The Russian government issued an arrest warrant for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Meanwhile, Mr. Zelensky said that Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Su-25 fighter-bomber over Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
In other news, a human rights group called Asylum Aid has initiated legal action against the UK government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, LP, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
17 Arrested During Protest at Notre Dame
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) — The University of Notre Dame now joins the growing list of schools across the country where pro-Palestinian protests have led to arrests.
The St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office says 17 protestors were arrested on Thursday night during a largely peaceful protest on campus.
According to the university, event organizers failed to secure permission to hold the rally, but it was allowed to proceed as long as there was no amplified sound, no tents, and as long as things wrapped up by 9 p.m.
Things did not wrap by 9 p.m., according to court documents.
Prosecutors say that university officials repeatedly asked the protestors to disperse because they were disturbing students who needed to prepare for final exams. Those 17 individuals reportedly refused to do so, and police moved in to make arrests at about 11:15 p.m.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
25 Arrested at U-Va. After Clashes With Police
Authorities arrested 25 pro-Palestinian demonstrators during a sustained confrontation at the University of Virginia on Saturday, university officials said, after dozens of law enforcement officers in riot gear surrounded a student encampment and used pepper spray to disperse people from the area.
The clash, which U-Va. President James E. Ryan described in a letter to the school community Saturday evening as “upsetting, frightening and sad,” marked the latest escalation during the past several weeks of protests on campuses over the Israel-Gaza war. In a separate statement, the university said that it was still waiting for confirmation on how many of the 25 arrested were affiliated with U-Va.
More than 2,300 people have been arrested on campuses nationwide over the past two weeks, according to a Washington Post tally of news reports and police and university statements.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
4 More Pro-Palestinian Protester Arrests at Yale Bring CT Total to at Least 78
NEW HAVEN — Yale police arrested four people Wednesday night after Yale students restarted their protests of the Israel-Hamas war by marching to the university president’s home and then to the school’s police department.
The four new arrests bring the total number of people arrested in Connecticut at college protests against the war to at least 78. Yale police backed by New Haven officers arrested 48 people while clearing an encampment at Beinecke Plaza on April 22. A graduate student was arrested on April 25 during a scrum at the University of Connecticut. Authorities then arrested 25 people at UConn on Tuesday.
The four arrests included two Yale students and two non-students, said Karen Peart, a spokesperson for the university. They were charged with first-degree criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, she said. One of the individuals arrested additionally was charged with interfering with a police officer, Peart said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
8 Arrested in Multi-Million Dollar Retail Theft Bust in Southern California
Eight suspects were arrested after authorities discovered several million dollars worth of stolen merchandise in a Southern California bust.
The massive amount of merchandise was stolen by booster crews from multiple retail stores in California, Nevada and Arizona, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
The retail theft crew transported the stolen items to locations throughout Los Angeles County and sold them to various “fence” operations.
A “crime fence” is an individual or business that knowingly purchases stolen goods and property and then sells the items for profit. Oftentimes, the stolen merchandise can be the result of smash-and-grab robberies and retail thefts.
Locals who shop at hidden fence operations may not be aware that the products were stolen through an organized retail crime operation, police said.
Photos of the large bust showed a variety of stolen goods including over-the-counter medication, cosmetic and beauty products, along with personal and hygiene items. Deputies discovered a large warehouse filled with boxes of stolen items.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A 12-person jury in San Diego County has convicted two So Cal Antifa members after hearing evidence over the course of a four week trial. The two men from Los Angeles were revealed to have conspired as part of So Cal Antifa to confront beach-goers at Pacific Beach more than three years ago. This legal case could provide a blueprint on how prosecutors can unmask and break up criminal Antifa cells.
Defendants Jeremy Jonathan White, 41, and Brian Cortez Lightfoot Jr., 27, both of Los Angeles, were accused of assaulting supporters of former President Donald Trump and others on a beach boardwalk, but the jury deadlocked on the six assault charges against Lightfoot. This case was the first time Antifa suspects were charged with conspiracy in the US. Ten of their comrades were already convicted in plea deals, including Luis Francisco Mora, 32, who took a last-minute plea deal at the start of the trial.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-War Protest Ruffles University of Michigan as Demonstrations Collide With Graduation Season
Protesters chanted anti-war messages and waved Palestinian flags during the University of Michigan’s commencement Saturday, as student demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war collided with the annual pomp-and-circumstance of graduation season at American universities.
The protest happened at the beginning of the event at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. About 75 people, many wearing traditional Arabic keffiyeh along with their graduation caps, marched up the main aisle toward the graduation stage.
They chanted “Regents, regents, you can’t hide! You are funding genocide!” while holding signs, including one that read: “No universities left in Gaza.”
Overhead, planes flew competing messages. One read: “Divest from Israel now! Free Palestine!” The other read: “We stand with Israel. Jewish lives matter.”
Officials said no one was arrested, and the protest didn’t seriously interrupt the nearly two-hour event, which was attended by tens of thousands of people, some of them waving Israeli flags.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-Israel Campus Protest Backers Raked in $2.7M in Lefty NYC Council Pork Funds
New York taxpayers have shelled out at least $2.7 million in political pork over the past decade — including $430,000-plus since last July — to five nonprofits that helped organize or support radical anti-Israel student protests.
