapes in 2023
Last year, Berlin police recorded over a hundred cases of alleged rapes involving multiple suspects, with many incidents occurring in apartment buildings. Statistics from the Berlin police reveal that the number of alleged gang rapes has remained consistently high for years, as reported by Spiegel.
In 2023, the police registered 111 cases. Since 2020, the annual numbers have ranged between 89 and 106. These figures are based on the Police Crime Statistics, which include all completed investigations. However, the statistics do not indicate how the courts ruled on these cases, whether one or more perpetrators were convicted.
Most of the 111 alleged victims were aged 14 and 15 (18 individuals). There were also ten alleged victims aged 16 and 17, and thirteen in the 18 to 20 age group. The majority of incidents occurred in apartment buildings, with 27 cases having an unknown location and 16 taking place in parks.
Out of the 106 identified suspects, 25 were under 18 years old. Twenty-eight suspects were aged between 18 and 24. The proportion of suspects with foreign nationality was 54%, down from 65% the previous year, and 44% and 51% in the preceding years.
Overall, police statistics for last year recorded 1,151 cases of rape, sexual coercion, and severe sexual assaults. Authorities believe there is a significant number of unreported cases, as many victims do not report due to shame or fear of the perpetrator.
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Courts in Czech Republic Strike for Higher Wages
On Wednesday, courts are refraining from holding trials or issuing judgments, operating at a greatly reduced capacity in the Czech Republic, as reported by Novinky. Staff members at courts in the Central Bohemian Region have gone on strike to demand higher wages.
Lukas Randa, Vice-Chairman of the Kladno court for civil law, confirmed that out of ninety employees, only two are not partaking in the strike. As Wednesdays are primarily dedicated to civil proceedings, major hearings are being postponed and rescheduled for a month or two later.
Certain cases that cannot be postponed are being handled under makeshift arrangements. For instance, hearings involving foreigners whom the court has been pursuing for approximately six months are proceeding to avoid repeating the entire process. Similarly, the determination of a child’s guardian cannot endure a delay.
In situations involving child endangerment or domestic violence, individuals seeking assistance from the court will still be accommodated. Judicial guards are available and maintain direct communication with judges to ensure these urgent matters are addressed.
However, administrative tasks are being significantly affected by the strike. The registry is not accepting any documents, court clerks are absent during hearings, and other administrative staff are not participating in their duties. Despite challenges in finding replacements for administrative roles, efforts are being made to mitigate disruptions caused by the strike.
While courts were notified of the strike on Friday, measures were taken to inform participants of scheduled proceedings about the cancellation of hearings. Although lawyers have access to data mailboxes, other individuals may face difficulties obtaining information.
Finding suitable replacements for administrative staff, especially in areas like Kladno near Prague, where job opportunities are more abundant, poses a considerable challenge. While the court can manage one day of strike action, an extended strike could severely impact its operations.
The average salary of court employees was just under €1,504 gross last year, whereas the average wage in the Czech Republic exceeded €1,747.
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Czech Healthcare System Faces Financial Crisis Without Urgent Reforms
The Czech healthcare system is at risk of depleting its financial resources if urgent reforms are not implemented, according to a report by the Ministry of Health (MoH).
The system is currently inefficient and partially non-functional, particularly in terms of access to specific medical services. Key issues include an oversupply of emergency hospital beds, a shortage of follow-up care, overuse of services, and insufficient centralization.
The “Strategic Analysis of Healthcare Sector Needs: A Data-Driven Approach” highlights that the sector is nearing economic unsustainability. “Without necessary measures, including legislative changes, this situation will inevitably lead to the exhaustion of health insurance resources,” the report warns. The system is already straining its economic limits, resulting in deteriorating accessibility to medical care.
The ministry points to inadequate formation of medical networks, a task assigned to insurance companies, leading to uneven resource distribution across regions. This asymmetry has weakened key specialties over time, including psychiatry, diabetes care, dentistry, and general medicine for children and adolescents.
A major challenge is the aging population, which will increase demand for medical care while decreasing the number of contributors to the state health insurance system. The healthcare structure needs adjustment; there are too many emergency care beds and a critical shortage of follow-up care beds—up to 3,000 beds short, a gap unaddressed over the past decade.
Preventable diseases further strain the system, driven by poor public health practices and inadequate incentives from insurance companies. “Citizens do not take enough care of their health, and insurance companies do not significantly motivate them in this direction,” the report states.
The MoH also criticizes the lack of control over excessive use of medical services, insufficient centralization, and inconsistent hospital reimbursements. It calls for changes in fund distribution from insurance premiums and the agreement procedures that determine them. Additionally, the Czech Republic struggles with implementing a national drug policy and addressing drug shortages.
The report calls for comprehensive reforms to prepare the healthcare system for demographic changes and evolving service needs. It highlights the urgent need for a management and quality assessment system, noting that neither the state, insurance companies, professional societies, nor the Czech Medical Chamber conduct comprehensive service quality assessments.
The document also critiques health authorities for not keeping pace with modern developments and scientific knowledge. It points out that regional health stations and medical institutes failed to cooperate optimally during the COVID-19 epidemic, focusing more on inspections than improving public health. The report advocates for the centralization of the health service and improved collaboration with the ministries of labor, education, and agriculture.
“More or less fundamental reforms are needed in all the above-mentioned areas to prepare the healthcare system for the inevitable demographic evolution of the population and unprecedented changes in the structure of required services,” the report concludes.
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Czech Billionaire to Acquire Royal Mail for £3.57 Billion
Daniel Kretinský’s EP Group is set to acquire Royal Mail in a £3.57 billion deal, following the acceptance of a cash offer by International Distribution Services (IDS), Royal Mail’s parent company. The agreement, which prices IDS shares at 360p each, still requires approval from shareholders and the UK government.
On Wednesday, IDS announced it had agreed to the terms with Kretinský, who currently owns nearly 27% of the postal service. IDS shares rose by 3% to 331p after the announcement, although this is below the offer price, indicating some market skepticism about the deal’s completion.
The acquisition needs the green light from IDS shareholders at the upcoming annual general meeting on September 25. Additionally, the deal may undergo government scrutiny under the National Security and Investment Act. Earlier in May, IDS executives met with Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch to discuss the bid and potential changes to the universal service obligation (USO).
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has indicated that while the bid will face a standard security review, the government is not fundamentally opposed to EP’s offer. Labour, projected to win the upcoming July 4 election, has also expressed support for Kretinský’s assurances and pledged to hold him to his commitments if they come into power.
Key undertakings and commitments include:
- Maintaining Royal Mail’s USO, ensuring first-class postal service across the UK at a fixed price six days a week for at least five years, though second-class post could be reduced to every other weekday.
- Keeping base salaries and benefits for staff unchanged for a minimum of two years.
- Preserving Royal Mail’s branding and ownership for three years, and keeping its headquarters and tax residency in the UK.
- No major changes to overall headcount or frontline worker numbers, with discussions on extending no compulsory redundancies past April 2025.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU), Royal Mail’s largest union, plans to meet Kretinský to discuss further commitments and the future of the company. CWU General Secretary Dave Ward emphasized the need for pension guarantees and potential employee stakes in the company.
Kretinský, known as the “Czech Sphinx” for his reticence in public, owns stakes in West Ham football club and Sainsbury’s. He expressed respect for Royal Mail’s legacy and the responsibilities it entails, highlighting the necessity for modernization to remain competitive.
IDS Chair Keith Williams mentioned that a “far-reaching package of legally binding undertakings and commitments” has been negotiated, ensuring the continuation of the USO, financial stability, employee benefits, and that Royal Mail remains UK-based in terms of headquarters and tax.
This £3.57 billion bid, an increase from an earlier £3.1 billion offer deemed undervalued by IDS, was submitted just before the deadline on Wednesday. Kretinský stated his commitment to supporting Royal Mail’s transformation and future growth.
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Czech Intelligence Uncovers Russian Espionage Attempts in Europe
The Czech civilian counterintelligence agency, the Security Information Service (BIS), has revealed that individuals linked to the media platform Voice of Europe aimed to engage in espionage within the EU, Michal Koudelka, director of BIS, disclosed.
Koudelka, speaking at a conference Monday in the Chamber of Deputies, praised the Czech government’s tough and uncompromising stance in placing the platform and pro-Russian Ukrainian businessmen Artyom Marchevsky and Viktor Medvedchuk on the national sanctions list at the end of March. Based on a proposal from the Czech Republic, the EU has now also decided to sanction the men.
