After taking over the rotating presidency of the European Council yesterday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made a surprise visit to Ukraine today, his first since the Russian invasion. The visit was part of his effort to promote a peace process.
In other news, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed concern today over the political situation in France, where Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally won a major victory in the first round of snap parliamentary elections.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, JW, LP, MM, Reader from Chicago, 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.
Bidenflation Comes for the Fourth
It’s Independence Day in the year 2024. That means it’s time to gather with family, fire up those grills and smokers, and talk about inflation. My tongue is only lightly pressing in my cheek in this case. After all, it is an election year, and the number one issue for voters (by a mile) is the economy.
Although Bidenflation has slowed, it’s still higher than the Federal Reserve’s two percent target. This has been the norm for Biden’s entire term, and thus we are seeing the highest prices on record for many items you’ll be serving your family this year.
For example, according to Consumer Affairs, the price of 1.33 pounds of ground beef this year is $8.45. This means your hamburger patties are going to be about 50 percent more expensive this year than they were in 2019 (assuming you don’t cheap out on your guests with shrinkflation).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada: Fewer Young People Were Employed in May Than During the 2008 Recession
Young Canadians are struggling to find work, with statistics showing fewer youths were employed in May than they were at the height of the Great Recession.
Unemployment among Canadian youth spiked significantly this year, bringing the rate of increase just under that of the 2008-2009 recession and leaving the employment rate worse than at any point during that time.
The authors of a Frasier Institute study want government policymakers and economists to be alert about the potentially disastrous effects of the growing number of young Canadians who are “not attached to the labour market.”
The number of young Canadians who are willing and able to work but can not find employment is on the rise.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Higher Food Prices Pushed Dutch Inflation to 3.2% in June
Daily life in the Netherlands was 3.2 percent more expensive in June than in the same month last year, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Tuesday in its quick inflation estimate. In February, inflation was 2.7 percent. Higher food prices were the driving force behind June’s increase.
The prices for food, drinks, and tobacco increased by 4.4 percent in June compared to a year earlier. In May, this price increase was 3.1 percent. Services also had a slight upward effect on inflation, with the prices for services increasing slightly more in June (+4.6 percent) than in May (+4.5 percent).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
70% of Voters Have Made Up Their Minds on Who to Vote for in the US Presidential Election
According to a new survey, more than 7 out of 10 voters have already made up their minds about who to vote for in the US presidential election in November. The CAPS/Harris poll released on July 1st showed that 72% of respondents said they had already made up their mind, while 28% said they were still undecided, reports The Hill.
This is a slight increase compared to the April survey, in which 69% of respondents said they had made up their mind. Sociologists found that Trump supporters have made up their minds more decisively. According to the study’s results, 76% of Trump supporters said they had already made a decision about which candidate to support, compared to 68% of Biden supporters.
“The advantage of Trump among voters who have made up their minds aligns with the party’s division on this issue. Republican respondents were more likely to say they had made up their mind — 84%, compared to Democratic respondents (72%)”, notes the newspaper.
The Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll was conducted from June 28th to June 30th and covered 2,090 registered voters. This joint study is conducted by the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University and Harris Poll.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
80 Pro-Palestinian Protesters Have Charges Dropped After Art Institute Encampment Arrests
CHICAGO (WLS) — Dozens of pro-Palestinian protestors walked free Tuesday, after having their charges dropped following their arrests in May.
Now, some local leaders are concerned this sends the wrong message, with the Democratic National Convention just a month away.
It was all hugs after 80 people walked out of the courthouse, free of all charges.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden to Meet Democratic Governors to Assuage Fears After Debate Performance
Joe Biden will meet with Democratic governors on Wednesday as the president faces increasingly concerning polls and growing calls to withdraw his candidacy, including from a congressional Democrat.
Biden will talk with governors and Capitol Hill leaders this week, officials saidon Tuesday, to reassure them of his competence and address escalating discontent among party leaders after last week’s calamitous debate performance against Donald Trump. News of the meetings comes after Lloyd Doggett, a congressman from Texas, became the first Democrat in the House of Representatives to publicly urge the president to step aside.
As of Tuesday evening, a House Democratic aide said, there are 25 Democratic members of the House of Representatives preparing to call for Biden to step aside.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Black Christian Student Sues UCLA for Racial Discrimination After ‘White Libs’ Block Him From Campus
A UCLA student is speaking out for the first time after suing UCLA for racial discrimination, among other counts, alleging that he was blocked from entering certain parts of the campus because his African American identity was mistaken as Israeli, according to court documents.
Milagro Jones, an African American and Christian student at UCLA, gained online attention after anti-Israel protesters — who he called “White libs” — blocked him from entering certain parts of the campus. He sued UCLA, as well as the individuals alleged to have been involved in the encampment in May.
“It was a violent encampment. It was an antisemitic encampment, and I was a victim of what they had going on,” Milagro Jones told Fox News Digital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Rudy Giuliani Disbarred in NY Over Claims of Voter Fraud in 2020 Presidential Election
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been disbarred by the Supreme Court of New York Appellate Division over statements regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 election results. The ruling stated that “The disciplinary charges stem from the allegations that respondent communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers, and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump’s failed effort at reelection in 2020. These false statements were made to improperly bolster respondent’s narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client.”
The court document ordered that effective immediately, “respondent Rudolph W. Giuliani, admitted as Rudolph William Giuliani, is disbarred from the practice of law” and “his name stricken from the roll of attorneys and counselors-at-law in the State of New York.” Giuliani’s license was suspended in June 2021 by the court, “based on uncontroverted evidence that he communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers, and the public at large, which conduct immediately threatened the public interest.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Carville: Democrats Must Nominate Someone Other Than Biden: ‘It Doesn’t Make Any Sense’
Democratic strategist James Carville said Monday on CNN’s “The Lead” that the Democratic Party needed to drop President Joe Biden from the presidential ticket.
Host Jake Tapper asked, “James, can President Biden win reelection this November?”
Carville said, “That is not the real question here. The real question here is we have a Supreme Court that’s bought and paid for by RVs and fishing outings. We have a country that 72% want something different. If the Democratic party can’t produce something different that 72% of people want, why do we exist? What are we here for? I mean, the country is clamoring for change, and what are we going to offer them? The same stuff? It doesn’t make any sense, Jake. Give people what they want. They want something different. Let’s give it to them. I mean, I just don’t get the whole thing. I’ll be honest with you.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cash Dash: Trump Tops Biden in Fundraising Battle the Past Three Months
Former President Trump’s campaign says it has out raised President Biden over the past three months and showcases that it has more cash-on-hand.
Trump’s campaign announced on Tuesday that it and the Republican National Committee hauled in a staggering $331 million during the April through June second quarter of 2024 fundraising, topping the massive $264 million raked in by the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee the past three months.
And the former president’s campaign spotlighted that it had $284.9 million in its coffers as of the end of June, compared to $240 million for Biden.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Convicted Felon Hunter Biden Sits in on West Wing Meetings With President
Hunter Biden, 54, the president’s son, who was recently convicted of three gun-related felonies, is reportedly sitting in on meetings with his father in the West Wing, as the Biden family tries to manage the fallout of last week’s debate.
The New York Post reported Tuesday:
First son Hunter Biden has been joining West Wing meetings with his father since President Biden returned to the White House on Monday — as the oldest-ever sitting president resists calls from fellow Democrats to step aside, The Post has confirmed.
Scandal-plagued Hunter, 54, who was convicted June 11 of three federal gun felonies and is scheduled for a second federal trial Sept. 5 for $1.4 million in alleged tax fraud, is an advocate of his 81-year-old dad continuing to seek a second term as the Biden family reportedly blames longtime advisers for the president’s dismal Thursday debate performance…
Hunter Biden’s unusual new role in meetings was first reported by NBC News, citing four sources — and was confirmed to The Post by two sources with indirect knowledge, who said they aren’t sure what precisely his role has been in informing official and political decision-making.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrat Rep. Jared Golden Undercuts Biden: Trump Will Win, Democracy Will be Just Fine
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) wrote in a Biden-blistering op-ed that Donald Trump will defeat President Joe Biden, the election will be a referendum on Biden’s poor economic record, and that “some of Congress’ best work in recent years has happened in spite of the president, not because of him.”