A Post examination of City Council “discretionary funds” show members funneled nearly $2.5 million alone since 2014 to the Manhattan-based Muslim Community Network, which offers “safety-training” seminars to protestors.
The group also posted some spirited advice on social media last week on how protestors should refuse police searches and not be “fooled” by the “‘good cop/bad cop’ technique.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Authorities Arrest Suspect in Killing of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca
The Chicago Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force took Xavier L. Tate Jr. into custody on suspicion of the murder of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca.
Tate Jr. was found Wednesday night in the Chicago suburb of Glendale Heights, Illinois, police said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Barnard Student Twice Arrested at Columbia Protests Refuses to Say Whether Israel Has Right to Exist
A Barnard College student who was among the hundreds arrested during NYPD’s raid at Columbia University to rid the campus of student protesters refused to say whether or not she believes Israel has the right to exist.
Marie Adele Grosso, a 19-year-old studying sociology and human rights, has been arrested at Columbia twice in the past month for trespassing during the ongoing student protests demanding the school divest from Israel-associated companies, according to police sources.
In an interview with “Leading Britain’s Conversation” host Ben Kentish on Thursday, Grosso struggled several times to answer his direct question: “Do you think Israel has a right to exist?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Gates Insider Blows Whistle on Coming ‘Wave’ of ‘Unprecedented Deaths’ Among Vaxxed
A world-renowned scientist, who previously served as Bill Gates’s vaccine specialist, has blown the whistle to warn of a coming “wave of morbidity” and “mortality” among the Covid mRNA vaccinated.
Former Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation scientist and vaccine expert Dr. Geert Vanden Bossche has warned that populations around the world will soon experience a “completely unprecedented” plunge.
Bossche predicts that the death toll will be “up to 30-40% in highly vaccinated countries.”
The top scientists raised the alarm during an interview with vaccine expert and investigator Steve Kirsch.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boeing Faces 10 More Whistleblowers After Two Die: ‘People’s Lives Are at Stake’
The sky is falling — at least on Boeing.
A second whistleblower has died under mysterious circumstances, just two months after another one allegedly shot himself in the head — and the attorneys for both men hope their deaths don’t scare away the at least 10 other whistleblowers who want the company to clean up its act.
Joshua Dean, 45, a former quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems which assembles fuselage sections for Boeing, died Tuesday morning from a fast-growing mystery infection.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Mocked Over $11 Billion High-Speed Rail Bridge to Nowhere That Took 9 Years to Build
California is taking of heat for celebrating the completion of an high-speed rail bridge that has cost taxpayers $11 billion and took nine years to build — and clearly goes nowhere.
Critics — including Tesla founder Elon Musk and Dogecoin creator Billy Markus — are ripping the California High Speed Rail Authority after it boasted about last year’s completion of a “Fresno River Viaduct,” a mere sliver of the state’s long-delayed, bullet-train project attempting to link San Francisco to Los Angeles
“This is the most remarkable human achievement ever,” joked Markus, the creator of the jokey cryptocurrency, on X Friday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Runs From Reporters Asking About Alleged Cop Killer: Video
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was caught on camera bolting from local reporters who wanted to ask him about the recent arrest of an alleged cop killer.
Johnson was at a National Day of Prayer service Thursday in the Windy City, with his chauffeured car waiting in an alley, according to reports.
Local reporters darted after the mayor, hollering for him to wait and to comment about the arrest of Xavier Tate Jr., who allegedly killed Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca in a carjacking last month, according to video.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Fires Back at Robert De Niro for Comparing Trump to Hitler, Mussolini: ‘Makes No Sense’
X owner Elon Musk blasted actor Robert De Niro on his social media platform Friday after the “Heat” star compared former President Trump to infamous dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
Musk replied to a clip of De Niro’s statements from MSNBC’s “11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle,” stating that Trump’s policies “bore no resemblance” to those of both dictators and declared that the actor’s latest anti-Trump tirade “makes no sense.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Fyre Festival of Books’ Conference Devolves Into Chaos, Leaves Multiple Bibliophiles Injured
A book lovers’ conference in Colorado is being ripped on social media after the event descended into a disappointing catastrophe that some dubbed “the Fyre Festival of books” — and that even left one bibliophile with a black eye.
Last month’s Readers Take Denver event was billed as a four-day reader’s paradise, filled with popular authors, signed copies of books and a community of like-minded bookworms.
Instead, the conference was spoiled by hours-long lines, a lack of security, missing pre-ordered books, according to published reports and social media posts by attendees.
“All we did was stand in line. It was total BS,” self-described “RTD survivor” Kelli Meyer told The Denver Post, calling the event the “Fyre Festival of books.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google Bans Ad Showing How Life Was Better Under Trump Than Biden
An ad from President Donald Trump’s campaign has been censored online by Google.
Reporter Andrew Arenge posted screenshots of the ad being removed for a “policy violation” on the tech giant’s search results.