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Czech Security Service Covers Up Discovery of Cocaine in Parliament Toilets
At the turn of last year, security found drugs in the toilets of the Chamber of Deputies (Czechia’s lower house of parliament), although did not pursue the case, according to security spokesperson Tomas Prochazka. Officials did not report the discovery due to the minimal amount of the drug.
The security guards responsible for monitoring the parliament building noticed suspicious activity in the men’s restrooms, which are located near Speaker Markéta Pekarova Adamova’s office. They reported hearing knocking sounds coming from behind the wall at night, and upon investigation, found a piece of paper with white powder. After testing, it was confirmed to be cocaine.
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‘Draghi Not a Candidate to Lead EC,’ Says Italian Foreign Minister
Antonio Tajani, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, indicated it is unlikely that Mario Draghi would end up leading the next European Commission.
Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank (ECB), is highly regarded in European Union circles. His popularity has led to speculation that he could potentially replace Ursula von der Leyen as the President following June’s European Parliament elections.
But Tajani, the leader of the Forza Italia party, has poured cold water on those rumours, stating Draghi was not a candidate for the role.
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Dutch Police Closing in on Suspects in Multimillion-Dollar Jewelry Heist
Dutch police have reported significant progress in their investigation into a brazen multimillion-dollar jewelry heist at an art show in the Netherlands nearly two years ago.
The robbers, smartly dressed and wielding sledgehammers, stole jewelry from display cases at an international art fair in Maastricht, prompting an extensive international police operation to track them down and recover the stolen loot, estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars.
In their latest update, police in the southern Dutch province of Limburg revealed that they have narrowed down the location of the suspects, who are believed to originate from the Balkans. The focus of the investigation has shifted to Serbia, particularly the town of Nis, although suspects may also be located in Belgrade or the surrounding area.
Furthermore, police announced the recovery of two stolen gemstones: one diamond was found in Israel, and another in Hong Kong. Both diamonds have been seized for examination as part of the ongoing investigation.
Previously, authorities had disclosed their search for four male suspects, but they now also consider a woman to be involved in the heist. Additionally, two other women are under investigation for allegedly returning a rental car near Frankfurt Airport in Germany. However, at present, these women are not considered suspects in connection with the robbery.
The investigation into this audacious jewelry heist continues to unfold, with Dutch police working closely with international counterparts to apprehend the perpetrators and recover the stolen valuables.
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European Parliament Elections: Right-Wing Parties Expected to Win Most Seats
Following the European Parliament elections, right-wing parties are expected to surpass the number of deputies from the center-right and pro-Ukrainian European People’s Party (EPP) of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This is according to a forecast by Politico.
This distribution of seats does not necessarily mean that the EPP, currently the largest political bloc in the European Parliament, will take second place, but it does indicate that Europe is shifting to the right.
According to the forecast, the EPP, aiming to secure first place in next week’s elections, is expected to win 170 seats. Meanwhile, the two main right-wing groups — the European Conservatives and Reformists and Identity and Democracy — are projected to claim 144 seats. There are also other far-right parties in the EP whose deputies are almost certain to enter the parliament. Germany’s Alternative for Germany is predicted to win 16 seats, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party is expected to claim 10 seats.
The French party Reconquête is projected to win five seats, the Polish Confederation six seats, and the pro-Kremlin Bulgarian party Revival three seats. As a result, the number of far-right deputies in the European Parliament will increase to 184. How these right-wing MEPs will align themselves after the elections remains an open question.
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Finland Resists EU Calls for Trade Sanctions on Israel
During a recent meeting of EU trade ministers, Finland voiced its opposition to proposed trade sanctions against Israel, despite increasing calls for economic measures in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Ville Tavio, Finland’s minister for foreign trade and development, emphasized the importance of continuing trade relations with Israel, highlighting the country’s technological advancements and defense trade as key reasons for maintaining economic ties.
“I personally think we should continue the trade with Israel,” Tavio stated, adding that he doubts the effectiveness of trade sanctions in achieving desired outcomes.
This stance comes amid discussions by EU foreign ministers on potential actions against Israel if it fails to comply with an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling to cease its offensive in Rafah, Gaza. The ministers have planned to convene an Association Council with Israel to address its compliance with human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
The issue was unexpectedly added to the agenda of the trade ministers’ meeting, although no formal decision was anticipated.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza, including control over a buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border and air attacks on Rafah that resulted in numerous casualties, have intensified calls from several EU countries for sanctions. Countries such as Ireland, Belgium, and Spain are leading efforts to apply commercial pressure on Israel.
Ireland’s trade minister, Peter Burke, reiterated his country’s call to re-examine the EU-Israel Association Agreement, citing violations of human rights and international law.
Despite these calls, some countries, including Germany and Austria, align with Finland’s position, favoring continued trade with Israel. Belgium has previously pushed to ban imports from Israeli-occupied territories and called for an arms embargo on Israel.
With Europe being Israel’s largest trading partner, accounting for 28.8 percent of its trade in goods in 2022, the outcome of these discussions could significantly impact future EU-Israel relations.
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From Marginalists to Leaders: How Spain’s Right-Wing Parties Changed
On May 19, shortly before the start of the election campaign to the European Parliament, a conference organized by the far-right Vox party was held in Spanish Madrid. The event was also attended by ideological supporters of the political force — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentine President Javier Milei and the leader of the French political party “National Unification” Marine Le Pen.
In recent years, right-wing forces in Spain have been particularly popular with the population. As a result (still premature) — the People’s Party, leading in opinion polls on the eve of the elections to the European Parliament. The Voice of Europe publication tells about the phenomenon of right-wing popularity in Spain.
Attack from the right
According to journalists, about 11,000 people attended the Vox rally, which was held in the former bullfighting arena, on May 19. At the same time, about a thousand more Spaniards staged an alternative protest near the stadium against right-wing parties, calling them “fascists”. However, this did not prevent the event, and in his speech from the podium, European Parliament candidate Jorge Buxade said that it is the election of the right-wing that can preserve freedom.
“On June 9, we will decide whether Europe remains in the hands of globalist fanatics who seek the destruction of the countryside, the humiliation of the middle class and the insecurity of borders,” the politician said.
Right-wing leaders from other countries also spoke at the conference. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recorded a video message for the Vox meeting, in which she was quite categorical and resolute.
“We are now on the eve of crucial elections, because for the first time European elections could end up with the election of an unnatural and counterproductive majority. We must stay focused, stand firmly on our feet and look to the future. Now is the time for mobilization,” the Italian Prime Minister said.
The appearance of the Argentine president at the Vox rally led to a diplomatic conflict between Buenos Aires and Madrid. In his speech, Javier Milei criticized the center-left government of Spain and, in particular, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Milei recalled how Spanish media accused Sanchez’s wife, Bogena Gomez, of corruption. According to journalists, Gomez used her status as first lady to solicit sponsorships for the master’s program where she teaches a course. Following the scandal, Sanchez suspended public activities for several days and contemplated resigning as the country’s prime minister.
“They don’t know what kind of society and country socialism can produce, what kind of people come to power and what level of abuse can occur. When your wife is involved in corruption, it shames you, but you just take five days to think about it,” the Argentine leader said.
Following Milei’s remarks, Madrid recalled its ambassador from Buenos Aires, deeming the politician’s speech offensive and in violation of diplomatic customs.
European success is close
Not so long ago, Spain’s right-wing parties could not count on such support from world leaders and did not think about their chances of getting into the European Parliament. Now the right-wing parties are the leading force with a well-reasoned claim to success.
On May 21, Euronews published a sociological survey of electoral preferences on the eve of the elections. According to the polling center, the right-wing People’s Party is leading, despite some slowdown in growth. Sociologists note that the political force has lost 0.3% compared to March this year.
However, despite the corruption scandal, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his Socialist Party have not faced an electoral crisis and remain in the electoral race.
The electoral list from the Popular Party for the European Parliament elections is headed by Catalan MEP Dolores Montserrat. She served as Minister of Health in the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy in 2017, when the independence referendum took place.
MEP Jorge Buxade, who heads the Vox list, is also from Barcelona and is an opponent of Catalan independence. Previously, he was a member of the far-right organization “Spanish Falange and JONS”, considered an heir to the Falangism of Francisco Franco’s era.