In an op-ed Tuesday in the Bangor Daily News, Golden writes that despite widespread Democrat panic after his horrendous debate performance, “Biden’s poor performance in the debate was not a surprise.”
He insists Biden’s metaphorical faceplant “didn’t rattle me as it has others, because the outcome of this election has been clear to me for months: While I don’t plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And I’m OK with that.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A dozen employees said they watched a “large, disc-shaped craft” hover above a Coloradoconcert venue and then vanish.
“What’s even crazier is that as soon as we all started noticing it and stopped what we were doing to pay attention to it, the craft tipped at an angle and slowly started moving belly-first to the east,” an employee reported to the National UFO Reporting Center about the June 5 sighting at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Morrison.
“Then it started fading away until it was invisible. It didn’t shoot off into the distance. It simply dissolved into the ether. We all watched it vanish.”
The “silent” hovering object was long — about the size of a “three-story office building” — with three levels of windows and lights, according to the National UFO Reporting Center.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former Hillary Aide Claims Debate Setup Was “Soft Coup” by Democrats to Replace Biden
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news
Sources close to the Democratic Party have claimed that the debate last week was purposefully setup for Biden to fail as part of a “soft coup,” by insiders who know he is incapable of winning or serving a second term.
A former Hillary Clinton aide told The Daily Mail that they wanted Biden to be exposed so he can be replaced by a more capable candidate.
“There has never been a debate this early before,” the source stated, adding Traditionally, the debates are held after the Republican and Democratic conventions, which are in July and August.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former Ohio Rep Claims Kamala Harris Should be Dem Nominee for 2024
Former Ohio representative and 2020 Dem presidential primary candidate Tim Ryan claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris should be the Democratic Party’s nominee for the 2024 election, not President Joe Biden. This comes as Biden has faced increasing calls to step aside following a dismal debate performance in late June.
“I ran for President in 2020. I was the first Presidential candidate to endorse Joe Biden in 2020. I love America. I love our Party. I love Joe Biden. The Democratic Nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris,” Ryan wrote in Newsweek.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘God Bless the Blackest City in the World’
Chicago celebrated ‘Juneteenth’ with 40 shootings. The Windy City kept up a Father’s Day weekend in which 71 people were shot by fatherless young men in a city where 8 out of 10 black children are born to single mothers. And in which it’s all the fault of “systemic racism”.
Over in Daley Plaza, Mayor Brandon Johnson (pictured above) raised the ‘Juneteenth flag’ created by an activist who wanted the black parts of Boston to secede and form a new city named ‘Mandela’.
But who needs Mandela, when you’ve got Chicago?
“God bless the blackest city in the world,” Johnson, a radical who has presided over massive crime and enjoys an approval rating of 28%, declared.
With a 28% black population, Chicago isn’t even the blackest city in Illinois, let alone the U.S. or the world. And the black population has fallen by 400,000 since the 80s. Hispanics are actually the second largest group in Chicago, but since 60% of them disapprove of him, it’s understandable why he didn’t want to mention them. Or the 68% of white people who oppose the former teachers’ union operative.
Mayor Johnson is so hated that he’s barely breaking even with black voters. And so he announced that Chicago, which has over $50 billion in pension debt, will be spending $500,000 to study racial reparations.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Seven Holocaust museums across the US issued a joint statement denouncing the vandalism at their Seattle counterpart as a “straightforwardly antisemitic” act after the Seattle Police claimed the incident at the Emerald City location didn’t qualify as a hate crime. On Monday, the seven centers said in a joint statement, “The senseless scapegoating of Jews did not begin or end with the Holocaust. It’s been happening for thousands of years, and while the pretext may change, the antisemitic motivation is the same.”
Last month, staff at the Holocaust Center for Humanity in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood arrived the morning of June 18 to find the words, “Genocide in Gaza,” written in red over a photo of a Holocaust survivor named Steve Adler. Adler, who passed away in 2019, spent his life teaching others about hate and antisemitism through speeches at local schools and the center until his death. He said in his survivor testimony, “Never again being silent, and speaking out when it could make a difference.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Following the Supreme Court’s long-awaited ruling in Donald Trump’s presidential immunity challenge in his J6 case, former high-ranking DOJ official Jeff Clark applauded the decision, saying that his communications with Trump while he was president were “constitutionally protected.”
“If my calculation is correct, two years and nine days ago, the Biden DOJ raided my house,” Clark wrote on Monday night. “And then, the very next day, the lawless J6 Committee held a hearing focused on attacking me. Of course, that was all just a coincidence. (Cue Bannon: ‘There are NO conspiracies, but there are NO coincidences.’)”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Merchan Delays Trump Sentencing Until September
Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw former President Donald Trump’s business records trial, delayed sentencing for the former president until September.
In a letter on Tuesday, Merchan wrote that Trump’s sentencing date of July 11, was “vacated,” and rescheduled for September 18, 2024. This came after Trump’s lawyers sent a letter to Merchan requesting that his guilty verdict from a Manhattan jury on May 30 be tossed in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jury Awards $687,000 to BlueCross BlueShield Scientist Fired for Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine
Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times
A federal jury has awarded $687,000 to a research scientist who was fired from BlueCross BlueShield in Tennessee for refusing to comply with the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Tanja Benton, who had worked 16 years at the firm when she was fired, was awarded $177,240 in back pay, $10,000 in compensation, and $500,000 in punitive damages, according to a document made public by the federal court in eastern Tennessee on June 30.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Key Bridge Collapse Could Cause MDTA to Raise Tolls
Marylanders may see statewide toll increases as soon as 2028 due to a loss in revenue from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and rising operating costs.
The increases would come a year earlier than the state expected, said Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Finance Director Chantelle Green, during a board meeting last Friday.
“Regarding toll revenue, the forecast reflects a $153 million decline in toll revenues throughout the 2024 through 2030 forecast period,” she said. “The majority of the reduction is a result of reduced revenue associated with the closure of the Key Bridge.”
About $141 million of the loss comes from the lack of Key Bridge tolls, according to a report by CDM Smith, an engineering consulting firm that ran analysis for MDTA.
Increased inflation, insurance premiums and the cost of rebuilding the Key Bridge are all adding to the financial burden on MDTA over the next five years, forcing the agency’s hand to possibly increase tolls earlier.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Leaked Internal Democrat Polls: Nightmare Scenario for Joe Biden, Who is Hemorrhaging Support
Democrats are experiencing a nightmare scenario following President Joe Biden’s debate performance on Thursday, as he appears to be hemorrhaging support in key swing states, leaked Democrat internal polling from Open Labs shows.
Biden’s debate performance sent many Democrats through the roof, bursting with anxiety over how the 81-year-old delivered against former President Donald Trump. Minutes into the debate, Biden experienced an awkward freeze, and he oftentimes seemed confused, ending many of his answers with time remaining on the clock. There were a few times moderators had to inform Biden that he still had more time to speak. Additionally, Biden attempted to resurrect debunked Democrat talking points, including the infamous “very fine people” hoax and the “suckers and losers” fabrication. Throughout the entirety of the debate, Biden repeated the phrase “the idea” 27 times.
Some Democrats are still in a tailspin, urging Biden to step down, and the latest leaked polling — from Biden’s own Super PAC — is most certainly adding to their election anxieties.
The confidential polling memo shows Biden’s support crumbling in battleground states following CNN’s Atlanta debate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A liberal Wisconsin judge has ruled that those who are self-report as disabled can request electronic ballots which they can download and use to cast their votes. This change could lead to election issues in the state leading up to this year’s general election.
Judge Everett Mitchell, who also once said people who steal from big-box stores should not be prosecuted, made the controversial ruling last week and issued a temporary injunction that would cover the November 5 election. The injunction will allow electronic ballots to go to those who self-certify that they cannot read or complete a ballot without help. They will then be permitted to request an electronic ballot from their election centers, per the New York Post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A 21-year-old who boasted about turning his father into the FBI for going to the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 has received nearly $200,000 in donations on a GoFundMe after he said he would be using it to pay for college or “saving it for years to come.” Reffitt was sentenced to the longest prison term of any of the J6ers, though the over seven years he received was longer than the 15 years the DOJ asked for.