According to Arenge, a reporter for NBC News, Google removed the advertisement for the vague justification of a “policy violation.” On Friday the advertisement was live in the Google archive but has since been removed.
Arenge also pointed out that the Make America Great Again Super PAC, the group behind the advertisement, spent over $15,000 targeting the advertisement at specific communities in Georgia.
The ad featured a conversation between a caller from the Biden campaign and a voter expressing remorse for voting for Biden in 2020. The voter complained about the increased cost of living under Biden, including prices for food and rent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hims & Hers Stock Slides After CEO’s Praise for Anti-Israel Protesters
Hims & Hers Health Inc. saw its stock slide during Friday’s trading session after its CEO praised the “moral courage” of anti-Israel campus protesters and encouraged them to apply for jobs at the health and wellness company.
Hims & Hers, which offers telehealth and online pharmacy services for erectile dysfunction, sexual performance, hair loss treatments, mental health and more, saw its stock slide by 8% Friday amid the controversy. Though it has rebounded by 0.89% in after-hours trading since Friday’s close. The drop came as the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 450 points, or more than a full percentage point.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jack Smith Admits That Evidence in Trump’s Classified Documents Mar-a-Lago Case Was Tampered With
Special Counsel Jack Smith has conceded that evidence in the case involving classified documents belonging to former President Donald Trump was tampered with after being seized by the FBI.
In a court filing on Friday, Smith admitted that the documents obtained during the FBI’s sweep of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 may not be in the same sequence as when they were initially found.
This admission from prosecutors comes after attorneys representing one of Trump’s co-defendants requested a case delay, citing difficulties in determining the origin of specific documents among the 33 boxes seized by the FBI.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An orthodox Jewish professor slammed Rutgers University’s administration for letting the campus become a hotbed of bigotry, claiming in a scathing letter she cannot do any work because “all I do is confront antisemitism.”
Rebecca Cypess, a professor for the school’s music department, said she’s been “privy to the details of antisemitic incidents at Rutgers from the classroom . . . to the highest offices at the university,” according to the missive to President Jonathan Holloway and Chancellor Francine Conway.
The toxic climate has prevented her from publishing any scholarly writing, Cypess contended, noting she finds herself devoting all her time to advocating for “students, staff members, and faculty members in distress.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Denies Request to Lift Ban on ASU Students Suspended for Anti-Israel Protests: Report
A judge in Arizona has denied a motion that would have lifted the suspension of twenty students arrested last week amid anti-Israel protests.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona denied the Arizona State University students’ motion to have their college suspensions lifted on Friday, according to local outlet ABC 15.
The defendants filed the lawsuit against the Arizona Board of Regents on Tuesday, alleging that their suspension from ASU is causing “irreparable harm” due to their inability to enroll in classes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
mRNA Shots Increase Chance of Catching COVID, Study Finds
A new study has concluded that the more Covid mRNA shots a person receives, the more likely they are to contract COVID-19.
Dr. Nabin Shrestha and his team conducted an analysis of data from Cleveland Clinic employees.
The researchers reported that they found that the likelihood of a person contracting Covid increased each time they received a dose of the vaccine.
People who received two or more doses were at higher risk of COVID-19, they noted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYC Judge Retiring to Florida Days After Setting Free Deranged Brute Who Broke Mom-of-Three’s Jaw
Good riddance.
The turn-em-loose judge who released an alleged predator who randomly sucker-punches people left the bench Friday — just days after the bizarre ruling — and is moving to Florida.
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew Sciarrino retired with more than a year-and-a-half left on his mayoral appointment, two days after setting free the deranged suspect accused of socking Dulche Pichardo of Crown Heights in the face and breaking the 57-year-old mother-of-three’s jaw.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Use Chemical Spray, Handcuff Protesters, Arrest Nonstudent Outside UM Museum
Ann Arbor — Police used a chemical spray to disperse a large crowd and handcuff pro-Palestinian protesters during a chaotic scene outside the University of Michigan Museum of Art on Friday night, according to videos posted on social media.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. outside the museum on South State Street in downtown Ann Arbor, hours before UM was poised to celebrate the Class of 2024 during its commencement on Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
A dinner was held at the university art museum on Friday to recognize those set to receive honorary degrees during commencement, UM spokeswoman Colleen Mastony said Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Arrest 90 Pro-Palestinian Protesters on Dartmouth Campus
HANOVER, N.H. (WCAX) — Police officers entered and arrested 90 protesters at a pro-Gaza encampment on the Dartmouth campus Wednesday night.
It started with a few hundred people gathering on the Dartmouth Green at about 6 p.m. Wednesday for a liberation rally. We have been told the group of protesters was made up of students and members of the general community.
According to one student, the protest had been peaceful, but school officials said if a camp was set up, there would be no further dialogue and disciplinary action would be “imminent.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rutgers Forces Jewish BBQ Off Campus After Giving Into Anti-Israel Encampment’s Demands
Rutgers University refused to let a Jewish group hold a pro-Israel barbecue on the campus’ Vorhees Mall, despite allowing pro-terror protesters to camp there for days, emails obtained by The Post claim.