Euronews journalists write that moderate conservatives, ultra-conservatives and the far right criticize left-wing Prime Minister Sanchez for his concessions to Catalan nationalists and separatists, as well as for not protecting farmers enough. Therefore, the position on the topic of Catalan independence and the referendum will be one of the main things that voters will pay attention to.
The publication notes that the far-right Vox party plans to win three new seats in the European Conservatives and Reformists faction. At the same time, the People’s Party will try to increase its faction in the European Parliament by 25 people. The Socialists do not yet have to count on adding to their delegation. On the contrary, according to forecasts, they will lose one seat.
The transformation of the right
In 2023, Spain held parliamentary elections in which the center-right People’s Party won. The second place went to the pro-government Socialists, while the third place went to Vox.
Despite the victory, the right-wing failed to form a parliamentary coalition and the Cortes vote gave the Socialists’ Pedro Sanchez a mandate to form a government.
During this time, the rating of the People’s Party has not fallen. Vox, after the April 19 rally and the participation of high-ranking politicians and leaders from around the world, can count on a rise in popularity and looking for revenge from the 2023 elections, when the party lost 19 seats in parliament.
Journalists and experts say that Spain was one of the last European countries where the right-wing became public heroes and a reflection of the mood in society. As historian and author of the book “The Far Right 2.0” Steven Forti tells, Vox was seen as an exceptionally marginal party. However, those times are behind us.
“In 2018, the party went to the Andalusian parliament, and a year later, on February 19, 2019, Vox joined the demonstration of the right-wing Popular Party and the Ciudadanos Liberals. It was a major rally in Madrid’s Columbus Square. “In Spain, there has essentially never been a ‘cordon sanitaire’ separating the democratic forces from the far-right,” Forti says.
He notes that Vox gained particular public support in 2017, when Catalonia declared independence and held a referendum. Calls to fight the “enemies of Spain” have a positive impact on the party’s popularity and add electoral interest.
Forti emphasizes geographical differences among voters. People living in villages and towns are often less technologically advanced than those living in cities. They prefer traditional, familiar political structures and are not in a hurry to change.
“The technological revolution we are experiencing is causing a new stratification in society. People are no longer divided only into left and right, nationalists and progressives, there is also a gulf between those living in cities and those living in rural areas. And importantly, the social elevator no longer functions as it once did. The social contract doesn’t seem so immutable anymore,” says Forti.
At the moment, Vox is close to increasing its presence in the European Parliament and creating a situational alliance with the forces of Giorgia Meloni, Viktor Orban and Marine Le Pen. This is in spite of the ambiguous (sometimes even feuding) relations between European politicians.
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Germany to End Gas Storage Levy at Borders Starting in 2025
Germany has faced repeated criticism from Austria and other countries over its gas storage levy. Now, Germany plans to eliminate this levy at border crossings beginning in early 2025, as reported by Kurier.
This was announced by German Economic State Secretary Sven Giegold (Greens) on Thursday in Brussels. While the levy will no longer be charged at the borders, it will remain in effect within Germany.
Despite this change, the scheduled increase in the gas storage levy from €1.86 to €2.50 net per megawatt-hour in July 2024 will proceed as planned. This is mandated by current law. Giegold explained that removing the border levy by January 1, 2025, is due to the time needed for the legislative process.
The levy, added to gas prices, is designed to maintain minimum fill levels in German gas storage facilities. It was introduced in 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its subsequent impact on the energy market.
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German Armed Forces to Receive Eight Patriot Systems
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that the country’s armed forces (Bundeswehr) will receive a total of eight new Patriot air defense systems. The statement was reported by Tagesschau.
Pistorius revealed that a contract for the purchase of the first four systems has already been signed.
“Another request for the procurement of four additional Patriot systems is in preparation,” added the minister.
The delivery of the first four systems is expected to begin in 2026. These new acquisitions are primarily intended to fill the gaps created by the transfer of air defense systems to Ukraine.
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Germany: Toddler’s ‘Modern Art’ Paintings Sell for Thousands
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news
Paintings by a 2-year-old boy from Germany are selling for up to $7000, with buyers comparing them to Picasso.
The Times reports that Laurent Schwarz’s portraits of elephants, horses and dinosaurs “would not look out of place in modern art galleries in Munich or Berlin.”
The boy’s mother uploaded some photos of the paintings to social media, and soon enough ‘collectors’ were bidding thousands of Euros for them at Munich’s biggest art fair, ART MUC.
The report also notes that “A New York gallery has contacted the family offering to put Laurent’s work on display.”
His mother states “They’re abstracts and what’s unusual is how he integrates discernible figures into them, which people often mention to us and which makes them so popular,”
Yeah OK. Good lad, but they do just kinda look more like random paint slapping by a toddler.
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Germans Turn Against Brussels, Less Than Three in Ten See EU Membership as Beneficial
A survey from the largest financial services company in Europe has found that more Germans see membership in the European Union as a disadvantage for their country than those who see it as a positive, as the public mood turns against the bloc.
“The mood is bad, the outlook bleak,” a report from the Munich-based multinational financial services company Allianz said, following a survey of 6,000 Europeans ahead of the EU Parliament elections next week.
The firm said that a notable shift was seen in Germany, where pessimism about the economy and cynicism towards Brussels is rising, following the “French example” of negativity.
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Germany and France Advocate for Major Changes in EU Competition Rules
Germany and France are pushing for significant reforms in the European Union’s competition regulations to enable larger mergers and strategic subsidies aimed at creating European industry champions.
This initiative follows the frustration from the veto of the Alstom-Siemens merger five years ago, where the European Commission’s competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, blocked the deal, citing consumer and innovation concerns. Paris and Berlin are now calling for a reassessment of EU antitrust rules to facilitate mergers in key sectors such as airlines and telecommunications, and to allow “targeted” subsidies to help companies expand and compete globally.
“We need to review the current European competition rules” to allow “consortia and consolidation in key sectors” like mobile networks and airspace, the two governments stated. They emphasized the need for these changes to strengthen European resilience and boost economic growth.
Germany’s Lufthansa is currently facing opposition from the EU over its plan to acquire a stake in the Italian airline ITA, illustrating the ongoing challenges within the existing regulatory framework.
Both governments have also advocated for increased financial support for companies, successfully lobbying for more flexibility in state aid rules to help businesses navigate economic challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and energy price fluctuations. They propose “further improvement in the state aid framework” to support private investments and strategic industrial sectors, fostering global competitiveness in areas like net-zero technologies, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology.
This push is part of a broader strategy to reduce Europe’s dependence on external trade partners and position the continent as a leader in cutting-edge technologies. The proposal includes faster and more efficient EU funding procedures and streamlined state aid approvals, creating a user-friendly exemption for certain types of aid.
Germany and France also advocate for optimizing Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs), which pool resources from various governments to fund key industrial programs. They call for a simpler and faster EU clearance procedure for these subsidies, potentially combining them with other EU funding mechanisms.
Additionally, the initiative includes President Emmanuel Macron’s “Buy Europe” policy, which seeks preferential treatment for European companies in public procurement, particularly in strategic sectors like defense and space.
To support these reforms, Paris and Berlin suggest that Big Tech companies should contribute supervisory fees to fund the implementation and monitoring of the Digital Markets Act. They also recommend adjusting EU merger control rules to address “killer acquisitions,” where large companies buy potential competitors to stifle innovation, a concern that the EU court may weaken the Commission’s ability to regulate problematic mergers.
By proposing these changes, Germany and France aim to reshape the EU’s competition policy, fostering the growth of European industry champions capable of competing on the global stage.
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Hard-Right Eurodance Craze Spreads Despite Germany Threats
A hard-right Eurodance craze is rapidly spreading through Germany, despite attempts by the political mainstream to threaten would-be partygoers with job loss, fines and potential prison time.
Problems began in May on the German island of Sylt in the North Sea, where young people filmed themselves dancing to ‘90s Eurodance hit L’amour Toujours while singing “Germany for Germans” and “foreigners out”, with the footage subsequently finding its way onto social media.
Retaliation was swift. German media jumped on the story, reporting on the alleged use of “anti-constitutional” slogans and “gestures”, prompting an investigation from local authorities.
Many of those filmed reportedly then lost their jobs, while one senior German politician advocated for the ravers to be handed five years in prison for breaking Germany’s hate-speech rules.
Despite the severity of the threats, the media and political crusade against the Sylt partygoers appears to have backfired.