Jackson Reffitt, 21, is the son of J6 defendant Guy Reffitt. Guy was sentenced in Aug. 2022 to 87 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $2,000 in restitution. The then-teenage son had tipped off the FBI that his father had gone to the Capitol building. Although Guy did not enter the building itself, he was found guilty of five felony charges. He was charged with having a gun on the grounds of the Capitol, though he did not use it. He was also charged with obstruction of justice, though that charge may now be vacated following the Supreme Court’s decision in Fischer v. United States.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
More Details Emerge After ‘Mass Arrest’ in Lakeview of 53 People, Including 9 Juveniles
More than four dozen people were arrested and several were facing felony charges following a chaotic scene and “mass arrests” in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood overnight Sunday.
The incident took place around 1:30 a.m. Monday in the 3000 block of North Clark Street, police said, approximately 12 hours after the Chicago Pride Parade wrapped up. A total of 53 people, including nine juveniles, were taken into custody, police said.
14 of those arrested were facing felony counts, police said, with charges ranging from aggravated battery of a transit employee, to aggravated battery of a police officer and more.
24 of those arrested were charged with various misdemeanor charges, police said, including reckless conduct, battery, assault and criminal damage to property.
According to police, charges are pending against 12 others.
Additionally, four guns were seized at the scene, police added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Trump Leads Biden in Key Swing State Pennsylvania
Former President Donald Trump is leading President Joe Biden in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, according to the latest Cygnal survey released Monday.
The survey showed Trump leading Biden in a head-to-head matchup with a four-point advantage, garnering 48 percent support to Biden’s 44 percent support. Another eight percent remain undecided.
In a head-to-head matchup, Trump leads Biden among swing voters, 37 percent to Biden’s 30 percent. Trump also leads among Pennsylvania independents with a 15-point advantage.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Donald Trump Up Double Digits in Arizona
Former President Donald Trump is up by double digits in Arizona in a race between President Joe Biden and third-party candidates, a survey conducted by North Star Opinion Research found.
The American Greatness/North Star Opinion Research survey asked respondents:
If the election for President were held today, and the candidates were Donald Trump, the Republican, Joe Biden, the Democrat, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent, Chase Oliver, the Libertarian, and Jill Stein, the Green Party, for which candidate would you vote?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rep. Lloyd Doggett Becomes First Sitting Democrat to Call for Biden to Withdraw
The first domino fell Tuesday. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) called for President Joe Biden to step down from his campaign for reelection to the White House.
Doggett’s announcement followed a horrendous debate performance from Biden universally panned by media and voters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Salman Rushdie Stabbing Suspect Rejects Plea Deal Ahead of State Trial
The New Jersey man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie on stage at a speaking event in 2022 rejected a plea deal that involved state and potential federal charges, attorneys said Tuesday.
Rushdie was stabbed multiple times on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in southwestern New York in August 2022 in what prosecutors said was a “preplanned” attack.
Hadi Matar was charged with second-degree attempted murder and assault in connection with the attack. He has pleaded not guilty.
During a court appearance in Chautauqua County on Tuesday, Matar declined the plea deal that covered both state and any potential federal charges, the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office said.
The deal required a guilty plea to the top state count of second-degree attempted murder for a sentence of 20 years — down from a maximum of 25 years for the charge, the district attorney’s office said.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Scientists Announce Breakthrough to Treat COVID-Vaxxed With ‘Nanobodies’
Leading scientists from America’s top university research facilities have just announced a major breakthrough in “therapeutic nanobodies” to treat spike protein infestation, offering hope to those who received Covid mRNA shots.
According to the researchers, the breakthrough in novel antibody technology will help to eliminate the spike protein from the Covid mRNA shots and the virus.
The scientists published the findings of their peer-reviewed study in the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed Journal.
The research was conducted by scientists from:
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Coronavirus Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle-Area Sheriff Refuses to Enforce Camping Ban Despite Landmark SCOTUS Ruling
The sheriff in Washington’s most populous county is still refusing to enforce a camping ban, despite a landmark Supreme Court ruling giving the go-ahead. In March, the city of Burien filed a lawsuit against King County and the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) for refusing to enforce Burien Municipal Code 9.85.150 which prohibits encampments within 500 feet of libraries, schools, daycare centers, and other specified locations.
According to the suit, KCSO is breaking its contract to provide police protection for the city by telling deputies not to enforce the ordinance. King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall, a political appointee of Democratic King County Executive Dow Constantine, previously ordered her deputies not to enforce the ordinance but did not inform city officials, claiming that the constitutionality of the order needed to be resolved. KCSO filed a lawsuit against Burien claiming there is a lack of shelter space for the homeless in the city and that “KCSO personnel cannot participate in the effort,” to clear the homeless unless there is available shelter.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Second Palestinian Journalist for Non-Profit Washington State Outlet Found to Have Ties to Terror
Another “journalist” of an embattled US-based outlet is being accused of having ties to terror and even posting instructional videos of how best to stab Israelis.
Mahmoud Ajjour is a correspondent for the embattled Palestine Chronicle, a publication supported by People Media Project, a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the state of Washington. According to international relations and Middle East analyst Eitan Fischberger, Ajjour’s social media profiles are filled with antisemitism and support for Palestinian terror.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Texas’ Online Digital ID Mandate
The Supreme Court has today announced it would review a legal challenge against a Texas statute mandating digital ID verification of any websites and apps that could be deemed “harmful to minors.” The law is usually cited in relation to pornographic material but the broad term “harmful to minors” can be applicable across many websites, preventing people from interacting with a website without first uploading their ID.
This legal battle revolves around Texas’ age verification bill, introduced in 2023.
The law also compels these sites to present health warnings concerning the alleged psychological dangers associated with pornography consumption. Notably, this labeling requirement does not yet extend to search engines or social media platforms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Won’t Hear Challenge to Illinois Ban on ‘Assault Weapons’, Other Gun Appeals
Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times
The Supreme Court declined on July 2 to take up several Second Amendment-based challenges to gun laws, including a lawsuit about an Illinois law that prohibits so-called assault weapons such as the AR-15 rifle.
The decision came in a long list of orders in ongoing cases that the court issued the day after it finished delivering opinions in all the argued cases for the 2023-2024 term.
The justices now head off to their summer recess. The Court will resume hearing cases on the first Monday in October.
Justice Clarence Thomas filed a statement saying he would have granted the petition for certiorari, or review, in the Illinois case known as Harrel v. Raoul.
No other justices dissented.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US to Send Additional $2.3 BILLION in Military Aid to Ukraine
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the US would be announcing a new security assistance funds for Ukraine, to the tune of $2.3 billion. The remarks came as Austin met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in the Pentagon.
According to the Associated Press, $150 million of the total aid will come from the presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to send weapons from US stockpiles, and the rest will come from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. “Make no mistake, Ukraine is not alone, and the United States will never waver in our support,” Austin said at the beginning of the meeting. “Alongside some 50 allies and partners, we’ll continue to provide critical capabilities that Ukraine needs to push back Russian aggression today and to deter Russian aggression tomorrow.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
USA Today Poll: 41% of Democrats Want Joe Biden to Quit
Forty-one percent of Democrat voters want President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race, a Monday USA Today/Suffolk University poll found, while only 51 percent want him to remain on the ticket.
The poll represents one of the first post-debate polls that Democrat operatives and donors will study to determine the total damage to Biden’s candidacy following his debate performance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lesbian Couple Brutally Beaten in Nova Scotia by Mob of ‘Middle Eastern’ Men
A lesbian couple is recovering from their injuries after allegedly being beaten up by a mob of “Middle Eastern” men in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia. Emma MacLean and her partner, Tori, were walking down the street on the evening of June 22 when she said members of the group accosted them, levelling “sexually degrading” and “homophobic” comments at them. When they stood up for themselves, the men attacked.