Rutgers Associate Dean of Students Kerri Willson refused to allow the Jewish students to gather at the spot, saying no events could be held on campus after the last day of classes on Monday, April 29 — despite allowing the encampment to drag on until May 2.
The Kosher cookout was set to mark the end of a grueling semester for Jewish students at Rutgers, which has seen pro-Hamas students plaster a pro-Israel student’s picture all over their dorm; spray paint pictures of Palestinian terrorists on campus sidewalks; and scream “Hitler would have loved you” at Jewish students.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Snakes Almost on a Plane: TSA Discovers Bag With Small Snakes in Passenger’s Pants
MIAMI — Airport security officers in Miami found a slithering surprise last week — a bag of snakes hidden in a passenger’s pants.
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger’s trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
The post included a photo of two small snakes that were found in what appeared to be a sunglasses bag.
TSA said the snakes were turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Student Shot to Death Outside Wisconsin Middle School Was Wielding a Pellet Gun, State DOJ Says
MT. HOREB, Wis. — A student was shot to death while carrying a pellet gun outside a Wisconsin middle school on Wednesday morning, the state Department of Justice said Saturday.
The Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting.
It happened after someone reported seeing a person with a backpack and a long gun near Mount Horeb Middle School, located about 20 miles southwest of Madison, just after 11 a.m.
Mount Horeb police officers responded and found a 14-year-old boy, later identified as a student, east of the school’s main entrance at 900 Garfield Street.
The Wisconsin DOJ said when officers asked the teen to drop his pellet gun, he pointed it at officers. That’s when officers shot the teen, who died on the scene.
No one else was injured.
The weapon recovered on the scene was a Ruger .177 caliber pellet rifle, the state DOJ said.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Swastikas Drawn on Israeli-Owned NYC Eatery Mark Third Antisemitic Attack Since Oct. 7
The same Israeli restaurateur whose kosher Upper East Side cafe was subjected to back-to-back antisemitic attacks saw another one of his eateries defaced with swastikas this week.
Owner Sharon Hoota arrived at ZiZi, in Chelsea, Tuesday morning to find two of the hate symbols — one red and one black — spray painted on the restaurant’s outdoor dining shed on Eighth Avenue between 19th and 20th streets.
“This is, I believe, no different than what the Jews saw in the 1930s in Germany,” Hoota told The Post Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, Frank Kendall, flew in an F-16 fighter jet controlled by artificial intelligence, reports AirForceTimes. It is noted that the aerial combat was unlike any before: this F-16 was not piloted by a human, but by artificial intelligence.
The F-16 VISTA fighter jet, controlled by AI, performed lightning-fast maneuvers at speeds of around 900 kilometers per hour. It flew almost nose-to-nose with a second F-16, piloted by a human, as both aircraft flew within 300 meters of each other, maneuvering to put an imaginary adversary in a vulnerable position.
It is indicated that the transition of American military to AI-controlled aircraft is driven by considerations of safety, cost, and strategic capabilities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Three NYC Synagogues Targeted With False Bomb Threats: Police
Three Manhattan synagogues received false bomb threats on Saturday, according to police.
The Upper West Side’s Congregation Rodeph Sholom, located at 7 W. 83rd Street near Central Park, was evacuated after police received a report of a bomb threat around 3:15 p.m.
Police confirmed that the threat was unfounded.
Another threat — which was also determined to be false — prompted an evacuation at the Chabad of Midtown at 509 5th Avenue around 4:30 p.m.
Around the same time, police responded to a bomb threat at the progressive, LGBTQ-friendly Congregation Beit Simchat Torah at 130 W. 30th Street.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Wants to Push NATO Countries to Increase Defense Spending to 3% of GDP — the Telegraph
Former US President Donald Trump, if elected, is considering plans to compel NATO members to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP, according to The Telegraph, citing sources.
According to the publication’s sources, Trump believes that member countries should contribute more to the alliance’s collective defense in the face of threats from Russia and China. He also believes that accounting rules should be changed so that aid to Ukraine is not counted as part of defense spending.
According to a source, Trump has been considering increasing spending for some time, and became even more convinced after meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda last month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Releases Ad Heralding UNC Frat Bros Who Defended American Flag From Anti-Israel Mob
Former President Trump released a new ad Friday for his presidential campaign that heralded the patriotic students battling back against the anti-Israel mob — and seemed to claim them under his own banner.
The ad was posted to Truth Social and consisted entirely of spliced news clippings showing chaos around the country.
The footage leaned hard into a collection of University of North Carolina Chapel Hill students who famously defended the American flag on their campus from protesters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump, RNC File Lawsuit in Nevada to Prevent Late Ballots, Protect Election Integrity
On Friday, The Republican National Committee as well as GOP assumed presidential candidate Donald Trump filed a lawsuit with the US District Court to prevent Nevada from counting state ballots that are received after election day.
In a statement, RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said, “Nevada’s ballot receipt deadline clearly violates federal law and undermines election integrity in the state.”