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International Police Operation Dismantles Ransomware Networks, Arrests Four Suspects
In an unprecedented international police operation, coordinated by the European Union’s justice agency, Eurojust, authorities have dismantled computer networks responsible for distributing ransomware through infected emails. Eurojust described this as the largest operation ever conducted against this lucrative form of cybercrime, as reported by AP.
On Thursday, Eurojust announced the arrest of four “high value” suspects, the takedown of over 100 servers, and the seizure of more than 2,000 internet domains. This extensive operation, executed this week, involved coordinated raids across Germany, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Eurojust highlighted that this operation follows the 2021 takedown of Emotet, a notorious botnet. Botnets consist of networks of hijacked computers used for malicious purposes.
Dutch police reported that the ransomware network inflicted financial damage estimated in the hundreds of millions of euros on governments, businesses, and individuals. They noted that millions of people were affected as their systems were compromised and used as part of these botnets.
Eurojust revealed that one key suspect had earned at least 69 million euros ($74 million) in cryptocurrency by renting out the infrastructure used for spreading ransomware.
The operation targeted malware “droppers” including IcedID, Pikabot, Smokeloader, Bumblebee, and Trickbot. Droppers are malicious software spread via emails containing infected links or attachments, such as shipping invoices or order forms.
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Ireland Submits “Online Safety Code” for EU Assessment — Pushes Censorship, Digital ID
Ireland’s media regulator (Coimisiún na Mean) has updated the Online Safety Code (part of the Online Safety Framework, a mechanism of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act), and submitted it to the European Commission for assessment.
Considered by opponents as a censorship law that also imposes age verification or estimation (phrased as “age assurance”), the Code aims to establish binding rules for video platforms with EU headquarters located in Ireland.
It is expected that the European Commission will announce its position within 3 to 4 months, after which the rules will be finalized and put into effect, the regulator said.
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Italy: Bologna Palestinian Flag Legitimises Terror Say Jews
Mayor shd protect all, go to see Oct 7 massacre sites
Bologna’s decision to fly a Palestinian flag from its town hall legitimises the terrorism of Islamist militants Hamas who sparked the Gaza war with their brutal attack on Israel on October 7, Italy’s Jews said Wednesday.
“If you really want to emphasise respect for human rights and peace, don’t just display one flag but display both.
A flag in a public place cannot be used as a symbol of contestation of other countries,” the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities Noemi Di Segni, together with the president of the Bologna Community Daniele De Paz, told ANSA.
“Such a gesture from a public institution only legitimises the voice of terrorism and prevarication”, they said, adding: “We invite (Mayor Matteo) Lepore to visit Israel in the areas of the (Hamas) massacre before displaying flags and slogans”.
Announcing the move earlier in the day, Lepore said Bologna would fly the Israeli flag too if and when Tel Aviv ends its controversial campaign in Gaza which Hamas says has killed over 36,000 civilians.
The October 7 attacks killed almost 1,400 people and took some 250 hostages.
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Italy: Priest Gets 61/2 Years for Abusing Kids
Don Emanuele Tempesta, 32, guilty of over 20 counts
An Italian priest got six and a half years in prison Tuesday for sexually abusing children.
A court of first instance found Don Emanuele Tempesta, 32, former assistant parish priest at Busto Garolfo near Milan, guilty of assaulting over 20 children over a number of years.
Prosecutors had requested an 11-year term.
Tempesta will not go to jail until Italy’s two-tier appeal system is exhausted.
The more than 20 civil plaintiffs received damages ranging between 750 and 2,000 euros each.
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Le Pen, Meloni Government Blast Macron Over Russia Strikes Proposal
National Rally leader Marine Le Pen and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have criticized Emmanuel Macron’s proposal for Ukrainian strikes on mainland Russia.
The two European leaders have rejected permitting Kyiv to strike military installations in undisputed Russian territory, fearing it could escalate into a global conflict.
“I am against the fact of authorizing Ukraine, with the weapons provided to it, to strike the Russian territory, these are the mechanics of entering a world war,” said Marine Le Pen, expressing concern that Macron was now putting France in danger.
“Between the announcement of sending troops and this announcement would be an additional step of investments in this conflict. I conclude that Emmanuel Macron wants France to go to war.”
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‘Living Like Barons’ — Bulgarian Welfare Fraud Network Stole Over £50 Million From British Taxpayers
A network of Bulgarian fraudsters were “living like barons” after stealing at least tens of millions in Universal Credit welfare money in what is being described as the United Kingdom’s largest-ever benefit fraud scheme.
Last month, five Bulgarian nationals, Galina Nikolova, 39, Stoyan Stoyanov, 28, Tsvetka Todorova, 53, Gyunesh Ali, 34, and Patritsia Paneva, 27, pled guilty to a series of benefit fraud and money laundering-related offences after admitting to stealing over £50 million in UK Universal Credit, a scheme intended to help disadvantaged Britons with their living costs.
The welfare fraud scheme saw the network assist thousands of Bulgarians — some of whom have never even set foot in Britain — to collect Universal Credit checks of up to £2,500 per month from the UK government through the submission of an array of forged documents, such as fake rental tenancy agreements, payslips, and forged letters from employers, doctors, landlords, and schools, the Shropshire Star reports.
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Macron and Scholz Greenlight Ukraine Strikes on Mainland Russia
Ukraine should be allowed to use donated Western weapons to “neutralise” mainland Russian military installations, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
At a press event on May 28 with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Macron showed a map of launch sites within mainland Russia, from where the Kremlin was allegedly able to attack positions belonging to Ukraine.
According to Macron, these bases could fire on Ukraine without fear of reprisal due to the country being mostly forbidden from using donated weaponry to attack Russia proper, something he now wants to see changed.
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Netherlands: Intended Prime Minister Dick Schoof Joining First Cabinet Formation Meeting Today
Intended Prime Minister Dick Schoof will join his first Cabinet formation meeting today. He, along with formateur Richard van Zwol, will meet with the four party leaders of PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB and work on selecting Ministers and State Secretaries for the new right-wing Cabinet.
The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, had appointed Van Zwol as “formateur,” instructing him to put together the new Cabinet by June 26. Van Zwol said that, in theory, he could have transferred the role of formateur to Schoof — traditionally, the new Prime Minister puts together the Cabinet — but that would require another parliamentary debate to officially appoint Schoof. “And then it’s a week later to just change names,” Van Zwol said. Instead, Van Zwol and Schoof will talk to prospective Cabinet members together.
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Pfizergate Plaintiff Calls for Resignation of Von Der Leyen and EU Commissioners
The plaintiff in the Pfizergate scandal has urged the European Council to demand the resignation of EU executive chief Ursula von der Leyen and her Commissioners.
A letter from the plaintiff’s lawyer, seen by Euronews, was addressed to all 27 EU leaders and Manfred Weber, president of von der Leyen’s European People’s Party (EPP), and was officially logged on May 29 at the European Council.
The plaintiff requests that EU leaders refer the Pfizergate matter to the Court of Justice to compel the resignation and forfeiture of pension rights of von der Leyen and all the European Commissioners. Additionally, the plaintiff calls on the EPP to withdraw von der Leyen’s candidacy for the President of the European Commission and to bar her from any European institution posts while she is under criminal investigation.
The lawyer cites Articles 245 and 247 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which address actions incompatible with official duties and serious misconduct.
The case revolves around the disclosure of calls and text messages between von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, through which they negotiated vaccine contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frédéric Baldan, a Belgian lobbyist, filed the initial complaint, leading to an investigation by Belgian authorities in early 2023. Hungary and Poland have since joined the lawsuit.
The letter criticizes von der Leyen for refusing to disclose the vaccine contracts and her communications with Bourla, claiming her actions offend “public morality” and erode “legitimate confidence” in the European Commission. The letter asserts that von der Leyen and her Commissioners are no longer capable of performing their duties, violating the principle of good administration outlined in Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The plaintiff also questions the involvement of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which has requested to handle the case. According to Baldan, this move aims to nullify the civil parties involved and potentially annul the investigation, as the EPPO might lack the funds to continue its work through 2024.
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Poland Proposes Ban on Border Zone Access With Belarus Starting June 4
A proposed ban will prohibit staying in the border zone near the Belarusian border in 26 locations in Hajnówka district and one in Bialystok district in Podlasie, Poland, as reported by RMF24.
This proposal by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (MSWiA) was submitted for consultation and is expected to take effect from June 4 for 90 days. The project involves a decree from the Minister of the Interior and Administration to temporarily ban staying in a designated area within the border zone adjacent to the state border with Belarus.