Police arrived on scene a short time later, and spoke with members of the group, who claimed it was the women who had gone after them. An investigation has been launched, however no suspects have been identified and no charges have been filed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: ‘Police Report Connects Marie Arena to Qatargate,’ Claims News Outlet
Belgian media has alleged that Socialist MEP Marie Arena was a central character in the “Qatargate” scandal.
On July 1, news outlet Sudinfo claimed a police report it had seen indicated she was a key player in the European Parliament cash-for-influence scandal.
Apparently backing up previous stories, the police report was said to have stated Arena was allegedly in close contact with many involved in the case. They included suspects Italian former MEP Antonio Panzeri and Moroccan Abderrahim Atmoun, according to Sudinfo.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czechs Face Highest Mobile Data Prices: A Comparative Analysis
Czech consumers continue to pay significantly more for mobile data compared to other European countries, despite gradual improvements. Unlimited data plans in the Czech Republic cost over 1300 CZK per month from all three major operators. In contrast, Vodafone in Italy offers similar plans for over 1000 CZK less. Cheaper options are also available from operators in all neighboring countries.
However, it is important to note that these cheaper tariffs often come with conditions such as longer contracts, activation fees, specific payment methods, or being available only to new customers. Jan Štepanik, telecommunications product manager from Usetreno.cz, explains, “Czechs pay higher prices for mobile calls and data for several reasons. In some countries, the state might have contributed to building the latest generation networks, which significantly reduced fixed costs. Another factor is market size, where operators can achieve higher economies of scale, as is the case in Poland, France, or Germany.”
He also mentioned that Czech operators maintain higher profit margins compared to other markets. However, the situation has improved compared to years ago when unlimited data plans cost thousands of crowns per month.
Comparative Overview of Mobile Data Packages:
Germany (O2): Offers up to 50 GB with speeds up to 300 Mb per second for 17.50 euros (435 CZK) per month, with a two-year commitment and an entry fee of 40 euros (993 CZK).
Italy (Vodafone): New customers from selected operators can get unlimited data for just 9.99 euros (248 CZK) per month, requiring a two-year contract and the use of the Smart Pay payment method.
Austria (Drei): Provides 40 GB of data with speeds up to 100 Mb per second for 14.90 euros (370 CZK), applicable only to new customers with an activation fee of 9.90 euros (246 CZK).
Poland (Orange Flex): Offers 45 GB of data and unlimited social media data for 35 zlotys (202 CZK) with no activation fee, though the tariff must be arranged online.
The comparison highlights that unlimited data with maximum speed is generally available abroad at roughly half the price seen in the Czech Republic. Even data packages with limited data volumes are significantly larger and cheaper abroad. Most users, needing only 40 or 50 GB per month, can find much more affordable options outside the Czech market. Although the situation is somewhat better for unlimited data with limited speeds, foreign operators still offer significantly lower prices.
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EU Reinstates Duties on Ukrainian Eggs and Sugar
The European Union has reintroduced tariff quotas on imports of eggs and sugar from Ukraine under the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), effective from June 6, 2024.
According to the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission, these measures include an “emergency brake” provision for seven agricultural products. This mechanism is automatically activated if imports exceed the average annual volume recorded between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2023.
Specifically, the average tariff quota for eggs is set at 23,188.96 tons, while for sugar, it stands at 262,652.68 tons. Given that imports of eggs and sugar from Ukraine in 2024 have already surpassed these quota volumes, additional imports will now be subject to standard tariffs under the most favored nation regime.
Starting January 1, 2025, a new tariff rate quota will come into effect until June 5, 2025. This quota will be calculated as five-twelfths of the threshold set for the “emergency brake,” resulting in 9,662.07 tons for eggs and 109,438.62 tons for sugar.
The reinstatement of these duties reflects the EU’s adjustment to manage import volumes within agreed limits, affecting trade dynamics between the EU and Ukraine in these key agricultural sectors.
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European Council Makes Countering “Disinformation and Hate Speech” Part of Its Strategic Agenda
The EU Council has managed to nestle fighting “disinformation and hate speech” between such issues as the Middle East, Ukraine, and migration — not to mention while at the same time appointing a new set of “apparatchiks,” in the wake of the European Parliament elections.
This proceeds from the Council’s 2024-2029 strategic agenda, adopted on June 27. This document represents a “five-year plan” to guide the bloc’s policy and goals.
Under the heading, “A free and democratic Europe,” the document addresses different ways in which “European values” will be upheld going forward. The Council’s conclusions state that in order to strengthen the EU’s “democratic resilience,” what it decides is disinformation and hate speech will have to be countered.
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Finnish Parliament Unanimously Approves Defense Agreement With USA
Finland will open 15 of its military bases for potential use by US forces under the terms of the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA). The Finnish Parliament unanimously approved the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between Finland and the United States on Monday.
Under the agreement, Finland will open 15 of its military bases for potential use by US forces and will also allow the US to bring defense equipment, supplies, materials, and soldiers to Finland. In addition, the agreement will see the creation of certain military zones, which will include facilities to which only US personnel will have access.
The agreement creates a framework for US activities and a more permanent presence in Finland. MP Anna Kontula (Left) had submitted a proposal calling on MPs to reject the agreement, but her motion did not receive any backing. Therefore, Parliament did not vote on the agreement but approved it unanimously. MPs had expressed broad approval of the terms of the treaty during a debate on Friday.
Finland’s Constitutional Law Committee said in June that the agreement would have to be approved by a two-thirds majority in Parliament, as it affects several aspects of the Finnish constitution.
Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) has stated that the DCA represents a significant deepening of the relationship between Finland and the US. The United States has similar agreements with more than 20 countries. Finland began negotiating the DCA with Washington after applying for NATO membership in May 2022.
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France: ‘Alliance of Dishonour’: Macron Backs Hard-Left to Confound Right Wing Surge
The populist who may be the next Prime Minister of France decries the “alliance of dishonour” after President Macron said to back left wing candidates to keep the right out of power, contradicting his own claim of just days before that voting for either left or right would lead France into “civil war”.
French President Emmanuel Macron, reeling from his very substantial defeat at the French elections on Sunday and now preparing for the decider round in five days’ time says in some areas, his faction should throw its weight behind left-wing candidates to keep the right out. Justifying this enormous volte-face from his position just last week that voting for either left or right would lead to “civil war”, President Macron said: “We must make no mistake. It is the far-Right that is on its way to the highest office, no one else”.
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French Finance Minister Le Maire Says Hard-Left LFI is ‘Danger to the Nation’
French finance minister Bruno Le Maire does not want voters to support the hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party.
Speaking on July 1, he said he would not advocate such “even if this were the only way” to prevent a candidate from Marine Le Pen’s hard-right National Rally (RN) party from winning in the ongoing general election.
Le Maire described the LFI as “a danger to the nation” in an interview with France Inter radio.
While he would encourage voters to elect candidates from other left-wing parties in districts where a centrist candidate withdrew, he would “never” ask for a vote for LFI, which he said he considered a violent, reactionary and anti-Semitic group.
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French Candidates Make Hurried Deals to Try to Stop Far-Right National Rally From Leading Government
PARIS (AP) — French opposition parties made hurried deals Tuesday to try to block a landslide victory for Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in Sunday’s second round of legislative elections, as she said her party would lead the government only if it wins an absolute majority — or close to it.
The National Rally, under party president Jordan Bardella, secured the most votes in the first round of the early legislative elections on June 30 but not enough to claim an overall victory that would allow the formation of France’s first far-right government since World War II.
“We cannot accept going into government if we cannot act,” Le Pen said in an interview with public broadcaster France Inter. “It would be the worst betrayal of our voters.” However, “if we have, say, 270 lawmakers, we need 19 more, we will go to others and ask them if they are ready to participate with us in a new majority.”
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Germany’s Lufthansa Adds Flights Surcharge to Address ‘Rising Environmental Costs’
German aviation company Lufthansa Group announced the implementation of an Environmental Cost Surcharge (ECS) on ticket prices to address rising costs associated with “regulatory environmental requirements”.
The charge, announced on June 25, will range between €1 and €72, depending on the route. The specific amount will be displayed on the price details on the Lufthansa Group Airlines booking pages.