“Ballots received days after Election Day should not be counted,” he added. “The RNC and our partners are suing to secure an honest election, support Nevada voters, and oppose unlawful schemes.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UCLA Student Exposes Anti-Israel Agitators in Viral Videos: ‘They Physically Assaulted Me’
One University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) student went viral on TikTok after anti-Israel agitators blocked him from walking across campus twice, shortly before law enforcement broke up the encampment leaving the once-beautiful campus ridden with graffiti and trash.
Milagro Jones, a senior at UCLA, joined “America’s Newsroom” to discuss the encounter with the pro-Palestinian demonstrators and how he responded to the attempt to thwart him from accessing his campus library.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UPDATE (10:25 p.m.) — Illinois State University Police arrested seven students Friday evening for refusing to end a sit-in outside the president’s office where they protested Israel’s war in Gaza.
The seven are believed to be members of the ISU branch of Students for Justice in Palestine. They have been suspended by the university in addition to being jailed on misdemeanor charges of criminal trespassing on state property.
Late Friday night, ISU Police released the names of the seven students arrested.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Can they face the music?
A frustrated fundraiser is looking to hire a mariachi band to incessantly serenade the anti-Israel encampment at the University of Pennsylvania — and supporters are donating to the idea in droves.
The protesters occupying the Philadelphia campus’ College Green are reluctant to converse with outsiders, according to CNN — but have no problem shouting their ideals for all to hear, according to fundraiser Rob Martinez.
“I believe these protestors (sic) should be serenaded for their efforts, just as they have constantly serenaded my efforts to study for finals with a megaphone and drum set,” Martinez wrote on his GoFundMe, which plans to hire a mariachi band to play alongside the tent setup until the coffers run out.
“Donate to have a mariachi band play next to the encampment continuously until we run out of money to pay them for their efforts,” Martinez wrote.
The fundraiser also asked donors to chip in “a few dollars for nose plugs” for the band, because the “merry batch of campers” on the green “are not the biggest fans of bathing.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Violent’ Columbia Protester is Heir to Ad Empire, Has Mansion, Model Babymama — and Long Rap Sheet
One of the most violent leaders of the Columbia University riots is allegedly a professional agitator and limousine liberal — the scion of millionaire ad execs who owns in a $3.4 million Brooklyn townhouse, has a model babymama and a stepmom dating John Cougar Mellencamp.
James Carlson, aka Cody Carlson, aka Cody Tarlow, is “a longtime anarchist,” a high-ranking police source said.
He bought his 2,893-square-foot, three-story townhouse with four wood-burning fireplaces and a carriage house in Park Slope in 2019 for $2.3 million, according to property records and online listings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Woman Named Crystal Methvin Gets Busted With Crystal Meth
[Comment: This is old, but entertaining.]
Talk about living up to your name.
A Florida woman named Crystal Methvin was arrested Saturday in St. Johns County on drug possession charges after being caught with crystal meth, jail records show.
Methvin, 40, of St. Augustine, was busted after an anonymous caller tipped off cops who found her inside a car with two other people in a parking lot on South Dixie Highway, WJXT reports.
Police searched the car and found drug paraphernalia and a substance that tested positive for crystal meth.
Methvin was taken into custody with a man identified as Douglas Nickerson, WJXT reports.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Andrzej Duda Has Appointed New Commanders of the Polish Army
President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, appointed new commanders of the Armed Forces and Territorial Defense Forces, and elevated Poland’s representative to NATO and EU military committees to the rank of general, Onet reported.
On Friday morning, Duda handed over the appointment documents for the position of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces to Lieutenant General Marek Sokolowski and for the position of Commander of the Territorial Defense Forces to Brigadier General Krzysztof Stanczyk.
Additionally, the Polish president presented Slawomir Wojciechowski, Poland’s military representative to NATO and EU military committees, with the act of promotion to the rank of general in the Polish Army.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
British Foreign Secretary Promises Long-Term Military Aid to Ukraine
During his visit to Kyiv, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron pledged annual military aid of three billion pounds ($3.74 billion) to Ukraine for an indefinite period, as reported by Reuters.
He stated that the UK supports Ukraine’s right to use these weapons, even inside Russia if deemed necessary for self-defense. The aid, the largest from the UK to date, includes equipment already being delivered to Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Authorities Have Called on Universities to Combat Anti-Semitism
Germany’s Federal Minister of Education, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, has urged German universities to vigorously oppose anti-Semitism, according to DW.
“The scale of hatred towards Israel and Jews at many Western universities is unbearable. The mass disturbances of the past few days should serve as a reminder and a warning to us,” she said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
According to the Belgian Maritime Security unit (CMB), over the last six months in the North Sea, several non-military ships have been spotted that may be involved in espionage. This was reported by the government agency to the Belgian public broadcaster VRT.
A representative of CMB stated that “at least five merchant or fishing vessels passed by, and we suspect there may be more.” The representative did not specify which countries are involved. According to CMB, it is difficult to determine whether a ship is indeed engaging in dual-use activities. This is partly because almost all military ships are no longer used for espionage.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-Israeli student activists have staged an encampment on the grounds of Trinity College Dublin in protest against the conflict in Gaza, forcing the university to restrict access to the campus.