The specific areas covered by the ban are detailed in an attached list. It includes 26 cadastral areas in Hajnówka district, Podlasie province, and one cadastral area in Bialystok district.
During a visit to officers and soldiers in Podlasie on Wednesday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the reinstatement of a buffer zone approximately “200 meters wide” at the Belarusian border due to the current situation. Deputy Minister of the Interior and Administration Czeslaw Mroczek stated on the same day that the buffer zone would be introduced through a decree by the Minister of the Interior and Administration.
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Poland Concludes Article 7 Procedure, Tusk Promises Rule of Law Restoration
Poland has officially exited Article 7, the European Union’s special procedure for addressing breaches of the bloc’s fundamental values. This marks the end of a prolonged conflict that began in December 2017 when the European Commission initiated the procedure in response to Poland’s judicial reforms under the Law and Justice (PiS) party, which were seen as undermining judicial independence.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has vowed to restore the rule of law and reset relations with Brussels. Tusk’s commitment follows the implementation of a comprehensive “action plan” designed to reverse previous judicial changes and align Poland with EU standards.
The European Commission had triggered Article 7, also known as the “nuclear option,” due to Poland’s judicial overhaul, which included reconfiguring courts, shortening judges’ terms, and appointing party loyalists to top judicial positions. These moves were criticized for eroding the separation of powers, complicating EU law enforcement, and jeopardizing both investor confidence and international cooperation.
“Judicial reforms in Poland mean that the country’s judiciary is now under the political control of the ruling majority,” stated the European Commission in 2017.
Despite resistance, the PiS government further intensified its reforms, enabling the Supreme Court’s disciplinary chamber to sanction judges based on their rulings. In 2021, Poland’s Constitutional Court challenged the supremacy of EU law, exacerbating tensions with Brussels and raising concerns about Poland’s future in the EU legal framework.
The 2023 elections, however, brought Donald Tusk, a former European Council president, to power. Tusk’s administration swiftly moved to mend relations with the EU. His government introduced nine legislative proposals to restore judicial independence, ceased unwarranted legal actions against judges, and reaffirmed Poland’s commitment to the European Court of Justice and EU law primacy.
These measures resulted in the European Commission releasing €137 billion in recovery and cohesion funds, previously withheld. Poland received its first €6.3 billion installment in grants and loans by April.
Nevertheless, EU officials caution that the reform process is ongoing. The proposed laws under Tusk’s “action plan” have yet to be enacted and could face opposition from President Andrzej Duda, who holds differing views from Tusk.
“We can see in practice the situation is evolving favourably in Poland,” a senior Commission official remarked earlier this month. “The threat to the rule of law has severely decreased. We need to continue working with Poland with other tools at our disposal.”
Even if the “action plan” faces setbacks, “it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re back in Article 7 territory,” the official added.
Meanwhile, Hungary, still subject to Article 7 and blocked from recovery funds, criticized the Commission’s rapid decision regarding Poland. Hungarian EU affairs minister Bóka Janos commented, “The Commission’s assessment seems to be a purely political product that confirms double standards and goes blatantly against its previous position in rule of law-related issues. It reinforces the view that Article 7 is nothing but a tool for political blackmailing.”
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Rising Rent and Energy Costs Strain Czech Households Despite Decrease in Overdue Debts
In the Czech Republic, civic advisory centers are witnessing a surge in people struggling to pay rent, energy bills, and other services, particularly in larger cities like Prague and Brno.
This uptick was highlighted in a recent survey on debt maturity. “Since the beginning of the year, more people have been coming to our centers with problems paying rent,” said Hynek Kalvoda, chairman of the Association of Civic Advisory Centers, to Novinky.
Kalvoda attributes this trend primarily to significant rent increases implemented by some landlords. “We have recorded increases of several tens of percent,” he noted, adding that many people are now finding it difficult to meet their rent payments.
Additionally, high underpayments or increased advance payments for energy bills have compounded the financial strain for many households.
The survey by KRUK Czech and Slovak Republic (KRUK) also underscored the growing difficulties in paying rent and services. Despite a slight year-on-year decrease in the overall proportion of debtors with overdue debts—from over ten percent last year to eight percent this year—there’s a worrying trend: the unpaid debts are significantly higher. “Although there are fewer debtors with unpaid obligations year-on-year, they have significantly higher unpaid debts,” said Jaroslava Palendalova, CEO of KRUK. Over 40 percent of unpaid debts now range from ten thousand to one hundred thousand crowns, up from 35 percent last year. Nearly a third of debtors have obligations exceeding 100 thousand crowns, a proportion that has remained steady. However, the share of those with debts up to ten thousand crowns has decreased.
The survey also revealed a rise in unpaid debts to non-bank entities, such as short-term loans or installment purchases, which increased from 35 percent to 42 percent. Unpaid bank loans constitute about one-third of the debts. Following closely are unpaid housing payments—rent and energy bills—accounting for 26 percent of debtors, up from 22 percent.
Additionally, unpaid debts for services such as telephone and internet have seen a year-on-year increase from 22 percent to 24 percent. Almost one-fifth of unpaid obligations involve debts to relatives or friends.
This growing financial distress calls for heightened awareness and support mechanisms to help those struggling with escalating living costs, despite the overall improvement in overdue debt figures.
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Russia Not Invited to D-Day 80th Anniversary, French Presidency Says
PARIS: Russia will not be invited to events marking the 80th anniversary of the Second World War’s D-Day landings next week given its war of aggression against Ukraine, the French presidency said on Thursday.
Organizers had said in April that President Vladimir Putin would not be invited to the events in France, but that some Russian representatives would be welcome in recognition of the country’s war-time sacrifice.
Prior to France’s announcement on Thursday two diplomatic sources told Reuters that the Ukraine war and unease among some allies about Moscow’s presence had led Paris to reverse its initial thinking.
The commemorations will be attended by dozens of heads of state and government, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden.
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Schmit Says No to Draghi at Helm of EU Commission
We wouldn’t be respecting the system — Socialist lead candidate
Nicolas Schmit, the lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists (PES) for next month’s EU elections, said Thursday that he is not in favour of former ECB President and former Italian premier Mario Draghi becoming the next European Commission President.
“It would mean not respecting the system,” Schmit told the news agencies involved in the European Newsroom, including ANSA.
That said, Schmit conceded that “there could be the problem that no one (among the Commission president candidates) manages to obtain a majority in parliament.
“In the end, it’s the parliament that decides,” he said
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Slovak Prime Minister Fico Released From Hospital, Media Says
May 30 (Reuters) — Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was released from a hospital in the central city of Banska Bystrica, where he had been recovering from an assassination attempt, and taken to his apartment in Bratislava on Thursday, Slovak media reported.
The hospital and the government office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The hospital said earlier on Thursday Fico underwent further follow-up examinations, which confirmed the positive development of his health condition, and that he had started rehabilitation.
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Spain: Amnesty for Catalan Separatists Now a Reality
Spain’s parliament has given the final greenlight to the controversial Catalan amnesty law.
The bill had been vetoed by the country’s Partido Popular (PP)-led Senate earlier this month, forcing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to scrape together an absolute majority in the lower house to get around the blockage.
This was finally achieved on May 30, with the Socialist-sponsored bill receiving 177 votes — one more than the minimum required to lift the Senate’s veto.
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The EU is on the Brink Off Making “Hate Speech” a Serious Crime
The EU’s European Commission (EC) appears to be preparing to include “hate speech” among the list of most serious criminal offenses and regulate its investigation and prosecution across the bloc.
Whether this type of proposal is cropping up now because of the upcoming EU elections or if the initiative has legs will become obvious in time, but for now, the plans are supported by several EC commissioners.
The idea stems from the European Citizens’ Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society, one of several panels (ECPs) established to help EC President Ursula von der Leyen with her (campaign?) promise of ushering in a democracy in the EU that is “fit for the future.”
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UK: Three Adults and a Child Gunned Down in Central London Shooting
A child is in a serious condition and three adults are in hospital after a shooting Wednesday near a restaurant in north-east London.
The BBC reports police were called to Kingsland High Street, in Dalston in Hackney, at about 21:20 BST after reports of gunshots.
Officers, including firearms specialists, and the London ambulance service attended the scene, the Metropolitan Police said.