The surcharge will apply to all tickets issued from June 26, 2024 for departures from January 1, 2025.
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Germany Plans Aid for Surviving Nazi Victims in Poland, Scholz Says
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany is planning to provide aid for surviving victims of the Nazi occupation in Poland during World War II.
“Germany is aware of the gravity of its guilt, of its responsibility for the millions of victims of the German occupation and of the mission that arises from it,” Scholz said in Warsaw at a press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk following joint government consultations.
Germany stands by its historical responsibility without any ifs, ands or buts, he said.
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Germany’s Scholz Hopes France Will Prevent Far-Right-Led Government
BERLIN (Reuters) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday expressed concern over the political situation in France, where Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally came out well ahead in a first-round vote of national snap elections.
The comments mark the first time Scholz, a Social Democrat, has expressed a clear political preference with regard to France.
Why It’s Important
Germany and France form the backbone of the European Union and a political change in either country could shift the balance in the entire bloc.
Germany itself is seeing rising support for the far-right Alternative for Deutschland, which currently score second in opinion polls, although national elections are not due until autumn next year.
July 7 will see the second round of France’s parliamentary election.
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Hungary Took Over the Six-Month Presidency of the European Union
From July 1, the European Union’s presidency has passed from Belgium to Hungary, which is its second presidency in this institution. The presidency of the EU changes every six months on a rotational basis. Hungary’s presidency will last from July to December 2024, after which it will be passed to Poland.
Hungary’s presidency has identified its seven priorities as: increasing the competitiveness of the EU economy, strengthening defense policy, defining the direction of “policy cohesion” (equalizing the development levels of different EU countries), promoting “farmer-oriented” policies in agriculture, responding to “demographic challenges”, and ensuring a “consistent and merit-based expansion policy”.
About half a year ago, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Hungary’s presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2024 will be “more mediatory”, with the goal of “capturing Brussels”.
Shortly before taking over the presidency, Hungarian leader stated that the European Union is “in decline”, while Brussels officials are “remindful of communists”, and earlier called a deal between European parties on distributing top positions in the EU “a shameful pact”.
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It Takes 25 Years of Rent to Pay Off an Apartment in Czechia
Based on current rent and property-purchase prices in Czechia in the second quarter, the average 65-meter apartment would pay for itself in 24.8 years — a leap from 19.5 years before the Covid-19 pandemic. However, this is a shorter time than in spring 2022, when it would take 30 years’ worth of rent to pay fully for a property, following a surge in house prices.
Analysis by real estate portal Bezrealitky.cz found a large disparity between Czech regions in terms of how long it takes for a property to “pay for itself.” For example, in the Ústi nad Labem region, it takes the least amount of time — 16.5 years — to pay off an apartment. In the Karlovy Vary region it takes 19.4 years and in the Moravian-Silesian region the duration is two decades.
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Italy: Tuscany Offers Up to $32,000 to New Residents Willing to Move and Renovate Homes
Tuscan officials launched the Residency in the Mountains program in June, creating a €2.8 million (about $3 million) fund to encourage people to move to the rural countryside. The fund aims to stabilize the country’s dwindling population by offering grants ranging from €10,000 to €30,000 ($11,000 to $32,000) for people to move to Tuscany and renovate a home there.
“The purpose of the intervention is to favor and encourage the repopulation and socio-economic revitalization of mountain areas, acting in contrast to the marginalization of these areas,” the program’s website says.
The grants will cover 50% of renovation costs for a home in one of 76 Tuscan cities with fewer than 5,000 residents. These cities include San Casciano dei Bagni, known for its thermal pools; Caprese Michelangelo, the birthplace of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo; and the island of Capraia Isola. The program is open to Italians, European Union residents, and non-EU citizens, provided they establish long-term residency of at least 10 years and commit to making the Tuscan property their primary home.
Applications for the program close on July 27.
Italy has experimented with various plans to attract new residents to its rural regions for years. A 2016 study by Italy’s Ministry of the Environment found that the country, which has Europe’s smallest share of children under 15, faced a significant population crisis. Nearly 2,500 towns were on the verge of collapse and wouldn’t survive more than 25 years.
CNN reported last year that there were more than 6,000 ghost villages around the country, left deserted due to migration and natural disasters.
In response, in 2018, new residents in Molise were offered $27,500 to move to abandoned towns in the mountainous region on the country’s eastern coast. The following year, officials in the town of Ollolai put 200 homes on the market for €1 each.
Sicily also went viral for offering €1 homes, attracting swarms of expats despite the homes’ desperate need for repair. In Sicily, there were time limits for repairs, officials required buyers to work with specific contractors, and renovations could cost upward of $30,000, but some buyers found it worth every penny.
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Le Pen First Had Success in an Ex-Mining Town. Her Message There is Now Winning Over French Society
HENIN-BEAUMONT, France (AP) — In the former mining town at the heart of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s political strategy, her party’s electoral success Sunday came as no surprise to hundreds of supporters who gathered to see her victory speech. The same promises to bring back good jobs and upend the political elite that long resonated here have found a national audience.
Le Pen implanted herself in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont in the early 2000s, hoping to win over disenchanted voters feeling left behind by the new economy and growing tired of decades of Socialist local governance. It was the start of a decade-long effort to detoxify her anti-immigration National Rally and win over voters from across French society.
Several waves of industrial shutdowns have left unemployment levels above the national average, and 60% of the population earns so little it does not need to pay tax, according to data from France’s national statistics agency, INSEE. The construction of a mammoth shopping center on Henin-Beaumont’s outskirts emptied out the town and dozens of shops, hairdressers and restaurants remain empty.
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Le Pen: French Far-Right Government Team Ready
France’s far-right nationalist National Rally (RN) has a team of ministers already in place and is poised to take over government, according to its former leader Marine Le Pen.
“This government will be complete, it will be competent, it will be made up of people from the National Rally, people who fought the election campaign with us and people from civil society,” Le Pen told the France Inter public broadcaster in an interview on Tuesday.
The 55-year-old nationalist politician was responding to claims that her party does not have enough suitable personnel to govern.
Le Pen said she did not want to take part in a government herself but was ready to take over the chair of the parliamentary group in the National Assembly.
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Leaders of Poland, Germany Meet to Mend Strained Ties and Discuss Europe’s Security
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Government leaders of Poland and Germany held consultations Tuesday aimed at giving a new impulse to bilateral relations that sagged under Poland’s previous government and to jointly declare responsibility for Europe’s security in turbulent times.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled with 12 ministers and government officials, including Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, for the meeting in Warsaw.
“We bring a very clear message: Germany and Poland are good neighbors, close partners and reliable friends. And we want to create a new dynamic for our cooperation,” Scholz told a joint news conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
He stressed that “close partnership between Germany and Poland is very important to us.”
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Meta’s Oversight Board is Helping Big Tech Companies Comply With the EU’s Censorship Law
Corporate legacy media are trying to keep key social platforms “in check” by running stories about them complying — or being complicit, or compatible with — some of the currently most notorious anti-free speech legislation.
Meta’s Oversight Board is thus said to be working to adhere to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) — but perhaps not as efficiently as it should.
Yet before any entity can execute censorship, it must be funded, since it all eventually, one way or another, comes down to money. In this case, Meta has apparently been increasingly less enthusiastic about providing that money.
But now, the Board appears to be looking at the DSA as an avenue to get the money, so that “the mission” may continue.
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Netherlands: Schoof I Cabinet Sworn in by King Willem-Alexander
Update 11:46 — article updated to add comment from Prime Minister Schoof in third paragraph
King Willem-Alexander has sworn in the Ministers and State Secretaries of the Schoof I Cabinet at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague. The new Dutch government is now officially in office.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof was the first to take the oath, followed by each Minister and State Secretary. They could take the oath by saying, “So help me God Almighty,” or “This I declare and promise,” depending on their religion or lack thereof. Two Cabinet members took the oath in Frisian, the second national language — Minister Femke Wiersma of Agriculture and State Secretary Folkert Idsinga of Taxation and Customs.