Following the lead of leftist activists in the United States and France, members of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) and the Trinity Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (TCD BDS) group began to blockade areas of Ireland’s top university on Friday evening, the Irish Examiner reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Moves to Block Nutri-Score With Constitutional Amendment
In a bid to hinder the adoption of the Nutri-score system in Italy and Europe, Italy’s government is proposing an amendment to its constitution, introducing a right to healthy nutrition and emphasizing food sovereignty and national identity protection.
Italy has voiced skepticism towards Nutri-score, a color-coded front-of-package labeling system endorsed by the EU, arguing that it unfairly categorizes Italian staples like extra virgin olive oil as less healthy due to their classification as D and orange color coding.
Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, a member of the ruling Fratelli d’Italia party and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s brother-in-law, announced the proposed constitutional amendment during a recent European election rally. The amendment seeks to enshrine the right to healthy nutrition and the protection of food products symbolizing national identity.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Almost Half of Health Care Workers Hesitant to Take COVID-19 Boosters: Study
Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Approximately half of the health care workers in a Polish study were found to be averse to taking COVID-19 booster shots, with one of the reasons for this hesitancy being their negative experiences with previous vaccinations.
The peer-reviewed study, published in the Vaccines journal on April 29, examined factors underlying “hesitancy to receive COVID-19 booster vaccine doses” among health care workers (HCW) in Poland. Almost 50 percent of the participants were identified as being wary of the boosters. “Our study found that 42 percent of the HCWs were hesitant about the second booster dose, while 7 percent reported no intent to get vaccinated with any additional doses.”
“As reasons for not vaccinating, participants most frequently highlighted lack of time, negative experiences with previous vaccinations, and immunity conferred by past infections.”
The study involved 69 healthcare workers composed of nurses, midwives, physicians, other health associate professionals, and administrative staff.
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Spain Cancels National Bullfighting Award
On Friday, Spain abandoned its annual bullfighting award. The Ministry of Culture stated that it made the decision to cancel the award based on the “new social and cultural reality in Spain,” where there is growing concern for animal welfare, and attendance at most bullfights has decreased, Reuters reports.
Bullfighting, a Spanish-style spectacle where the animal typically dies from a sword thrust by a matador, is viewed by supporters as a cultural tradition that must be preserved, while critics deem it a cruel ritual unfit for modern society.
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The Forge With Harrison Pitt, Ep. 1: The Race Taboo & the Fate of White Majorities — Eric Kaufmann
The European Conservative proudly presents The Forge, a new monthly programme which aims to revive the art of Socratic dialogue and intellectual combat at a time when, across the legacy institutions of the Western world, vulgar sophistry and intolerant conformism appear to reign supreme. Presented by Harrison Pitt, a senior editor at The European Conservative, The Forge will be a place for thoroughgoing discussion and fearless debate with the world’s finest thinkers on a range of subjects, from philosophy and current affairs to history and culture. As the name suggests, it should also enable us to build up our armoury and sharpen our weapons as we engage in a war for our civilisation.
In the first episode, Harrison sits down in London with best-selling author and political scientist Eric Kaufmann to discuss the race taboo, competing strands of liberalism, and the future of white majorities.
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The Number of Protestants in Germany Has Dropped to a Historic Minimum
The number of Protestants in Germany has dropped to a historic minimum. Currently, there are 20 Lutheran, Calvinist, and other Protestant churches in Germany, all united under the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Bild reports.
Historically, there were more Protestants than Catholics in the country. However, since the 1990s, this ratio has shifted as more people are leaving the EKD.
According to the latest data, in 2023, the number of EKD members decreased by 593,000 people, or 3.1%, to 18.6 million believers. In 1992, there were over 28 million. Thus, currently only 21.9% of the population of Germany are Protestants. This marks a historic low for the country where the Reformation began. Every believer in the FRG pays a church tax. Therefore, the EKD is losing out on financial revenue. In 2023, they fell by 5.3% to 5.9 billion euros.
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Shawn Seesahai (pictured), 19 victim of a fatal machete attack by two 12-year-olds was killed by a 23cm-deep wound which almost went the whole way through his whole body, a court heard.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Sadiq Khan Voted in as London Mayor for Third Term Despite ULEZ Backlash…
— as Andy Street loses out in West Midlands
SADIQ Khan has been voted in as London Mayor for a third term — despite a backlash over his hated ULEZ levy and 20mph zones.
The Labour incumbent beat Tory rival Susan Hall by a whopping 275,828 votes — bagging more than one million votes.
Khan secured just over 1,088,000 votes to be re-elected London Mayor for a third consecutive term.
He beat Hall in Greenwich and Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth, City and East, West Central, North East and South West.
Labour’s Andy Burnham has also been re-elected as Greater Manchester Mayor after winning 426,749 votes.
Rishi Sunak suffered another major blow after Tory big beast Andy Street was turfed out of office in a knife-edge vote.