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Hamas Says it is Ready for a ‘Complete Agreement’ if Israel Stops War
May 30 (Reuters) — Hamas said on Thursday it had told mediators it would not take part in more negotiations during ongoing aggression but was ready for a “complete agreement” including an exchange of hostages and prisoners if Israel stopped the war.
Talks, mediated by among others Egypt and Qatar, to arrange a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist movement in the Gaza war have repeatedly stalled with both sides blaming the other for the lack of progress.
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Poll: Half of Jewish Israelis Say Israel Should Run Gaza After the War; 0% Say Hamas
Fifty percent of Israeli Jews support Israel maintaining control of the Gaza Strip after the war against the Hamas terror group ends, according to a Pew Research Center survey published Thursday.
Asked who should govern the Palestinian enclave after the war, half of Jewish respondents said Israel; 15% said they didn’t know; 10% said the Palestinian Authority, but without its president, Mahmoud Abbas; 8% said people who live in Gaza should decide; 7% answered “other”; 5% said the PA with Abbas; 4% said the United Nations; and zero percent said Hamas.
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COVID Shots During Pregnancy Cause Brain Damage in Offspring, Study Warns
A new peer-reviewed study has warned that Covid mRNA shots have been found to cause brain damage in offspring when administered to mothers during pregnancy.
The medical study, conducted by prominent scientists in Turkey, was published in the prestigious Springer journal.
The researchers gave pregnant rats an mRNA Covid vaccination during lab tests.
However, they found that the rats often give birth to brain-damaged offspring.
The offspring, who didn’t receive direct Covid shots themselves, exhibited autism-like behaviors as well as physical ineptitude.
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NATO Arms in Russia ‘Uncontrollable Escalation’ — Parolin
A really worrying prospect says Vatican secretary of state
Authorising the use of NATO-supplied weapons by Ukraine in Russian territory would spell an “uncontrollable escalation” of the conflict, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Thursday.
“I think this possibility must worry all those who have the fate of our world at heart,” he said.
“This could entail an escalation that no one will be able to control any longer.
It’s a very disquieting prospect”.
Parolini went on: “We are working on the humanitarian level, above all on the question of the return of Ukrainian children to their homeland, a mechanism which has been launched with Cardinal (Matteo) Zupp’s visit to Kyiv and Moscow which is bearing fruit.
There is no other room”.
Bologna Archbishop Zuppi, chair of the Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), is Pope Francis’s peace envoy on the Ukraine war.
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NGOs Vow to Defy Georgia’s Foreign Agent Law Amid Brussels Threats
Around 200 NGOs in Georgia said they would defy the country’s new Foreign Agent legislation amid threats from Brussels that the law could “harm Georgia’s EU aspirations”.
On May 29, the NGOs — including the local branch of European Commission-backed Transparency International — issued a joint statement pledging to continue protests and offering mutual support.
The group argued that the legislation resembled a Russian regulation designed to silence government critics — and labelled it as a “Russian law” — though these facts have been fiercely contested by those in power.
“We will go on with our deed. We will help people and each other and won’t obey the Russian law!” they said.
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Four Pakistanis Fatally Shot by Iranian Border Guards in Southwestern Region
In a remote southwestern area of Pakistan, Iranian border guards opened fire on a vehicle carrying a group of Pakistanis, resulting in four deaths and two injuries, according to Pakistani officials on Thursday.
The incident took place on Wednesday near the border village of Mashkel in Baluchistan province, local police reported. Government administrator Sahibzada Asfand stated it remains unclear why the Iranian forces initiated the shooting.
Local police have confirmed that the bodies of the four deceased men have been returned to their families.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from Tehran or Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
The region is known for its security tensions, with forces from both countries frequently apprehending smugglers and insurgents. Earlier this year, Pakistan conducted retaliatory strikes targeting alleged militant hideouts inside Iran, resulting in at least nine deaths following a similar attack by Iranian forces.
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Suspected Militants Set Fire to Girls’ School in Northwest Pakistan: Third Incident This Mont
A group of militants used kerosene to torch a girls’ school in a former Pakistani Taliban stronghold, destroying furniture, computers, and books, police reported on Wednesday, marking the latest in a surge of such attacks, as reported by AP.
No casualties were reported from the overnight attack in North Waziristan, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to local police official Rehmat Ullah. Earlier this month, two other girls’ schools in the region were bombed.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, authorities suspect Islamic militants who have previously targeted girls’ schools, asserting that women should not receive an education.
North Waziristan was once a major stronghold for the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Though a separate entity, it maintains close ties with the Afghan Taliban, who took control of Afghanistan in 2021. This takeover has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban.
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Japan Raises Alarm Over Transfusions With COVID Vaxxed Blood
Leading researchers in Japan have raised the alarm over the risks associated with transfusions using blood from people who have received Covid mRNA injections.
In a new study, the renowned Japanese researchers warn that blood from the Covid vaxxed is contaminated with mRNA shots.
The research team, led by Professor Jun Ueda of the Asahikawa Medical University, is calling on medical professionals around the world to review the study’s findings and consider the risks to public health.
Additionally, they are calling for governments around the world to suspend “genetic vaccine” programs due to the “extremely serious” dangers of the injections.
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North Korea Accused of Sending Balloons With Excrement Into South Korea
South Korea has alerted residents near the North Korean border to remain vigilant after accusing North Korea of sending balloons filled with trash and feces into South Korean territory, as reported by The Guardian.
The South Korean military released photos on Wednesday showing balloons attached to plastic bags and scattered debris, including a bag labeled “excrement.” According to Yonhap news agency, over 150 balloons had been detected by Wednesday, some landing while others remained airborne. The balloons reportedly traveled as far as South Gyeongsang province, carrying various items such as plastic bottles, batteries, shoe parts, and suspected manure, according to an official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The military reported spotting unidentified objects believed to be from North Korea near the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Residents were advised to avoid these objects and report them to authorities. The military deployed explosives ordnance and chemical warfare teams to inspect and collect the items.
The JCS condemned North Korea’s actions as violations of international law and serious threats to public safety, urging an immediate halt to these activities. The incident follows a warning from North Korean defense vice-minister Kim Kang-il, who threatened retaliation for anti-North Korean leaflets sent from the South.
For years, South Korean activists and defectors have launched balloons carrying anti-regime leaflets, USB sticks with K-pop videos, and other items into North Korea, provoking strong reactions from Pyongyang. In response to these leafleting campaigns, the South Korean government under President Moon Jae-in had previously restricted such activities, leading to controversy over free speech.
In 2023, South Korea’s constitutional court overturned the leafleting ban, citing it as an excessive restriction on free speech. The balloon launches have been a persistent source of tension, with North Korea claiming they spread “dirty waste” and, without evidence, attributing them to spreading COVID-19.
Peter Ward, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute, noted that these balloon tactics are less risky than direct military action but still problematic for civilians. The use of propaganda balloons remains a significant point of contention between the technically still-at-war North and South Korea.
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Australian politics is simply a gift that keeps on giving. Over the last years, several draconian measures have been enacted, from the pandemic to free speech restrictions, and now the time has come to establish a parliamentary role the focus of which will be to change people’s behavior.
Specifically — men’s behavior. This is happening in the state of Victoria, where Premier Jacinta Allan was proud to announce the role has been entrusted to MP Tim Richardson. Richardson’s official title is Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behavior Change.
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Counting Underway in South Africa’s Crucial Election
Votes are being counted in South Africa’s most closely contested election since the African National Congress (ANC) came to power 30 years ago. Polling stations saw long lines, with many people still waiting to vote after polls officially closed at 9 PM local time. The electoral commission allowed everyone in line to cast their ballots, as reported by BBC.
Preliminary results from just over 10% of voting districts show the ANC leading with 42%, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 26%, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 8%, and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) of former President Jacob Zuma just under 8%. Final results are expected over the weekend.
Opinion polls suggest the ANC might lose its majority in parliament for the first time in 30 years, potentially forcing it into a coalition. The party has lost support due to high levels of corruption, crime, and unemployment.
Voter sentiment has leaned towards change, particularly among young voters. Ayanda Hlekwane, a “born-free” generation member with three degrees but no job, expressed hope for change despite his situation.
A record 70 parties and 11 independents are competing for a new parliament and nine provincial legislatures, indicating widespread disillusionment with the ANC.
The DA has formed a pact with 10 other parties to create a coalition government if they gather enough votes to oust the ANC, although the ANC is still expected to remain the largest party and likely to lead any coalition if it drops below 50%.