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Trust in the national government has increased significantly now that a new Cabinet is about to take office in the Netherlands, increasing from a record-low of 29 percent in September 2022 to 42 percent in June 2024, according to figures from research agency Ipsos I&O. The increase in confidence accelerated since the election and the formation of a new coalition and is mainly visible among people with a lower level of education, the group that votes for the PVV more than average, NOS reports.
Highly educated people still have the most confidence in politics, but the gap has narrowed, Ipsos I&O said. People who voted for PVV, NSC, and BBB, in particular, gained more trust in the national government. “People expect that the government will finally solve major problems,” Ipsos I&O researcher Peter Kanne said. “Especially because there is now a real right-wing Cabinet at the controls, people really expect improvement.”
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Norway Blocks Sale of Last Private Land on Svalbard Amid Chinese Interest
The Norwegian government has intervened to block the sale of the last privately owned piece of land on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, citing concerns over stability and national interests amid Chinese interest.
The remote Sore Fagerfjord property, encompassing 60 square miles of mountains, plains, and a glacier in southwest Svalbard, was listed for sale at €300 million (£277 million). Situated halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, Svalbard’s strategic significance has grown amid geopolitical tensions and melting Arctic ice.
Svalbard operates under a unique legal framework granting rights to exploit mineral resources to citizens of signatory powers like Russia and China, while recognizing Norwegian sovereignty. However, Norway remains vigilant about foreign ownership that could challenge its laws in Svalbard.
Trade and Industry Minister Cecilie Myrseth emphasized that the potential sale required state approval under national security law, warning that foreign acquisition could disrupt regional stability and threaten Norwegian interests. Per Kyllingstad, representing the sellers, noted interest from Chinese buyers keen on Arctic investments.
The property’s remote location and restrictions on infrastructure development limit its commercial appeal, leading critics to question the feasibility of the sale despite its symbolic value as the “last private land in the world’s high Arctic.” Norway previously acquired the second-last private land on Svalbard in 2016 amid similar concerns about foreign acquisition.
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Orban’s Patriots for Europe Alliance Gains Traction in European Parliament
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s new right-wing group in the European Parliament, Patriots for Europe, is in talks with a number of new potential members.
On June 30, Orban said his Fidesz party had joined forces with Austria’s hard-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) and ANO, Czechia’s main opposition party that recently broke away from the Liberal Renew Europe group.
Other right-wing parties are now set to join, possibly weakening Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD) future group is still uncertain.
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Pope Francis to Canonize 11 Christians Slaughtered by Islamists
ROME — The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Francis will canonize 11 Christians hacked to pieces by radical Muslims in 1860 rather than renounce their faith in Jesus.
The eleven men, known now as the “martyrs of Damascus,” were captured by Shia Druze Muslims in July 1860 and ordered to convert to Islam. When they refused, they were chopped up by their captors.
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Reform UK Leader Tice Calls for ‘Complete Realignment” of the Right
A “complete realignment” of the right is needed to reshape the UK political landscape as the Conservative Party looks likely to be decimated at the polls, Reform chairman Richard Tice said Tuesday.
Tice told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme of what he sees lying ahead, saying “there has to be a complete realignment of the right of politics” and the Tories should not be “rewarded” for their singular “failure” on July 4. :
Labour is going to win this election but the Tories’ desperation, creating a culture of fear, people are just sick of it.
You cannot reward failure, people want a new approach, a common sense approach, that is what we stand for and that is why we are going to surprise everybody on the upside with millions and millions of votes on Friday morning.
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Rutte Won’t Comment on His Successors, He Says in Last Interview as Dutch Prime Minister
Just before King Willem-Alexander swore in the new Schoof I Cabinet, Mark Rutte gave his last interview as Dutch Prime Minister to RTL Nieuws. He is grateful to have served the Netherlands for nearly 14 years and is ready to hand over the baton to Dick Schoof. Rutte will continue to follow Dutch politics in the news, he said. “I remain a political junkie. But I am not going to comment on my successors. Jan Peter Balkende has set a fantastic standard in that respect,” Rutte said.
“It really is a special day. When Dick Schoof is sworn in at 10:00 a.m., it is really over. That’s good. I’m happy that Dick is taking over. But when you’ve done it for so long, this really is a moment,” Rutte said. “I am very fond of all my colleagues and everyone I have worked with. I will miss them very much.”
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Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania Have Started Demining Operations in the Black Sea
Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania began joint mine-clearing operations in the Black Sea on Monday, July 1, to enhance safety for shipping, particularly for Ukraine’s grain exports, according to Bloomberg.
The initiative, led by Istanbul, is the first major joint action by Black Sea countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The operation aims to disarm mines drifting in some areas of the Black Sea as a result of the war.
Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania signed an agreement to cooperate on maritime mines in the Black Sea on January 11 this year. The Bulgarian government emphasized that the group’s activities will not be directed against any other country, and the mine-clearing operation is expected to improve cooperation and friendly relations between participants.
Russia and Ukraine are major grain producers, and the war has put their cargo shipments at risk. Last year, Kiev launched its own Black Sea export route after the collapse of an agreement on a safe corridor supported by Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations.
This successfully stimulated exports and helped the economy grow faster than forecast, but the route remains risky.
Ukraine exported 37.4 million tons of agricultural products from Odessa, Chernomorsk, and the “South” port since the opening of the sea corridor in August 2023, reported Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure last week.
Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria are NATO members. However, their naval forces operate outside NATO’s framework, partly to avoid escalating tensions with Russia. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Turkish Navy frogman teams have regularly disarmed mines drifting in their waters.
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Boris Johnson warned a Labour super-majority would be “pregnant with horrors” as he gave a surprise appearance at a Conservative Party rally on Tuesday.
Rishi Sunak’s predecessor took to the stage ahead of Thursday’s general election in a last-ditch attempt to gather support for the current Tory leader, who is thought to be on the verge of leading the party to its worst defeat in history according to polling for The Independent.
Mr Johnson accused Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of trying to “usher in the most left-wing Labour government since the war”.
He told campaigners: “Don’t let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas. Don’t let Putin’s pet parrots give this entire country psittacosis — which is a disease you get by the way from cosying up to pet parrots.”
He added: “If you want uncontrolled immigration and mandatory wokery, and pointless kowtowing to Brussels again, then go right ahead, make my day, vote for Starmer.”
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UK: Tories to Win Just 64 Seats, Latest Poll Predicts
The Conservatives will win just 64 seats at the general election, a new MRP poll has predicted.
The survey of 34,558 voters by Survation gave Labour a majority of 159, with Sir Keir Starmer’s party predicted to win 484 seats — more than Sir Tony Blair’s 418 in the 1997 landslide.
The Tories were forecast to only narrowly become Britain’s official opposition with 64 MPs — just three more than the Liberal Democrats on 61.
Survation also predicted that Reform UK MPs would be returned in just seven seats despite the party winning more votes nationwide than any other except Labour and the Conservatives.
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Von Der Leyen ‘Must Open Up to ECR to Keep Her Job’, Says Italy’s Foreign Minister
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “must open up to the ECR, of which [Italian Prime Minister Giorgia] Meloni is leader” to win the upcoming European Parliament vote and keep her job for a second term, according to Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani.
In an interview with Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera on July 1, he said he felt “von der Leyen will pass the [EP] vote, [but to do so] she will be forced to open up to the Conservatives, and I believe she will”.
Tajani said she could only get a “large and certain” majority by expanding her coalition to include Meloni’s European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).
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Israel’s Military Leaders Want Ceasefire in Gaza, Even if Hamas Remains in Power — NYT
Israel’s generals want to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, even if it leaves Hamas in power, according to sources cited by The New York Times. This desire is intensifying the rift between the military command and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is opposed to any ceasefire with Palestinian terrorists.
The generals believe that a ceasefire would be the best way to free hostages. Tel Aviv is also experiencing a shortage of weapons and the military requires time to prepare the Israeli army for a possible war with Hezbollah. Additionally, a ceasefire with Hamas would increase the chances of avoiding a direct confrontation with the Iranian-backed group in Lebanon.
The sentiments of Israel’s military leadership are confirmed by Eyal Hulata, who served as national security advisor until 2023 and regularly contacted high-ranking military officials.