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Israel Will Not Agree to End the War With Hamas as Part of Any Deal
As the Israel-Hamas war approaches the seven-month mark, renewed negotiations are underway to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization, as Israeli forces continue to prepare for an apparent invasion of the southern Gaza town of Rafah.
An Israeli official has told ABC News that Israel will not agree to end the war as part of any potential deal.
“Israel will under no circumstances agree to the end of the war as part of an agreement to release our abductees,” an Israeli official told ABC News on Saturday morning.
“As the political echelon decided, the IDF will enter Rafah and destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there — whether or not there will be a temporary ceasefire for the release of our hostages.”
A Hamas delegation is returning to Egypt on Saturday to continue negotiations for a cease-fire with Israel.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Russian SU-25 Jet Shot Down Over Eastern Ukraine, Zelenskiy Says
KYIV, May 4 (Reuters) — Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Su-25 fighter-bomber over the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine on Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
“It is important to be very focused these days,” he said in his nightly video address. “A special commendation goes to the warriors of the 110th separate mechanised brigade for today taking down another Russian Su-25 in the Donetsk region.”
Zelenskiy provided no further details of the incident, which Reuters could not immediately verify.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Issues Arrest Warrant for Ukrainian President Zelensky
Russian news agencies reported on Saturday that Moscow has issued an alert for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, citing a wanted list from the Interior Ministry in Moscow.
According to the wanted list, a criminal case has been opened against Zelensky. However, the ministry did not specify the supposed charges.
Russia has already placed other high-ranking politicians on the wanted list, including Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
The measure has no direct impact on Zelensky, as the Ukrainian president is not on Russian soil. It is seen more as a symbolic act.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Issues Arrest Warrant for Kasparov on Terrorist Charges
In March, Russia added GM Garry Kasparov to its list of “terrorists and extremists.” Last week, they went one step further to “arrest” the chess legend in absentia for “terrorist activities.”
A city court in Syktyvkar, the largest city in Russia’s northwestern Komi region, is charging Kasparov of “creating a terrorist society, leading it, financing terrorist activities, and publicly justifying them,” according to Kremlin-backed outlet TASS.
The court issued an arrest warrant for the 13th world chess champion, by many regarded as the greatest of all time, to be detained for two months alongside Russian opposition politicians Gennady Gudkov, Ivan Tyutrin, and Evgenia Chirikova. All were charged in their absence and not physically held in custody.
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Russia Adds Zelensky to Criminal ‘Wanted’ List, Ukraine Calls it ‘Desperation’
Zelensky ‘s name appeared on Saturday on the Russian interior ministry’s “wanted” list, an online database of alleged criminals sought by the Russian authorities.
It said the Ukrainian leader was wanted “under an article of the criminal code”, without providing further details.
There was no immediate comment from Russian officials as to why Zelensky had been added to the list.
…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Major-General Vadym Skibitsky, deputy chief of Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence directorate, admitted that Ukraine is ‘on the brink’ while waiting for aid to arrive.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Urges Return of Military-Age Men From Abroad
Ukraine is trying to bring back its militarily capable men from abroad, with tens of thousands of them in the Czech Republic, as reported by Novinky. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is concerned about the lack of combat-ready men, and statesmen from Poland and Lithuania have offered assistance with their return.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský emphasized that the Czech Republic does not support those attempting to evade military duty. The Ukrainian government has decided that men aged 18-60 must return to Ukraine if they want to obtain a new passport.
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The Indonesian authorities will permanently relocate the entire population of Ruaung Island as the local volcano threatens their safety, Bloomberg reports.
Last month, there was an eruption of the 725-meter Ruaung volcano, which led to the closure of nearby airports and the cancellation of flights due to volcanic ash.
The authorities have declared a state of emergency until May 14 due to the threat of a tsunami if parts of the volcano collapse due to the eruption. The island’s population, which is about 10,000 people, will be resettled approximately 40 kilometers away in North Sulawesi province on the island of Sulawesi.
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Foreigners Stuck in Vietnam After Deadly Boiler Explosion
Seven foreigners working at a wood processing firm in the southern province of Dong Nai have been banned from leaving the country amid an investigation into a boiler explosion that killed six people.
Nguyen Manh Toan, deputy director of the provincial police department, said on Saturday the ban was issued by the department on the workers from specific workers from Binh Minh Wood Production and Trading Company.
The firm’s Chinese director, Feng Yong, has already been detained by local authorities.
The company has been engaged in the production and trade of wood products for over a decade, thanks to its foreign investment. It employs around 200 workers.
At around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, while 42 workers were on duty, a sudden explosion in the boiler resulted in the death of six people, including one Chinese. All were men aged 32-39. The accident also injured five other workers.