South Africans do not directly vote for a president; instead, they vote for parliament members who then elect the president. Current President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to remain in power.
More than 27 million people registered to vote, with women making up 55%. Voter registration was highest among those aged 30 to 39. The youth vote could significantly impact the election outcome.
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Authored by Sophie Li via The Epoch Times
A bill that would allow students who are illegal immigrants to work at California colleges and universities passed the state Assembly on May 22.
Currently, students must obtain a work permit to hold jobs on campus. That would change under Assembly Bill 2586, introduced by Assemblyman David Alvarez of San Diego.
“America has always promised that if you work hard, you will have the opportunity to succeed,” the lawmaker said May 24 in a statement.
“Creating these pathways to secure employment is essential.”
The bill passed on a vote of 59-4.
Under the bill, schools cannot disqualify a student from employment for failing to provide proof of a federal work authorization unless it is required specifically for a position by federal law or as a condition of a grant funding the position.
If the bill were to become law, the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community College (CCC) systems would not enforce the federal ban on hiring illegal immigrants.
The legislation is based on the premise that California’s public colleges and universities should be exempt from the 1986 federal Immigration Reform and Control Act, which prevents employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.
When Congress passed the act, it “did not curtail states’ historic power to determine the employment qualifications of state employees. As a result, [the act’s] prohibition on hiring undocumented persons does not bind state government entities,” UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy wrote in a 2022 memorandum it published.
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Germany Continues Border Checks: Government Praises Their Effectiveness
Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser recently extended border checks with the Czech Republic, Poland, and Switzerland, praising their effectiveness, Euractiv reports.
Germany introduced controls at these borders last year in response to a surge in illegal border crossings.
“Since mid-October 2023, the Federal Police have arrested about 920 people involved in smuggling as part of ongoing internal border controls, including the border with Austria. This indicates that our measures are working,” Faeser noted.
According to Schengen regulations, Germany must renew the checks every six months, which means the latest renewal should have been in December. Critics are concerned that these checks could significantly harm the Schengen area, which is considered a key achievement of European integration. However, Faeser previously hinted that the checks might remain in place for a long time.
“We will return to the normal Schengen situation when fewer people are coming to Germany,” she told journalists in February.
Although the German Ministry of the Interior noted that the number of illegal border crossings decreased from 21,000 in September to 7,500 in April, the overall number of crossings in 2024 has increased compared to the same period last year.
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On Wednesday, a Pakistani immigrant was caught on video attempting to run down Orthodox Jewish students and a rabbi outside a Brooklyn Yeshiva and, according to witnesses, yelled “I’m gonna kill all the Jews.”
Video from the Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol showed, at approximately 11:25 am, the driver revving the engine of his 2011 white Crown Victoria, then mounting the curb and aiming his car toward Jews outside the Mesivta Nachlas Yakov School.
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Poland to Strengthen Belarus Border Security Following Soldier’s Stabbing
Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, announced on Wednesday that the country would further fortify its border with Belarus and employ “all available means” to defend the NATO nation’s frontier. This decision follows a serious incident where a Polish soldier was stabbed by a migrant near the border.
In addition to the existing 190-kilometer (118-mile) metal barrier, a new buffer zone approximately 200 meters (660 feet) wide will be established along the border, which also serves as the eastern frontier of the European Union. Poland attributes the increased pressure of illegal migration to the actions of Belarus and Russia.
“The government will make a decision on the buffer zone next week,” Tusk stated. This measure aims to enhance border security in response to the rising aggression linked to illegal migration, which Poland believes is orchestrated by Russia and Belarus to destabilize Europe amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Following the attack on the soldier, who remains in serious condition, Tusk, alongside Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and other officials, visited the troops, border guards, and police forces stationed at the border. The incident occurred early Tuesday near the village of Dubicze Cerkiewne, where a migrant reportedly reached through the 5-meter (16-foot) high metal wall and stabbed the soldier in the ribs. The attacker could not be detained as he was on the Belarusian side of the barrier.
“There is no room for negotiation. Poland’s border must be protected,” Tusk asserted. “Polish troops, border guards, officers have become the targets of aggression and you have every right, not to say an obligation, to use every means available to you … when you are defending not only the border but also your own life.”
In response to the incident, additional police and military forces will be deployed to the area. The Polish government, which is pro-EU, reports a significant increase in illegal crossing attempts, with more than 13,000 attempts registered so far this year, a rise from the same period last year. The current migrant groups predominantly consist of young men, in contrast to previous groups that included families with women and children.
Tusk emphasized the necessity of these measures to safeguard Poland’s sovereignty and the security of its borders, highlighting the broader implications for the European Union’s stability.
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A new secret memo has detailed plans to hugely expand a new asylum-processing centre outside of Dublin as the Irish government struggles to manage the arrival of asylum seekers into the city.
The coalition will now seek to house hundreds of migrants in centres in Kerry and Westmeath, with intentions to develop the existing Thornton Hall site in Dublin, according to plans seen by the Irish Independent.
Amid growing concerns about the appearance of encampments across the city, the government has reportedly greenlit plans to set up a new International Protection Office (IPO), responsible for examining and processing applications for international protection, outside of the capital.
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Two Men Arrested in “Dangerous Scheme” to Smuggle People From B.C. Across U.S. Border
Two men have been charged in a human smuggling case that the U.S. Department of Justice has called a “dangerous scheme” to traffic people from British Columbia into the United States via freight trains.
Jesus Ortiz-Plata, 45, of Oregon and 35-year-old Juan Pablo Cuellar Medina of Washington were arrested last week and face charges of human smuggling. Three other non-citizens were also arrested after allegedly being smuggled out of B.C. into the U.S.
Washington State prosecutor Tessa Gorman called it “an extremely dangerous smuggling scheme,” according to the Vancouver Sun.
The two are also suspected to have been involved in a case last August that saw 29 people rescued from a freight car filled with plastic pellets.
According to an affidavit filed by a U.S. Homeland Security officer, 28 of those rescued were Mexican nationals and one was Colombian.
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Alberta Theatre Cancels Drag Show Featuring Child Performers
An Alberta theatre says its cancellation of a drag show that featured children had nothing to do with the content of the performance.
Dragging Youth, an organization that stages “family friendly all age drag shows,” claimed that a representative of Manluk Theatre in Wetaskiwin, Alta., accused the organization of “grooming” kids.
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California Forces Female Prison Guards to Strip Search Men Who Claim to be Women
California female corrections officers are being forced to perform naked strip searches on male inmates who claim to be women due to the state’s new gender inclusion policy. The men are often fully intact, full-grown males, who claim to be transgender. The process to determine if a male really does believe himself to be a woman is to believe him when he says he is.
Female prison guards have spoken out about the trauma they have experienced as a result of the policy, with some claiming that male convicts are abusing the law by requesting to be searched by female guards so that they could be naked in front of the women, the National Review reports.
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A Canadian man has gone public to warn people around the world about the reality of the nation’s “assisted suicide” program after doctors have tried to railroad him into euthanasia “multiple times.”
49-year-old Roger Foley lives with a disability which he says was brought on after he was “very sick” as a child.
Foley says he has always received the medical care he needs and learned to accept his condition.
However, he says the “care” that medical professions now provide has shifted dramatically in recent years.
He says that after years of treatment, doctors are now trying to pressure him into signing up for the Canadian government’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) eugenics program to be euthanized.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Senate Backs Curbs on Child Sex Transitions
French Senators voted in favour of the introduction of measures curtailing child-gender transitions, prompting an outcry from the political Left.
The move on May 28 has been praised as an imperfect “first step” by those on the Right, who said more needed to be done to protect children from “gender ideology”.
Under the new legislation, minors would be banned from being subjected to surgical interventions regarding alleged “gender dysphoria”, with the provision of cross-sex hormones to under-18s also being banned.
It will remain legal to prescribe children puberty blockers, although only after they are monitored by a relevant specialist for two years or more.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kentucky High School Grad Denied Diploma for Speech Praising Jesus
A Kentucky high schooler was reportedly denied his diploma after he gave thanks and praise to Jesus Christ in his graduation speech last week. His speech received roaring applause from the audience packed into an arena at Northern Kentucky University.