“The military’s attitude towards a ceasefire reflects a significant shift in their thinking over the past few months, as it has become clear that Netanyahu refuses to formulate or take responsibility for a post-war plan for Gaza. This decision has essentially created a power vacuum in the enclave, which has forced the military to go back and fight in parts of Gaza that they had already cleared of Hamas fighters,” The New York Times comments.
Netanyahu is skeptical about a ceasefire that would allow Hamas to remain in power, as such an outcome could lead to the collapse of his coalition, the publication writes.
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Thousands Flee Their Homes as Israeli Forces Bomb Southern Gaza
CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) — Eight Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded when Israeli forces bombarded several areas of Khan Younis and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, health officials said on Tuesday, as thousands of people fled their homes under fire.
The Israeli army had ordered residents of several towns and villages in eastern Khan Younis to evacuate their homes on Monday, prior to tanks re-entering the area the military had left several weeks ago.
Thousands who had not heeded the call were forced to flee their homes in the dark overnight, as Israeli tanks and planes bombed Karara, Abassan and other areas that had been named in the evacuation orders, residents and Hamas media said.
“Where will we go?” said Tamer, a 55-year-old businessman, who has been displaced six times since Oct. 7.
“Every time people go back to their homes and begin to rebuild some of their lives even on the rubble of their houses, the occupation sends the tanks back to destroy what is left,” he told Reuters via a chat app.
The Israeli military said its forces had struck areas in Khan Younis from where around 20 rockets had been fired on Monday. Targets included weapon storage facilities and operational centres, it added.
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In Interview: Ali Safavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
World Summit this year happened to take place after the general elections in the Middle East country following the death of Prime Minister Ebrahim Raisi.
On the first day, June 29, a conference took place in Paris while thousands of Iranians in Berlin demonstrated against their nation’s current leadership.
The NCRI has been orchestrating the campaign in support of regime change in Tehran for years and often lobbies abroad in cities such as Brussels and Washington.
One of its representatives and most visible faces is Ali Safavi, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran and head of NCRI’s US office based in Washington.
Questioned about the June 28 Iranian election, he said he considered that “[in] Iran [it] does not qualify as a true election but, rather, a selection”.
He said that was because of the strict vetting of candidates by Iran’s Guardian Council, a 12-member body, half of whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
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Hungary’s Orban Makes First Trip to Ukraine of War, Promoting Peace Talks
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine on Tuesday morning to promote a peace process, the day after he took over the Presidency of the European Council.
Viktor Orban took over the rotating presidency of the European Council on Monday, vowing to work for peace in Europe during his term, and promptly took up the longstanding invitation to travel to Kyiv from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a surprise trip Tuesday morning.
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Netherlands Secures Permit to Send F-16s to Ukraine; Zelenskyy Thanks Rutte and Schoof
The Netherlands has obtained the necessary permits to export Dutch F-16s to Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense informed parliament on Monday. The first fighter jets will go to Ukraine soon. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked both former Prime Minister Mark Rutte and new Prime Minister Dick Schoof on social media.
The Netherlands promised to deliver 24 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, which desperately needs them against Russian air attacks. The Ministry will not publicly say when the jets will arrive but will inform parliament confidentially.
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Poll: Joe Biden 7 Times More Popular With Ukrainians Than Donald Trump
President Joe Biden is seven times more popular than former President Donald Trump among Ukrainians, a poll released Tuesday reveals.
The Hill reports the first-ever poll was carried out by The Counteroffensive/Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
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Pro-Russia Hungarian Prime Minister Visits Ukraine
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Tuesday, the first time he has traveled to Kyiv since the Russian invasion. He has maintained ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin but has adopted the role of peacemaker.
Orban arrived one day after Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the European Union. He told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the war is the continent’s “most important issue,” and he pushed for a temporary ceasefire.
Orban said: “The question of peace is not only paramount for Ukraine but also for Europe. This war that you’re suffering from is deeply affecting European security.”
Orban has frustrated the efforts of other European leaders to deliver assistance to Ukraine. However, Zelenskyy said the visit is a “clear indication” of common priorities and that it is important to all Europeans for support to remain “sufficient” to defend against “Russian terror.”
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
The Environment Minister of the Maldives is Detained on Suspicion of Witchcraft and Black Magic
The Environment Minister of the Maldives, Fatimath Shainaz Ali Salim, has been detained on suspicion of using black magic to harm President Mohamed Muizz, according to the local Maldivian website plus.mv.
The authorities accuse the minister of casting spells aimed at harming the president. In addition to the minister, two other people were detained, whose identities have not been disclosed due to the ongoing investigation.
Shainaz, who is officially married to Minister Adam Rami, a member of the president’s administration, previously worked with Muizz during their time on the Male City Council. After Muizz was elected president last year, Shainaz resigned from her council position and was appointed as a state minister in Muleage, the presidential residence, before being transferred to the Ministry of Environment Protection.
As of now, the government has not made an official statement on the matter.
It is worth noting that many residents of the Maldives believe in witchcraft and practice various rituals, such as casting curses on enemies. Although there is no official criminal punishment for black magic, someone found guilty of it can be imprisoned for six months.
One of the main religions in the Republic is Islam. Magical practices are considered sinful and contrary to Islamic tenets.
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China’s Tech Giants Pledge Crackdown on Online Hate Speech Following Fatal Knife Attack
China’s leading tech firms, Tencent and NetEase, have vowed to curb “extreme nationalism” and anti-Japanese sentiment online following the fatal stabbing of a Chinese woman in Suzhou. The victim, Hu Youping, was killed while trying to protect a Japanese mother and child from an attacker.
Tencent, which owns WeChat, and NetEase announced over the weekend that they would investigate and ban users inciting hatred. Tencent highlighted that the Jiangsu province incident had “attracted public attention,” with some users provoking confrontation between China and Japan and inciting extreme nationalism.
The attack occurred when an unemployed man, surnamed Zhou, stabbed a Japanese mother and child at a bus stop outside a Japanese school. Hu Youping intervened and later died from her injuries. She was praised for her bravery, and Japan’s embassy in China flew its flag at half mast in her honor. However, extreme nationalist responses emerged online.
Weibo, a platform with 588 million monthly users, reported that some users had posted extreme remarks inciting nationalist sentiment and promoting group hatred. Douyin, akin to TikTok, also pledged to investigate xenophobic content, including speculation about Japanese school spies in China.
Nationalist sentiment, particularly anti-Japanese rhetoric, has thrived on China’s internet, often with little intervention from authorities or companies. Videos mocking Japanese schools are popular, with skits showing Chinese children fighting against racist Japanese educators.
Following the attack, social media users linked online xenophobia to real-life violence. One Weibo user commented, “Random attacks happen randomly, but xenophobic social media videos that incite hatred against everyday people and businesses should be brought under control.”
Weibo removed 759 pieces of illegal content, while Tencent addressed 836 posts violating its rules. Both platforms blocked several accounts. Despite these measures, some criticized the crackdown. One NetEase commenter called the platform “an enemy of the Chinese.”
Chinese authorities described the knife attack as an isolated incident, occurring two weeks after four US educators were stabbed in Jilin province.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Top Journal Removes Peer-Reviewed Study Linking COVID Shots to Cancer After Facebook ‘Fact Check’
An explosive peer-reviewed study was recently published in a prestigious medical journal which identifies a direct link between Covid mRNA shots and cancer.
As Slay News reported, the study, published in the Cureus journal, found that the risk of dying from cancer dramatically increased each time a patient received an mRNA injection.
The paper for the study is titled: “Increased Age-Adjusted Cancer Mortality After the Third mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccine Dose During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan.”
The study was conducted by world-renowned Japanese experts specializing in cardiovascular medicine and cancer research.
However, Cureus has now retracted the study after it sent shockwaves through the scientific community.
In a notice on its website, the journal said:
“Upon post-publication review, it has been determined that the correlation between mortality rates and vaccination status cannot be proven with the data presented in this article.”
This invalidated the results, prompting the retraction, the journal claims.