Initial investigations by authorities assessed that the explosion was caused by a technical error in the boiler. The day before the explosion, the boiler malfunctioned, and the company called a maintenance unit to repair it. The next day, as workers started the boiler, it exploded.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Kate never imagined that at 40 she would be back living with her mum and dad and sharing a king-sized mattress on the floor with her two young kids.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The Alice Springs Territory Safety Division (TSD) will soon be a permanent fixture of the Northern Territory’s second biggest city.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The Staggering Amount Foreign Buyers Spent on Australian Property in Just Nine Months
Foreign buyers spent an eye-watering $5.3billion on Australian residential properties in just nine months, new figures from the Federal Treasury have shown.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
A teenage boy allegedly threatened patrons with a machete at a busy Melbourne shopping centre, only hours after a separate alleged knife incident sent the mall into lockdown.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Military Court Sentences Eight Congolese Army Soldiers to Death for Cowardice and Other Offenses
Eight Congolese army soldiers have been handed death sentences by a military court in eastern Congo for cowardice and other offenses related to desertion from the battlefield. This ruling comes amidst the government’s ongoing struggle to quell violence and attacks in the region, where numerous armed groups operate amid its rich mineral resources, as reported by AP.
In March, Congo lifted a moratorium on the death penalty that had lasted for over two decades, citing the need for justice against treason and espionage. However, human rights groups have condemned this decision.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The three suspects charged in relation to the disappearance of two Australian and one American surfer who were traveling in Mexico have been identified.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Births Fall in Germany, Meanwhile Migrant Worker Arrivals Continues to Soar
Fewer Germans are getting married and having children, but the population continues to soar thanks to immigration and the children of immigrants, a new tranche of government statistics suggests.
Around 693,000 babies were born in Germany — a country of around 84 and a half million people — in 2023, a fall of 6.2 per in a year.
That year was also considerably lower than the one before, having fallen by 7.1 per cent since 2021. In all, the latest figures show births in Germany are at their lowest levels since 2013. In Germany, more people die than are born every year: in 2022, there were 327,000 more deaths than births, for instance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
At the end of a long drive through what brochures call ‘rolling parkland’ on the western outskirts of Dublin, you’ll find Ireland’s biggest hotel: the four-star Citywest.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Human Rights Group Files Lawsuit Against UK’s Asylum Policy in Rwanda
Asylum Aid has initiated legal action against the UK government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, a policy endorsed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The legislation, passed recently, aims to divert asylum seekers arriving without permission to Rwanda, with Sunak asserting it will deter risky journeys to Britain by small boats, as reported by Reuters.
This move seeks to overturn a previous UK Supreme Court ruling deeming the scheme unlawful. Asylum Aid contends that government guidance to consider Rwanda safe contradicts provisions in the new law granting asylum seekers limited appeal rights.
Alison Pickup, Asylum Aid’s executive director, emphasizes the need for proper consideration of individual cases, particularly regarding potential risks upon return to the migrants’ countries of origin.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Just 155 migrants who crossed the Channel in small boats last year have been removed from the country, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Ministers have repeatedly vowed tough action on those entering the UK illegally, promising they will be removed with no right to return.
But figures obtained by this newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act show only 155 of the 29,437 migrants who crossed the Channel last year — a paltry 0.5 per cent — have been removed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Furious locals in Dublin have claimed the Rwanda effect in Ireland is ‘getting ridiculous’ as more migrants fly in from the UK in a bid to avoid being deported to Africa.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Denmark Expands Abortion Rights: Procedure Now Permissible Until 18th Week of Pregnancy
Denmark is set to enact a significant shift in its abortion legislation, marking the first adjustment in half a century. Under the new regulations, women will be permitted to undergo abortions up to the 18th week of pregnancy, extending the previous limit of the 12th week, as reported by AP.
Additionally, the law will grant autonomy to girls aged 15 to 17 to seek abortion services without requiring parental consent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Ruling Reveals Fate of Middle School Girls Banned for Protesting Trans Competitor
Five West Virginia middle school girls banned from participating in track and field meets after they protested against a trans athlete last week are allowed to compete again, a judge ruled Thursday night.
Judge Thomas A. Bedell issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the Harrison Board of Education and its schools from penalizing student-athletes for their speech.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dark-skinned victims of white grabbers! Campaign against sexual harassment in Cologne baths
https://unser-mitteleuropa.com/137344
Baron! This story deserves a separate publication!
Thank you. I’ll pass it on to the German desk.
Today’s Rhetorical Question: “Who exactly is financing college instruction in what is so obviously a mass indoctrination of so many of the nation’s (allegedly) best and brightest college-aged students at our top schools?” —Charles Gasparino (4 May 2024)
“Yes, there is big-money funding this type of instruction—one that de-emphasizes Western Civ and extols anti-American and Jew-hating instruction by leftist and even Marxist professors—and it isn’t just Soros-related…It comes from some frightening and surprising places, both foreign and domestic.” —New York Post (4 May 2024)
https://nypost.com/2024/05/04/business/higher-educations-descent-into-chaos-with-anti-israel-protests-leads-to-the-question-who-is-behind-this-mass-indoctrination/
“After [not one, but…] TWO generations of progressive “education” (i.e., Bolshevik two year-old indoctrination), the result should surprise nobody who’s been paying attention: Obamerica’s got a CULTURE PROBLEM (see Frankfurt School).” —posted to fb (Sept 2018)
Commie-toddler indoctrination works, comrade.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVNC_R260pA
Lionizers, Transvestites and [Gay] Bears, Oy Veh!!