On May 24, Micah Price had been given the green light to praise Jesus Christ in his commencement speech during the graduation ceremony for Campbell County High School in Alexandria, Kentucky. However, he also followed his speech telling “other Christians to stand up,” per the New York Post. Price was reportedly denied his diploma for going off script and then received it a few days later.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Melinda Gates Pledges $1 Billion for Far-Left Groups, Pro-Abortion Efforts
Bill Gates’s ultra-wealthy ex-wife has reportedly pledged to donate $1 billion to several far-left causes.
Melinda Gates vowed to make the huge donation to leftist causes and efforts to promote abortion over the next two years.
Pivotal Ventures, Melinda French Gates’s new charity, announced the big money pledge on Tuesday
The organization revealed it will be spending the cash on efforts to combat “the rollback of women’s rights and headwinds to social progress in the U.S. and around the world.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DEI is so unpopular that it’s being renamed. Like a mafia informant hiding out from his old pals, some consultants are trying to rebrand DEI as IDE. There are only so many ways to move the same letters around to form an acronym that isn’t as lethal in connotation as IED or DIE.
And if IDE doesn’t work out, expect to see some EID offices around before long.
Conservative states have started cracking down on DEI offices at publicly funded colleges, and so the University of Iowa now calls its DEI office the “Division of Access, Opportunity and Diversity” while the University of Oklahoma renamed its racism stronghold the “Division of Access and Opportunity.’ At the University of Tennessee, it’s the “Division of Access and Engagement” while at Louisiana State University it was more awkwardly renamed to the “Division of Engagement, Civil Rights & Title IX”. Utah Valley University’s DEI office adopted the meaninglessly bland title of the “Office of Institutional Engagement and Effectiveness.”
Much like changing DEI to IDE, liberals playing mad libs with buzzwords like “access’“, “engagement” and “opportunity” will just mean more of the same under a different name.
A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, and a racist organization is going to be just as racist even if you rename the KKK and announce you’re admitting black people (this actually happened under Obama) or call DEI the Division of Effective Engagements and Opportunistic Access. The problem isn’t with the three letter name and can’t be fixed by moving it around.
It’s hard to say whether colleges believing that changing DEI’s name will fix everything is an insulting or accurate assessment of elected officials who have the attention span of mayflies and won’t even notice or care that the same DEI system is still up and running by another name.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
I live in NYC. I’ve not been a great fan of President Trump but I have recognized that his administration did do good things. For example; including due process in Title IX, tweaking NAFTA, the Abraham Accords, and Remain in Mexico.
From day one, President Biden with a stroke of a pen sought to eliminate all the good that Trump had done.
This trial and verdict is a travesty. I, a lifelong Democrat, declare this.
The country is broken.
Had an alternate venue been set, other than NYC, I truly doubt a jury would have convicted. These are Class E felonies…without other crimes attached.
It’s very rare that these felonies hold water without exhibiting harm.
and do you think Mr. Trump will be arrest? I´m from Brazil and don´t understand correctly what is going on and its implications.
There were no crimes that Trump committed.
Every time, during fake president Bidens term in office, he was exposed for his lies and corruption,
Everytime he was exposed, lo and behold, there were false charges against Trump.
Trump is right, It is a Witch Hunt and he is innocent of all ‘crimes’.
“Every time, during fake president Bidens term in office, he was exposed for his lies and corruption,
Everytime he was exposed, lo and behold, there were false charges against Trump.”
The Rule of Law, ‘toddler-style:
When the facts’re against you, argue the law.
When the law’s against you, argue the facts.
When the facts and law’re against you, just LIE.
And LYING’s what The Party does well.
“‘Toddlers LIE and LIE and LIE and, then, they LIE about their LIES. Then, they point their collectivist fingers at their opponents and accuse them of lying, which is a LIE..
Remember: There’s no law that can’t be broken, no lie that can’t be told by Bolshevik two year-old commie-toddlers in their blind pursuit of “social justice” (for personal gain).” —posted to fb (Nov 2021)
Just sayin’..
“and do you think Mr. Trump will be arrest? I´m from Brazil and don´t understand correctly what is going on and its implications.”
As Mags said: “The country is broken.”
I’d go further, adding that I reckon we’re witnessing the Art of Collapse, a la Rome 2.0.
He’s already been arrested after the indictment. I think you might mean, will he be sentenced by the judge to a prison term.
I don’t know. It will go to appeal.
The appellate court could reverse jury’s decision but the reversal can only be made if the appellate court finds that errors were made by the prosecution or the judge at the trial level.
Reverse and remand back to the trial court level. Affirm the decision, or dismiss.
I’m not a personal fan of President Trump but I never had believed that he was “evil”.
As I am someone who strongly believes in my country’s Constitution and in the higher courts, I must say this lower trial court case was a travesty.
These are low level E felonies. And all of the 34 were of the same low level charge. It’s called over charging.
“I’ve not been a great fan of President Trump but I have recognized that his administration did do good things. For example; including due process in Title IX, tweaking NAFTA, the Abraham Accords, and Remain in Mexico.”
I think “Orange Hitler’s” adherence to civil rights is on a case-by-case basis. To wit..
“Take guns first, go through due process second.” —Donald Trump (Feb 2018)
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4716589/user-clip-trump-take-guns-first-due-process-second
“This trial and verdict is a travesty. I, a lifelong Democrat, declare this.
The country is broken.”
Ditto. But I’m a JFK Democrat, which places my politics somewhere between those of Newt Gingrich and Ted Cruz. Still, my views re “Orange Hitler” have NOT changed..
“Donald Trump ACTS like a moron, but -most- of what he’s DONE [as president] has been brilliant for America, [non-hyphenated] Americans and the free world.” —posted to fb (Apr 2017)
I’m a JFK Democrat as well. I remember when he was assassinated. I was a child then. All of a sudden, after someone came to my fifth grade door, all went hush. All the doors were closed and no one was in the corridors. We were all sent immediately home. Those were the days when children walked themselves to and fro school.
It was sorrowful and frightening.
I have thought of severing my affiliation as a voter with the Democratic Party but my feeling is that if I do, I will not be able to vote in the primaries.
Do I have actual hope that the Democratic Party can be saved? I do not. The world has turned upside down and I fear that it will become worse.
“I remember when he was assassinated. I was a child then. All of a sudden, after someone came to my fifth grade door, all went hush. All the doors were closed and no one was in the corridors. We were all sent immediately home. Those were the days when children walked themselves to and fro school. It was sorrowful and frightening….Do I have actual hope that the Democratic Party can be saved? I do not. The world has turned upside down and I fear that it will become worse.”
Ditto….and well stated.
“I have thought of severing my affiliation as a voter with the Democratic Party but my feeling is that if I do, I will not be able to vote in the primaries.”
“Besides the names on your ballot, you may be able to write in names of other candidates. Most states let you write in votes for president, U.S. senator, and U.S. representative.”
https://www.usa.gov/write-in-candidates
The democrats should consider a name change. Demokrauts would be a fitting choice.
I call them the commiecrat party, it fits.
There are 6 ways to permute 3 letters.
IE 3! =6
DIE
DEI
EDI
EID
IDE
IED
Look out for ALL of them.
Liberal Bill Maher played a video of ‘Sloppy’ Daniels interview from a few years ago.
She told him that she was not raped, not assaulted and that Trump did not touch her at all.
Exposed. The lies keep coming. But I think that the Smoke of Satan entered Merchans and his daughters bodies. That is why are so corrupt.
Merchan,s daughter heads a “non-profit” that works raising big bucks for democrats in New York and California ,he should have not been the judge in this trial . The trial should have not been in Manhattan it should have either been up state NY or if in the city Staten Island, Manhattan voted over 90 percent for bird brain Biden in 2020 the jury pool there could never think past it TDS in my opinion. He would face jail time for parking tickets with a Manhattan all white collar progressive jury.
New reply to the original post of the story of Trump having been found guilty on all counts.
I’m not a rich person. I don’t utilize a limo or call Uber. I don’t own a car.
I travel within my NYC by bus or by subway.
Thursday afternoon I was on an NYC bus traveling home from a class. I was most fortunate in having a seat and so, I settled down to review my notes from that afternoon’s class.
At about 5 pm or so, whilst still in my seat on that bus, I heard shouting, “Guilty! Guilty!”
I thought to myself, is this another nut. Should I cover my head with my textbook?
No, it was just some young woman who had been tracking the news as to the Trump trial.
She had also said, “I knew that NYC would not fail me. Guilty on all counts”.
I reckon that she had expected for all the other passengers on that bus to stand up and cheer. No one had, NYC in many ways is still working class.
The tide might be turning. Let’s hope so.