However, the journal only decided to retract the study after it was attacked by one of Facebook’s so-called “fact-checkers.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘We Don’t Want Churches, We Want Mosques’: The Persecution of Christians, May 2024
The following are among the abuses and murders inflicted on Christians by Muslims throughout the month of May 2024.
Muslim Slaughter of and Violence against Christians
Nigeria: Some May headlines from the ongoing Muslim genocide of Christians in the African nation:
- May 1: “Fulani Herdsmen Kill 12 Christians in Plateau State, Nigeria”
- May 6: “Herdsmen Kill 28 Christians in Benue State, Nigeria”
- May 7: “Six Christians Killed, Eight Wounded in Kaduna State, Nigeria”
- May 10: “Suspected Fulani Herdsmen Attack Catholic School in Nigeria”
- May 14: “Christians, Others Increasingly Targeted in Plateau State, Nigeria: Amnesty International reports 1,336 people killed in three months”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Admin Deliberately Flying Previously-Deported Illegal Aliens Back Into the US
Authored by Eric Lundrum via American Greatness
A new report claims that the Biden Administration has deliberately been flying illegal aliens into the United States after they had already been deported during the Trump Administration.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, internal memos and interviews with staff at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) suggest that the Biden Administration has been running a secret program to fly previously-deported Cameroonians back into the country, after their asylum claims were previously denied.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Drop in Immigration as Fewer Ukranians Flee to the Netherlands
Last year, 336,000 people immigrated to the Netherlands, 68,000 fewer than in 2022, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Tuesday. “The decrease is almost entirely because fewer Ukrainian refugees came to the Netherlands. The influx of other groups remained almost the same,” the statistics office said.
There was a 28 percent reduction in immigration from outside the European Union and the four European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. “The total number of immigrants from outside the EU/EFTA fell by almost 66,000 to 165,000 in 2023,” the CBS said. This was largely attributed to fewer arrivals from Ukraine. In 2023, 37,000 people came to the Netherlands using the Temporary Protection Directive for people fleeing the war in Ukraine, compared to over 108,000 in 2022.
Additionally, fewer people from outside the EU and EFTA moved to the Netherlands for the purposes of work last year. That total fell by nearly ten percent to 25,900. This was mainly offset by a 15 percent increase in asylum requests, which rose to 32,000. The number of knowledge migrants fell by nearly 5,000 to 21,500 last year. The largest group (21 percent) came from India, followed by China, Turkey, and South Africa.
Just like in 2022, more than half of asylum seekers who fled to the Netherlands last year came from Syria (55 percent). There were also relatively many asylum seekers from Yemen and Turkey (9 percent). About a third of last year’s asylum seekers came to the Netherlands through the family reunification scheme.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Panama to Close Darién Gap Route, US to Fund Migrant Repatriation
Panama’s new president, José Raúl Mulino, has announced plans to shut down the perilous Darién Gap route, a notorious pathway used by thousands of migrants annually traveling towards the United States. In a significant move, the US has agreed to cover the costs associated with repatriating migrants who enter Panama illegally.
President Mulino, in his inaugural address, highlighted the urgent need to address what he termed a “humanitarian and environmental crisis” caused by the influx of migrants, often facilitated by human smugglers through the dense jungles along Panama’s border with Colombia. Last year alone, a staggering 520,000 migrants risked their lives traversing this treacherous terrain.
“We cannot sustain the economic and social burdens brought by mass illegal immigration and the criminal organizations profiting from it,” Mulino stated firmly.
Following Mulino’s address, Panama’s new foreign minister signed a memorandum of understanding with US officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, to implement measures aimed at closing off illegal migrant passages through the Darién Gap. The agreement outlines that the US will finance the repatriation expenses for migrants found entering Panama unlawfully.
A spokesperson from the White House’s national security council emphasized that the agreement is designed to stem the flow of migrants being smuggled through the Darién, a route often used as a stepping stone towards the US. The initiative aims to discourage irregular migration and dismantle criminal networks exploiting vulnerable migrants.
Under the terms, US homeland security teams will collaborate with Panama to enhance immigration enforcement capabilities, including training and expertise development. The US will fund repatriation efforts through charter flights or commercial tickets for migrants identified for removal under Panama’s immigration laws.
The Darién Gap has become a critical route for migrants from various countries, including Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, and China, seeking to reach the US. Over 190,000 individuals have crossed it in 2024 alone, underscoring the route’s significance in global migration patterns.
The bilateral agreement marks a proactive step in managing migration flows and enhancing border security cooperation between Panama and the United States amid ongoing regional challenges.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Venezuelan Migrant Accused of Jocelyn Nungary’s Rape and Murder is the Son of Ex-Regime Official
One of the Venezuelan migrants accused of raping and killing a 12-year-old girl is the son of an ex-government official in the socialist nation, DailyMail.com has learned.
Johan Jose Martinez Rangel, 22, is one of two men who could face the death penalty for the capital murder of Jocelyn Nungaray, who was found strangled in a creek earlier this month in Houston, Texas.
Following Martinez Rangel’s arrest, Venezuelans from his home state of Guarico began flagging on social media that his mother Nazareth Rangel Palacios is a staunch supporter of Nicolas Maduro and served as a councilwoman for his party.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nevada Abortion Rights Amendment Headed to 2024 Ballot
Nevada has officially certified a proposed amendment to include abortion rights in its constitution, marking a significant step as it joins five other states in placing the issue directly before voters in the upcoming November election.
Lindsey Harmon, president of Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, emphasized the grassroots support behind the initiative, stating, “Nevadans believe that healthcare decisions about abortion are best left to women, their doctors, and those they love and trust — not politicians.”
The initiative garnered over 200,000 signatures from registered voters, well surpassing the 103,000 required, confirming its place on the ballot. Currently, abortion is legal in Nevada up to the 24th week of pregnancy, but advocates aim to solidify these rights against potential future restrictions.
Despite needing voter approval again in 2026 for formal constitutional amendment, the measure is expected to impact voter turnout, particularly in competitive races for president and U.S. Senate in Nevada, a pivotal battleground state.
This amendment adds Nevada to a list of six states, including Florida, Maryland, New York, South Dakota, and Colorado, where abortion rights will be prominently featured on the 2024 general election ballot.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Czech Old Catholic Church Will Bless Same-Sex Partnerships
Starting from January 1, 2025, Old Catholic priests in the Czech Republic will be able to officially bless same-sex partnerships. Representatives of the Old Catholic Church announced their decision to the Czech News Agency CTK.
A change to the Civil Code of the Czech Republic, which will take effect next year, will allow same-sex couples to enter into partnership agreements that grant them all the rights enjoyed by married couples.
The Old Catholics are the first church in the Czech Republic to publicly declare their intention to permit the blessing of same-sex partnerships as a church ritual. Interestingly, the Catholic Church has always taught that marriage is between one man and one woman, and now justifies same-sex partnerships.
The Old Catholic Church has been officially present in the Czech Republic since 1877. What distinguishes Old Catholics is their adherence to the canons of the undivided Church of Christ in the first millennium, before the division of the single Church into Western Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy in 1054.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vigilante Beheads ‘Blasphemous’ Sculpture of Virgin Mary in Austria
An unidentified vigilante sawed off the head of a provocative sculpture of the Virgin Mary in the act of giving birth to Jesus that had been exhibited in the Catholic cathedral in the Austrian city of Linz.
According to the sculpture’s creator, Esther Strauß, the work titled “Crowning” was meantto address “the gap in the birth of Christ from a feminist perspective” by showing Mary in the very act of giving birth.
The sculpture, which had provoked consternation among conservative Catholics who saw it as blasphemous, had been on view at the St. Mary Cathedral, as part of an art exhibition on women’s roles and gender equality.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
X Rejoins Pro-Censorship Advertisers’ Alliance
Given how X has gone out of its way to reveal the depth and breadth of online censorship via the Twitter Files, this makes for an awkward reunion: the company has decided to rejoin the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM).
It’s a pro-censorship, World Economic Forum-affiliated advertisers’ group, that achieves its objectives through the “brand safety” route (i.e., the censorship “brand” here would be demonetization). And last summer, it was scrutinized by the US Congress.
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